How to Make Homemade Croutons
Total Time
25 mins
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(10)
Ingredients
8 servings
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed or halved
- 8 thick slices country bread, about 4 cups cubed
- Sea salt
- Dried parsley or desired seasonings
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a small saucepan, gently heat the olive oil and smashed garlic until aromatic, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
Cut the bread into cubes and place them on the baking sheet. Remove the garlic from the saucepan and drizzle the garlic oil over the bread. Sprinkle with sea salt, toss to coat, and spread the bread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. The timing will depend on your bread and how crispy you like your croutons. Sprinkle with dried parsley.
Step 4
For grilled croutons: Drizzle whole bread slices with olive oil and grill until lightly charred. Use the cut-side of a halved piece of garlic to rub garlic onto the hot bread. Slice the grilled bread into cubes.
Step 5
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Chef's notes
Grill them:
In the fall and winter, baked croutons are my go-to. But in the summertime, I often make grilled croutons instead. They’re slightly less crisp than the baked kind, but they have a delicious charred, smoky flavor.
Swap the seasoning:
Feel free to customize this crouton recipe to your tastes. For a more intense garlic flavor, toss the bread with garlic powder before you bake it, or toss the baked croutons with grated fresh garlic as soon as they come out of the oven. Replace the dried parsley with another dried herb like oregano, dill, or chives, or sprinkle the croutons with dried Italian seasoning.
