Fact: Homemade croutons are 100X more delicious than store-bought croutons! These easy 3-ingredient homemade croutons infused with fresh garlic and olive oil can be made in a pinch and will take your salads from blah to best-ever.
Learning how to make homemade garlic croutons will change your salad game! These croutons are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, unlike their store-bought, rock-hard counterparts. Serve homemade croutons warm, right out of the pan, in less than 20 minutes: may I suggest a Mushroom & Pecorino Salad, Best Ever Caesar Salad, or a Balsamic Watermelon Salad with Candied Nuts?
I wonder how many of these croutons will end up on your salad as opposed to straight into your mouth!
Ingredients for Homemade Croutons
- Soft sandwich bread – soft sandwich bread right from the bread aisle at the grocery store is the best kind of bread for croutons! Soft sandwich bread absorbs the garlic and the olive oil the best, getting all crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!
- Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil flavors the croutons and helps them get golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Fresh garlic – garlic. Do I have to say anything else?
What Bread to Use for Homemade Croutons
The best type of bread to use is your standard soft sandwich bread from the bread aisle in your grocery store! You can use any kind of soft sandwich bread, but my favorites are:
- Soft oatmeal bread
- Soft pumpernickel bread
- Soft white bread
How to Make Homemade Croutons
- Prepare bread
Stack slices on top of each other, and slice the crusts off.
Cut bread into cubes. - Toast the croutons in olive oil and garlic.
Add olive oil, sliced garlic, and salt to a hot pan. When oil starts to simmer, add cubed bread. Lightly press and turn croutons, so croutons absorb oil and begin to toast. Toast croutons for 7-14 minutes, tossing often, until croutons.
- Serve
These croutons are best served right away, but you can also store them in an airtight container for 2-3 day, warming in a pan or the microwave with a fresh splash of olive oil.
How to Store Homemade Croutons
Homemade croutons are best freshly toasted! You can keep homemade croutons in an airtight container for 2-3 days, warming in a pan with a bit more olive oil or heated briefly in the microwave tossed with a bit more olive oil.
Homemade Crouton Uses
I’m not going to lie…I eat these croutons as a snack! Other fun uses for garlic croutons are:
- On salads (duh!)
- On a bowl of French Onion Soup
- On Authentic Gazpacho in the summer
- On refreshing Chilled Cucumber Pea Soup
- With omelettes, to eliminate the need for toast on the side!
More Salad Recipes (For Those Croutons!) on Tastefully Grace
- Best Ever Caesar Salad
- Grilled Caesar Salad
- Winter Citrus Salad With Beets
- Tossed Antipasto Salad
- Pear, Bacon & Walnut Salad
Ingredients
- 8 slices soft sandwich bread
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove peeled & thinly sliced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Stack slices on top of each other, and slice the crusts off your bread. Cut bread into roughly ½ inch cubes.
- In a large pan over medium/high heat, add olive oil, sliced garlic, and salt.
- When oil starts to simmer, add cubed bread. Use a spatula to lightly press and turn croutons, so croutons absorb oil and begin to toast.
- Toast croutons for 7-14 minutes, tossing often, or until croutons are golden.
- If preferred, remove garlic slices before serving. Best if served right away!
- Although they won’t be quite as delicious as fresh croutons, you can keep them in an airtight container for 2-3 days, warming in a pan with a bit more olive oil or heated briefly in the microwave tossed with a bit more olive oil.
Video
Notes
- My favorite sandwich bread to use is oatmeal or pumpernickel!
- If bread slices are small, use 12 slices.
