From scratch · Pantry mixes
Croutons
Cubes of bread tossed with olive oil and seasoning, baked crisp.
✋ 10 min hands-on
⏱ 39 min start to finish
🍽 About 3 cups.
ContainsWheat.
Ingredients
- 6 slice sandwich bread, white, or any day-old bread, in ¾-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ g table salt
Time
Hands-on time is when you’re busy; the rest is rising, simmering, chilling or cooling, when you can do something else.
| Step | Hands-on | Waiting |
|---|---|---|
| Cube and season the bread | 10 min | – |
| Bake at 375°F | – | 14 min |
| Cool | – | 15 min |
| In all | 10 min | 29 min |
How long it keeps
- Pantry: airtight, about 1 week for the best crunch; the oil goes stale after that.
- Freezer: in a bag; recrisp in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.
Nutrition
Estimated from the ingredients’ USDA FoodData Central numbers.
Steps
You’ll need: bowl, baking sheet.
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the bread cubes with the oil, seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
- Spread them in one layer and bake 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. They crisp more as they cool.
⚖️ ScalingScales evenly; use two baking sheets for a double batch so they toast instead of steam.
Sources
- Food Storage Guide (FN579), NDSU Extension, reviewed January 2023. Accessed 2026-10-25.