Easy Homemade Crunchy Croutons Recipe For Soups & Salads

Easy Homemade Crunchy Croutons Recipe For Soups & Salads

By Anadi Misra · Updated Apr 16, 2026 · originally published Oct 18, 2024

All you need are a handful of ingredients to make the crunchiest and most delicious croutons you’ve ever had! These croutons are so extremely delicious that you’ll want to snack on them on their own. I keep going into the fridge to munch on some - trust me, that crunch is totally addictive!

If you’re wasting way too much money on store-bought croutons, this recipe will definitely show you there’s no reason to ever buy croutons again! You can put your heart on a plate with a special soup or salad topped with homemade croutons for that extra loving touch as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my recipes will be delivered right to your inbox so you can always make a restaurant quality meal from your very own kitchen!

If you want to follow along with all the steps from start to finish on how to make the crunchiest and tastiest croutons ever right from your kitchen, be sure to watch the video! It would mean a lot if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live to go along with the written ones! Let’s get baking!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Croutons Recipe!

• Quick & easy: You’ll see how easy and fast it is to make your own croutons! The longest part is waiting for them to bake!
• Five ingredients: All of these ingredients are most likely already in your household! Nothing fancy here, but the basics really come together to make some incredible crunchy croutons!
• Good use of old bread: If you’ve got a loaf of bread that you should use up soon, then croutons are a delicious method to save leftover bread! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, having an awareness of ingredients that are perishable can spark creativity! I certainly have that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when a loaf of bread gets moldy or just too stale, and trust me I do feel bad about it! FYI - I really practice freezing my bread more, so if you can’t finish the bread quick enough, I strongly encourage you to do that! With that being said, if you do need a way to use bread that’s a bit old, then croutons are an easy way to give life to your old bread!
• Addictively crunchy: I can’t stop going in the fridge and munching on some of them! They almost all disappeared before topping my salad in these photos! Once you have a taste, you won’t be able to stop!
• Fresh and tasty: I honestly don’t know why you would purchase croutons when it’s so simple to make your own, and they turn out so well! No preservatives or additives that you really don’t need. If you’ve got bread and cheese, you’re good to go!

Tools Needed for Homemade Crunchy Croutons for Soup

• Bread knife
• Salt crock
• Pepper mill
• Microplane
• Olive oil spray bottle
• Mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients for the Best Homemade Croutons

All ingredients and their quantities can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can save the recipe for later and use the recipe card to scale the quantities based on how many croutons you want to make - no calculations required!

• Bread: A crusty bread that will hold its shape. You’ll dice your bread into cubes.
• Pecorino Romano: Alternatively, you could use Parmesan cheese. You’ll want to finely grate your cheese.
• Olive oil: If desired, you could use butter. If you want a garlic touch to your croutons, you could use my Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Oil recipe.
• Salt and pepper: Key seasoning to taste!

How to Make the Crunchiest Homemade Croutons Ever

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In the meantime, add the cubed bread to a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper. Spray or drizzle in olive oil and mix well to coat well.

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese and mix to coat well.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, tossing the croutons every 5-8 minutes to cook evenly and to your own doneness preference.

Serve over your favorite soups and salads and enjoy!

Flavor Variations for Croutons

• Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin, chili flakes, chili powder, sesame seeds.
• Spice blends: Cajun Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Everything Bagel Seasoning, or even Curry Powder!
• Dried herbs: Thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, basil.
• Lemon zest

Tips on How to Keep Homemade Croutons Crunchy

• Cut the bread into evenly sized cubes. While of course this adds a visual appeal, more importantly it ensures the croutons cook evenly and have a consistent crunch and texture.
• Good quality olive oil is great to use to flavor these croutons, butter however, is another great alternative to switch things up.
• Pecorino Romano can be paired with other similar cheese varieties like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano to add more cheesiness and more complex flavors to the croutons.
• Croutons don’t have to be hard, the ideal texture is crispy outside and slightly chewy inside, especially when it comes to salads. The best part, as they cook you can taste and decide when you bring the croutons out of the oven. For using croutons in pasta or soup however, croutons on the harder side will fair better, especially since they will absorb liquid from the soup or pasta sauce.

How to Use Crunchy Croutons

• Salad: I prepared my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad in the images you’ll see here (without the chicken!) topped with the croutons. Croutons will also be amazing over my Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Roasted Almonds.
• Soups & stews: I topped my Super Simple Roasted Tomato Soup with these croutons! The croutons would also be amazing topped over Vegan Instant Pot Minestrone Stew or Creamy Asparagus Soup.
• Dips: You could dip your croutons in a creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip or a Spinach Dip. In fact, they would be delicious with some simple Marinara Sauce!
• Casseroles: Serve with your Ultimate Creamy Mac and Cheese or a Creamy White Sauce Chicken Lasagna.

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