Homemade croutons are easy to make with crusty ciabatta, garlic, Parmesan, and a few pantry staples. They’re golden brown, crunchy, and packed with flavor—perfect on a Caesar salad, tomato soup, or baked mac and cheese, or as a crunchy, savory snack.
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Homemade croutons and store-bought croutons just aren’t the same. The store-bought ones are fine, but they're often more about crunch than flavor. Homemade croutons are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of fresh flavor.
These homemade ciabatta croutons are made with good olive oil, Italian herbs, garlic and onion powder, and a sprinkle of Parmesan for rich, savory flavor.
Tearing the bread instead of cubing it gives you craggy edges that get golden and crispy in the oven, while the insides stay just a little soft. But if you're a neat-and-orderly type who prefers cubes, that works, too. They'll still be crispy and delicious!
❤️You're Going to Love These
- Crispy on the outside, tender in the middle
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Bursting with flavor from herbs, garlic, onion, and Parmesan
- Perfect for soups, salads, or snacking by the handful
- So easy—just toss and bake!
🥖Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Ciabatta bread. Day-old bread is drier and crisps up better than soft, fresh bread. Tear it into pieces or cut it into ¾" cubes.
- Olive oil. You can also use melted butter or a mix of half oil and half butter.
- Garlic powder. Fresh garlic easily burns, so garlic powder is the way to go. If you really want to use fresh garlic, toss it in during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Grated parmesan cheese. This is optional, but so very tasty, especially for Caesar salad croutons.
- Salt. Don't forget the salt. Bland croutons are sad croutons :(.
🌿Variations or Substitutions
- Stale bread. Use your favorite kind of bread, like brioche, sourdough, French bread, or regular sandwich bread. Just make sure it's slightly stale.
- Herbs. Try dried basil, rosemary, dill, Italian seasoning, herbs de Provence, za'atar, or other herb blends.
- Seasonings. Add a dash of paprika, chili powder, cumin, seasoned salt, or red pepper flakes, or any of your favorite seasonings.
🥣How to Make Ciabatta Croutons
Step 1: Toss the torn bread or cubed bread pieces with the olive oil, cheese, and seasonings in a large bowl until completely coated. Arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed metal baking sheet.
Step 2: Bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Cool at room temperature. Serve and enjoy on your favorite soups and salads.
👉Helpful Hint: For the best golden brown, crunchy croutons, bake them on a rimmed metal pan, not glass or ceramic bakeware.
✅Top Tips
- For crispy, craggy edges, tear the bread into pieces.
- Freeze a loaf of bread so you can always make a fresh batch of homemade croutons. Here's the best way to freeze and thaw bread.
- If you need to bake them at a higher temperature alongside other things in the oven, leave out the Parmesan -- it can burn above 350.
- Don't throw out those crispy little bits left on the pan. They're packed with flavor!
❓FAQs
Store croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just pop them in the oven to re-crisp!
Yes! While ciabatta is perfect for a crispy, airy texture, you can use any leftover bread to make croutons —French baguette, sourdough, or even whole wheat works great. Just adjust baking time based on the bread's thickness.
If you want to skip the Parmesan, simply use more herbs and seasonings, like rosemary, thyme, or Italian seasoning, to amp up the flavor. You can also try a dairy-free option like nutritional yeast.
😋Enjoy Ciabatta Croutons On
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📖 Recipe
Easy Ciabatta Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 cups ciabatta bread, torn or cut into ¾" cubes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Arrange the seasoned bread cubes in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until they reach your desired level of crispiness.
Notes
- For crispy, craggy edges, tear the bread into pieces.
- For the best golden brown, crunchy croutons, bake them on a rimmed metal pan, not glass or ceramic bakeware.
- Baking time depends on the dryness of the bread. The drier the bread, the shorter the baking time.
- If needed, bake them at a higher temperature alongside other things, up to 425 degrees. Just leave out the Parmesan -- it can burn above 350 -- and reduce the baking time.
- Don't throw out those crispy little bits left on the pan. They're packed with flavor!
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