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
For more inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok, and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!
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.
Leave a Reply