Homemade Croutons Recipe (Crispy, Garlicky, Better Than Store-Bought)

I stopped buying croutons years ago. The box kind taste like seasoned cardboard, and once you make homemade croutons one time, you won’t go back. Ten minutes of real work gets you crisp, garlicky cubes that actually taste like bread.

This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure.

These go straight onto my Caesar pasta salad, but I make them for soups and green salads too. The whole trick is day-old bread and a true single layer on the pan. Crowd them and they steam instead of crisping.

Chef Jenn’s Take on Homemade Croutons

Most homemade croutons go wrong in one of two ways. They come out soft in the middle because the bread was too fresh, or they scorch on the thin edges because the oven ran hot and nobody stirred the pan. Both are fixable.

The fix is starting with day-old bread, which has dried out enough to crisp instead of toughen, and keeping the cubes in a real single layer so hot air hits every side. Stir once at the halfway mark. That window between golden and burnt at 375°F is narrower than people think, so I check at twelve minutes the first time, then decide from there.

What You’ll Love About Homemade Croutons

• They cost almost nothing. A few stale bread heels you’d otherwise toss turn into a salad topping I’d pay four dollars for in a bag.
• You control the size. I leave mine a little bigger than store-bought, because chunky cubes stay crisp longer once they hit dressing.
• No mystery ingredients. Just bread, oil, butter, and seasoning you already have, which is more than I can say for the shelf-stable kind.

Ingredients

• Day-old bread – French, Italian, or sourdough all work. Use what’s slightly stale; fresh bread steams instead of crisping.
• Olive oil – Regular or light is fine. No need for extra virgin here.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted both work. If unsalted, add a pinch more salt.
• Garlic powder – Don’t swap in fresh garlic. It burns at this temperature and time.
• Italian seasoning – Dried oregano plus basil works if that’s what you have.
• Kosher salt – If using table salt, cut the amount by about half. The grains are finer.
• Black pepper – Freshly cracked if you have it.
• Grated Parmesan cheese – Optional. The shelf-stable shaker kind works fine here.

How to Make Homemade Croutons

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Heat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. The parchment keeps the croutons from sticking and makes cleanup a non-issue. Cut the bread into roughly 3/4-inch cubes, then toss them with the olive oil and melted butter.

Add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Parmesan if you’re using it, and toss again. You want seasoning on every surface, not pooled in the bottom of the bowl. Spread the cubes in a single layer on the sheet pan with space between them. Crowding traps steam, and steamed bread won’t crisp.

Bake 12 to 18 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Pull them when they’re golden and crisp, not dark, since they firm up more as they cool. Don’t wait for rock-hard in the oven. Cool completely before they go anywhere near a salad. Warm croutons wilt greens and turn soft against dressing.

Make It A Meal

I make these specifically for Caesar pasta salad, but they go anywhere bread belongs in a bowl. Pile them on my Extra Garlicky Homemade Caesar Salad with Bacon Croutons, or the Tex-Mex Caesar Salad when you want a little heat. They’re also what I float on a bowl of Oven Roasted Tomato Soup instead of crackers.

Storage

Store cooled croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Keep them out of the fridge, where humidity softens them. If they lose crunch, re-crisp in a 350°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes. I don’t recommend freezing; they go stale faster once thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions