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Once you make homemade croutons with bakery bread, the bagged kind from the grocery store will never taste the same again. These easy croutons start with thick cubes of crusty bakery bread tossed in a rich garlic and herb butter, then bake in the oven until they are golden and crunchy on the outside with just a little chew in the center. They are bigger, heartier, and so much more flavorful than store-bought, and this simple crouton recipe is easy enough for a beginner to master on the first try. Toss them on a green salad, float them on a bowl of creamy soup, or snack on them straight from the pan.

Why this is the best Easy Homemade Croutons recipe

It's a simple and easy recipe. These homemade garlic butter croutons use bakery bread, butter, garlic, and a few basic herbs and seasonings. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen, and there's no need for anything fancy.

It's a great way to use leftover bread. Instead of throwing away bakery bread that's a day or two old, turn it into crispy, buttery croutons. Slightly stale bread actually works really well because it holds its shape and gets nice and crunchy in the oven.

They taste so much better than store-bought croutons. The garlic herb butter gives every bite a rich, savory flavor, and the bread gets golden brown and crispy on the outside. You can control how much garlic, butter, and seasoning you use when you make your own croutons from scratch, so they taste exactly the way your family likes them.

They're great for more than just salads. Sprinkle these homemade garlic croutons over BLT salad, butternut squash soup, Crockpot potato soup, or your favorite creamy soup. They're also delicious as a crunchy snack straight from the container.

You can make them ahead of time. Bake a batch of crunchy croutons when you have extra bread, and keep them in an airtight container for easy meals throughout the week. Having homemade croutons ready makes it easy to add a little crunch to lunch or dinner.

What you'll need to make the best Homemade Croutons

Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet - You're going to need a flat pan to bake the croutons. You can line it with parchment paper for easier cleanup if you want to.

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Ingredients

Bakery-style bread - A white bread like French, Italian, or sourdough bread, or a brown bread like whole wheat bread, rye, or pumpernickel, makes the best croutons, but any bakery-style crusty loaf will be fine. Even stale sandwich bread will work if you're in a pinch. You don't want to use fresh bread if possible. It will work better if it's day-old or a little stale.
butter - This will be melted. Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
Extra-virgin olive oil - Olive oil makes the croutons a little lighter, while butter gives them a richer flavor. Both help the bread turn golden brown in the oven.
Italian seasoning - I love Italian seasoning but see the substitutions section below for alternatives if you don't. Fresh herbs are not going to hold up in the oven, so it's best to use dried in this recipe.
Garlic powder - I generally prefer fresh garlic pressed over garlic bread, but in this case, the powder is easier to distribute evenly across all the croutons, so I would suggest it.
Onion powder - For flavor.
Salt
Black pepper

How to make easy Homemade Croutons

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf of bread in 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
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Pour all of the melted butter and half of the olive oil over the bread cubes. Toss to evenly coat all the bread.
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Sprinkle the seasonings over the now moist bread and toss to distribute them evenly throughout.
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Spread the bread cubes in a single layer over a baking sheet
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and drizzle with the remaining olive oil to make sure every one is well coated.
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Place the baking sheet in the oven and toast the croutons for 15-20 minutes or until the croutons are golden brown and toasted. Stir once halfway through.
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Can be served warm or at room temperature. Cool completely before storing to avoid condensation in the container.
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Substitutions & variations

You can make these homemade croutons with almost any kind of bread. Sturdy bread works best, like French bread, Italian bread, sourdough, ciabatta, and baguettes. Day-old bread is especially good because it's a little drier and gets crispy without falling apart.

You can change the herbs and seasonings to match whatever you're serving. Italian seasoning, dried parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme are all good choices. Add extra garlic powder if your family likes a stronger garlic flavor, or sprinkle in a little onion powder for more savory flavor.

Or change the seasonings altogether and use taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, ranch seasoning, cajun seasoning, Jamaican jerk seasoning for some spice, or another blend you enjoy.

Garlic herb butter croutons on fresh greens

For cheesy garlic croutons, toss the buttered bread cubes with freshly grated Parmesan cheese before baking. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat or some smoked paprika for a slightly smoky flavor.

To make gluten-free croutons, substitute your favorite sturdy gluten-free bakery bread. Keep an eye on them while they bake because different types of bread may brown at different rates.

You can also cut the bread into different sizes depending on how you plan to serve the croutons. Small chunks are great for salads, while larger pieces work well for topping soups or eating as a crunchy snack.

You could also bake the croutons and then crush them slightly or even pulse them in a food processor to use as a topping on a casserole such as chicken hashbrown casserole.

Storing leftover homemade croutons

Storage is easy but you have to make sure you let the leftovers cool completely to avoid condensation in the bag. Store them in an airtight container or zippered plastic bag at room temperature on the counter for up to 5 days. If they are even a little bit warm when you store them, the croutons will make moisture in the bag, and that will make them soggy.

If they do soften, spread them on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for a few minutes.

Place fully cooled croutons on a baking sheet in the freezer for an hour or two, until they are frozen solid and not sticky. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months, then re-crisp in the oven straight from frozen. There is no need to thaw. If you skip the step of flash freezing, you will have one big lump of croutons that will be hard to separate when you're ready to heat them up.