Upgrade your salads and soups and learn How to Make Croutons in the Oven with this simple recipe.
Made with a few simple ingredients and your trusty oven, you can make perfectly seasoned croutons that are both crispy and addictive.
They'll be a great addition to lots of different Family Dinner Ideas.
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Making homemade croutons is a fun way to turn stale bread into crunchy, flavorful additions to your meals.
Looking for more ways to jazz up different breads? Try my English Muffin Garlic Bread, Jalapeno Bacon Garlic Bread, and even my Air Fryer French Bread Pizza. Yum!
Table of Contents
Recipe Notes
Slightly stale bread is perfect for transforming into croutons, making it a great way to use up leftovers.
Use any type of bread you like – sourdough, baguette, whole wheat, or even flavorful rolls make excellent croutons. And yes, stale sandwich bread works too!
Cut the bread into uniform cubes for even baking. Aim for roughly 1-inch pieces.
Get creative with seasonings! Garlic powder, Italian herbs, a pinch of chili flakes, or your favorite spice blends all work beautifully. You can use either vegetable oil or melted butter.
Spread the croutons in a single layer on your baking sheet to prevent them from getting soggy and make sure you toss them halfway through baking for even browning on all sides.
🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
📋Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients and instructions. Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact quantities, detailed instructions and special notes.
Substitutions and Variations
Use any type of bread like sourdough, baguette, whole wheat, or rolls.
You can use the same amount of oil in place of the butter.
Try switching out the dried herbs listed in the recipe for dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, or a blend like Herbs de Provence.
You can also add freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut the bread into cubes. I like to use a serrated knife.
Step 2: Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Don't forget to cover the bowl so it doesn't splatter and make a mess!
Step 3: Mix in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning. Then add the salt, and pepper to the butter.
Step 4: Drizzle the melted butter mixture generously over the bread. Ensure the butter mixture covers the bread pieces for maximum flavor.
Step 5: Gently toss the bread in the butter mixture. Continue tossing until each piece is generously coated.
Step 6: Spread the bread cubes out evenly on a parchment lined baking pan. Try not to overlap any of the bread cubes.
Quick Tip
For the crispiest croutons, arrange them in a single layer on your baking sheet. This prevents them from steaming and getting soggy. Toss your croutons halfway through baking so they brown evenly and get perfectly crunchy.
⏲Baking Instructions
Step 7: Bake for 45 minutes at 300°F.
Before you Begin!
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🍽 Make it a Meal
Top a fresh salad, French Onion Soup, or Italian Tomato Soup with these homemade croutons!
🍶Storage Tips
Allow croutons to cool fully on the baking sheet before storing them. Any residual heat creates steam, which will make them soggy.
Store them in an airtight container or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. You can even store them in a plastic bag.
Store them at room temperature as the moisture from a refrigerator will soften them and they will lose their crunch.
➡️Top Recipe Tip
Homemade croutons are best enjoyed within a few days of making them for maximum crunch.
♨️ Reheating Tips
If your croutons lose a bit of their crunch, toast them lightly in a warm oven for a few minutes to restore crispiness.
More Recipes You'll Love!
- Check out my other recipe for Garlic and Parmesan Cheese Breadsticks.
- Or you might enjoy this recipe for Whole Grain Croutons with Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan.
📖 Recipe Card
How to make Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 24 ounces sourdough bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Cut the bread slices into large chunks that are about ¾ of an inch in size.
- Slice a stick of butter into 4 cubes (it melts more evenly this way) and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for about 1 minute or until the butter is fully melted.
- Add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the melted butter and stir well.
- Place the bread chunks in a large mixing bowl and pour the melted butter mixture over the top, being sure to not pour it all in one place.
- Using your hand or a rubber spatula, gently fold the bread pieces until they’re coated with a bit of the butter and seasoning.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the bread cubes evenly on the pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use the bread you prefer, but the sourdough bakes up really well with a scrumptious flavor. You can also use stale bread or older bread. It’s a great way to use it up so there’s no waste.
- If you want an even more vibrant flavor for your croutons, use fresh herbs instead of dried.
- You can use oil in place of butter, if preferred. It would be the same amount, whichever you choose.
- I suggest using a rubber glove and stirring the croutons with your hand before baking. It’s truly the best way to ensure the bread doesn’t get beat up in the stirring process and gets more evenly covered.
- If you’re using salted butter, you may want to skip the salt altogether or reduce it by at least half.
- One side of the croutons will turn out a bit darker than the other side. If you don’t want this (it doesn’t change the flavor), simply flip the croutons halfway through the baking process.
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