Homemade croutons are one of the easiest things to make at home, and making homemade air fryer croutons makes them that little bit quicker and healthier as you can use less oil, win! For these basic croutons, I like to keep the flavor pretty simple so they can be paired with most flavor profiles, but feel free to switch it up for the flavors you love! The perfect way to use up leftover bread and make sure you aren't contributing to food waste.
Change up the flavor by melting some homemade garlic butter and tossing the bread chunks in that before popping it into the air fryer.
Homemade Air Fryer Croutons
Homemade croutons were one of the first things I ever learned how to make in Home Economics class back when I was 11 years old.
Because I learned how to make them from scratch initially, it never really occurred to me that croutons were something someone would want to buy from the store.
I mean, they are so easy, why would anyone buy them?
Now I am older and somewhat wiser, I totally understand it's a time thing.
It can seem like it would be so much quicker to pick up a box of croutons from the store than it would be to whip them up from scratch.
Enter the air fryer.
A little bit of prep and 6 minutes of cooking time and you have some fresh crunchy homemade croutons to enjoy in your soup or salad.
What Is Needed To Make Homemade Air Fryer Croutons?
I told you they are easy, and I am not lying.
All you need is:
- bread
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- dried parsley
What Type Of Bread Works Best?
A nice big thick loaf that is starting to turn stale that you can cut into nice big even chunks works best.
But you can definitely make homemade croutons work with lots of different types of bread:
- Fresh bread: you will just need to add one or two minutes to your cooking time or leave out on the bench for an hour or two after cutting into chunks if you have the time for that.
- Sandwich bread: although this is a lot thinner it can definitely work. Just chop it up into smaller chunks and remove a minute or two from your cooking time. You may also need less oil, as there is less fluffy bread to absorb it. These will just be mini-croutons, which work really well when drinking soup from a cup or a mug.
- Stale bread: as long as it isn't going moldy this will work perfectly.
When you chop the bread into chunks, you want it to be cut roughly evenly, so that each piece cooks at the same rate and they are all ready at the same time.
How Much Oil Is Needed?
How much oil you use is going to depend on the type of bread you are using (see above).
If you are using relatively fresh, big chunks of bread like what you see in the photos, then you are going to need more oil, as it absorbs it pretty easily.
If you are using more stale/less fresh bread or thin slices from a sandwich loaf etc, then you will need less as it doesn’t absorb the oil as much.
You can’t go wrong as long as you don’t add so much oil that the bread becomes soggy. Just add a bit at a time and see what works for you.
How Do I Know When My Homemade Croutons Are Ready?
When you put the chopped bread into the air fryer be sure to evenly layer them on the rack so that they all cook at the same time.
Start with 6 minutes in the air fryer and adjust from there. Keep in mind, once again, that the cooking time is going to depend on the type of bread you are using.
As a rule of thumb, start with 6 minutes, check and then add more time if needed.
To check: just pull the tray from the air fryer and give the bread a squeeze. It should be firm and relatively crunchy. If it still has a lot of give, then pop it back into the air fryer for a minute or two, before checking again.
How To Store and Freeze Air Fryer Croutons
While perfecting the temperature and timing of these croutons I made multiple batches….so we had A LOT.
I now have first-hand knowledge of how well these freeze and we have a whole drawer of croutons in the freezer just waiting for the right opportunity to shine their light!
Make sure the croutons have cooled completely before putting them into a container for storage, otherwise there will be a build-up of moisture and you will end up with soggy croutons.
If that does happen, you can always crisp them up again by popping them back into the air fryer for a minute or two.
To store: let them cool completely, and then place the croutons in a glass jar with a lid to retain crunchiness. You can leave this on the bench for a couple of days, or pop into the fridge to make them last longer.
To freeze, arrange the food in a single layer on a baking sheet small enough to fit into the freezer. Pop into the freezer. Remove when frozen and transfer to a freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag and pop back into the freezer until ready to use.
Choosing An Air Fryer
If you don't already have an air-fryer, choosing one can be a bit confusing as there are so many different types on the market.
My biggest tip would be to consider capacity.
How many people are you cooking for? I am cooking for a family of 5 and we regularly have people over, so I chose the biggest one I could find on the market with a good brand name and warranty behind it.
If you are only cooking for yourself, or yourself and a partner, you may benefit from having a smaller unit.
Also, consider bench space. The big ones can be pretty huge, so you want to make sure you have enough space before adding it to your family of kitchen appliances.
I Don't Have An Air Fryer: How Are Croutons Made In The Oven?
Don't worry, you can still get some carby, crunchy goodness even if you don't have an air fryer yet.
You will need more oil, about a ¼ of a cup and just increase the cooking time to anywhere between 15-20 minutes total (see the recipe for instructions).
Need Some Soup Recipes To Go With Your Homemade Croutons?
Check these out:
- Hearty One-Pot Stuffed Cabbage Soup
- Aromatic Tomato, Carrot and Lentil Soup
- Pressure Cooker Ginger and Carrot Soup
- Creamy Irish Mushroom and Potato Soup
- 6 Ingredient Healthy Celery Soup
- Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup From The Cooks Pyjamas
Happy Eating
xx
Recipe
Homemade Air Fryer Croutons
Equipment
- Air Fryer
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Ingredients
- 4 cups bread cut into even-sized cubes (see notes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or basil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Put the cut bread into a large bowl.
- Pour over the olive oil, garlic powder, dried parsely and salt and pepper.
- Mix everything well to combine.
- Add the mixture to the basket of an airfryer and cook at 180C (350F) and cook for 6 -8 minutes (see notes).
- Remove from the air fryer and either use straight away or allow to cool and store in a glass jar with a lid until ready to serve. See notes for longer storage options.
Notes
- Fresh bread: you will just need to add one or two minutes to your cooking time or leave out on the bench for an hour or two after cutting into chunks if you have the time for that.
- Sandwich bread: although this is a lot thinner it can definitely work. Just chop it up into smaller chunks and remove a minute or two from your cooking time. You may also need less oil, as there is less fluffy bread to absorb it. These will just be mini-croutons, which work really well when drinking soup from a cup or a mug.
- Stale bread: as long as it isn't going moldy this will work perfectly.
- Increase the amount of oil used to about 5 tbsp
- Increase the cooking time to 15-20 minutes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Shelby says
I find store bough ones go stale quickly so I love that these are so quick to make on the fly! Great on top of salads or Mac and cheese!
Karen says
I *still* don't have an air fryer. But making crunchy croutons sounds like a perfect way to use it!
Donna says
You can always make them in the oven, still super easy, just takes some extra time 🙂