Learn how to make homemade croutons with this easy recipe, which yields the most delicious crispy, crunchy toasted exterior with a slightly chewy interior. These croutons make for a flavorful topping for salads, soups, and more, and are also a delicious snack all on their own. If you have extra bread on your hands from making artisan bread, ciabatta bread, or homemade bread bowls, use it to make croutons!
A fresh green salad without croutons is like a peanut butter dessert without chocolate—disappointing and dull. 😉 This is especially true when it comes to homemade croutons, with their irresistible crispy, crunchy, herb-infused, and perfectly oil-kissed goodness.
Once you make these, be sure to store them right away—or you WILL find yourself snacking on them every time you pass by. My whole team and I couldn’t resist. It might sound dramatic to rave about little cubes of bread, but if you’ve ever made croutons from scratch, you’ll completely understand!
Start with a loaf of crusty bread, such as homemade artisan bread, Italian or French bread, sourdough, a baguette, homemade ciabatta, or even homemade bread bowls. The type of bread you use for croutons makes a difference. You don’t want to use a flimsy sandwich bread, you want something a little sturdier.
Fresh or 1-day-old bread is best for making homemade croutons. You don’t want to use super stale bread because then the croutons would be too hard and crunchy. The best croutons have a crispy exterior and a slightly softer, chewy center… they’re not meant to break your teeth! Use staler bread for breakfast casserole, French toast casserole, or strata.
You can simply tear the bread into pieces, which gives you craggy, irregularly shaped pieces with some variation in texture (smaller pieces will be crunchier, larger pieces will be a little chewier); or you can slice the bread into cubes if you like a more uniform look. Either way you break apart your bread, be sure to make the bite-size pieces small enough to fit on a fork or a spoon along with whatever they are accompanying, such as salad or soup.
You can use either olive oil or melted butter, but I recommend using BOTH for the best possible flavor.
In a small saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil, butter, and seasonings until the butter melts, whisking until everything is well combined. Drizzle the mixture over the bread cubes and toss thoroughly to ensure every piece is fully coated. Warming the mixture helps it absorb into the bread more quickly and distributes the flavors more evenly.
By the way, if you’re looking for a quality skillet, I own and love this one (affiliate link, though I am not working with this brand). I have been pleased with Made In cookware.
Spread the coated bread pieces in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Per the printable recipe below, bake for 10 minutes, stir, then bake another 8 minutes. You want a golden brown color, crunchy on the outside but still a little soft inside.
Do not bake for too long, because they’ll continue to crisp up as they cool, and you’ll end up with too-hard croutons that are unpleasant to crunch/chew.
Storage Tip: Lightly cover them to store for the first day, so they stay crunchy, but after the first day, transfer to a tightly sealing container or bag to prevent them from becoming too stale.
A flavorful topping for salads and soups, homemade croutons are also a delicious crispy-crunchy savory snack all on their own. A wonderful way to use up extra bread!
