Homemade Garlic and Herb Butter Croutons
Do you have a crusty loaf of bread going stale? MAKE CROUTONS! These homemade butter croutons are crisp and buttery seasoned with garlic and herbs. They make the perfect pairing for salads, soups, and snacking.
These homemade baked croutons are so buttery with the perfect amount of crunch. Add them to green salads like a Ceasar salad or a greek chicken salad. I love adding them to the top of creamy soups like Butternut Squash Soup or Easy 4 Ingredient Potato Soup for an added crunch.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Homemade is better. Store-bought croutons contain preservatives and extra ingredients. When you make your own croutons, you know exactly what goes inside. Plus they taste SO much better!
- Last for weeks. With proper preparation and storage, I keep these croutons for about 2 weeks (if you don’t eat them all first!)
- Reduce waste. Using stale bread to make homemade garlic butter croutons is a great way to reduce food waste in your kitchen.
- The best croutons. I’ve tested this recipe dozens of times with little tweaks, but I finally settled on this version, and they are the best homemade croutons!
Equipment needed
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- Bread – Use a French baguette, french bread loaf, sourdough, etc. ¾ inch cubes is the perfect crouton size.
- Butter AND oil – I found the best combination of fats for making croutons is equal parts butter and oil. Butter adds that delicious rich flavor, and olive oil helps the croutons to brown without burning.
- Garlic powder – I’m a big fan of using fresh garlic in my recipes, BUT when making this homemade croutons recipe, garlic powder is much better. Fresh garlic will burn in the oven at high temperatures and become bitter, but garlic powder adds a garlicky flavor without the risk of burning.
- Dried herbs – While you can use fresh herbs for this recipe, they will add extra moisture to the croutons. Dried herbs work perfectly fine for this recipe. I use dried sage, thyme, basil, rosemary, and oregano. You can swap out any for your favorite herbs!
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
What’s the best bread for croutons?
For best results, day-old bread is usually best for making croutons, but it is not necessary!
I have made this recipe with fresh bread, day old bread, stale bread, and really stale bread. While day old bread works the best, they all came out delicious!
When making croutons with fresh bread, cube the bread and let it dry out for about 30 minutes on the counter if needed.
When using stale bread for croutons, allow the butter and herb mixture to sit longer before baking so it has time to absorb into the stale bread.
When making croutons with really stale bread, add a tablespoon of water into the butter and oil mixture. Stir frequently while drizzling the mixture over the bread. The water will help the butter and oil absorb better into the bread.
As far as the kind of bread, most breads will work well for making croutons.
Try French bread, sourdough, ciabatta, Italian bread, brioche, a baguette, or any leftover bread you have. You can use white bread or wheat bread. You can even make croutons using sandwich bread! Of course, using good tasting bread will help your final croutons to be extra tasty.
How to make homemade croutons
STEP ONE: PREP
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut bread into ¾ inch cubes with a sharp bread knife.
STEP TWO: MIX
Combine melted butter, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, sage, thyme, basil, rosemary, and oregano and mix well.
STEP THREE: TOSS
Slowly drizzle butter mixture over the bread a little at time, tossing in between, until all cubes are evenly coated.
STEP FOUR: SOAK
Let the bread cubes sit for about 5-10 minutes so they can fully absorb the butter and oil.
PRO TIP: My biggest tip for making the best buttery croutons – let them soak up all the liquid for a few minutes before baking.
STEP FIVE: BAKE
Add cubes of bread in a single layer and spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Bake croutons until they are golden brown and crisp.
STEP SIX: SERVE
Cool slightly and use now, or allow to cool COMPLETELY before storing in an airtight container.
PRO TIP: Remove croutons from the oven when they are about 90% dried out. The rest of the moisture will dry out as they cool off.
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Ways to use croutons
Use these crunchy croutons for a big green salad or for topping your favorite soups. Here are some of my favorite recipes to pair them with.
