Here’s how to make croutons that are perfect for salads and soup! Better make extra because everyone will want to snack on them too.
There is simply no comparison between store-bought and homemade croutons! They can bring a salad from average to awesome. So today, I’m sharing how to make croutons on the stovetop and in the oven.
What You’ll Find In This Post
Homemade Croutons Ingredients
To make croutons, you will need three basic ingredients: bread, oil, and seasonings. Scroll down for the complete recipe with ingredient measurements.
- Bread: You can use pretty much any bread you want. Italian bread and French bread work great, but we’ve also used everything from sourdough to hamburger buns. For the best results, you’ll need bread that you can slice into sizable cubes. Something like presliced sandwich bread can be used, but they will be tiny cubes.
- Oil: For this recipe, we used melted butter. It gives the croutons a delicious, golden, buttery crust. We often use olive oil, too and that works great as well.
- Seasonings: Our favorite combination of seasoning is garlic and rosemary.
Additional Flavor Combinations
Go ahead and get creative with the combination of seasonings you choose! Here are a few additional flavor ideas:
- Ranch: Use powdered ranch dressing mix or a combination of dried chives, dried parsley, dried dill weed, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Garlic Parmesan: Sprinkle the bread cubes with grated parmesan, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt.
- Onion and Garlic: Use onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt.
- Southwest: Sprinkle the cubed bread with chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.
How To Make Croutons
Here’s how to make croutons in three easy steps: cut, coat, and cook. You get to choose the coating (oil and seasonings) and the cooking method (stovetop or oven). Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete instructions.
- Cut: Slice the bread into evenly size cubes. Keep in mind that the cubes will shrink somewhat as they cook.
- Coat: Drizzle the melted butter or olive oil over the bread cubes and stir to coat. Then, sprinkle evenly with garlic, rosemary, parsley, and salt. Or use the seasoning combination of your choice.
- Cook: If you are making them on the stovetop, cook them over low heat for 8-10 minutes, turning often, until they are golden. To make them in the oven, bake them at 425˚ for 3-5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can put croutons on top of salads, of course, but there are many other ways to use them. They are delicious on soup and dipped in fondue. You can put them on charcuterie boards or crumble them on casseroles.
The best restaurant croutons are freshly made. You can make croutons at home and get the same results!
You can use any bread you want to make homemade croutons. Italian and French are popular choices, but you can use brown bread, white bread, wheat bread, sourdough, texas toast, buns, or rolls.
Looking for ways to use croutons? Try these recipes:
Smoked Gouda Fondue is the best cheesy appetizer! Dip in all of your favorite savory foods. Or make it part of a fun dinner with cubed chicken and steak!
This hearty Pizza Soup is like comfort in a bowl with a creamy tomato base, mini pepperoni, and lots of cheese topped with crackers or croutons.
Apple Cranberry Salad is sweet and crunchy, crisp and tart! It's simple enough for a weekday lunch yet fancy enough for holiday dinners!
How To Make Croutons
Video
Ingredients
- 6 cups cubed bread about 1/2 loaf of French or Italian bread
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the bread into cubes.
- Put the cubed bread in a large skillet.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the cubed bread and stir to coat.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder, dried rosemary, dried parsley, and salt. Stir to coat.
- Toast over low (or medium-low) heat, for 8-10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
