These crunchy little bites of heaven are the quintessential topping for any soup, salad…or even just for snacking. Full of herbs these golden brown nuggets are better and way less expensive than the store bought version (and that’s even IF your grocery store carries gluten-free croutons). Also–there’s no need for stale bread, you can use the bread straight out of the package, saving you time! This homemade gluten-free crouton recipe also has a dairy-free and egg-free option, and is naturally free of: fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts. I also give several bread options as well below.
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WHY WE LOVE THESE HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS
I love a good crunch, and food can’t just taste good–but needs to have a pleasant texture too and croutons can add just that. I have a bomb Tomato Basil Soup, but I just hate eating puréed soups because they feel like baby food unless there’s some texture. These herbed croutons add a chef’s kiss to the entire meal. They add flavor and bite to anything that needs an extra punch. Add these to your favorite salads or soups to elevate them. They’re so good I even find myself just scooping handfuls into my mouth. Who knew making your own croutons could be as easy as cut, pour, stir and bake?
WHAT BREAD DO I USE?
Rejoice! There are several gluten-free breads that work well in this crouton recipe, which is nice so you’re not hunting for a certain one. People with Celiac disease or a wheat allergy (like we have) have a hard enough time finding ingredients, so it’s nice when a recipe is flexible. We’ve enjoyed several kinds of bread including: Schar, Canyon Bakehouse (chewier because of the egg in it), and Little Northern Bakehouse. Here are the major allergens in each in case you’re avoiding multiple things, and where I purchase them.
- Schar Gluten-Free Artisan Baker White Bread, 14.1 oz (contains soy) bought at Walmart and Amazon
- Canyon Bakehouse Country White Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread Loaf, 15 oz (contains egg) bought at Walmart and Amazon
- Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice, 20 oz (gluten free and vegan) bought at Natural Grocer and Amazon
CAN I MAKE THESE GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS DAIRY-FREE?
Yes! And, we do every time because of my son’s milk allergy. Thankfully there are good butter substitutes nowadays, so it’s as simple as swapping in dairy-free butter at the same ratio. We really like Country Crock Dairy-free Plant Butter with Olive Oil–you can’t even tell a difference. Just ensure that whatever gluten-free bread you use, is also dairy-free and you should be good to go (sometimes it can sneak in there). If you use the Little Northern Bakehouse bread and dairy-free butter, these will then be vegan croutons.
WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE CROUTONS
You only need a few kitchen tools to make these homemade gluten-free herbed croutons:
- A large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing spoon
- Cookie sheet/baking pan/sheet pan
- Spatula
INGREDIENTS
This easy recipe only needs:
- 1 loaf gluten-free bread (see options above)
- Olive oil
- Butter (for dairy-free options, see above)
- Lawry’s Coarse Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE LAWRY’S GARLIC SALT?
If you don’t have Lawry’s Garlic Salt you can sub in garlic powder. You can just taste and adjust the salt at the end if you feel like you need it saltier. I like things salty!
HOW DO I STORE THESE GLUTEN-FREE CROUTONS?
I keep them in an air-tight container or zip-lock bags at room temperature.
WHAT DO THESE CROUTONS GO GOOD ON?
These are a great addition to just about anything like:
- Caesar Salads
- Tomato Basil Soup (one of my favorite soups!)
- Greek Tzatziki Salad
- Really any salads or creamy soups!
DO I NEED STALE BREAD?
I was always turned off from making fresh croutons because I rarely have stale bread (hello family of 6!) and when I want croutons I want them now and don’t have time to let the bread dry out. So, I thought to heck with it, I’ll just bump the temperature up from normal crouton recipes and see if that dries the fresh bread out, and BOOM! I find them just as delightful as store-bought croutons, all without the drying out or waiting for there to be some stale bread leftover.
INSTRUCTIONS
This easy gluten free crouton recipe only requires a few steps:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut your slices of gluten free bread into 1-inch cubes (or bite sized pieces)
- Pour them into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine your spices and stir.
- Pour your olive oil and melted butter on top of the bread cubes.
- Sprinkle the spices onto the bread crumbs.
- Stir.
- Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Place seasoned and coated bread cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake.
- If you’d like the top more brown, broil for a few minutes.
- Take out and cool.
- Eat and enjoy!
WHAT IF I WANT THE CROUTONS MORE OR LESS CRUNCHY?
Everyone has a preferred level of crunch. For some, they want a jaw workout, and some want a little more chew and give. Whether you want a little crunch or a big crunch, you can adjust the cooking time to make it longer or shorter depending on your level of doneness. Simply take one out, wait for it to cool enough to eat it and see if it’s reached your level of satisfaction. I often like to broil mine for a minute at the end, so that I can be lazy and not have to worry about flipping them halfway through.
CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE WITH HOMEMADE BREAD?
I have not tried it with homemade bread. I have a delicious gluten free dairy free homemade bread recipe, but we eat it up too fast to try to make croutons with it. If you try it, let me know in the comments.
DOES THIS RECIPE WORK WITH REGULAR BREAD?
Yes! If you do not have to eat gluten-free bread, this tasty croutons recipe should translate well with “regular” wheat bread. This recipe is designed for a white type of bread, so if you use more of a whole wheat, you may need to adjust the time. Taste and check if you do so, as I have not been able to test it.
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
I know it’s so nice to have a visual of how to create something. The video should pop up on the side, and if it doesn’t it will be at the bottom of the recipe card. Or, you can always view it on my YouTube channel.
Gluten-free Croutons Recipe
These crunchy little bites of heaven are perfect for soups & salads. Full of herbs these golden brown nuggets are easy to make & gluten-free (vegan and dairy free options too!)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of gluten-free bread of choice (see above for options)
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup melted Country Crock olive oil plant butter (or regular butter if you can do it)
- 1 tsp Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley
- 1 and 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut your slices of gluten free bread into 1-inch cubes (or bite sized pieces). Bread can be fresh from the package and does not have to be stale.
- Pour them into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine your spices and stir.
- Pour your olive oil and melted butter on top of the bread cubes.
- Sprinkle the spices onto the bread crumbs.
- Stir.
- Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Place seasoned and coated bread cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, depending on how crisp you like them.
- If you'd like the top more brown, broil for a few minutes, until your desired level of crunchiness is achieved.
- Take out and cool.
- Eat and enjoy!
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Notes
If you need a gluten-free vegan crouton, use Little Northern Bakehouse with the dairy-free butter, or any other vegan bread of your choosing.
For a top-8-free version, use Little Northern Bakehouse Bread with soy free Earth Balance buttery sticks.
You'll notice in the video I pour the spices one at a time. I only did that so you could tell which spices I was using. I do recommend pouring them all into a small mixing bowl, stirring them together and then sprinkling on, so that everything gets coated more evenly.
*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested frequently, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family
**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.
Adapted from: Baked By Rachel's Homemade Garlic and Herb Croutons
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 439Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 575mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g

Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
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