3 Simple Steps to Make Delicious, Easy Oven Croutons

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Don’t throw away that leftover stale bread! Why not make some easy oven croutons with it? This recipe is very simple, quick to make, and seasoned to perfection.

And best of all, there is no junk in these croutons, unlike store-bought ones. Keep reading to see how simple it is to make your own easy oven croutons!

HOW TO MAKE EASY OVEN CROUTONS

1. CUBE YOUR BREAD

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cube about 12 ounces of leftover white bread that you have into approximately 1-inch cubes.

Try and make them pretty uniform in size so they all bake evenly. Place the cubes of bread in a bowl.

Our country bread or cheddar jalapeño bread make amazing croutons! In this recipe, we are showing our cheddar jalapeño bread, but you can use any white bread.

Easy Peasy Tip: Leftover bread that has gone stale is perfect to use to make these croutons! So don’t let that bread go to waste. The croutons can also be stored for a few days in an air tight container at room temperature.

2. ADD THE SEASONING

To the bowl of cubed bread, add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic granules or garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Use your hands to stir the croutons. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with your hands and continually toss and lightly massage the croutons with your hands.

Keep doing this until all of the olive oil has soaked into the bread cubes, and the seasoning is evenly distributed.

3. BAKE YOUR CROUTONS

Line a cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper and dump the bread cubes on top. Make a single layer of bread cubes and evenly distribute them across the pan.

Make sure that one flat side of each crouton is in contact with the pan. This will provide nice browning in the oven.

Place the cookie sheet on the middle rack of your preheated 375°F oven and bake for 7 minutes.

Then take your cookie sheet out and you’re going to turn your croutons. Using a pair of tongs, flip each crouton over.

Then place the cookie sheet back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Depending on the kind of bread that you’re using, it may take a little longer (or even a little less time).

Bread that is not as dense will bake more quickly. Just keep an eye on the croutons to make sure they don’t burn. Your goal is to have a light, golden brown color.

These croutons would be wonderful to add on top of any salad, tomato soup, and even on top of chili!