Best Homemade Croutons
The best homemade croutons are crispy, versatile, and much better than anything store-bought. You’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to make and how well it stores.
The inspiration for this recipe was stale bread, lol. I had two loaves of perfectly good bread, but it was beyond its freshness peak. I don’t like to waste food, so I decided we’d turn the bread into croutons. We enjoy croutons on Caesar salad so I knew we had good use for this best homemade croutons recipe.
I was pleasantly surprised with just how easy these were to make and how great they taste! Personally, I like to make croutons without a bold flavor so that I can use them on a variety of salads. But, you can always substitute the dried herbs for herbs with more flavor if that’s more your cup of tea.
This post is about how to make the best homemade croutons.
Best Homemade Croutons
What do I need to make homemade croutons?
To make this recipe, you will need:
- Bread: You can use any bread, really. Day-old or stale bread works best, but fresh bread can also be used, it would just need a tad longer to bake in the oven.
- Garlic Powder: Adds great flavor to the croutons.
- Salt: To taste.
- Pepper: To taste.
- Olive Oil: Oil is needed to crisp the croutons.
- Dried Parsley: I prefer this subtle-tasting dried herb, but you can substitute it for stronger-tasting herbs like oregano or a blend of Italian seasoning.
How do I make croutons?
First, cut the bread into small, equal-sized cubes.
Put the bread cubes in a big bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and seasoning including salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. Toss to combine.
Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the bread cubes in one even layer. Bake at 375°F for 11 minutes until it’s golden brown.
That’s it! Serve these croutons on any salad you desire.
How do I store croutons?
Homemade croutons will last a very long time depending on how it is stored. I suggest putting the croutons in an airtight container and putting them in the refrigerator or freezer. They will last a month in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
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This post was about how to make the best homemade croutons.
Best Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 6 cups stale bread cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut the bread into small, equal-sized cubes.
- Put the bread cubes in a big bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and seasoning including salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. Toss to combine.
- Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the bread cubes in one even layer. Bake at 375°F for 11 minutes or until it's golden brown.
- Serve these croutons on any salad you desire. Enjoy!