It is so easy to make homemade gluten free croutons! My simple directions will teach you how to make croutons from scratch and give you many ideas on how to season your croutons!
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Croutons have many fun uses, from topping salads and soups to making a Panzanella salad. If you haven't made them, 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 Make These Gluten Free Croutons:
- Freshness: When you make these gluten free croutons, you can use fresh gluten free bread that you've just purchased or baked, which means that your croutons will be much fresher than store-bought ones. Fresh croutons have a great texture and flavor that can't be beaten.
- Customization: These croutons are also great because you can customize the flavor to your liking. You can choose the type of bread you want to use, the seasonings and herbs you want to add, how much salt you like, and even the size and shape of the croutons.
- Texture: Homemade croutons are typically crunchier than store-bought ones because they haven't been sitting on a shelf for a long time. The crunchiness of homemade croutons makes them a great addition to salads, soups, and other dishes that need a bit of texture.
- Cost-effective: Making gluten free croutons at home is also a cost-effective way to use up stale bread. Instead of throwing away old bread, you can transform it into delicious croutons that can be used in various dishes.
- Time Effective: You can make your homemade croutons for a fraction of the cost in as little as 15 minutes!
🔑 Sandi says: Gluten free can be expensive! If you are looking for low-cost gluten free food, these croutons are great for those learning to live on a tight gluten free budget.
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 make them from homemade bread like this gluten free sourdough bread! I typically have Franz Gluten Free Bread or Canyon Bakehouse Bread loaves, so I use those.
Ingredient Notes:
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 - Any brand is fine to use. I save the ends of bread loaves in the freezer, then use them to make croutons and Gluten Free Bread Crumbs.
- Butter - Use salted or unsalted butter.
- Salt - Use sea salt or kosher 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! Check out the flavor variation suggestions below for some delicious flavors of croutons to make.
Mason jars are perfect for so many things, including food storage and gift-giving!
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Cut 8-10 slices of gluten-free bread into cubes on a cutting board. Add the bread chunks to a large
Step 2: Pour the melted butter over the bread cubes. Add the flavor seasonings 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 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.
Flavor Variations:
You can change the seasonings and enjoy these croutons in 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!
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over them.
- Trader Joe's and Penzeys make ranch seasoning that is fun to flavor these gluten free croutons with!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You can store these gluten free croutons in an airtight container. Oven-baked croutons will last for up to 4 days in an air-tight container or mason jar. Ziplock storage bags work, too!
You can freeze these croutons, but you will need to thaw them in the oven so 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 they taste off.
More Salad Recipes To Try:
- This Kale & Apple Salad is the most popular salad recipe on the blog. Even kale-haters love it!
- My Chicken Chopped Salad makes a wonderful lunch.
- If you love pasta, my Deli-Style Gluten Free Macaroni Salad recipe is great.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Croutons
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Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free bread * see note
- 3 tablespoons salted butter For dairy-free, use vegan butter.
- ½ teaspoon sea 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.
- 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!
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over them.
- Trader Joe's and Penzeys make ranch seasoning that is fun to flavor these gluten free croutons with!
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
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.
This post was updated from an older September 2020 post with more recipe details.
Fearless Dining
Simplifying the art of baking and cooking gluten-free recipes.
Janet Remy
I used garlic salt to season these and they were really good. So easy to make. Great recipe.
Sandi Gaertner
I love using garlic salt to season croutons! I am so glad you loved the recipe!!
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!