Homemade croutons are so easy to make – these baked, whole grain, 4 ingredient croutons will transform your soups and salads into something completely irresistible.
Once you go to a homemade crouton, there’s no going back. They are a major game-changer and your salads, soups and stews will never be the same. In a very, very good way.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy: These are ready in less than 15 minutes, start to finish!
- Four Ingredients: That’s right, only four! And aside from the bread, I bet you have them all on hand!
- Irresistible: They’re crunchy. They’re flavorful. And they’re all too easy to pop in your mouth!
- Great use for bread that’s getting stale: If you’re looking for ways to reduce waste in the kitchen, this is a great one! Make croutons out of bread that’s starting to get stale. Win win!
- Way better than store-bought: Seriously. Read the comments.
How to Make Croutons
All you need to do is cut the bread into cubes, toss it with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt, spread them on a baking sheet and bake.
They only take 10 minutes to bake (but if you have really fresh bread, they’ll take longer to get golden brown).
The hardest part, BY FAR, is not eating them all off the baking sheet while they’re still warm. They are an absolutely irresistible combination of chewy and crispy and make for an amazing salad topping or a soup topper.
How to Use Homemade Croutons
I’ve been loving them on top of Italian sausage stew. They star in this traditional panzanella salad and springtime asparagus panzanella salad.
How to Make Croutons on the Stove
I often get asked how to make croutons on the stove. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and toss the croutons around in the hot pan until they are golden brown. You can prepare the croutons exactly the same way if you’re going to make them on the stovetop, and you don’t have to increase the oil unless you want to. I prefer the oven method because it’s slightly more hands-off and frees me up to do other things.More Salad Toppings
- homemade reduced-fat ranch dressing
- fresh raspberry vinaigrette dressing recipe
- vanilla bean candied walnuts
- savory granola (not sweet, and super crunchy with pepitas, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds)
- pepitas (eight recipes!)
- sweet and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette
- olive oil roasted almonds
- seasoned oyster crackers
- pickled red onions
Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups cubed bread (I used a multigrain baguette)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle olive oil over bread while stirring. Stir well until bread is coated by all ingredients and olive oil is absorbed.
- 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. 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!
Notes
- Serving size: 1/4 cup croutons.
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! I hate buying croutons or bread crumbs at the store because of sh*t ingredients. Had some left over homemade bread and wanted to make meatloaf- found your very easy and delicious recipe and figured i couldnt mess it up! These are amazing, I added italian seasoning as well and the whole house smells edible now! Like everyone else in the reviews said.. there is no going back now.
So glad it was a success for you! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!
Just popped them in, I added a dash of butter.
I hope you love them!
I just popped these in the oven! Can’t wait to try them. So easy!
I hope you love them!
Easy and much better than store bought
Thank you so much!
Easy and flavorful
Thank you! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
perfect! and yes no going back to store bought now☺️
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed them!
10/10
Thanks Chris!
Super simple. Super tasty!
So glad you liked them! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Sweetheart, OMG!!!! This recipe has rekindled my love for croutons…and now I can make some that are better for me! I’m in LOVE! I’ll never buy croutons again! Your recipe was simple, easy to follow, and totally customizable. I made a grilled salmon Caesar salad and I was able to use a “healthier for me” bread option for my croutons and it was absolutely amazing! I got the crispy but chewy texture that I wanted, as well as a seasoning of my choice. Thank you, thank you, thank you! P.S. I didn’t get to upload a photo because they were gone in seconds!!! :)
Your comment brought a smile to my face! I’m so happy you liked them, and thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
My husband loves it and I made it for my family they wanted the recipe. Thank you so much
So glad they were a hit!