If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade croutons, then this easy vegan croutons recipe is just what you need. Simple, less than 10 ingredients, and 5 minutes of prep will have you on your way to perfect croutons every time!
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Have you ever gone to grab that bag of croutons out of the pantry for your salad or soup and realized that there’s none left? Or maybe you’re tired of all the ingredients inside store bought croutons and wondering how easy it would be to make homemade croutons? Or, if like me, you’re so tired of almost every single store bought croutons containing dairy.
No worries anymore! You’re going to learn how to make homemade croutons in the easiest possible way. This recipe is so easy that you can quickly make them at any time while you’re making your favorite soup or even just the best salad you’ve ever made.
And if your house is anything like ours, you’ll have to stop snacking on them in order for there to be any left for the meal you made them for!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy – This recipe only need 5 minutes of prep and the rest is cooking time. It’s incredible easy and fool proof, so you can even have little ones help!
- Versatile – Want these to taste more garlicky? Done. Want them to have a bbq flavor to them? Done. This recipe can be swapped with spices to take on whatever flavor you want your croutons to taste like.
- Prep Friendly – This isn’t a recipe that you have to eat immediately. In fact, if stored properly in an air tight container, they will last up to two weeks!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Gather your ingredients! See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
- Loaf of bread – You’ll need about 10-14 oz of your favorite bread. You can use store bought or make your own homemade bread loafs. Popular options are artisan bread, baguettes or french loaves; however, you can do sourdough as well. For best results, letting it sit out and stale the night before is best, but this is not required.
- Substitute: You can also use gluten free bread or bread slices for this as well.
- Olive oil and Vegan butter – Oil is needed for not only having our seasoning stick, but also to get that really crisp and crunchy texture that we love about croutons. We are using a combination of oil and butter just to give it a buttery taste as well.
- Substitute: You can only use olive oil instead of the butter or you can use a different oil like avocado or grapeseed.
- Oil free: If you want to make an oil free vegan crouton, you can use a spray bottle of oil and lightly spritz your bread so the seasoning will stick. Do not just dump water into the bowl.
- Seasoning – for this recipe we are using Italian seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Substitutes: This is such a fun recipe because it’s so versatile in the flavor department. Use more or less of your favorite seasonings or spice blends to customize the flavor to your liking. You’ll want about 4 teaspoons total of dried seasoning for the loaf of bread. See the variation section below for ideas.
Variations:
One of our favorite things about learning how to make croutons is realizing that you can season them however you like! Here’s a few variation ideas beyond what we share in our recipe.
- Taco Seasoning: This one is especially delicious if you’re making taco soup or a taco salad. You can use store bought taco seasoning blend or make your own homemade taco seasoning.
- Jamaican Curry Powder: Jamaican curry includes ingredients like turmeric, coriander, cumin, all spice and ginger. All curry powders vary based on region, so feel free to use your favorite. Alternatively, try a dried jerk seasoning blend for more island vibes.
- Za’atar: This is a very popular Middle Eastern seasoning blend that combines ingredients like thyme, oregano, sumac, sesame seeds, dill and more. It’s absolutely delicious on bread of any kind.
- Garam Masala: One of the most popular blends in the world, this Indian spice blend features cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cloves, and more.
- Old Bay: This popular Maryland, USA seasoning blend is known for seafood but it’s perfect for a sweet and spiced variation in soups like our vegan corn chowder.
- Pumpkin Pie: I know when you think of croutons you may not consider pumpkin pie spiced croutons; however, when pairing with something like our winter salad with kale and brussels or our butternut squash soup, the flavors just heighten the dishes even more!
- Cheesy: with any of the seasoning options you choose, you can also throw in grated parmesan or mozzarella shreds for a cheesy twist to your new favorite croutons
These are just a few variations, but the options are endless! Try out your favorite and then leave a comment below with what you tried for others to see!
How to use homemade croutons?
Having a versatile recipe that you can make in 15 minutes is golden! Some of the best ways you can use these incredible vegan croutons are:
- Salads: This one seems like the obvious answer, but they truly are great, especially make sure to try them in our vegan kale salad
- Soups: We can’t get enough of croutons in our vegan gazpacho soup, but truly they are great in any soup.
- Wraps: We love homemade croutons in our vegan chickpea caesar wraps, but the truth is you won’t go wrong adding them as a bit of a crunch to whatever your favorite wrap combo is
- Breadcrumbs: Have croutons but need breadcrumbs? No worries! Toss them in a bag and use a rolling pin to smash to your needed consistency
- Stuffing: Store bought stuffing is literally just tinier croutons than croutons, so once you have them, you can totally use it to make the best vegan stuffing as well
- Snacking: It’s almost impossible not to just pop them in your mouth! They are a delicious, easy, crunchy snack.
Other vegan bread recipes you should try:
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Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 10-14 oz bread loaf, stale preferred, but not required (284-400g)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes. Place in a large bowl. Add oil and melted butter and toss together. Sprinkle seasonings over and toss to coat all well. Place cubes in an even layer on a baking sheet.
- Oven Baking: Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Air Fryer: Heat air fryer to 400F (205C). Bake for 7-10 minutes.Remove from heat and let cool. They will become crunchier as they cool.
- Use immediately once cooled or store in an air tight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
Oftentimes croutons contain dairy and/or egg in store bought croutons making them not vegan. In order for croutons to be vegan they cannot contain any animal products or byproducts.
You can use any bread that you have on hand. Baguettes, french bread, artisan, and sourdough are the most popular, but you can also use sliced bread and gluten free bread as well.
Yes! Let cool completely and then store in freezer safe bags or containers. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. You will need to crisp them up again once thawed.
You can use gluten free bread to make these croutons allergen friendly. If using vegan butter, you will want to make sure it’s a soy free version.
It’s best to store homemade croutons in an airtight bag or container at room temperature. We keep ours in the pantry.
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