When I was in middle school I used to to work at my uncle’s deli during summers. Some of my job duties included making sandwiches, baking cookies, prepping salads, and making seasoned croutons using leftover sandwich bread from the day before. The nice thing about making croutons at home is the ability to make fresh croutons for salads and soups in small batches. However, I like making croutons because it helps me not to waste stale bread which otherwise may be tossed out and thrown away. Besides, how many times have you bought a box of croutons to make for a salad, only to let the rest of the box go stale (bye bye $3)? By making your own, you can make small batches which is great for being frugal and saving money. This recipe uses only a few ingredients you likely have in your cupboard and can also be used for “seasoned cubed bread” needed in stuffing recipes.
PS: Kids and grown-ups love snacking on them. Enjoy!
{WARNING: Children have been known to swipe cubes of freshly cut white bread because they have no self-control. Just thought you should know.}
- 6 slices regular, gluten-free, or low-carb bread (fresh or day old), crusts trimmed and cubed
- 3 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of salt OR ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- Preheat over to 300 degrees. Mix melted butter, garlic powder/salt, and parsley flakes until garlic powder is dissolved and mixture is clump free. Toss butter mixture with cubed bread in a medium bowl until cubes are evenly coated. Spread coated bread cubes on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes and check to see if they are dry, crispy, and golden brown. Stir the croutons around and bake for an additional 15 minutes until done. Store croutons in air-tight container or ziplock bag. Enjoy!
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
I am salivating over your pictures! Definitely going to give this one a try – I even have all the ingredients on hand!
Love homemade croutons! They look so delicious.
Have always wondered exactly how to make these—and I always make too much bread so now I have something to do with the stale pieces! I’ll put them on the menu this week. Thank you!
So simple! And soooo nice to be able to make with dried herbs, I buy a bunch of fresh parsley and I can never use it all before it goes bad.
Erin, I have found a great way to keep from wasting fresh herbs, like parsley. I wash and dry in a salad spinner as much as possible any herbs that I can’t use while it is still very fresh. I then chop finely and put into plastic snack bags and put into my freezer. Whenever I need “fresh” parsley, scallions, basil, oregano and cilantro etc., I just take the bag out of the freezer and take out what ever amount I need (put remaining herbs back into the freezer) and add the herbs to the recipe. I love this method and the herbs really stay truly green and fresh. I have shared this method with others and they really love the idea of NOT wasting those precious herbs. Also, using the crusts works great, too, for those who wondered if that was okay!
^Amy Pla thats a awesome idea and I will be using it.
thanks. Also made and loved these croutons.
Oh, yum! I don’t even have any lettuce at home, but will be running to the grocery to get salad fixings for my croutons. Thanks so much…now I will never give those crouton people my money!
These look terrific. Lately I’ve been lazy and used snapea crisps in salads instead of croutons, but maybe I should break out of that rut!
Hello
This Croutons Recipe is something different and new for me.I always try different recipe in my weekend.I will also try for this.Actually I think I have tasted this at my friend’s home.Thanks for this recipe.
Thanks Alice! I made them for my site (http://seriouslysoupy.blogspot.com/2010/01/garnishing-with-croutons.html) and they were delicious! Seriously, I am eating them alone like candy!!! I used whole-bread though (what I had on hand), but next time I would like to try it with gluten-free bread that you suggested.
All the best,
Seriously Soupy Serena
And feel free to try other herbs or spices, or seasoned salt. Or some parmesan. Can’t mess it up. And they are the best with a caesar salad because they absorb some of the dressing and soften up, instead of staying rock-hard like store bought croutons.
I never seem to use up all of the bread that I have on hand, so I love to make croutons! Yours look absolutely gorgeous!
I saw another recipe in a Thomas Keller cookbook that I got for Christmas. Instead of cubing the bread he tears leftover french bread into pieces. I think this recipe would work perfect like that and the torn pieces look soo pretty and rustic.
yuuuuummmmm!
these wouldn’t even make it to a salad.
I love too! I have used stovetop padding for the longest time and finally accede to go of that, but am still buying bagged stuffing. Croutons I am still buying. Some of them are just so delicious and I am like you where I am not sure I could make them as well as they taste from the store. They really make some great croutons now.
Best Regards,
Bought an Italian loaf today with the sole intention of using it in batches to make croutons for the different soups I am making or dinners this week. I used olive oil, onion powder, parsley, and 3 cloves of garlic (I love roast garlic) and after I flipped them halfway through I tossed on a sprinkling of grated parmesan. I popped them into my store bought tomato soup. Delicious!! It won’t let me rate on my iPhone for some reason but hands down: 5 stars!
Are they still as good with the crusts on? I don’t like wasting the crusts.
What a tasty way to save $$$$ – have you seen the prices of even halfway decent croutons in the store? I’ve always loved the Preperidge Farm but this recipe could take them off the market!
By the way, the birds in my back yard are really going to hate you for this!
Sometime I have a lot of stale bread. I do a larger batch and put them in the freezer in a sealed bag so they will last a long time
Thx SSL just made a batch right now and mixed up a fresh ham honey n mustard salad whilst they were baking. I’m eating as i send you this message and i think it’s time that the eating took priority! To anyone reading this I fully recommend this recipe quick easy and yummy!
Glad you approve Pete! Thanks for representing the men folk.
My kids and I made them last night to serve on top of soup today. They ate so many when I wasn’t looking that I had to make another batch! Simple ingredients, simple method, simply delicious. Just hide em from the kids!
I just made these using hamburger buns, and they are the greatest human achievement since FLIGHT.
