These Homemade Croutons are so easy to make and way better than any store-bought croutons! They’re seasoned with garlic, herbs, and nutritional yeast to give them a great cheesy taste.
You’ve probably noticed by now that I love to make big salads and add a crunchy element to them. Nuts are usually my go-to, but croutons are also a big favorite of mine! Today, I’m sharing my recipe for these Easy Homemade Croutons with Garlic and Herbs that are also vegan!
If you’ve never made homemade croutons before, I really encourage you to try these out! They’re much better than store-bought croutons and have fewer ingredients.
What Kind Of Bread Should Be Used For Homemade Croutons?
You can use any bread you like to make your homemade croutons! When I was gluten-free, I made my own croutons using cut gluten-free bagels, and they were delicious.
I used a loaf, or boule, of sourdough bread I had bought for this recipe from the store. Stale bread is also great for making croutons because it’s already a little hard, but it’s a good way to use it instead of throwing it away.
I like to use fresh bread because I like my croutons to be slightly soft on the inside, and you can only achieve that with fresh, soft bread.
Homemade Crouton Recipe Ingredients
- Bread – As I said above, you can use any kind of bread you want for your croutons! I used a fresh loaf of sourdough that I bought at the store. I’ve also made them with bagels and regular sandwich bread. French bread is good, too!
- Oil – I used olive oil because I love the taste that it adds, but you could use a milder oil if you don’t want that extra taste. You can also use melted butter or a combo of oil and melted butter. It just depends on what kind of taste you’re going for.
- Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional yeast adds a really nice cheesy taste to the croutons while still keeping them vegan. If you don’t need to make your vegan, use parmesan cheese or milk powder instead.
- Granulated Garlic – I use granulated garlic rather than garlic powder or salt. I prefer that it’s not as powdery as garlic powder. You can use either one, though. If you use garlic salt, do not add as much extra salt.
- Dried Herbs – I like using dried oregano or herbs de Provence. Herbs de Provence is nice because it has a few different dried herbs in it.
- Salt
How To Make Easy Homemade Croutons
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. I like to bake them at a lower temperature for a little longer rather than a high temperature for a shorter amount of time. I feel like this ensures that the outside won’t burn before they are cooked through.
- Cut your bread into little bite-sized cubes. I like using a bread knife to cut the bread into slices and then a regular knife to cut the slices into cubes. You can make them however large or small you prefer; it just may change the cooking time if they’re small or large.
- Add the bread to a large baking sheet. Add olive oil, nutritional yeast, dried herbs, granulated garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well until you have a paste, and then pour over the bread. Use your hands to mix everything together and ensure that the bread is as evenly coated as possible.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake until the croutons are crispy. I like to leave mine a little bit soft on the inside so they have some chew to them, but you can make them completely crispy if you desire. Remove from the oven and let cool before enjoying.
Vegan Homemade Crouton Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe vegan? Yes!
- Is this recipe gluten-free? No, but it can easily be made with gluten-free bread.
- How should I store my homemade croutons? Store in an airtight container on the counter.
- How long do homemade croutons last? Definitely not as long as store-bought ones because these are fresh, but I would say about 2 weeks or so on the counter at least.
- What is the best bread to use for homemade croutons? I like to use sourdough or French bread, but any bread will work! Pumpernickel would be great, too, for a nice twist.
Have a question that I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will reply ASAP!
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Homemade Croutons with Garlic and Herbs
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10-15 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Homemade Croutons with Garlic and Herbs are perfectly crunchy and flavorful and make a great addition to your salads or soups!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf or boule of bread, it can be any kind of bread you prefer (8–10 cups of diced bread)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1 1/4 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 1/4 teaspoons dried herbs, such as oregano or herbs de Provence
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. I like to bake them at a lower temperature for a little longer, rather than a high temperature for a shorter amount of time. I feel like this ensures that the outside won’t burn before they are cooked through.
- Cut your bread into little bite sized cubes. I like to use a bread knife to the cut the bread into slices and then use a regular knife to cut the slices into cubes. You can make them however large or small you prefer, it just may change cooking time if they’re really small or really large.
- Add the bread to a large baking sheet. You can either just add all the ingredients right to the pan with the bread and mix together or, In a small bowl, add the olive oil, nutritional yeast, dried herbs, granulated garlic and salt. Mix well util you have a paste and then pour over the bread. Use your hands to mix everything together and make sure that the bread is as evenly coated as you can get it.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake until croutons are crispy, about 25-30 minutes, stirring a couple of times. I like to leave mine a little bit soft on the inside so they have some chew to them but you can make them completely crispy if you desire. Remove from the oven and let cool before enjoying.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Vegan
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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