Name: Homemade Garlic Croutons
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves (peeled and minced); 3 cups cubed sourdough bread; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

When life hands you bread… make croutons! I mean, who doesn’t love croutons? Especially when they’re homemade.

My Homemade Garlic Croutons have been a staple for me for a long time now, so it’s about time I share this classic, and incredibly easy, recipe here.

A CLASSIC, CRUNCHY CROUTON RECIPE

There’s just nothing like a classic, crunchy crouton to top your favorite salad.

And luckily, these Homemade Garlic Croutons are the easiest thing to make. And super customizable! Not to mention how much better for you they are than the ones you’d typically pick up at the store, which tend to include inflammatory oils and unnecessary additives.

Have leftover bread or a fresh loaf you want to use for something other than sandwiches or toast? Make these croutons!

They’re perfectly crunchy, deliciously garlicky and take less than 30 minutes to make, most of which is the baking time.

It kind of all started when I’d make one of Bridge’s favorite salads, my Cilantro Caesar Salad, from my cookbook, Rachael’s Good Eats. These garlic croutons are key in that recipe, but I had to share here too because they really are a great topper for any salad or soup.

I’m telling you, make these once, and there’s no going back. You’ll never go the store-bought route again.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Sourdough bread, cubed
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

HOW TO MAKE MY HOMEMADE GARLIC CROUTONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil just until warm. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

In a large bowl, toss the cubed sourdough with the heated oil and garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread the seasoned bread cubes on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crisped and golden.

Set the croutons aside to cool.

Enjoy as a topping to your favorite salads and soups, or even as a snack! Store in an airtight container or reusable storage bag (I like Stasher) at room temperature for up to 1 week.

PAIRING IDEAS FOR HOMEMADE GARLIC CROUTONS

We all know croutons make the best topping for really any soup or salad, and honestly, there’s never any judgement here if you prefer to just eat them as a snack too. But in case you need some inspo, sharing below a few of my recipes these Homemade Garlic Croutons pair well with. Let me know what you think!

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS

This is my go-to, classic crouton recipe, but feel free to use as a starting point and customize however you prefer.

Almost any kind of bread will work. I prefer sourdough, but generally you want more of a crustier loaf with great flavor – whole grain sourdough, French bread, even rye bread could work. And for my gluten-free girlies out there, give this recipe a try with your favorite GF bread.

Cube the bread as big or small as you like, just make sure they’re all about the same size so they cook evenly.

Option to get creative with your seasonings – sprinkle some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, or even a little bit of grated parm.

And of course, use these crunchy, garlicky croutons as a topper for your favorite salads, soups, to snack on, or turn into breadcrumbs. So many options!

SHOP THIS RECIPE:

HOW DO YOU KEEP HOMEMADE CROUTONS CRISPY?

There are a few tips and tricks to ensuring your homemade croutons turn out, and remain, crispy.

Ideally you want to use day or two old loaf of bread, and be sure the cubes are roughly the same size. If using fresh bread, they may need a few extra minutes to crisp up. If time allows, you could also let the cubed pieces of fresh bread sit out, unseasoned, for an hour or two before baking.

Once seasoned, baking is my preferred option, as the heat of the oven will dry them out + toast the edges to golden perfection. You can also try grilling or frying them, but that might yield a slightly softer-in-the-middle batch.

Either way, make sure they’re laid out in an even layer and not piled on top of each other on the cooking surface. They’ll need a little bit of space to get toasty.

Allow the croutons some time to cool and crisp up after baking.

Storing in a sealed, airtight container or reusable, sealable bag (I like Stasher) at room temperature is also key (don’t store in the fridge as that would add moisture and therefore make your croutons soggy).