Name: Homemade Croutons
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 (16oz/450g) loaf French or Italian bread (these are 5 cups cubed bread (3/4-inch or 2 cm cubes) which is about 230g); 1/3 cup (65g) olive oil; 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (15g); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence ((French seasoning)); 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Homemade croutons are so easy and quick to prepare but they taste SO MUCH better than store-bought. Seriously, it’s so hard to stop snacking on them. You’ll want to add them to salads, soups, or eat them straight from the baking sheet! It’s a great idea to use up leftover bread.

Homemade croutons in a blue bowl on a wooden board.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make homemade croutons:

any type of bread – my favorite is soft bread such as French or Italian bread, you can also use sourdough bread or toast bread, you can use fresh bread or 1- or 2-day old bread
olive oil – you can use just olive oil or a mix of olive oil and melted butter
seasoning – I’m using garlic powder (I don’t recommend using fresh garlic – it will burn and be bitter) and French seasoning (Herbes de Provence) – you can use Italian seasoning instead
cheese – a sprinkle of grated Parmesan is a must for these croutons!

How to make homemade croutons step by step

A collage of four photos showing how to prepare homemade croutons.

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

In a large bowl, stir together olive oil, grated cheese, garlic powder, herbs, salt, and pepper.

STEP 2: Cut the bread into 3/4-inch (2cm) cubes (I’m not removing the crust, but you can).

STEP 3: Add the cubed bread and toss until evenly coated.

STEP 4: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional) and spread the bread on it. Make sure the bread cubes are spaced out a bit.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden on all sides.

Enjoy!

Top Tips

Sadly, the more olive oil you add, the better your croutons will taste!
You can simplify this recipe by just placing cubed bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil (eyeball it) and seasonings, then toss to coat. I like to combine the olive oil with seasonings first and then toss them with the bread because I think thanks to that the bread is more evenly coated and thanks to that more crispy. If you’re short on time you can go the quicker route and your croutons will still be fine!
Make sure to cut your croutons into even-sized cubes so that they bake evenly.
Baking time will depend on the size of the croutons and the type of bread – make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. When they’re golden all over – they’re done.
If my loaf of bread has a soft crust I will leave it but if it’s a hard crust that often comes with sourdough bread – I usually remove it.
Some recipes call for tossing the croutons halfway through for even browning but I have not found that necessary. If your croutons don’t brown evenly on all sides, you can try that.

Storage

Since these croutons are made with cheese I’m keeping them in the fridge but you can keep croutons without cheese at room temperature. Keep them in an airtight container. They keep really well and are just slightly less crispy the next day. You can reheat them in the oven to crisp them up. I think they will be good for a good couple of days in the fridge but they never last longer than a day in my house!

What to serve them with

they will be great with any salad or soup!
Chicken Caesar Salad
Summer Panzanella Salad
Chicken tomato soup with mushroom
Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Simple salad with yogurt dressing
Cucumber avocado tomato salad with dill and feta
Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!