How To Make Gluten-Free Croutons

Want crunchy, flavorful croutons to put on your salads? Try these delicious gluten-free croutons made from gluten-free bread and ready in less than 20 minutes! This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!

These gluten-free croutons can be used for more than just adding to your salad. Use them to make our Homemade Gluten-free Strata, a delicious baked egg casserole filled with croutons, chicken, pesto, and more!

If you love adding a satisfying crunch to your salad or soup, then this recipe is for you! After perusing the store endlessly and trying to figure out where to buy gluten-free croutons and garlic bread, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I developed this easy gluten-free croutons recipe and my gluten-free garlic bread is one I make every time I am enjoying pasta!

Store-bought croutons are loaded with sodium and fat and very rarely do you find croutons that are gluten-free. These Gluten Free Croutons are a great alternative because they are easy to make, the recipe is healthy-ish, easily customizable, and will add great flavor to any salad, soup, or dish where crusty bread is needed.

Reasons This Recipe Works

• Fresh or Stale Bread Works For This Recipe. Great way to use day-old gluten-free bread!
• Cost-Effective. Making your own gluten-free croutons at home is much cheaper than store-bought and they taste better too!
• Easily Customizable. You can make your croutons vegan. OR Add parmesan cheese to make garlicky parmesan croutons. Play with the spice blend and flavor the croutons however you’d like!

Ingredients You Will Need

• Gluten-Free Bread. You can use a sandwich loaf of bread, french loaf, sourdough, or even bagels. Make sure your bread is vegan to keep this recipe vegan.
• Olive Oil. Use good quality olive oil to give the croutons the best flavor. You can also use melted butter if you want to give your homemade croutons a buttery flavor. Or you can use half butter, half oil.
• Seasonings. Use Italian seasoning or a dried herb mixture, salt, and pepper.
• Fresh Herbs. This recipe calls for fresh rosemary. You can add any fresh herbs you like, such as fresh oregano, fresh basil, thyme, or parsley. Add a couple tablespoons of whichever you’d like.
• Fresh Garlic. Use a garlic press to mince the garlic. You can also use garlic powder if you prefer.

How To Make Gluten-Free Croutons (2 Ways!)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. Cut your gluten-free bread into 1-inch bread cubes and place them onto the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, minced garlic, dried herbs, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil mixture onto the bread cubes. Toss the bread until all chunks are evenly coated.
4. Spread the bread cubes evenly on the sheet pan in a single layer, making sure to leave space between each so they cook evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
5. Remove the croutons from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Use as desired. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Enjoy!

Want To Make Your Gluten-Free Croutons In The Air Fryer? Here’s How:

Cut the gluten-free bread into 1-inch cubes, drizzle with olive oil, and season. Place them in the air fryer in a single layer (do not overcrowd). Air Fry for 5 minutes at 400°F, then flip and air fry for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

Tips For Making The Best Gluten-Free Croutons

• Use whole gluten-free french bread, sourdough, or sandwich bread. Then, you can slice the croutons to whatever size you’d like.
• Stale bread works well because it is already dried out, so it will result in super crispy croutons. Fresh bread also works and is my preferred choice. Just make sure to bake for a sufficient amount of time, about 15-20 minutes in the oven.
• Fresh bread may take a bit longer to get golden brown. Check after ten minutes of baking to determine doneness. It may take an additional ten minutes to get golden and crispy, whereas stale bread make be perfect after just fifteen minutes.

Ways To Use Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons

• Add croutons on top of your Caesar Salad, of course! This Vegan Caesar Salad is a great option and is made with a creamy homemade vegan caesar dressing.
• Use these croutons to make stuffing, like in this sourdough stuffing. Or use it to make casseroles, like in this breakfast egg casserole.
• Add them on top of your soup for a tasty crunch. I like to add croutons on top of my Homemade Tomato Basil Soup or Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
• Serve them on a simple arugula salad with roasted bone marrow on the side —that’s what I did! :).

Common Questions:

What are gluten-free croutons made of?

Gluten-free croutons are made with gluten-free bread, olive oil or butter, dried herbs, and garlic. They are super easy to make at home and ready in under 20 minutes!

What can I replace croutons with?

You can replace croutons with crispy chickpeas to place on top of any salad or soup! Try my Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas if you are looking for a low-card crunchy option to add to your salads.

How do you make croutons into breadcrumbs?

You can use these croutons to make gluten-free breadcrumbs. Take your homemade croutons, place them in a resealable bag and smash them with a rolling pin.

I Hope You Enjoy This Homemade Gluten-Free Croutons Recipe!

If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen.

More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes To Try!

• Easy Gluten-Free Focaccia (With Video)
• Best Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe
• Sweet Potato Cornbread
• Delicious Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Bread
• Gluten-Free Honey Cornbread Recipe