- I love them on top of Butternut Squash Soup for a crispy contrast
- Top a big salad tossed with Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Add them to Potato Soup with bacon and cheese
- Use as crunchy toppers on Homemade Vegetable Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup
- Add to a Greek Salad with Za’atar Chicken for a crunchy topping
Expert Tips
- Use a sharp knife. Especially if your bread is fresh, make sure to use a very sharp serrated knife so you don’t squish the bread when you cut it.
- When making croutons with FRESH bread, cube the bread and let it dry out for about 30 minutes on the counter if needed.
- When making croutons with STALE bread, allow the butter and herb mixture to sit longer before baking so it has time to absorb into the stale bread.
- When making croutons with REALLY STALE bread, add 1-2 tablespoons of water into the butter and oil mixture. Stir frequently while drizzling the mixture over the bread. The water will help the butter and oil absorb better into the stale bread. (But if your bread is hard as a rock stale, it may be better to use it for bread crumbs instead of croutons!)
- Use a large sheet pan. Really big, like this large sheet pan. The bigger the baking sheet, the more the croutons can spread out and release moisture while baking. You can also use 2 smaller baking sheets.
- Cool COMPLETELY. Make sure your homemade butter croutons are completely cooled before storing. If they are still warm, they will hold onto moisture, and will go bad faster.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers: Before storing, make sure croutons are COMPLETELY cooled. I usually let them sit at room temperature for at least an hour before storing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If using a zip-top bag, squeeze out excess air. I like storing in an airtight pop top container.
How to freeze: Cool completely and add to an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Re-crisp them in the oven or in a pan over medium heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
While day old bread works best for making croutons, bread does not have to be stale. You can make croutons with fresh bread or stale bread.
The best way to keep your homemade croutons crispy is to let them cool COMPLETELY before storing in an airtight container. If they have any moisture remaining, they will go stale faster.
Store leftover croutons in an airtight container. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing.
If stored properly in an airtight container, homemade croutons can last up to 2 weeks.
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Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 8-10 ounce baguette (cut into ¾ inch cubes)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted, (¼ cup))
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ((¼ cup))
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut bread into ¾ inch (2 cm) cubes with a sharp bread knife.
- MIX: Melt butter by microwaving it in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Combine melted butter, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, sage, thyme, basil, rosemary, and oregano and mix well.
- TOSS: Add cubed bread to a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the butter and herb mixture over the bread cubes a little at time, tossing in between, until all cubes are evenly coated. Stir butter and oil mixture to keep herbs from settling.
- SOAK: Let the bread cubes sit for about 5-10 minutes so they can fully absorb the butter and oil.
- BAKE: Pour bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and spread out evenly. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven until croutons are golden brown and crisp. You want them to be fully dried out with no soft spots, or they will get stale with storage.
- SERVE: Cool slightly and use now, or allow to cool COMPLETELY before storing in an airtight container. It is very important for them to be 100% cool before storing or they can get stale faster.
Notes
- Total cooking time depends on how dry the bread is to begin with. Fresher bread will need more time to dry out in the oven.
- Use a sharp serrated knife so you don’t squish the bread when you cut it.
- If your bread is fresh, cube the bread and let it dry out for about 30 minutes on the counter if needed.
- If your bread is stale, allow the butter and herb mixture to sit longer before baking so it has time to absorb into the stale bread. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of water into the butter and oil mixture. Stir frequently while drizzling the mixture over the bread. The water will help the butter and oil absorb better into the stale bread.
- Use a large sheet pan so the croutons can spread out and release moisture while baking. You can also use 2 smaller baking sheets.
- How to store leftovers: Before storing, make sure croutons are COMPLETELY cooled. I usually let them sit at room temperature for at least an hour before storing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If using a zip-top bag, squeeze out excess air.
- How to freeze: Cool completely and add to an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Re-crisp them in the oven or in a pan over medium heat.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Bread knife
- Airtight container
