Whenever there’s leftover or stale bread, just repurpose it into crispy, crunchy, savory croutons!
This recipe for air fryer croutons has multiple seasoning options, perfect for topping soups, salads, and stews.
Air Fryer Croutons
The air fryer can do amazing things! Air fryers circulate air around foods, cooking them and making the outside crispy, with far less oil if they were baked or fried. Plus, air fryers save time and cleanup!
While I often make homemade croutons, I love cooking them in the air fryer and not heating up the oven.
3 Ingredient Croutons
BREAD Honestly, ANY bread you love is the best bread for croutons! Denser bread should be kept in smaller cubes but it will take longer to bake, while lighter, airy breads can be cut larger and won’t take as long to make. French, Sourdough, rye, or braided bread, even seeded breads make great croutons!
OIL Olive oil adds flavor by itself and also helps the seasonings to stick to the croutons. A combination of butter and olive oil makes them taste even better!
SEASONINGS Salt and pepper are all it takes for crunchy croutons, but a dash of garlic powder and some dried rosemary gives them a rustic flavor. For heavily seasoned croutons, toss the bread cubes with butter and our homemade Italian Seasoning, or for a spicy version for soup, toss the breadcrumbs in adobo seasoning. Or, try a light seasoned salt.
How to Make Air Fryer Croutons
- Cut bread into desired cube shapes. Place bread into a large bowl.
- Toss bread with olive oil & desired seasonings. Put cubes in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook croutons in the air fryer for about 5 to 10 minutes, shaking occasionally until they are dried out & browned.
Stovetop: Place a single layer of croutons in a skillet and sauté them in oil until they are very lightly browned on all sides. Shake the pan to turn the croutons over.
Oven: Place croutons in a single layer on a cookie tray and bake them at 250°-300°F until they are crispy but not overly browned. Croutons burn easily so watch them, turning and tossing frequently.
Storing Croutons
Once they are completely cooled, allow the croutons to dry about 24 hours or so to ensure they’re completely dried out. If they have any moisture at all, they will mold or soften in a sealed container.
Keep dried croutons in a zippered bag or airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for about 7 days.
Add Croutons to…
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup – ready in no time
- Caesar Salad – with homemade dressing
- The Best Tossed Salad – full of fresh, crisp veggies
- Creamy Corn Soup – so creamy & flavorful
- Easy Italian Salad – better than Olive Garden
Did you make these Air Fryer Croutons? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Air Fryer Croutons
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- Cut bread slices into cubes and toss with olive oil and seasonings.
- Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes shaking the basket every two minutes to ensure all sides get browned.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pantry, Salad
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I used some cheddar bread and spiced it up. They are perfect crispy croutons. thanks
That sounds delicious Debra!