Homemade Croutons Recipe
Crispy, garlicky homemade croutons from day-old bread, oven-baked in under 20 minutes. Better than any box, and they cost almost nothing.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 385kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups day-old French bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and melted butter until evenly coated.
- Add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Parmesan if using. Toss again until evenly coated.
- Spread the cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 12 to 18 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and crisp.
- Cool completely before adding to salad.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Start with day-old bread. Fresh bread has too much moisture and toasts soft instead of crisp.
- Rub a cut clove of garlic over the croutons the second they come out of the oven for a sharper garlic hit than the powder gives.
- Leave the cubes a little larger, around an inch, if you want them to stay crisp longer once they're in dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 902mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 5mg