Perfectly seasoned crispy croutons, baked in the oven until lovely and crisp. These croutons are great for making ahead (they stay crisp if stored in an airtight container) and serving on soups or salads.

A tall, close-up shot of crispy croutons. The image is of lots ofcrispy croutons on top of a tray lined with baking parchment, this fills the image so nothing else can be seen.

Crispy and salty, it’s the perfect way to add some crunchy texture to a salad or soup. And, let’s be honest, who hasn’t just had a handful of croutons as a snack?

This recipe is very simple, the oven does most of the work! Plus there’s only one tray involved so a super easy cleanup. And you’re left with a delicious way to elevate your meals, which can store for up to a week!

📋 Ingredients
How to make it:
Pro Tip
🍽️ What to serve it with
🍲 More fantastic side dishes
Homemade Croutons Recipe Recipe

📋 Ingredients

Bread – We used ciabatta for this recipe, but any good bakery bread will do. Plus, the bread can be fresh or a little bit stale, so it’s perfect if you have some leftover bread that needs using up.

How to make it:

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

A square collage of four images, separated by white lines. In the top left of each image, there is a white number. The images are numbered 1 - 4 from left to right. Each image is as follows:

The first prep shot. There are bread cubes placed in the centre of the image, on top of a tray, lined with baking parchment.

The second prep shot. There are bread cubes placed in the centre of the image, on top of a tray, lined with baking parchment. In the top right of the image, there is a hand holding a bottle of oil, the oil is being poured onto the bread cubes.

The third prep shot. There are bread cubes placed in the centre of the image, on top of a tray, lined with baking parchment. In the top right of the image, there is a white dish with seasonings in it. The seasonings are sprinkled over the oiled bread cubes.

The fourth prep shot. There are bread cubes placed in the centre of the image, on top of a tray, lined with baking parchment. The bread cubes are now visibly coated with oil and seasonings.

A tall, prep shot of crispy croutons. This is the final prep shot. The finished croutons are in the centre of the image, on top of the tray lined with baking parchment.

For this recipe, the oven does most of the work for you, so all you really need to do is place the bread cubes on a lined tray in a single layer (it’s best if the croutons have some space around them for maximum crispiness), drizzle over the oil and sprinkle on the seasonings and pop in the oven until lovely and crispy.
Allow them to cool before placing them in an air-tight container and you can store these for up to a week!

Pro Tip

You can use slightly stale bread for this recipe, so it’s perfect if you have some leftover.

I love that combination of rosemary and salt!

A tall, overhead shot of crispy croutons. There is a pile of croutons in the centre of a tray lined with baking parchment. This fills the image so the background is not visible.

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🍽️ What to serve it with

Or of course as a classic addition to homemade Caesar Salad.

A tall, very close-up image of chicken Caesar salad. The main focus of the image, the salad in a white bowl, fills the image so the background cannot be seen. In the top right of the image, you can see the handle of a silver fork sticking out of the salad.

🍲 More fantastic side dishes

Sides

Easy Spring Greens Recipe

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A square, close-up shot of crispy croutons. The image is of lots of crispy croutons on top of a tray lined with baking parchment, this fills the image so nothing else can be seen.

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Croutons Recipe

By Nicky Corbishley

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: 8 servings

Course: accompaniment

Cuisine: French

Ingredients

▢ 150 g (5.3oz) bread, chopped into 1-1.5cm cm cubes – the bread can be fresh or a little bit stale I like to use ciabatta, but any good bakery bread will do
▢ 3 tbsp olive oil
▢ ½ tsp dried oregano
▢ ½ tsp dried rosemary
▢ ½ tsp salt
▢ ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F (fan) and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
Place the bread cubes on the prepared tray in a single layer.
150 g (5.3oz) bread, chopped into 1-1.5cm cm cubes – the bread can be fresh or a little bit stale
Drizzle over the olive oil, then sprinkle on the oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper
Toss together with your hands so the bread cubes are evenly coated (you could do this in a bowl if you prefer, but you’ll be leaving some of the oil behind).
Arrange the cubes back into a single layer and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning once, halfway through cooking.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Use immediately, or store in an airtight container, at room temperate. They should last for about 5-7 days.

Notes

Bread:

I like to use white bread (non-seeded) – such as leftover ciabatta, sourdough, french stick, foccacia, or regular crusty bread.
You can use seeded or wholemeal if you like too. So long as you can chop it into nice chunky pieces, and the crust isn’t too thick/tough (since it will get even crispier in the oven).

Storage:

Cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for a week (and stay crispy too!).

The nutritional information is approximate per serving, this recipe serves 8.

Nutrition

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

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Comments

Steve says:

August 11, 2024 at 8:00 am

I usually buy croutons and not really thought about making my own, until now. I couldn’t stop eating them 😋 Thank you for this, no more shop bought for me.