Making croutons is a great and easy way to use up extra bread and start making more of your own food at home. How to make croutons at home will tell not only how to make your own croutons, but also why you should and how easy it is!
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” –James Beard
I don’t about you but I simply cannot eat a salad unless it has some kind of crunch to it, whether it’s nuts, crushed corn chips, or croutons it has to have something, something to give it that added crunch. Personally, I’m not very picky about what that crunch is, but I would be lying if I said I’m not usually wondering why we never have croutons in the house.
Croutons are and forever will be my favorite salad topping, a salad just doesn’t seem complete unless it has croutons, which then really begs the question why do we never have any?
There are a lot of reasons why at least a lot more reasons than one might think, they are expensive, full of yucky ingredients and to be honest, usually don’t taste all that great, not to mention they go stall super fast.
These reasons and more are why I am super happy we decided to start making our own croutons at home.
So Why should you make your own croutons?
As I mentioned above homemade croutons are much cheaper than the ones you buy in the store, as a matter of fact, they are just about free. How? Because nothing makes better croutons than old stall bread, bread ends no one wants, or over-baked bread.
Making your own croutons is not only cheaper but a great way to use up those unwanted odds and ends of bread listed above. And while you can use fresh bread you can even specially make bread just for croutons, but I personally don’t see the need.
During the summer I save the thick ends of the sourdough bread we buy(the ends are also great for serving with soup during the colder months) and freeze them. When I’ve collected enough I take them out to thaw and turn them into croutons, and guess what? It coats next to nothing!
Another big reason to make your own croutons at home is that they are healthier than the ones from the store, plus you can easily make them gluten-free, sugar-free, or sourdough.
They are also a great and super easy place to start if you can wanting to start making more of your own food from scratch or are looking to swap out some store-bought things for homemade ones.
How To Make Croutons At Home
I’m sorry to say there aren’t really precise measurements for making croutons, I’ve laid out roughly how to make them. But the amount of butter and spices will depend on how much bread you are using. But just make sure your bread is even coated with both butter and seasoning.
Ingredients.
Bread ends and/or slices, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper croutons Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
garlic and parsley croutons Garlic Salt and Dried Parsley
Italian croutons Italian Seasoning
Directions.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
If making more than one flavor, divide the bread evenly and place it into bowls.
Melt the butter and pour it over the bread pieces. Divide it between the separate bowls if making more than one flavor.
Mix until all the bread is covered in butter. Season with your desired spices, and mix again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Spread the bread pieces out on a baking sheet, and try to make sure they aren’t piled on top of each other. Bake for 10-15min. Or until golden brown. They will be still soft when you pull them out but don’t worry they get crunchy as they cool.
Allow the croutons to cool for 15-20min before serving.
Notes.
Croutons can be stored in a freezer bag or air-tight container on the counter for 3-5 days.
If you plan to use frozen bread to make croutons, make sure the bread is completely thawed before you begin.
Try Different Spices/Flavors
Do not by any means think that the flavors listed above are the only crouton flavors there are because they are many, many more! Here are a few you can try.
Garlic Cheddar Croutons: Use shredded cheddar cheese and garlic salt.
Parmesan Croutons: Use shredded Parmesan cheese and sea salt
Spicy Italian: Use Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes
Ranch Croutons: Use homemade or store-bought ranch seasoning mix
You could even make exotic croutons using cajun seasoning, Asian spice mix, and even BBQ seasoning or blue cheese. Really there are endless flavors and combinations you can try. So don’t be afraid to switch things up a little and try something new!
Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- I'm sorry to say there aren't really precise measurements for making croutons, I've laid out roughly how to make them. But the amount of butter and spices will depend on how much bread you are using. But just make sure your bread is even coated with both butter and seasoning.
- bread ends and/or slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- For salt and pepper croutons- sea salt and ground black pepper
- For garlic and parsley croutons – garlic salt and dried parsley
- For Italian croutons- Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- If making more than one flavor, divide the bread evenly and place it into bowls.
- Melt the butter and pour it over the bread pieces. Divide it between the separate bowls in making more than one flavor.
- Mix until all the bread is covered in butter. Season with your desired spices, and mix again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Spread the bread pieces out on a baking sheet, and try to make sure they aren't piled on top of each other. Bake for 10-15min. Or until golden brown. They will be still soft when you pull them out but don't worry they get crunchy as they cool.
- Allow the croutons to cool for 15-20min before serving.
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