Homemade Garlic Croutons
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Last Updated on April 24, 2023 by Lisa Johnson
Are you tired of buying bland and stale croutons from the store? With just a few simple ingredients and some basic kitchen tools, you’ll be able to whip up a batch of your own delicious and homemade garlic croutons!
Use these crispy garlic croutons to top your favorite salads and soups, like Tossed Green Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, and Split Pea Soup.
These little gems are buttery garlic perfection, and so simple to make! Why settle for packaged when you can easily make your own flavorful croutons in no time?
Ingredients
- Bread Cubes – this is a great way to use up leftover bread.
- Unsalted Butter
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Italian Parsley – fresh or dried
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Homemade Garlic Croutons
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat butter and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted.
Stir in the garlic, parsley, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Set aside to allow the flavors to combine.
Cut the bread into three-quarter inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the bread cubes and gently toss to combine.
Do not remove the crust, it adds texture and crunch to your croutons!
Spread bread cubes out in a single layer on a parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes tossing once about halfway through. Cool completely before serving.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use stale bread that is at least a day old so it will absorb the butter and herb flavors.
- This recipe will work with French bread, crusty Italian bread, and sourdough bread too.
- Make them your own! Try Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence, or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Store leftover croutons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 10 days. If they start to soften (due to humidity) place them back in the oven to crisp them back up.
Tools used
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Serving suggestions
- Top your favorite salads – like Grilled Caesar Salad or Salmon Caesar Salad.
- Crush croutons in a blender or food processor for homemade garlic bread crumbs to make Baked Panko-Crusted Cod or Instant Pot Pepperoni Pizza Meatloaf.
- Sprinkle over a warm bowl of soup – like Instant Pot Cheddar-Ale Soup or Irish Vegetable Soup.
- As a snack – These easy croutons don’t last long around here, they are addictive!
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Enjoy!!
Easy Homemade Garlic Croutons
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped, stale bread cubes 1 pound loaf of bread – 5 to 6 cups depending on weight of bread
- .25 cup unsalted butter
- .25 cup olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic pressed
- 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh Italian parsley or a half-teaspoon dried Italian parsley
- 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
- .25 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner. Set aside.
- Heat butter and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the garlic, parsley, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Set aside to allow the flavors to combine.
- Cut the bread into three-quarter inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the bread cubes and gently toss to combine. Do not remove the crust, it adds texture and crunch to your croutons!
- Spread bread cubes out in a single layer on a parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes tossing once about halfway through. Cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to use stale bread that is at least a day old so it will absorb the butter and herb flavors.
- This recipe will work with French bread, crusty Italian bread, and sourdough bread too.
- Make them your own! Try Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence, or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Store leftover croutons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 10 days. If they start to soften (due to humidity) place them back in the oven to crisp them back up.
- Makes 5 to 6 cups of croutons.
Oh those DO look easy! Going to have to try these Lisa! I have never made my own before. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Homemade croutons are the BEST! Thank you for sharing 😀