These homemade garlic sourdough croutons are so easy to make and have so much flavour. With just 5 ingredients and only a few easy steps, you can make a large batch for less than one dollar. They are perfect on top of salad or creamy soup.
I always like to have something crunchy on my salad. Sometimes I use nuts, sometimes I use crispy tortilla strips, but more often than not, I like croutons.
I used to buy my croutons. Then I was making salad one night and realized I didn’t have any. However, I did have a few slices of sourdough bread that were a little too stale to eat.
That’s when I decided to chop them up, add some olive oil and herbs and make my own garlic sourdough croutons.
Since that night, I have never purchased croutons again. The croutons I make have way more flavour, are far cheaper, and I know exactly what’s in them.
Try these croutons with this vegetarian butternut squash soup or this roasted cauliflower cheese soup.
This recipe works so well because it uses simple ingredients and takes almost no time to prepare.
It is the perfect way to use up bread that is past its prime saving you money in the process. A batch of these homemade croutons can cost as little as one dollar, which is a fraction of the cost of store bought.
In addition, there are endless ways to flavour them so you can use seasonings that will match whatever you plan to pair them with.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sourdough bread (slightly stale) – sourdough gives these croutons great flavour. If you don’t have sourdough, any slightly stale bread will work.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Makes the croutons crispy when toasted and adds flavour. If you don’t like extra virgin, you can use light olive oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil.
- Garlic powder & Onion Powder – adds flavour to the croutons that pairs well with almost any salad.
- Dried parsley – adds a bit of colour and savoury notes to the croutons. You can leave this out if you don’t have any on hand.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cut the bread slices into cubes. I like mine about ½ inch thick, but you don’t have to be precise.
- Place the cubes in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
- Add the seasonings and toss again, then spread the croutons onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If you don’t have parchment, you can spread them directly on the sheet, parchment just makes clean-up easier.
- Bake at 325 for 15 minutes, then give them a stir and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Cook Time
These croutons will take about 30 minutes. You want them toasted and dry when you pull them out of the oven.
If you used fresh bread, or cut it into large cubes, it may take a little longer.
Top Tips & FAQS
These croutons were made with a loaf of sliced sourdough bread. But I’ve had great success making these croutons with any bread I have in the cupboard.
While sourdough produces a wonderful flavour, you can use regular white or whole wheat bread, rye bread, I’ve even used some stale english muffins.
Of course, you can use whatever you like. I’ve used store bought herb and garlic seasoning, buttermilk ranch mix, and even dried oregano.
If properly dried, these croutons should last several weeks in an airtight container. The key is to make sure there is no moisture left in the bread and that the croutons are fully cooled before packaging them for storage.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
Cilantro avocado yogurt dressing
Chunky blue cheese dip
Easy ranch party mix
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Printable Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Sourdough bread slightly stale, cubed
- 4 Tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- ¾ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Cut sourdough bread into cubes of desired size. I like about ½ inch cubes
- Place the bread cubes into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat making sure all the bread is coated.
- Add the seasonings and toss.
- Spread the bread on a baking sheet line with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment you can line with foil or leave the sheet bare, it just makes clean up easier.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and bake an additional 15 mintues until the croutons are golden and feel dry when touched. Depending how fresh your bread was, it may take a few minutes longer to completely dry.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Karen
Tuesday 23rd of June 2020
These would be perfect on your cauliflower soup that I am obsessed with! Thanks for sharing!
Courtney | Love & Good Stuff
Wednesday 17th of June 2020
My family LOVES croutons. I'll make them for a salad, and half of them end up eaten as a snack before dinner!
Alex
Sunday 14th of June 2020
So many delicious ways to use these croutons - I would have to make a double batch, as I am sure I couldn't stop eating them!