How to Make Homemade Sourdough Croutons (Easy Recipe)

Don't let your leftover bread go to waste -  make Homemade Sourdough Croutons instead! It's a great way to use up stale bread and they're so easy. Make a big batch and add them to creamy soups in the colder months and on top of salad in the summer for a little crunch!

As a dietitian, I am working on doing my part to decrease food waste, and that starts by doing so in my own home. I can't always finish a loaf of bread by the time it starts to go stale, and making my own homemade croutons is one of my favorite ways to use up slightly stale bread! These work for any type of bread, but leftover sourdough bread is my favorite. I hope you love these Sourdough Croutons as much as I do! 😊

This recipe pairs great with soups like my Creamy Butternut Squash Soup and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Gouda. Or add it to salads like a Beet & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese! 

Jump to:

• What You’ll Love About Sourdough Croutons
• Key Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to Make Homemade Sourdough Croutons
• Dietitian Tip 
• Video of How to Make Homemade Sourdough Croutons
• Variations
• Storage for Homemade Sourdough Croutons
• Expert tips
• FAQ
• Related
• Perfect for Pairing
• Want to Learn About Nutrition?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What You’ll Love About Sourdough Croutons

• Easy - this is such an easy recipe. All you do is cut your stale sourdough bread into cubes, season them, and bake them in the oven.
• Nutrition -  sourdough bread contains prebiotics for a healthy gut. This recipe also uses extra-virgin olive oil that contains oleic acids, healthy fats that help support your heart and brain health.
• Taste - making your own croutons honestly tastes so much better than store-bought croutons. And it's the perfect way to add crunch to boring salads.
• Budget-Friendly - it's so much less expensive to make your croutons with old sourdough bread you already have than buying a bag of packaged ones!

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

These easy homemade croutons are made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.

• Sourdough Bread - this recipe calls for a few slices of sourdough bread. For perfectly crunchy croutons, use slightly stale bread (at least 1-2 day-old bread). You can use homemade sourdough or grab some at the grocery store. My favorite sourdough is Izzio Artisan Bakery's sourdough sandwich bread. This recipe will also work with any kind of bread, including gluten-free bread.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Olive oil is added to make these versatile croutons extra crispy. It also provides heart-healthy fats that are important for balanced hormones and brain health. You can use avocado oil instead if you prefer a more mild flavor.
• Garlic Powder - garlic powder adds so much flavor without adding moisture. 
• Italian Seasoning - using Italian Seasoning is an easy way to season these croutons with a combination of herbs that pair well with sourdough. It typically includes basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Sometimes it includes dried parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder, too. 
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper - to tie all the flavors together. 

How to Make Homemade Sourdough Croutons

Below are the instructions for how to make this sourdough croutons recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! The recipe card at the bottom has the full recipe.

Hint: Be sure each piece of cubed bread is coated with the oil and seasoning blend so they get crispy and the flavor is evenly distributed.

Dietitian Tip 

While "healthy" can mean many different things, Sourdough bread does have some specific pros and can fit into a balanced eating pattern for many people. Because of the fermentation process used to make Sourdough, it has a lower glycemic index than white bread, which means it won't raise your blood sugars as quickly. It also contains prebiotics which are important nutrients for gut health. And it is lower in gluten than many other breads so people who cannot tolerate large amounts of gluten are more likely to tolerate sourdough!

Video of How to Make Homemade Sourdough Croutons

Here's a video of how to make this recipe if you're a visual person!

Variations

The best part of making homemade sourdough croutons is that you can customize them in so many different ways according to your taste! Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative.

• Garlic Parmesan - add grated parmesan cheese and fresh garlic for a decadent cheesy garlic flavor!
• Spicy - add some spice with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder. 
• Sweet - sweeten them up with a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar and cinnamon!
• Different Spices - you can easily change up the flavor of these fresh croutons by adjusting the spices! Try out adding cumin, paprika or curry powder for a different flavor.

Storage for Homemade Sourdough Croutons

To make sure your leftover croutons stay crunchy, here is how to store homemade croutons.

• Room temperature - store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 
• Fridge - store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. 
• Freezer - store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4-6 weeks. To reheat from frozen, let them sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes and then heat them on low heat in the oven, in a pan, or the air fryer. 

FAQ

Related

Looking for other dietitian recipes? Try these:

Perfect for Pairing

Here are my favorite recipes to pair with Homemade Sourdough Croutons:

Want to Learn About Nutrition?

Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian

📖 Recipe

References: Healthline, Cleveland Clinic