These are the easiest, crunchiest, homemade Italian croutons you’ll ever make! With just 5 spices, a baguette, and a little olive oil, you’ll spruce up any salad with this tasty, rustic recipe! They take just 5 minutes to prep and 8 minutes to bake! They taste so much better than store-bought, dehydrated croutons, and look so much prettier too!
I made these Italian croutons specifically for my gorgeous Spring fennel salad, but they can top just about any salad you can think of!
They stay crunchy when stored in a container with a lid or plastic bag for days. And even if they get a little soft after baking and storing, just pop them in the oven again for 5-10 minutes, and they’ll crunch right back up again!
Ingredients
How to Make This Recipe Step-by-Step
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Rip or cut 1 baguette into small pieces until you have 3 cups (unpacked).
2. In a mixing bowl, stir bread with 3 tbsp. olive oil. Then, add 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder, and ½ tsp. onion powder. Stir thoroughly to coat the bread.
3. Lay seasoned bread on a foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake on top rack for 7-10 minutes. If they’re not brown yet after 7 minutes, let them bake a little longer.
Common Questions
They’ll stay perfectly crunchy for at least 2-3 days when stored in a sealed container at room temperature. If they absorb any moisture in the air, and lose their crunch, simply pop them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 300 F.
Yes, but they may be a little soggy when you thaw them. If so, follow the instructions above to make them crunchy again.
A Few Tasty Salad Recipes for Your Croutons
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Easy, Crunchy Italian Croutons
Equipment
- 1 cutting board and bread knife
- 1 medium mixing bowl and spoon
- 1 foil-lined baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 baguette – cut into small pieces – 3 cups, un-packed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Rip or cut 1 baguette into small pieces until you have 3 cups (unpacked).
- In a mixing bowl, stir bread with 3 tbsp. olive oil. Then, add 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder, and ½ tsp. onion powder. Stir thoroughly to coat bread.
- Lay seasoned bread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake on top rack for 7-10 minutes. If they’re not brown yet after 7 minutes, let them bake a little longer.
Vicky W
Easiest and best crouton recipe. I make them all the time because they are so good and doesn’t take much time.
Genevieve Morrison
Thank you!