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This easy small batch croutons recipe shows you how to make crispy, flavorful homemade croutons using simple ingredients and any bread you have on hand. Made on the stovetop or in the oven, these small batch croutons are perfect for salads, soups, and more.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick to Make: These homemade croutons are ready in about 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Great for Using Bread You Have: An easy way to turn leftover or day-old bread into crispy croutons.
- Better Than Store-Bought: You control the ingredients, including the oil, salt, and seasonings.
- Versatile: Use these croutons on salads, soups, or enjoy them on their own.
- Easy to Customize: Season with your favorite dried herbs, spices, or cheese to suit your taste.
Making croutons from scratch is one of those simple kitchen habits that quickly becomes second nature. As the bread toasts, it turns golden and crisp with just the right amount of crunch.
I love how a handful of homemade croutons can add texture and flavor to a salad or soup without much effort, using ingredients you already have on hand.
Enjoy these crispy homemade croutons on any of our single serving salad recipes like our Caesar salad for one, small Italian chopped salad, fresh tomato salad, or single serving cobb salad. They also make a great crunchy topping for our single serving soups, especially our tomato soup for one or creamy vegetable soup for one.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy homemade croutons recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Bread: Any bread works for this homemade croutons recipe. Use sourdough, French bread, Italian bread, soda bread, dinner rolls, or other crusty loaves. Day-old or stale bread is ideal because it’s easier to cut and toasts up crispier.
- Olive Oil: Drizzle olive oil over the bread cubes to help them crisp and add flavor. You can swap in vegetable oil, avocado oil, or melted butter if preferred.
- Kosher Salt: This is the basic seasoning that brings out flavor. If you don’t have kosher salt, use sea salt or table salt.
- Dried Herbs: Add your favorite dried herbs like oregano, thyme, or rosemary. You can also use Italian seasoning for a classic blend of flavors.
Recipe Variations
These easy homemade croutons can be seasoned in many ways, making them a great match for salads, soups, and more.
- Garlic Croutons: Stir minced garlic or garlic powder into the olive oil before tossing with the bread cubes for classic garlic flavor.
- Parmesan Croutons: Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the bread before baking for crisp, cheesy croutons.
- Spicy Croutons: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the oil for croutons with a little heat.
- Herb Butter Croutons: Swap the olive oil for melted butter mixed with dried herbs for richer flavor.
How To Make Homemade Croutons (Stovetop or Oven)
You can make homemade croutons on the stovetop or in the oven, and both methods are simple and reliable. See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and full instructions.
For either method, cut the bread into cubes or tear it into rustic pieces. Cubes bake up crisp and uniform, while torn pieces have more texture and irregular edges.
Stovetop croutons are crisp with a slightly chewy center. Oven-baked croutons are evenly browned and extra crisp. Choose the method that works best for you.
Stovetop Croutons
- Add the bread pieces to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and dried herbs, and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on all sides.
- Transfer the croutons to a plate lined with paper towels and let them cool before using.
Oven-Baked Croutons
- Add the bread to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and dried herbs, and toss until well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Spread the bread in a single layer on a small baking sheet.
- Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp.
Expert Tips
- Keep It Simple or Season More: This homemade croutons recipe works well with just olive oil and salt, or you can add dried herbs and spices like basil, rosemary, or garlic powder.
- Adjust for the Amount of Bread: This recipe is written for about 2 cups of torn or cubed bread. If you’re using more or less, plan on about 1½ tablespoons of olive oil per cup of bread.
- Season to Taste: Add more or less dried herbs depending on how bold you want the flavor.
- Watch Closely While Cooking: Croutons can brown quickly, especially if the bread is dry. Stir or turn them often to prevent burning.
- Cool Before Storing: Let the croutons cool completely so they stay crisp.
- Store Properly: Keep croutons in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crusty breads like sourdough, French bread, Italian bread, or day-old sandwich bread work best for homemade croutons.
Homemade croutons stay fresh for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Let croutons cool completely, then store them in an airtight container away from moisture.
Yes, croutons can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months and reheated briefly in the oven to restore crispness.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch croutons recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried these small batch homemade croutons or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Get a Quick Recipe Overview
Small Batch Homemade Croutons
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed or torn bread
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon dried herbs (dried basil, rosemary, herbs de Provence, or garlic powder work well)
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Add the bread pieces to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and dried herbs, and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on all sides.
- Transfer the croutons to a plate lined with paper towels and let them cool before using.
Oven Method
- Add the bread to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and dried herbs, and toss until well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Spread the bread in a single layer on a small baking sheet.
- Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp.
Notes
- Keep It Simple or Season More: This homemade croutons recipe works well with just olive oil and salt, or you can add dried herbs and spices like basil, rosemary, or garlic powder.
- Adjust for the Amount of Bread: This recipe is written for about 2 cups of torn or cubed bread. If you’re using more or less, plan on about 1½ tablespoons of olive oil per cup of bread.
- Season to Taste: Add more or less dried herbs depending on how bold you want the flavor.
- Watch Closely While Cooking: Croutons can brown quickly, especially if the bread is dry. Stir or turn them often to prevent burning.
- Cool Before Storing: Let the croutons cool completely so they stay crisp.
- Store Properly: Keep croutons in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crunch.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Joanie is there anything you HAVEN’T thought of on this site? Even when I don’t need a recipe, I find myself wondering how Joanie would do it 😁 I’m interested in how you would season the dish and most of all proportions so I don’t end up making way more than I need.
These croutons are a prime example of this happening in my kitchen. They’re in the air fryer cooking right now. I already know they’re going to be absolutely delicious and better than anything I could run to the grocery store to pick up. So I thank you in advance for another great recipe 😄
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes and finding them helpful in your kitchen. I love that you’re trying the croutons, and I hope they turn out just as delicious as you expect. It makes my day to know the recipes are inspiring and working well for you—thank you!
Could corn bread be used?
Yes.
I used ordinary store-bought brown bread which I sliced myself. I used two slices and seasoned the cubes with garlic powder, onion powder, mixed dried herbs and Aromat (a kind of powdered savory seasoning). I baked the croutons in the oven for 8 minutes. It smelled wonderful and tasted great. Super-easy. So different from the hard ready-made, packaged ones one can buy from shops.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the croutons recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
What temp. Do you set the oven?
By the way, I love your recipes.
Hi Debbie,
375 degrees F. I updated the recipe – thanks so much for catching that!
Have a great week.
Joanie
I love these! What a great idea. Not only are they good on salads but they are great crunchy snack when baked in the oven. I like both versions and am having a good time playing with spices. At the moment I am doing Italian spice croutons but I want to try Mexican spices next! Thanks so much for sharing this great idea!
Hi Wendy,
I’m so happy you like the recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Have a wonderful week.
Joanie
Wendy, Mexican spices sounds good to have with Chili.