Best Air Fryer Croutons

Ingredients (and substitutes)

You only need 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to make these homemade air fryer croutons.

• Bread: You can use almost any kind of bread. We tested this recipe with sourdough, baguette, and white sandwich bread. All work well! So, use your favorite. You don't necessarily need "day-old" bread; fresh bread works too.
• Olive oil: Croutons made with oil tend to brown more evenly than those with butter. Olive oil is our favorite oil for croutons, because it adds more flavor than a neutral vegetable oil. You can substitute melted butter for olive oil. Or, use half olive oil and half butter for the best of both worlds.
• Dried oregano: A classic seasoning for croutons. If you don't have dried oregano, you can substitute Italian Seasoning. Italian Seasoning is a blend of spices, including oregano and thyme. (Use extra Italian Seasoning to make Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan or Instant Pot Bean Soup).
• Garlic and onion powder: Our favorite homemade croutons use a mix of garlic powder and onion powder. But if you're out of one, that's okay, just use more of the other.

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

Summary: Different types of bread create different flavor and texture in croutons. The best bread for croutons is personal: you can't go wrong by using your favorite bread. Also, you don't need to use "day old" (stale) bread for croutons. Fresh bread works well too.

Sourdough bread

Makes gourmet croutons with a rustic look and fuller flavor.

• Great flavor: Sourdough has complex and savory flavor that translates to gourmet-tasting croutons.
• Rustic look: Sourdough bread tends to have large holes in it ("open crumb"), so these croutons look less uniform.
• Moderate amount of crust: Some croutons have no crust (if cut from the middle of the bread), while others have a lot. So, some pieces are crunchier than others. We personally liked the variety.

Baguette

Makes similar croutons to sourdough, but with more crunchy edge pieces.

• Convenient: People often have a partial loaf of baguette leftover after entertaining, so croutons are a great way to use it up!
• Similarities to sourdough: The baguette we tested was made with a similar dough to the sourdough, so it also had good flavor and open crumb. But, this depends on the type of baguette you're using.
• Higher amounts of crust: However, unlike the sourdough loaf, baguette has a higher ratio of exterior crust. So, the pieces tended to be consistently crunchier.

White Sandwich Bread

Makes a classic, slightly sweet-tasting crouton that's closest to store-bought.

• Less control: Sandwich bread comes sliced, so the crouton thickness is predetermined. For this reason, you can't make big croutons from sandwich bread. But, you can make an average sized crouton—which is just fine.
• Looks closest to store-bought: Of all the croutons, this one looked the most similar to store-bought. Sandwich bread has a very tight and consistent crumb, so there's no big holes in the bread. The crust is also softer than sourdough or baguette.
• Slightly sweet: The bread itself tastes ever-so-slightly sweet, which is evident in the croutons too. This nostalgic flavor reminded us of packaged croutons of our childhood.

Day old vs. fresh bread

You can use day old bread or fresh bread for croutons. Day old bread is firmer, so it's slightly easier to cut into cubes. But, fresh works too. Fresh bread has a bit more moisture, so it may take another minute in the air fryer. Both make great croutons.

If your bread is older and dried out, technically, you could still use it. But we don't like the flavor as much—and often the croutons are too hard/crunchy. That said, definitely don't use any moldy bread.

📖 Recipe

Best Air Fryer Croutons

The best homemade Air Fryer Croutons! Crispy, savory, and seasoned to perfection. This easy recipe takes just 10 minutes to make. Made with olive oil, garlic and onion powder. Use homemade croutons on salads, soups, and so much more. (Vegan, Gluten Free option).

Prep Time 4 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author: Bri

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Ingredients

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• ▢ 4 cups cubed bread (cut into ¾-inch/2 cm cubes, see note 1)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (see note 2)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Season: Add 4 cups cubed bread to a large bowl. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and toss until well coated. Scatter 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper over bread. Toss until evenly mixed.
• Bake: Pre-heat an air fryer to 325℉ (163℃). Spread seasoned bread in an air fryer basket (see note 3). Bake until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the basket half-way through. (Note: Croutons will crisp up a bit more after baking).

Notes

1. Bread: Use your favorite bread for croutons, such as sourdough, baguette, or white sandwich bread. See recipe post for comparison details and photos. Day-old/stale bread will cook slightly faster than fresh bread. Choose gluten-free bread if needed.
2. Oil: You can use melted butter instead of olive oil if you prefer. Or, use half olive oil and half butter for the best of both worlds.
3. Air fryer note: If using a 6 Quart air fryer basket (or larger), bake in one batch. If you're using a smaller air fryer or scaling up the recipe, then bake in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
4. Alternate oven method: If you don't have an air fryer, you can use an oven instead. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325℉ (163℃) for about 12 to 16 minutes, stirring half-way through. Bake times vary, so keep an eye on the croutons and remove them from the oven when golden-brown and crisp.
5. Storage tips: Store extra croutons in a resealable container or bag, at room temperature, for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

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