Me too! We used onion buns
They’re really yummy if you add some grated parmesan cheese to the melted butter, parsley, and garlic.
Hi Alice I would like to say thank you so much. Never in my life I had I ever made croutons or attempted to make anything that I could buy, and today I decided to make lunch for my mom and me and decide to make a salad. I made the salad and decide it looked sad and wanted to add my mom’s favorite, croutons but was all out! I then got the nerve decide to see how hard croutons could be to make long story short I found your reciepe and we LOVED it! You have just made a 19 year old girl a believer in making food at home, thank you thank you, I will be giving your other reciepes a try.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love croutons but I live on a tropical island where EVERYTHING is imported so croutons are not in my budget. This recipe was great.
I always have loads of extra bread on hand and once each week I normally make a bread pudding ( savory) for myself or a bread/cheese pudding for my dogs. Looks as though the dogs will not be getting their bread pudding so often as I intend to make loads of croutons. I like to snack on them as opposed to potato chips, corn chips, etc. Thanks for a great and easy recipe.
Just tried this with some old bread. I’m running short on butter so I substituted olive oil, and they are just magical! I may never buy croutons again.
Wow, this site is great and the croutons were wonderful! I made them with organic artisan whole wheat bread and left the crusts on, just because I love it and couldn’t bear to compost it or feed it to the dog (and didn’t want to spoil my appetite). I used wild mushroom and sage olive oil, which enhanced the flavor nicely. I ended up doubling the olive oil mixture because I’d originally combined it in the bottom of the bowl and the first cubes of bread soaked it up quickly. I used a measuring cup for the second batch of it and then drizzled it over slowly, stirring the bread cubes in between each pour. Excellent!! Thank you!
Forgot to mention that I used them to top a Tuscan Kale Salad–a great combo! My 2-1/2 yr. old couldn’t get enough of them and neither could my dinner party guests (I had to steal some away to make sure that there were enough to actually incorporate into the meal.) Thanks again!
These croutons are so simple and they suit my purpose perfectly.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I just made some heart shaped ones for our Valentine dinner tonight
What oven temperature?
Nevermind! I see it’s 300.
Great recipe!
I vote for leaving the crust on. I did, and the results were outstanding! Why waste the delicious crust?
This recipe is amazing! Since I didn’t have butter or olive oil, I used vegetable oil. They came out really great!
These are delicious! I made rye bread last week and didn’t eat it fast enough. I didn’t want to waste it, so I decided to give croutons a try. I used olive oil and left the crusts on the bread (I’m a nut who loves bread crust). I can’t stop eating them! At this rate, none of them are going to make it into tonight’s salad!
Thanks for your recipe. I chose to use oregano (organic) for the recipe with french baguette (organic) rolls and they turned out wonderful!! Simple.
thank you for posting this i have my final exam test tomorrow and i cant find my croutons recipe lucky i can use whatever i want for the croutons
I just made some croutons, using t his recipe. I actually had cubed some left over French bread and frozen it because I didn’t have time to make croutons at the time. Then when I had time, I briefly thawed the bread cubes and then proceeded with the recipe. They came out perfectly! Just a reminder that croutons are not only great on salads but soups. as well. Enjoy!
My husband said these were the best croutons he has ever eaten. I must agree! I did cut the amount garlic powder in half, as I didn’t want the seasoning to overwhelm the croutons, and I’m glad I did. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
I used day old semolina bread from the bakery (why waste it?) and left the crusts on. I put the cubes in a bowl and drizzled the olive oil mixture over them as I tossed them with my free hand. I have tried this recipe with a combination of butter and olive oil and then with just olive oil. They’re delicious both ways! I bake mine for a total of 20 minutes. I’ve had them on Caesar salad, with cold Salmorejo tomato soup (a nice alternative to gazpacho), and right out of the bag. So easy to make and so much better than the store bought ones.
300 degrees celcius or farenheit?
It must be F. My gas stove is marked in C and only goes to 270 C. Must be around 150 C.
This recipe is amazing! My boyfriend came to me, and said, “honey, do u know how to make croutans?” My response was…”no, but I’m sure I can look it up, and we can have a nice salad for dinner!” That’s when this recipe popped up, AMAZING! Definitely worth trying! Five stars all the way!
I forgot to read the bottom of your recipe where it warns that temps vary. I burned mine.
at the 15 min mark they were done. Very tasty though. Will keep this recipe.
I just made some roasted corn and tomato soup for dinner and want to put some croutons on top. This looks perfect! Thanks!
I love this easy fast way to make croutons. Personally i like to just eat them instead of chips. I was hoping someone mite b able to tell me how to make cheesy garlic flavored croutons. thank you and please email me if you know cherri1019@yahoo.com
just add some meltable cheese (maybe Velveeta) to the sauce while you melt the butter and all together
What a great and easy recipe! I made it and my family loved it! What a fast, easy and cheap way to make these! Thank you!!
Easy recipe I am definitely going to try it out for my husband and my two beautiful girls.
They came out perfect! Better than boxed! Sharing this recipe with family & friends!
Thanks!
I am making them as we speak. They are still in the oven but I just sampled on as I checked them, mmmmmmmm! I changed my seasonings a bit, since we are having spaghetti I used basil, oregano, garlic salt and just a touch of onion powder. I left the crust on just because I didn’t want to waste anything. I will be using this agin and again. Thanks. Oh and I used butter.
This is the First time I’ve made croutons and they came out perfect! I actually used stale hot dog rolls.
LOVED THESE! Amazing flavor and so easy! I used sourdough hogie rolls and whoa momma, amazing!!!