Easy Gluten-Free Croutons
Jazz up your meals with these easy homemade gluten-free croutons! They offer crunch at every bite and are a breeze to make, too. Once you try it, you might never give store-bought croutons a second look – especially since you know you can make healthier ones at home!
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Few things beat a crispy, crunchy, and flavorful crouton atop a salad drenched in your favorite dressing. When going gluten-free, croutons are easy to miss! But they’re also so simple to make at home. I’ve yet to find store-bought gluten-free croutons that surpass this recipe. Happy eating!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
- It’s so rich in flavor.
- They can even be eaten on their own — they’re that good!
- They’re cheaper than store-bought ones (especially since gluten-free croutons are a bit hard to find in grocery stores and not nearly as tasty!).
- Adds a satisfying crunchiness to various soups and salads.
- It is a great way to deal with stale bread!
- It can be made in less than 30 minutes.
- So versatile! You can season the croutons with your favorite blend of herbs and spices.
- Vegan and vegetarian recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-free Bread of Choice – You can use any store-bought or homemade bread you prefer to make these croutons. This is also the perfect time to use any stale sandwich bread in the pantry!
- For store-bought, I personally like to use Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread slices. For homemade, I love to use my gluten-free focaccia as well as my gluten-free sourdough bread.
- Melted Butter – Gives a rich, savory taste to the croutons and helps make them crispier as they bake. Use dairy-free butter if necessary.
- You can also use olive oil or a mix of the two.
- Garlic Powder – Adds a nice, savory flavor to the homemade croutons.
- Dried Basil – Adds a spicy and sweet taste to the croutons.
- Salt – Gives a bit of saltiness while enhancing the flavors of the other seasonings.
- Dried Oregano – Provides an earthy, pungent flavor to the croutons.
How to Make Gluten-Free Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Arrange the bread cubes on the baking sheet and drizzle them with melted butter or oil.
- Sprinkle the bread cubes with garlic powder, basil, salt, and oregano.
- Toss everything to ensure an even coating.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the croutons are crisp.
- For a golden finish, place them under the broiler for about 1 minute.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Seasoning Ideas
Play with different herbs, spices, and seasoning blends to flavor your croutons, such as:
- Smoked paprika
- Smoked salt
- Adobo seasoning
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Ground black pepper
- Guacamole seasoning
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Rosemary
- Curry powder
My Favorites Ways to Use These Croutons
- Great addition to favorite salads like vegetarian Caesar salad, Mediterranean Cucumber Salad, Southwest Salad, Strawberry Feta Salad, or other Vegetarian Salad Recipes.
- As a topping for soups like tomato soup, Sweet Potato Soup, Potato Soup, Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup, and any of these 30 delicious blender soups.
- Ground to breadcrumbs and used as a topping on Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese or as a coating for Gluten-Free Mozarella Sticks.
Storing Gluten-Free Croutons
Leftover croutons can be stored at room temperature for up to four days in a resealable bag or an airtight container.
Expert Tips
- Using slightly stale or day-old bread can give your croutons the best texture. While you can use fresh bread, it might need to bake a little longer to achieve the same results.
- You can adjust the seasonings you put in if you use seasoned or herbed bread.
- Cut bread into ¾ to 1-inch cubes, so it’s all bite-sized. This will help it cook evenly and crisp inside the oven.
- To ensure more even cooking, arrange all the croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet, avoiding overcrowding.
- Flip the croutons halfway through baking to get even browning on all sides.
More Delicious Gluten-Free Recipes
Gluten-Free Morning Glory Bread
Gluten-Free Croutons Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices gluten-free bread of choice chopped into 1/2"-1"cubes, see post above and notes below for more info
- ¼ cup melted butter or olive oil, or a mix of the two
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the bread cubes to the baking sheet, then drizzle with the melted butter or oil.
- Sprinkle the bread cubes with the garlic powder, basil, salt, and oregano.
- Toss all to coat well.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp to the touch.
- Place the croutons under the broiler until golden, for about 1 minute.
- Enjoy right away or keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- You can use any store-bought or homemade bread you prefer to make these croutons. For store-bought, I personally like to use Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread slices. For homemade, I love to use my gluten-free focaccia.