Everyone once in a while, I find myself with a loaf of bread that is just a little bit too hard to eat as is. This doesn't happen frequently because I am a carb fanatic and I'm all about the no carb left behind mentality! But when it does happen, I am a sucker for these Homemade Garlic Croutons.
Making your own croutons is super easy and they are infinitely better than the ones you pick up at the market. You can dress them up however you want, but my preference is to load the croutons up with tons of garlic, oil, butter and of course some kosher salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning and then let them work their magic in the oven. Your entire house will smell perfect. They are the ultimate topping for salads or just a little treat when they are still warm from the oven!
And... if you are feeling even more daring, you can go ahead and stick these delicious little cubes of bread in the food processor and make homemade garlic bread crumbs and then make Chicken Parmesan. omg. Doesn't that sound good? I think I just figured out what I am making for dinner tonight!
Homemade Garlic Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread a few days old
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the bread into small cubes. Transfer cubed bread to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle the bread with the olive oil and butter and then sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oils, butters and seasonings.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
The minced garlic falls off the croutons. Any way to keep it on?
Yum. So delish using high quality sourdough!! Everyone needs to have these homemade croutons in their life!
So so good and have made them a dozen times - only thing I change is using gluten free bread, and I have found that even fresh bread works well too. Great recipe, Gaby - thank you!
Love these croutons so much! Way better than store bought. I omitted the butter as my husband is sensitive to dairy/butter. Still taste great!
Easy and delicious!
How do you store these?
air tight bag on the counter for a few days!
So good!! My first attempt at croutons need to let my bread dry out a bit more.
I'm ruined! These are the best croutons! Thank you for the recipe. I will never buy store bought again! YUM!
croutons are my favorite food.
We made them a couple of weeks ago and they had great flavor but a little too much salt. Just finished a second batch with one tsp of salt and four cups of cubes from a star baguette - turned out great - Thanks
If there is left overs, how safe are the croutons sitting on you pantry shelf for days. Won't the butter on them be a safety issue? The food app on our phone gives all the croutons we scanned in the stores a C- to a D rating. I was hoping to find something I could make on my own that was healthier. Any suggestions?
I keep mine in an air tight container in the fridge!!