These crunchy, cheesy and buttery Parmesan croutons are the perfect topping over a nice bowl of hot, creamy soup or a simple Italian salad. Making homemade croutons is easier than you'd think- it barely takes 15 minutes.
Every time I have some extra bread leftover, I whip up a batch of these and some of my Pangrattato (crispy Italian breadcrumbs), and they last me weeks.
If you're a texture-loving person like I am, and can't have a simple soup without a crunchy topping, you're going to love this recipe. I actually thought of making this after how great my Air Fryer crispy noodles turned out.
Turns out, I was a bit ambitious, my Air Fryer was being put to use elsewhere- to make my Air Fryer crispy shallots. So I had to turn to my trusty oven for this one- but hey, I'm not complaining- it took just 15 minutes after all.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
Croutons are versatile, which means once you get the hang of this recipe, you can tweak them to your liking.
I tried to stick to a cheesy and herby Italian themed version here, but you can try experimenting with it your way too. I can't wait to use my Pesto butter for this one!
Recipe Ingredients
Bread: I used sandwich bread slices and chopped them in squares. You can use Challah, sourdough, dinner rolls or any other bread of your choice too.
Butter + oil: To help the bread crisp up. For additional flavor, use an infused oil like homemade lemon olive oil for some citrusy flavor or habanero oil for a spicy kick.
Parmesan: Packaged, grated Parmesan, for that nutty, salty deliciousness.
Seasonings: I used a mix of garlic powder and some Italian seasoning. Sometimes, I also use my homemade garlic bread seasoning for some extra garlicky flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Issigny fleur de sel butter has just the right amount of salt in small crystals that bring out the rich butter flavor and give it a little crunch.
Substitutions & Variations
- Play around with the seasonings to tweak these croutons to your liking. I like using a bit of my infused herb salt or homemade garlic parsley salt every time I run out of my mixed Italian herbs seasoning.
- You can also try blends like vegan Ranch seasoning mix (if you want to make it vegan), lemon pepper seasoning (if you want a citrusy flavor) or just some smoked paprika.
How to Make Parmesan Croutons
Step 1: Arrange the bread cubes on a greased baking tray.
Step 2: Sprinkle the seasonings and Parmesan and add the olive oil and butter.
Step 3: Mix everything well using your hands. Make sure all the bread cubes are coated in the fat and seasoning.
Step 4: Pop it in the oven preheated at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until they're light golden brown and crispy.
💭Top Tip
Chop the bread into even sized cubes to ensure they're all cooked uniformly. I like to cut them in ¾'' cubes.
How to Store the Leftover Parmesan Croutons
Your leftover Parmesan croutons will stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature. Just make sure you use an airtight container to store it, to retain that crunch.
If you want these to last longer, you'll need to freeze them. Yep, you read that right. Simply transfer them to a freezer bag with all the excess air removed out and freeze them for up to 2 months. You can then use them directly out of the freezer or reheat them in the oven for a few minutes.
Atlas Olive Oils has carefully approached all aspects of its organic olive oil production process by adopting sustainable procedures only. While enjoying Atlas you are not only having a organic olive oil, you are also doing your bit for the environment.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- You can also use a gluten-free bread of your choice if you want to.
- Want these croutons to have a nice smoky flavor? Ditch the garlic powder, chop up some Air Fryer roasted garlic and use it instead.
- To make these croutons vegan, swap the Parmesan for nutritional yeast to enjoy that nuttiness, or almost any other vegan cheese of your choice.
- For extra herby flavor, use some homemade garlic rosemary infused oil instead of regular olive oil.
How to Use Parmesan Croutons
The best way to use these Parmesan croutons is to use them as a topping over your salads and soups, since both these benefit from a crunchy element.
I like teaming it up with my bowl of tomato soup or broccoli cheddar soup, and even in my all time favorite Fatoosh salad. And of course, you can team it up with a bag of greens, drizzle some lemon poppy seed dressing and toss to make a quick and easy salad.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Both stale and fresh bread work just fine for this recipe. Stale bread just has less moisture, which means it'll crisp up quicker.
Yes, you can! Simply toss the bread cubes in the fat and seasonings and roast on a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally so they don't burn. Sprinkle the Parmesan during the final 1-2 minute of cooking time.
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If you tried this Parmesan Croutons recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Parmesan Croutons
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread cubed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Arrange the bread cubes on a greased baking tray.
- Sprinkle the seasonings and Parmesan and add the olive oil and butter.
- Mix everything well using your hands. Make sure all the bread cubes are coated in the fat and seasoning.
- Pop it in the oven preheated at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until they're light golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- You can also use a gluten-free bread of your choice if you want to.
- Chop the bread into even sized cubes to ensure they're all cooked uniformly. I like to cut them in ¾'' cubes.
- Want these croutons to have a nice smoky flavor? Ditch the garlic powder, chop up some Air Fryer roasted garlic and use it instead.
- To make these croutons vegan, swap the Parmesan for nutritional yeast to enjoy that nuttiness, or almost any other vegan cheese of your choice.
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