Dairy-Free · Gluten-Free · Kitchen Tips + Basics · Salads · Vegan · Vegetarian Recipes
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ByEmily
Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review
How to Make Gluten-Free Croutons! Homemade gluten-free croutons are SO easy to make at home and taste better than anything you’ll find at a store! (Gluten-Free, Vegan-Friendly)
My kids *hate* vegetables, but they LOVE salad bar night.
Why? (Spoiler: it’s not because they love salad)
It’s because they love my homemade croutons.
Homemade croutons make everything better, whether we’re sprinkling them over salads or using them as a garnish on soups or stews. It can be tough to find good gluten-free croutons in stores, but it’s REALLY easy to make them at home.
Crispy and golden on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside, with ALL kinds of flavors to choose from…homemade croutons are the BEST.
You really only need 3 ingredients to make your own croutons, and the end result is so good it might talk your kids into eating salad. Here’s how you turn regular bread into some serious mealtime magic…
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS:
- GLUTEN-FREE BREAD.You’ll start your gluten-free croutons with gluten-free bread. You can use whatever brand of bread you usually eat (see the FAQ for our faves!). It can be fresh from the store, or on its last legs and starting to get dry.
- OLIVE OIL OR BUTTER.Then, you’ll add some melted butter, ghee, vegan butter, or olive oil. This will help crisp the croutons, give them some gorgeous color, and help add flavor.
- SALT.Unless you need to for medical reasons, I recommend NOT skipping the salt! A little salt helps take this from bread to croutons. Plus, that salty crunchy bite is PERFECT for toppings soups or salads.
- SEASONINGS!Now that you have the essentials taken care of, you can add all kinds of seasonings, spices, or flavors to these homemade croutons. Here are some of our favorites…
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FLAVORS OF GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS:
- ROSEMARY OR FRESH HERBS. Fresh rosemary is one of my FAVORITE crouton flavors. A little goes a long way, so 1-2 tsp. is plenty to flavor your batch of croutons. If rosemary’s not your jam, basil, dill, or oregano are nice, too!
- GARLIC.Fresh garlic can give gluten-free croutons some serious garlic bread vibes (in the best way). Otherwise, a little dried garlic powder can do the job.
- PARMESAN (OR VEGAN PARMESAN).Cheese makes just about everything better, so in our pre-dairy-free days, I LOVED adding Parmesan to our homemade croutons. These days, I use vegan parmesan (like Violife) or this homemade vegan “parmesan.” You can really add it to taste!
- ITALIAN SEASONING OR DRIED HERBS. Dried herbs make it easy to flavor homemade croutons. Italian Seasoning blends typically have a mix of herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, and marjoram. You can pick up a pre-made blend, make one yourself, or simply add a generous pinch of dried oregano + dried thyme to the croutons. Since dried herbs are more potent, you’ll want to start small. 1/4-1/2 tsp. is usually enough for me!
FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS.
TRY MAKING YOUR CROUTONS WITH SEASONED OR FLAVORED OLIVE OIL! One of the easiest ways to infuse homemade croutons with flavor is by using flavored olive oil. We love Fresh Crush Basil, Meyer Lemon, and Rosemary, but all kinds of flavors can work!
TRY NOT TO TURN THEM TOO MUCH.One of the ways homemade croutons brown best is by not being disturbed. I really try only to flip them once throughout the cooking time so they can get nice and golden on the tops and bottoms.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CROUTONS. You can store leftover gluten-free croutons in an airtight container at room temperature 1-2 days. They will continue to harden over time.
WHAT’S THE BEST KIND OF BREAD FOR HOMEMADE CROUTONS?Honestly, I’ve made croutons out of all kinds of things from sandwich bread to baguettes and leftover rolls. Almost any kind of gluten-free bread you have on hand can work!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS OF GLUTEN-FREE BREAD? Gluten-free bread just gets better and better, so there are lots of good brands out there these days! Some of our go-to brands are Canyon Bakehouse, Three Bakers, Trader Joe’s, and Schar.
CRAVING MORE? HERE ARE A FEW YUMMY RECIPES TO ENJOY YOUR CROUTONS!
- Sun-Dried Tomato and White Bean Soup
- Fall Cobb Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- BLT Salad with Creamy Ranch Dressing
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Italian Chopped Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
How to Make Gluten-Free Croutons
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5 from 1 review
- Author: One Lovely Life
- Total Time: About 20 minutes
- Yield: About 4 cups croutons 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Homemade gluten-free croutons are SO easy to make at home and taste better than anything you’ll find at a store!
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 Slices gluten-free bread, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or melted butter, ghee, or vegan butter)
- 1/4 teaspoonsalt
- Optional:1/4 tsp black pepper, 2-3 tsp. fresh herbs (like rosemary, dill, or oregano) or 1/4-1/2 tsp dried herbs (like dill, rosemary, or Italian seasoning), 1 clove garlic, finely minced, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine diced bread cubes, olive oil or butter, salt, and any herbs or seasonings you’d like to use.
- Stir to coat well and spread the bread out on the baking sheet. Give the baking sheet a shake to distribute the bread well. (You don’t want any large clumps)
- Put the croutons in the oven and bake croutons 10-15 minutes, or until they’re golden. I like to stir my croutons halfway through the cooking time to allow them to cook evenly
- Let croutons cool slightly and enjoy!
Store cooled leftover croutons in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2-3 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
