Crunchy croutons are only 15 minutes away with this easy to make at home recipe that’s done in the air fryer! Lightly seasoned with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper; these croutons go perfectly with any salad.
Everyone knows that a salad is always made better by the addition of perfectly crisp croutons, yet the store bought ones are always overloaded with salt and whatever other ingredients they need to stay shelf-stable for 6+ months.
Our recipe uses ingredients you already have on hand, including those stray, stale sandwich buns, to create a crouton that is worthy of staring in even a Panzanella salad!
Ingredients
As I mentioned above, the ingredients needed to make homemade croutons couldn’t be any easier.
- Bread
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Parsley
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Pepper
- Olive Oil
Types of Bread to use
The nice thing about making croutons at home is that you can use whatever bread you already have on hand.
Of course if you are making these air fryer croutons for a special event, buying a complimentary bread to your salad is totally worth it.
For this recipe I used multigrain ciabatta buns that I had in my freezer from MONTHS ago, and they were the perfect density for my liking.
But, as I said before, I have done this with regular sandwich bread and the result is just as tasty – just be sure to adjust the cooking time as a thinner bread does not take as long.
Other types of bread that are delicious for croutons in the air fryer;
- Pumpernickel (try this trust me!)
- Focaccia (I love a good olive one)
- Cheese bread
- White or whole wheat sandwich bread
- Crusty French bread
- Texas toast
Salad Recipes to top with Croutons
Simple Kale Slaw – this is a delicious slaw using fresh kale, gala apples and Parmesan cheese and finished with a delicious fennel lemon vinaigrette.
Kale and Broccoli Salad – A salad that is loaded with crisp veggies and topped with pepitas and a creamy coleslaw dressing.
Panzanella Salad – A quick and easy recipe with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and basil using our homemade croutons as the star of the dish.
Greek Salad – A true classic that goes with any dinner. This Greek salad is full of olives, cucumbers, feta cheese, tomatoes and more!
Oven/Stovetop Directions
Even if you don’t have an air fryer at home you can still make homemade croutons any night of the week!
If you are doing them in the oven you will want to set the temperature to 400F and bake them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes (flipping halfway).
If you want to do the croutons on your stovetop you will need to heat some olive oil over medium heat in a large pan and sauté them until crisp. This method takes the longest as the moisture from the bread takes longer to cook off over the pan.
Be sure to PIN this Homemade Air Fryer Crouton Recipe so you have it on hand for later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread is the main ingredient in a crouton recipe, along with spices and olive oil. Having a versatile recipe like this one makes for easy adjustments based off of what you have on hand!
While I wouldn’t call a crouton “healthy”, these homemade ones are certainly healthier than the store bought ones which are loaded with sodium. To keep your crouton healthier be sure to use whole grain bread and the 1 tbsp of called for olive oil.
A homemade crouton will store wonderfully in an airtight container for about 1 week to 10 days. You want to make sure that before you put them in the container they have completely cooled otherwise the heat will create moisture.
Besides the basic answer of salad you can also use croutons to top your favorite soups (like tomato or French onion). Croutons also go well as a topping on your favorite casserole . And of course you can munch on the crouton itself with nothing else needed for a yummy snack!
Air Fryer Homemade Croutons
An easy to make homemade crouton recipe using your air fryer and ingredients you already have on hand!
Ingredients
- 2 Ciabatta Buns (or other bread, see post)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3/4 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Mix together garlic powder, salt, pepper and parsley in a small bowl to combine.
- Cut bread into medium size cubes, and use hands to pull apart any pieces that are too thick.
- Add bread to large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add spice mix and stir using a wooden spoon to evenly coat.
- Set your air fryer to "Air Fry" and once preheated toss bread into the basket. Set timer for 10 minutes with a turn reminder halfway through.
- At the 5 minute mark open the air fryer and gently shake basket to move bread around.
- Continue cooking 5 minutes and remove when finished.
- Allow to cool completely before storing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
0.25 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 36Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 90mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
*Please note that nutritional values are not always 100% accurate and are to be used as a guide.
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