Garlic and Herb Homemade Croutons

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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Crunchy Garlic + Herb Homemade Croutons are flavored with garlic and an assortment of your favorite herbs to make the best homemade croutons! These crispy croutons are perfect for topping all of your favorite salads and soups.

Crunchy Homemade Croutons

What’s the best part of a salad? You guessed it! It’s hands-down the croutons. Leafy green salads are just 10 times better when they’ve got perfect, garlicky Homemade Croutons mixed into them.

When I tell you these crunchy croutons are easy to make, I mean they are easy. They’ll take you 25 minutes tops to put together, and most of that is just baking time. So, while it’s a timesaver to just pick up a bag of croutons on your way to the check-out line at the store, you’re gonna want to give this homemade version a try!

Here’s two quick reasons why: These croutons are SO MUCH BETTER than store bought croutons and they are perfectly seasoned with garlic powder and Italian herbs. Also, they’re buttery and crispy to the point of addiction!

Once you make your own croutons, you’ll never want to go back to the store bought version – so let’s get right into this kitchen-altering experience!

Ingredients for homemade croutons.

What You’ll Need

What goes into making homemade croutons? Only a couple of herbs/spices, some bread, olive oil, and butter! Here’s the breakdown in greater detail:

  • Olive Oil: Use whichever kind you like – my preferred type is extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Butter: Melted. I like to use unsalted butter because you’ll add salt to these croutons later and then you are in control of how much salt you add.
  • Seasoning: Use fresh flat-leaf parsley (minced), garlic powder, dried Italian herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
  • Bread: Make sure to use a stale bread, cubed into 3/4-inch squares (such as Italian bread).
Bowl of homemade croutons.

What Kind of Bread to Use

More important than what type of bread, is making sure you use STALE bread. Whatever bread you end up using, make sure that it’s stale so that it’ll absorb the olive oil and seasonings.

I like to use Italian bread when I make croutons, but sourdough bread, French bread, Ciabatta rolls will all work too. Just make sure not to use a super soft bread.

Bowl of crunchy homemade croutons with a spoon.

How to Make Garlic and Herb Croutons

Let’s talk specifics on making these crunchy homemade croutons. There’s just three steps that you’ll need to complete, and then they’re ready for serving!

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Preheat the Oven to 375F: Then add the oil, melted butter, parsley, garlic powder, dried Italian herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the Bread and Prepare to Bake: Stir in the bread cubes and gently toss to coat. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer on a large baking tray.

Bake the Croutons: Bake until the croutons are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Cool to room temperature.

Tips for Success

Are these salad-toppers not the easiest thing you’ve ever made? Maybe that’s a little extreme, but they’re pretty darn easy!

Here are some extra little tips and tricks on how to get the best results with your croutons:

  • If You Want to Keep the Croutons Crunchy: When the croutons sit on the counter, they might lose some of their crispness. If you want, you can pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to get them nice and crunchy again!
  • Cutting the Bread Cubes: Try to get the bread cubes to be about the same size so that they will bake evenly. I generally just cut cubes with a bread knife, and eyeball the size – they don’t have to be perfectly even.
  • Can I Use All Fresh Herbs? If you’ve got them, go for it! Chopped up fresh herbs are just as good as dried herbs when it comes to this crouton recipe.
  • Make Them Your Own! These croutons are easily customized – add your own favorite seasonings to fit your preferences. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese, for example, could be a good idea…
Baked croutons on a baking sheet.

Ways to Use Homemade Croutons

How can you use your freshly-made croutons? In so many ways. Croutons are very versatile, my friends. There are a number of meals that are elevated flavor/texture-wise when they are added. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • On Salads: Croutons are a classic add-in for salads! Throw them on top of this Easy Broccoli Salad with Bacon, or mix them in with this Greek Salad.
  • On Chili: Chunky Beef Chili is great with tortilla chips, but it’s also great with croutons!
  • To Top Soups With: These crunchy croutons are fabulous on soups, too. Personally, I love to put them on Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.
  • For Stuffing: Blend your croutons into breadcrumbs, and you’ve got the perfect base for some delicious stuffing. It’ll be pre-seasoned and everything!
  • Eat Them As-Is: I would be lying to you if I told you that I didn’t snack on these homemade croutons throughout the day – so don’t feel bad if you want to as well!

How to Store Homemade Croutons

Baked homemade croutons on a baking pan.

You mean you’re not going to eat them all in one day? Kidding, kidding.

I like to store these croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days. That way I can take out a few at a time when I need them for salads, soups, etc.

Crunchy homemade croutons with seasoning.
4.9 from 7 votes
Print Pin Recipe
Yield: 5 cups

Garlic and Herb Homemade Croutons

Crunchy Garlic + Herb Homemade Croutons are flavored with garlic and an assortment of your favorite herbs to make the best homemade croutons! These crispy croutons are perfect for topping all of your favorite salads and soups.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 5 cups stale bread, cubed into 3/4-inch squares (such as Italian bread)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Add the oil, melted butter, parsley, garlic powder, dried Italian herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Stir in the bread cubes and gently toss to coat.
  • Spread the bread cubes in an even layer on a large baking tray.
  • Bake until the croutons are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Cool to room temperature.
  • Serve, or store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 243mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

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Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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Recipe Rating




4 Responses
  1. Carly Kaplan

    5 stars
    Tried this with leftover bread scraps I didn’t want to throw away and this was a great alternative. 13 minutes was perfect for me. Great and easy recipe

  2. Trisha

    Just stumbled on your crouton recipe. We were discussing making some. We like your recipe and definitely making them today. Thank you

  3. Robin J

    Wow. I used local bakery sourdough, carefully staled. I did not have any parsley. I increased the Italian seasoning just a bit to compensate, and I did add 1/8 tsp onion powder. And when the cooking was done, I moved everything into a paper-towel lined bowl, and left that in the oven while it cooled down. These are delicious, super crispy, Wow. I will be making these often. Who needs chips? Have some croutons with your dip!

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Love the idea of using Sourdough! I do that often too, love the extra flavor it adds. Glad you enjoyed them Robin!

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Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.