It is so easy to make homemade gluten free croutons! These simple directions will teach you how to make croutons from scratch and give you lots of ideas on how to season your croutons!
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Croutons have so many fun uses from topping salads and soups, to making a Panzanella salad. If you haven't made them yet, this homemade croutons recipe will walk you through every simple step.
I am sharing dairy-free (vegan) and regular gluten free versions so you can enjoy these croutons if you have food allergies. If you are new to gluten free, this beginner guide to gluten free is a great resource!
Why you want to make these:
Gluten free croutons are expensive to buy. You can make your own homemade croutons for a fraction of the cost, in as little as 15 minutes! If you are looking for low-cost gluten free food, these croutons are great for a gluten free budget.
Another reason, if you bake these croutons and leave them out, your family is going to come and grab them to snack on when you aren't looking
What gluten free bread is best for making croutons?
There are so many great gluten free brands of bread you can use to make croutons! You can even make them out of homemade bread like this gluten free sourdough bread! I typically have either Franz Gluten Free Bread or Canyon Bakehouse Bread loaves on-hand so I use those.
What you need to make this:
The ingredients for this recipe are so easy. Depending on if you make this recipe as is, or if you customize the recipe, your ingredients may change slightly. For plain croutons, you only need three ingredients!
- Gluten free bread
- Butter
- Salt
Three simple ingredients. It doesn't get any easier than that. Try counting the ingredients in store-bought croutons! You probably can't even pronounce half of them!
Recipe step by step instructions:
Step 1: Take about 8 slices of gluten free bread and cut it into cubes.
Step 2: Add melted butter and salt. If you decide to add any optional seasonings, add those now too. Mix to coat the bread cubes.
Step 3: Pour the bread cubes onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
Step 4: Spread out the cubes so they are flat on the sheet. Try to avoid the crumbs stacked on top of each other. Bake at 300º F for 15 minutes, stirring once to flip over the bread cubes.
Allow to cool and serve on salad.
Variations:
You can change up the seasonings and enjoy these croutons in so many flavors! Here are some of my favorites:
- Make them Italian by adding basil, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese.
- Dust them in pumpkin spice and enjoy these croutons in this Acorn Squash Soup.
- If you like spicy, sprinkle some sriracha over them!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Oven baked croutons will last up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
You can store these gluten free croutons in any air-tight container. I use a mason jar, but Ziplock storage bags work too!
You can freeze these croutons, but to thaw you will need to thaw them in the oven so that they can re-crisp. Otherwise they will be soggy.
Homemade croutons can go stale because they are not made with preservatives. You can tell your croutons are stale if you see mold, they get soft, or taste off.
What brands of store-bought croutons are gluten free?
If you don't have time to make homemade croutons, or if you prefer store-bought croutons, these gluten free crouton brands are very good:
- Salad Crisps - OMG these are so good, and they are made with 100% cheese. (Not dairy-free!)
- Olivia's Gluten Free Croutons - These look crispy and delicious.
- Aleias Gluten Free Croutons - I haven't tried this brand but I saw them at Sprout Market not too long ago.
More salad recipes to try:
Recipe
Gluten Free Croutons
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free bread * see note
- 3 tablespoons Butter For dairy-free, use vegan butter.
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325º F.
- Take your slices of gluten free bread and cut them into cubes.
- Put the bread cubes into a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish for 10 seconds to melt it. Drizzle it over the cubes of bread. Sprinkle on the salt.
- Toss to coat the bread cubes.
- Put onto a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and mix them. Bake an additional 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Video
Notes
- You can use any brand of gluten free bread. I used Franz Multigrain for this post, but I have used several brands easily.
- If you want to make this recipe dairy-free, use vegan butter, and ensure your gluten free bread is also dairy-free.
- These gluten free croutons will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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AngelaKin
Loved it!!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad Angela! Thank you.
Katie
Looks so good! My family would love this one. Can't wait to try it!
Sandi Gaertner
Enjoy Katie, they are really fun as a soup topper!