27/01/2026

Homemade Croutons

Name: Homemade Croutons
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil ((other oils can be substituted)); 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ((optional)); 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped ((optional)); salt ((to taste)); black pepper ((to taste)); 2 thick slices crusty bread

Homemade Croutons are incredibly easy and economical. Traditionally a way to use up stale bread, they’re a wonderfully moreish and crunchy addition to soups and salads. Containing just bread and oil plus any flavourings you want, the only difficulty is not nibbling them all before they reach the table!

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Did you know that bread is one of the most commonly wasted food items in the UK? Around 900,000 TONNES every year! While that also includes waste at the production level, there’s no denying that households are throwing loads of it away too.

At the same time, and rather ironically as they’re traditionally made with stale bread, sales of packet croutons (anywhere between 85p and £2.17 per 100 grams) are big business. So, if you’re someone who throws bread away AND buys croutons, give yourself a sharp slap on the wrist.

The good news though is that Homemade Croutons are incredibly easy and economical. A wonderfully moreish and crunchy addition to soups and salads, the only real difficulty is trying not to eat them all before they reach your bowl or plate…

**Roasted Red Pepper & Borlotti Bean Soup**

WHAT ARE CROUTONS?

The word crouton comes from the French croûte meaning crust. Bread is diced or torn then made crunchy by coating in a little oil and baked. Croutons are also sometimes made by frying or toasting. They’re most often eaten to give texture to soups and salads, but sometimes soft dishes like omelettes.

Although traditionally made to use up stale bread, I love croutons so much I’ll make them with bread of any age. As I freeze bread we’re not going to eat in a couple of days, we never really have stale bread in the house anyway. If it suits you better, you can add odds and ends of bread to a bag in the freezer until you’re ready to make croutons.

Soup in a cup with Homemade Croutons — **Cream of Vegetable Soup** with homemade croutons

I mainly use white bread for Homemade Croutons. But there’s no reason you can’t use wholemeal, malthouse, seeded, sourdough, or whatever else you have. While olive oil is most often used, including by me, you can swap in other oils. I’ve even been known to use chicken fat saved from a roast when making croutons for Chicken Caesar Salad.

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons — **Caesar Salad**

For the simplest croutons, all you need are the bread and oil. But you can add in your favourite herbs and spices. Or even finish with a scattering of cheese.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CROUTONS

You’ll find a recipe card at the end with ingredient amounts and full instructions. But I recommend you read on for extra tips and step-by-step images to guide you.

So I can show you the process of making flavoured croutons, as well as the standard ingredients of bread, olive oil, salt and pepper, you’ll also need fresh garlic and rosemary for this recipe.

I allow half a thick slice of bread per person. However, appetites will naturally vary. And I’m always surprised just how many are munched before they even get to the table! So, if in doubt, err on the side of making more croutons than you think you’ll need.

I tend to leave crusts on (unless very thick or dark) as I enjoy these bits which end up crunchier. But remove if you prefer. Cut or tear the bread into similar sizes so they finish cooking at the same time. It’s up to you what size you make them.

For homemade soup-in-a-cup (as shown in the image up near the top) I like neat very crunchy cubes of approximately 1 centimetre square that rehydrate in the soup. But I think roughly torn, softer and larger ones of 2 – 3 centimetres soak up the delicious juices of a tomato salad much better.

Panzanella Tomato Salad with Homemade Croutons — **Panzanella tomato salad with homemade croutons**

Now take a roomy bowl and mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the finely chopped garlic and rosemary, a tiny pinch of salt, and a grind of black pepper. If you’re adding alternative herbs or spices, just substitute those in. Or leave out to make plain croutons. Stir around until the bread is completely coated in the flavoured oil. If it looks a little dry, add more oil.

BAKING THE CROUTONS

Transfer the bread, in a single layer, to a lipped baking tray you’ve preheated to the temperature shown in the recipe card.

Bake until crispy and brown all over. Stir around a few times and keep checking so they don’t burn. How long they take depends on their size and the density of the bread. Expect between 8 – 12 minutes. As a guide, these small croutons of homemade crusty bread took around 9 minutes.

When deciding whether your Homemade Croutons are done, bear in mind they will crisp up a little more when cooled. So try not to overbake or you could end up with tooth-breakingly hard ones.

Tip: for smaller amounts you can also make croutons in an air fryer. Different appliances will vary so you may need some trial and error to find what works for you. But I recommend decreasing the temperature by 10 degrees Centigrade and assume they’ll take a few minutes less to cook.

When done, tip the croutons onto a piece of kitchen paper to cool and allow any excess oil to drain off.

STORING & REHEATING CROUTONS

While best on the day of making, you can store croutons in an airtight container for a couple of days. They won’t be as crispy, but I still find them irresistible. However, you can re-crisp them. Put on a baking tray in a moderate oven for a few minutes, or pop in an air fryer for slightly less time.

ALTERNATIVE FLAVOURINGS

There’s really no end to the different flavours you can add to Homemade Croutons. While the garlic and rosemary ones I’ve made here are very popular, you could try swapping in other herbs such as oregano for a tomato salad, or spices such smoked paprika, an Indian spice mix, or Middle Eastern za’atar.

**Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Croutons**

Whichever you choose, use the technique I’ve shown in this post: first flavour the oil then toss the bread in it. This will ensure the seasonings stick. The only time that differs is if you want to add cheese. In that case I recommend tossing the croutons with finely grated cheese immediately after they’re cooked, or adding for the final minute of baking.

WHAT TO SERVE HOMEMADE CROUTONS WITH?

I think Homemade Croutons are especially good with smoother soups as they bring contrasting crunchy texture. For example, my celery soup is delicious, but so much nicer with some crispy additions. I often have it sprinkled with bacon and cheese, but croutons are lovely too.

Celery Soup with Homemade Croutons — **Celery Soup** with croutons

And if you eat bread with salads, try adding an extra dimension with croutons. Not just the usual (but very good) suspects of Caesar Salad and Panzanella, but pretty much any salad becomes more interesting with these crunchy, tasty morsels added. For my warm Sausage Salad with roasted apple and onion, I flavoured the croutons with mixed herbs, but sage would be fitting too.

warm Sausage Salad with homemade croutons — warm **Sausage Salad** with croutons

If you’ve made my Homemade Croutons, I’d love to know what you thought and what you served them with. Please do leave a comment and recipe rating.