How to Make Gluten-Free Croutons

How to Make Gluten-Free Croutons! Homemade gluten-free croutons are SO easy to make at home and taste better than anything you’ll find at a store! (Gluten-Free, Vegan-Friendly)

My kids *hate* vegetables, but they LOVE salad bar night.

Why? (Spoiler: it’s not because they love salad)

It’s because they love my homemade croutons.

Homemade croutons make everything better, whether we’re sprinkling them over salads or using them as a garnish on soups or stews.  It can be tough to find good gluten-free croutons in stores, but it’s REALLY easy to make them at home.

Crispy and golden on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside, with ALL kinds of flavors to choose from…homemade croutons are the BEST.

You really only need 3 ingredients to make your own croutons, and the end result is so good it might talk your kids into eating salad. Here’s how you turn regular bread into some serious mealtime magic…

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS:

• GLUTEN-FREE BREAD. You’ll start your gluten-free croutons with gluten-free bread. You can use whatever brand of bread you usually eat (see the FAQ for our faves!). It can be fresh from the store, or on its last legs and starting to get dry.
• OLIVE OIL OR BUTTER. Then, you’ll add some melted butter, ghee, vegan butter, or olive oil. This will help crisp the croutons, give them some gorgeous color, and help add flavor.
• SALT. Unless you need to for medical reasons, I recommend NOT skipping the salt! A little salt helps take this from bread to croutons. Plus, that salty crunchy bite is PERFECT for toppings soups or salads.
• SEASONINGS! Now that you have the essentials taken care of, you can add all kinds of seasonings, spices, or flavors to these homemade croutons. Here are some of our favorites…

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FLAVORS OF GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS:

• ROSEMARY OR FRESH HERBS. Fresh rosemary is one of my FAVORITE crouton flavors. A little goes a long way, so 1-2 tsp. is plenty to flavor your batch of croutons. If rosemary’s not your jam, basil, dill, or oregano are nice, too!
• GARLIC. Fresh garlic can give gluten-free croutons some serious garlic bread vibes (in the best way). Otherwise, a little dried garlic powder can do the job.
• PARMESAN (OR VEGAN PARMESAN). Cheese makes just about everything better, so in our pre-dairy-free days, I LOVED adding Parmesan to our homemade croutons. These days, I use vegan parmesan (like Violife) or this homemade vegan “parmesan.” You can really add it to taste!
• ITALIAN SEASONING OR DRIED HERBS. Dried herbs make it easy to flavor homemade croutons. Italian Seasoning blends typically have a mix of herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, and marjoram. You can pick up a pre-made blend, make one yourself, or simply add a generous pinch of dried oregano + dried thyme to the croutons. Since dried herbs are more potent, you’ll want to start small. 1/4-1/2 tsp. is usually enough for me!

FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS.

TRY MAKING YOUR CROUTONS WITH SEASONED OR FLAVORED OLIVE OIL! One of the easiest ways to infuse homemade croutons with flavor is by using flavored olive oil. We love Fresh Crush Basil, Meyer Lemon, and Rosemary, but all kinds of flavors can work!

TRY NOT TO TURN THEM TOO MUCH. One of the ways homemade croutons brown best is by not being disturbed. I really try only to flip them once throughout the cooking time so they can get nice and golden on the tops and bottoms.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CROUTONS. You can store leftover gluten-free croutons in an airtight container at room temperature 1-2 days. They will continue to harden over time.

WHAT’S THE BEST KIND OF BREAD FOR HOMEMADE CROUTONS? Honestly, I’ve made croutons out of all kinds of things from sandwich bread to baguettes and leftover rolls. Almost any kind of gluten-free bread you have on hand can work!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS OF GLUTEN-FREE BREAD? Gluten-free bread just gets better and better, so there are lots of good brands out there these days! Some of our go-to brands are Canyon Bakehouse, Three Bakers, Trader Joe’s, and Schar.

CRAVING MORE? HERE ARE A FEW YUMMY RECIPES TO ENJOY YOUR CROUTONS!

• Sun-Dried Tomato and White Bean Soup
• Fall Cobb Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• BLT Salad with Creamy Ranch Dressing
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Italian Chopped Salad with Italian Vinaigrette

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