Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: 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. Homemade croutons are so much better and they’re super easy to make.
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, rimmed sheet pan
Servings: 8
Homemade Croutons are the Best!
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
More Homemade Croutons
Since you all love these so much (for good reason!), I’ve gone a little crouton crazy. 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.
Caesar Croutons
A must for Caesar salads. 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? It’s such a simple salad: lettuce, parmesan cheese, dressing, and croutons. With only four ingredients, you really can’t omit one.
Ditch the store-bought croutons. So you can either eat those hard dry croutons you buy at the store or you can bite into a perfectly crisp chewy crouton that will elevate your salad to a whole new level. There is truly nothing like it for sale at the store.
Easy to make. The good news is that these croutons are super simple and easy to make. They’ll finish baking basically in the time it takes to make the actual salad. You can make them in your air fryer, too (see air fryer croutons).
“This recipe was excellent!… Don’t worry if you only have whatever bread you have. No one will be the wiser. Yummy croutons! Thanks!
Ingredient Notes
- Bread: Like all the other croutons, Caesar croutons are also a great way to use up leftover or day-old bread. I like to use a French baguette because it’s fairly porous and toasts well. Avoid sandwich bread or bread that has a sweet flavor.
- Olive Oil: The bread cubes are tossed with olive oil which adds flavor and helps the bread toast to a golden brown.
- Parmesan Cheese: I find that the shelf-stable Parmesan cheese works just fine for croutons. It sticks in the little nooks and crannies of the bread and adds lots of flavor.
- Pantry Seasonings: To keep things easy and simple, I use seasonings I have in my pantry: dried parsley, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
Cooking Tip
The drier your bread cubes, the faster the croutons 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.
How To Use Caesar Croutons
Classic Caesar Salad: A classic Caesar salad is made with romaine lettuce. Toss the lettuce with Caesar dressing. (You’ll definitely want to try my recipe for homemade Caesar dressing. It’s healthier, easy to make, and tastes fantastic.) When the lettuce is coated with dressing, top the salad with your homemade Caesar croutons and shredded Parmesan cheese. That’s it!
Chicken Caesar Salad: Simply add cooked or grilled chicken to the salad. I like to grill Italian marinated chicken. It can be served on the side if you prefer.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad: This is the best of two worlds: pasta salad and Caesar salad. Chicken Caesar pasta salad is a hearty main course salad.
Chicken Tenders: Another way to use Caesar croutons is to crush them and use as a coating for homemade chicken tenders. Try my chicken Caesar chicken tenders. They’re especially good dipped in Caesar dressing. The crispy chicken strips can be added to a Caesar salad, too.
Cool the croutons completely before storing. If they’re still warm, condensation will form on the inside of the container and the croutons will get soft and won’t keep well. Store them in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 weeks.
More Salad Toppers
Caesar Croutons
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 4 cups (heaping) cubed white bread (I like to use a French baguette)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme.⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- Add bread cubes and toss to coat bread cubes with olive oil mixture. Spread the bread cubes into an even layer on a sheet pan. Don’t crowd the pan.4 cups (heaping) cubed white bread
- 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 day-old and dry, it may brown faster, so keep an eye on it!
Notes
- Storage: Allow the croutons to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep for up to two weeks.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
So easy, perfect ingredients, love the portion calculator!! Thanks
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Forgot to get croutons at the store so decided to make them. Happened upon this recipe. They are super easy to make and super delicious. Ingredients are common in my kitchen. I used sour dough bread to make them. Thanks, Rachel, for a great recipe. Never will buy store croutons again.
Oh I’m so glad you liked them! I love when my recipes can “save the day” when ingredients are forgotten. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Dinner was almost ready when discovered had not croutons for the Caesar salad. Found your recipe & dinner was saved. Hubby said best ever croutons, so will be making a lot more infuture! Thank you1
So glad you liked them! Homemade croutons are a game-changer!
Should have typed hot dog buns!
I made these with hit dog buns that I found in the freezer. Everyone loved them! The older folks in the crowd especially liked that they were easier to eat than crusty bread croutons.
I’m so glad they were a hit! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I used this recipe but put them in my air fryer and cut back in the oil. Very good!
Great idea!
I love homemade croutons! I don’t do the little pebbles in the bag any more!
Little pebbles is such a great description of them!
I made these using keto bread for a low carb alternative and absolutely love them!
I’m so glad you like them! And I’m happy to hear it works with keto bread! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
What is the best means of storing these croutons and for how long?
In an airtight container at room temp. They should keep for a week or so, but may lose some of their crispness.
This is the second time to make crouton. I found Rachel’s recipes the best.
I sampled a couple pieces and soo good I had to pack them quickly
so I don’t eat them all. I prepared these crouton for my next Caesar salad.
I’m going to try your other recipes. Thanks for posting your great recipes.
So happy to hear that! Thanks fore taking the time to leave a comment!