• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Salt & Lavender logo
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Salads

    Easy Homemade Croutons (Garlic & Parmesan)

    Published: Apr 7, 2020 / Updated: Apr 6, 2020 / 6 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    If you're wondering how to make homemade croutons, this recipe is worth a try! You'll never want to get store-bought croutons again.

    crispy homemade croutons in a bowl

    These homemade croutons are easy to make, and they don't taste stale like packaged croutons often do. If you have some bread that's past its prime, this is a tasty way to salvage it. Or, just buy a fresh loaf to make these croutons if you want. Croutons are a yummy addition to salads or soups. They add a bit of crunch and flavor and turn it into a meal!

    easy homemade croutons on a baking sheet

    If you're wondering how to make croutons from fresh bread, it's actually not much different than if you use stale bread. They will likely take an extra couple minutes to crisp up in the oven. You can definitely play it by ear and test them, then add them back into the oven if they're not quite done enough for you.

    For this crouton recipe, I chose dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder for my seasonings. You could definitely play with seasonings, though. Some more ideas:

    • Cajun seasoning
    • Simple salt & pepper
    • Smoked paprika
    • Onion powder
    • Other dried herbs such as oregano (for a Mediterranean twist) or basil 
    • Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel or Chili Lime seasoning 
    close-up of homemade croutons with freshly grated parmesan sprinkled over top... ready to go in the oven!
    Ready for the oven!

    How to store homemade croutons?

    They will keep for a few days in an airtight container or ZipLoc bag. You can also try freezing them for up to about a month (they defrost super quickly when you need them). 

    Try serving these croutons with a salad made with my homemade Caesar salad dressing, this Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing, or my Easy Tomato Soup Recipe.

    close-up of baked croutons

    Do you ever make croutons? 

    Questions about this recipe? Leave me a comment below!

    crispy homemade croutons in a bowl

    Easy Homemade Croutons (Garlic & Parmesan)

    If you're wondering how to make homemade croutons, this recipe is worth a try! You'll never want to get store-bought croutons again.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 125 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 generous cups bread (try a baguette or any good crusty bread) cut into croutons
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • Salt & pepper to taste
    • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375F and move the rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with tin foil for easy clean-up.
    • Cut your bread into croutons and add them to the baking sheet. Pour the olive oil over the bread, and then sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper as evenly as you can over the bread. Use your hands to toss until everything is as well combined as you can get it.
    • Spread the croutons out in an even layer that's clustered fairly close together (but not stacked), and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top. This ensures that as much cheese as possible will be stuck to the croutons.
    • Bake the croutons for 10-15 minutes. I find that 15 minutes works well for fresh bread.
    • Let the croutons cool for a few minutes, then add them to your salad/soup or store in an airtight container. Don't discard the bits that fell off the croutons while baking - I like to add those to salads too because they have tons of flavor.

    Notes

    • You can use fresh garlic if you prefer. I'd use 2-3 minced garlic cloves. 
    • I estimated that this amount of croutons serves about 6 (it's enough for a large salad or a couple smaller ones). Of course, it's totally subjective how much people eat. The recipe easily doubles (I would double all ingredients). 
    • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 12mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 43IUCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword croutons recipe, homemade croutons, how to make croutons
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Salmon Pesto Pasta
    How I Stock My Kitchen »

    Loved this recipe? Share it:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kristin Franks says

      November 14, 2022 at 3:09 PM

      These are REALLY good! And easy to make.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        November 14, 2022 at 3:21 PM

        Thank you!! I'm so happy to hear it!

        Reply
    2. Sheila says

      October 29, 2022 at 3:42 AM

      Hi Natasha, do I need to turn the croutons over midway thru cooking?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 29, 2022 at 11:10 AM

        Hi! I don't turn them. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Cecilia says

      April 20, 2020 at 12:25 PM

      Ecxellent idea!! Thankyou!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 20, 2020 at 4:10 PM

        Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

    FREE 10 Easy Chicken Recipes E-book

    ​

      ​

      BROWSE RECIPES:

      Footer

      • Contact
      • FAQ
      • Site Policies
      • For Bloggers
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

      · Copyright © 2023 Salt & Lavender Inc ·