Tired of soft or flavorless gluten-free croutons? My technique for making homemade GF croutons guarantees crunchy cubes every time! These zesty seasoned and toasty bread cubes use an easy trick to bake up crisp every time. They are absolute perfection on fresh salads, epic GF caesar salad, or comforting soups.
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Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons – So Crispy!
I don’t want to overcomplicate things, but let me just address this. Why not use any old crouton recipe and swap out gluten-free bread? Because you will end up with okay-ish croutons lacking flavor and never getting optimally crunchy throughout.
How does my gluten-free croutons recipe do it better? It’s not hard – just two upgraded tweaks. First of all, let’s talk flavor. Lackluster these are not. They use a butter / oil combo for a rich flavor (butter) and extra crispiness (oil).
And the seasoning? Perfection. It’s bold, while using what you have right in your pantry. These seasoned beauties will amp the flavor of everything to a fresh gluten-free panzanella salad, classic house salads, to your favorite soups (a must try combo – sprinkle on this seriously great gluten-free tomato soup recipe).
The other key to do is toasting them the right way. Baking them at a higher oven, will get crispy on the outside fast, but is not enough time to dry them out. Baking at lower oven takes longer and you’ll miss out on a golden exterior color.
When testing this recipe I used a mash-up – bake for half the time at a higher oven, toss the cubes, then lower the oven slightly to dry out the interior. See? Easy peasy stuff and you are on your way.
Best Types of Gluten-Free Bread To Use
GF croutons will work with loads of different types of bread, as long as it’s not already sliced too thinly. Have stale bread? Use it up. Wanting to get rid of that store bought loaf you regret buying? It will be much better as herbed croutons!
You can use anything gluten-free, from cornbread, sandwich loaf, bagels to english muffins. For a classic crouton, though, I generally use my GF Italian loaf especially when making the croutons for my go-to caesar salad recipe.
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(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Start with the “right” size bread cubes.
This was something else I experimented with when dreaming up how to make GF croutons absolutely perfect. Too big and they won’t toast through, too small and you risk over browning. Therefore, cut into ¾-inch cubes until you have 6 cups of cubed bread.
Zesty seasoning and baking tips
Melt the butter in a small bowl and whisk in the olive oil with salt and seasonings. Pour over the cut bread and use your hands to toss well.
Spread the bread out in a single layer. Start the baking in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove to toss the cubes, place back in the oven, and then turn it down to 350°F, baking for another 10 minutes. Remove to toss one more time and bake for 5-10 minutes longer or until crunchy perfect.
If you would like a dairy-free recipe, use all oil instead of the butter / oil combo or swap out a non-dairy butter. You’ll probably want to scale back on the salt just a smidge because dairy-free butter is a little saltier.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Crunchy Gluten-Free Croutons Recipe (Never Soft)
Ingredients
- 1 gluten free Italian bread recipe, ¾-inch cubes, 6 cups (see post for alternative GF breads)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the bread in cubes and transfer to a baking sheet.1 gluten free Italian bread recipe
- Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and seasonings. Whisk to combine.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pour the butter / oil mixture over the bread cubes. Use your hands to toss well. Lay the bread out in a single layer.2 tablespoons melted butter
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to toss again with a spatula and lay out in a single layer. Place back in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for 10 minutes. Toss one more time and bake for 5-10 minutes longer, or until golden and crisp.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Freeze for longer storage. They will start to soften slightly after 24 hours, but can be re-crisped in an oven or air fryer for 3-5 minutes.
Notes
Storing and Leftovers
I found these stay just as good as when they were made for about 24 hours, stored in an airtight container at room temp. On day two they start to get a little soft as they absorb humidity, but after reviving for 3-5 minutes in the oven or air fryer, they were just as good as the day they were made. For longer storage, or storing leftovers, I recommend freezing them. Either just let them come to room temp before enjoying or popping them back in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
These were ready to make and delicious my Caesar Salad. Thank you so much!
So happy to hear, Lonnie! Thanks for taking a moment to let me know. 🙂
Best,
Melissa
I meant easy to make. And they were delicious on my Caesar Salad.