Air fryer croutons offer all the crunch and taste of regular croutons but only a fraction of the fat. They are ready in 10 minutes, and require a few staple ingredients.
If you love healthy salad toppings, try our roasted crispy chickpeas, pickled red onions, and confit tomatoes.
We’re hooked on these air fryer croutons right now.
They’ve officially replaced crisps as our go-to snack and level up any salad they top 😋.
Homemade croutons demand only minutes from start to finish, including prep. That’s faster than a trip to the store, and way better for you.
Louise and I whip these up as a lower-fat, fresher alternative to the oily, shelf-stable kind.
She tosses them into kale salad, cesar salad, and chickpea salads.
I prefer my croutons on roasted butternut squash soup, or hearty classics like minestrone and Tuscan bean soup.
The air fryer nails that golden, light, ultra-crisp texture every single time.
We use a Ninja model, but any air fryer will work.
No air fryer? You can still make killer homemade croutons in the oven, just follow our oven-roasted method.
Ingredients
- Bread: Use French bread, baguette, Italian bread, sandwich bread, hot dog buns, sourdough bread, rye bread, white bread, or other). One to two-day-old bread makes the best croutons because it’s easier to dice and not too dry yet.
- Olive oil: We use extra virgin olive oil instead of melted butter. The olive oil adds a delicate fruity flavor to the croutons. Substitute avocado oil for olive oil.
- Dried herbs: dried rosemary and garlic powder to season our croutons. Substitute with dried oregano, parsley, sage, mint, basil, thyme, onion powder, chili powder, red pepper flakes, curry powder, or chipotle powder if you want a hot smokey flavor.
Instructions
If your bread is stale and has a thick and hard crust, we advise removing it because it can get too hard in the air fryer, and we don’t want you to chip a tooth.
To do so, cut the bread into slices first, then cut off the crust. This is often necessary with sourdough bread or with a rustic loaf. When cutting bread, use a serrated bread knife.
Cut each slice of bread into bite-size cubes of the same size, between ⅓-inch (0.8 cm) and ¾-inch cubes (2 cm).
You don’t need to remove the crust if you use fresh bread or bread with a thin crust.
Cut the bread into slices first, then cut it again into cubes.
Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 400°F or 200°C.
Meanwhile, transfer the bread cubes into a large mixing bowl. Add extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices. Mix well.
Transfer the bread into the air fryer basket. The bread can overlap.
Set temperature to 400°F or 200°C, and cook time to 5 minutes, and air fry, shaking the basket one time at around the 3-minute mark.
If you like crunchier croutons, air fry them a little longer, in increments of 2 minutes, shaking the basket every two minutes.
The croutons should be golden, light, and perfectly crunchy.
Tips
- Cut the bread into cubes of the same size so the air fryer croutons will cook evenly.
- One to two-day-old bread is easier to cut.
- Season with your favorite herbs and spices.
- Shake the air fryer basket a couple of times while the croutons bake.
More air fryer recipes
If you like this air fryer croutons recipe, you might also like these air fryer favorites:
- Juicy air fryer zucchini
- Crispy air fryer tofu
- Easy air fryer greens beans
- 15-minute air fryer asparagus
- Air fryer chickpeas
- Easy air fryer eggplant
If you tried this Air fryer Croutons recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Croutons
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 3 cups (½ pound) bread
- 1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 2 twists black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried herbs (rosemary, Italian seasoning, or other)
- ¼ teaspoon spices (garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or other)
Instructions
- Dice the bread: Cut 3 cups (½ pound) bread into slices, then cut off the crust with a serrated knife. Removing the crust if often neccesary for sourdough bread or a rustic loaf to avoid rock-hard croutons.Cut each slice of bread into bite-size cubes of the same size, between ⅓-inch (0.8 cm) and ¾-inch cubes (2 cm).
- Season the bread: Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 400°F or 200°C.Transfer the bread cubes into a large bowl. Add 1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 twists black pepper, and your favorite dried herbs. Mix well.
- Air fry: Transfer the bread into the air fryer basket. The bread can overlap.Set temperature to 400°F or 200°C, and cook time to 5 minutes, and air fry, shaking the basket one time at around the 3-minute mark.If you like crunchier croutons, air fry them a little longer, in increments of 2 minutes, shaking the basket every two minutes.The croutons should be golden, light, and perfectly crunchy.
Notes
- Cut the bread into cubes of the same size so the air fryer croutons will cook evenly.
- One to two-day-old bread is easier to cut.
- Season with your favorite herbs and spices.
- Shake the air fryer basket a couple of times while the croutons bake.
- Store croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 weeks (longer in dry areas). Avoid the fridge—moisture makes them soggy.
- Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. To thaw, spread on a plate or baking sheet for a couple of hours.
- For crunch, air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition
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