Caesar Croutons – EASY recipe!
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Caesar Croutons are the crowning jewel on a classic Caesar Salad and once you make this homemade version, you’ll find yourself wondering why you ever bought croutons from the store. There is no comparison and they’ll quickly take your Caesar Salad game to the next level.
Homemade croutons for life! When I first posted the recipe for the best homemade croutons, I had no idea how popular it would become. I absolutely love reading your comments about how making homemade croutons for the first time was a game-changer for you. Here are some of my favorite comments:
- “JUST made three batches (out of one loaf) an hour before church. My house smells good, it was SO easy – and I’m so glad I found you. Thank you for the detailed images and simple recipe.” – Juanita
- “Oh my gosh! Why have I bought croutons my whole life?!? This is so easy and so good! I will never serve bagged croutons again!” -Christina
- “Pretty much the perfect crouton. I don’t think I can ever buy them from the store again!” -Elise
- “These were unbelievably good. So easy to make.” -Niva
- “This recipe is simple yet perfect! I used both sourdough and three cheese semolina bread. I left the pieces a bit larger for dipping into a cheese spread. Delicious! ” -Meghan
Since you all love these so much (for good reason!), I’ve gone a little crouton crazy. I compiled a complete guide on how to make croutons, complete with all sorts of variations and ideas for you. There are even a couple of different cooking methods and a video to help you visualize the process! I also developed a copycat recipe for Ruby Tuesday croutons, because I haven’t been to Ruby Tuesday’s in years and years but I still remember those delicious little cubes of bread.
Since we’re riding the crouton train, I thought Caesar croutons also deserved their own feature here. A Caesar salad is not a Caesar salad without the croutons, am I right? So you can either eat those crumbly dry croutons you buy at the store or you can bite into a perfectly crispy chewy crouton that will elevate your salad to a whole new level. There is truly nothing like it for sale at the store, but the good news is that these croutons are super simple to make and they’ll finish baking basically in the time it takes to make the actual salad.
About these Caesar Croutons:
Like all the other croutons, Caesar croutons are also a great way to use up leftover or stale bread if that exists in your house. These garlic Parmesan croutons are flaked with herbs and have so much flavor for the perfect Caesar salad. I opt for garlic powder for a more mild flavor but if you’re a huge garlic fan, feel free to mince a couple of cloves and go garlic crazy!
Tip: The more stale and dry your bread cubes are, the faster these will brown! If your bread is dry, make sure to keep a close eye on it to keep it from burning. If your bread is quite fresh, plan on slightly increasing baking time.
Want to use these croutons but switch it up from the usual chopped romaine? I can’t wait to try this Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad from A Mindfull Mom, Grilled Caesar Salad from The Little Kitchen, and Roasted Asparagus Caesar Salad from Nutmeg Nanny.
PS: Try homemade Caesar Dressing – it’s a healthier version and it’s fantastic!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 4 heaping cups cubed white bread (I like to use a French baguette)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme.
- Add bread cubes and toss to coat all bread cubes with olive oil mixture.
- Spread the bread cubes into an even layer on a sheet pan. Don’t crowd the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring once to ensure even toasting. If you’re using super fresh bread, they’ll take a little longer to become golden brown. If the bread is stale and dry, it may brown faster, so keep an eye on it!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Verdict: When I tested this recipe, I actually only ate two of these because I was technically doing a Whole30. It was SO hard not to eat more – homemade croutons are one of my favorite things and these were some of the best I’ve had!
Husband’s take: Luckily Ben came to the rescue and took a bag of these to work with him. I think he snacked on them without putting them on a salad – they’re that good!
Changes I would make: None at all!
Difficulty: So easy, you guys! This recipe will change the way you think about croutons!
Dianne Friesenhahn says
These were really good! My mom makes homemade bread; she didn’t think this batch turned out (too dense) so I made these croutons which turned out really good. I used fresh parsley from the garden and made 2 batches with one loaf of homemade bread. Question – how to store? Ok to keep in a ziplog bag in pantry? Thanks for the recipe
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked them! And yup, a zip-top bag or airtight container, room temp, is the perfect place to store these. :)
Eric Armstrong says
I made these croutons tonight for our steak salad. I substituted pita bread since that is what I use for Greek salads croutons, otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Slam dunk, out of the park grand slam flavor combination. This is a keeper recipe and so very easy. Yes, the kitchen smells wonderful. Recommend.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like these croutons! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Patti Davis says
My kitchen smells amazing right now! Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad! I hope you had the best caesar salad!
Kristi Dommer says
I’ve made these numerous times now and am never disappointed! It is also fun to change up the seasonings.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Anne says
This recipe is SO easy and by far the BEST croutons (store or homemade) I’ve ever had!
Rachel Gurk says
Oh my goodness, thank you so much! I’m thrilled you liked them. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Lori says
Thank you for sharing your recipe. We enjoyed the tasty addition to our salads. Not oily, nice flavour and easy to make.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Cat kea says
Winner winner, chicken Caesar salad dinner
Rachel Gurk says
:) Yesss! Thank you!
Diana says
I made these tonight as a last-minute addition to a quick chicken caesar salad for dinner. I just used sliced potato bread cut into small chunks. The bread wasn’t stale but it didn’t matter. They came out crunchy and delicious. I’ll do this recipe again and again!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad to hear you liked these! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
DONNA M PULS says
Yummy Crutons!! Love them, Although I tried A round of Sourdough, Last day to sell from the Grocery , Tastes GREAT!! Thank You for recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it, Donna! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Barbara says
These are amazing! I was looking for a way to use up some leftover hamburger buns and turned them into the most delicious croutons. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
Oh good! I’m so glad you liked them! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Michelle Servais says
These were fantastic! I used organic white bread from Trader Joe’s, still fresh, and cooked about 10 minutes extra. I also love these in a bowl of tomato soup!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you liked these! I bet they are amazing in a bowl of soup! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Margaret Bartley says
Used recipe but used Air fryer. Ready in 8 minutes. Delicious.
Maggie
Rachel Gurk says
ooooh! I want to try them in my air fryer! Did you use the same amount of oil?
run 3 says
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Denise says
sounds easy and delicious
Kristen Chidsey says
HAHA!! love that you only tried 2–now that is willpower!!!
Thanks for the shout out for my brussel sprouts salad!
Rachel Gurk says
I’ll be making them again soon and this time I’m eating more than two!!