Healthy Baked Homemade Croutons

You’ll love my Healthy Homemade Croutons recipe that is oven-baked and not fried. Once you know that how easy and simple to make these croutons at home, you’ll never go back to store-bought ones ever. Impress everyone including yourself with these baked croutons that are healthier and perfect way to take any salad up a notch!!

Quick & Crispy Baked Croutons Recipe

While it’s easy to go to the store and just buy a package of pre-made croutons, but believe me, there’s nothing like the fresh aroma coming from baked croutons in oven! Simple flavors for a classic crouton that goes well with any salad specially Caesar Salad!!

Tips For Success

• Use baguette for the best flavors, crunch and richness. Feel free to use any, whole wheat, rye, white bread, sourdough, just any.
• Do not skip butter completely. Butter add heavenly aroma and flavors.
• You can go ahead and cut them into bigger cubes as well.

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Recipe Card

Healthy Homemade Croutons Recipe

4.65 from 17 votes

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Becky Hardin

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You’ll love my Healthy Homemade Croutons recipe that is oven-baked and not fried. Once you know that how easy and simple to make these croutons at home, you’ll never go back to store-bought ones ever.

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Equipment

• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 cups rustic bread or baguette crust removed and bread cut into ¾-inch cubes

Optional Seasonings:

• ▢ crushed red pepper Herbs de Provence, basil, thyme, rosemary, chili powder, onion powder. The options are so many – have fun with this recipe.
• ▢ 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions 

• Place oven rack to middle position, and preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the minced garlic for 30 seconds.
  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
• Pour the olive oil/garlic mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Press the garlic with a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much garlic oil as possible. Reserve the garlic for another use.
• Microwave the butter, in a small bowl, at 30% power for 20-40 seconds. The butter could bubble over, so watch closely in the last 10 seconds. Add it to the olive oil/garlic mixture and stir well.
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Add the salt, black pepper, and your favorite herbs/seasonings to the butter/oil mixture, then add the bread cubes. Toss until the cubes are evenly coated in the oil/butter mixture.
  Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, 3 cups rustic bread or baguette
• Pour the croutons onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake 15-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and toss until all croutons are covered. Allow to cool completely.
  4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Becky’s Tips

• Use baguette for the best flavors, crunch and richness. Feel free to use any, whole wheat, rye, white bread, sourdough, just any.
• Do not skip butter completely. Butter add heavenly aroma and flavors.
• You can go ahead and cut them into bigger cubes as well.
• Try different seasonings like Italian seasoning, cajun spice, tajin salt,
• Instead of extra virgin olive oil try chilli infused olive oil 
• Add some Romano cheese or mexican cheese for making cheesy croutons.
• Dill, rosemary, and thyme are other herbs to use for making them in different flavors.
• Use gluten-free bread to make gluten-free croutons.

Calories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 20mgVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 0.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Store

These baked healthy croutons will last up to 3 weeks. Just make sure you store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh. They’ll stay crisp and crunchy without getting too stale.

Freeze: You can also freeze homemade croutons, and thaw and reheat them in the oven when you’re ready to use them. However, they taste best (and keep their crunchiness) when stored at room temperature.

Variations & Substitutions

• Try different seasonings like Italian seasoning, cajun spice, tajin salt, or taco seasoning.
• Instead of extra virgin olive oil, try chilli infused olive oil or truffle oil for extra flavors.
• Add some Romano cheese or mexican cheese for making cheesy croutons.
• Dill, rosemary, and thyme are other herbs to use for making them in different flavors.
• Use gluten-free bread to make gluten-free croutons.

Serving Suggestions

There is nothing like fresh healthy croutons to top your salads. Here are a few recipes you can add these homemade croutons to, Mandarin Orange Salad or Zesty Bread Salad. Add some on soups like Creamy Chicken Soup or Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup for extra crunch. Sometimes just go lazy and dip them in Chopped Chicken Caesar Salad Dip and enjoy!! we don’t need a reason to enjoy deliciousness, isn’t!!

Homemade Croutons vs Store-bought

There is always a BIG difference when you make something from scratch at home or buy from the store. Homemade croutons are healthy because you know the ingredients and no preservatives. Having so many seasonings/flavors, I can customize them to my taste. Whereas store-bought croutons contain high sodium, unhealthy fats, and stay fresh for longer (thanks to added preservatives).

Making croutons from scratch definitely takes some time as compared to buying from outside (convenient for sure), but once you know the process, it is easy to customize them as per dietary limitations as well.

Best Bread For Croutons

I’ll say don’t worry too much on which type of bread to use, fresh or stale. Just go ahead and use that bread lying in the refrigerator. Having said that, fresh bread is soft, airy, and cutting it into small cubes may get tricky. Fresh bread can get crumbly and may burn while baking. That is the reason it is advised to use stale or crust bread, they are sturdy and give a perfect crunch.

French bread, Sourdough bread, wheat bread, white bread, sandwich loaf bread, Hawaiian roll, dinner roll (YES!, just cubes those soft rolls and transform them in croutons), all of these are great breads to make croutons at home. I’ve made croutons with my Hamburger Buns as well.

Can I make croutons in Air Fryer?

You can make these in air fryer as well. Follow the recipe and instead of oven, bake in air fryer at 400°F for 3-5 minutes. Keep stirring the basket few times and don’t forget to spray the basket with non stick cooking oil.

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