Caesar Croutons – EASY recipe!

At a glance

What stands out: Caesar croutons are the crowning jewel on a classic Caesar salad and once you make this from-scratch version, you’ll find yourself wondering why you ever bought croutons from the store. From-scratch croutons are so much better and they’re straightforward to mix.

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, rimmed sheet pan
Servings: 8

From-scratch Croutons are the Best!

When we first posted the recipe for a standby from-scratch croutons, we had no idea how popular it would become. We absolutely love reading your comments about how making from-scratch croutons for the first time was a game-changer for you. Here are some of our favorite comments:

• “JUST made three batches (out of one loaf) an hour before church. Our house smells good, it was SO straightforward – and we're so glad we found you. Thank you for the detailed images and simple recipe.” – Juanita
• “Oh our gosh! Why have we bought croutons our whole life?!? This is straightforward and so good! We will never serve bagged croutons again!” -Christina
• “Pretty much the reliable crouton. We don’t think we can ever buy them from the store again!” -Elise
• “These were unbelievably good. So straightforward to mix.” -Niva
• “This recipe is simple yet reliable! We used both sourdough and three cheese semolina bread. We left the pieces a bit larger for dipping into a cheese spread. Rich! ” -Meghan

Caesar Croutons

A must for Caesar salads. Since we’re riding the crouton train, we thought Caesar croutons also deserved their own feature here. A Caesar salad is not a Caesar salad without the croutons, am we right? It’s such a simple salad: lettuce, parmesan cheese, dressing, and croutons. With only four ingredients, you can’t omit one.

Ditch the store-bought croutons. So you can either eat those hard dry croutons you buy at the store or you can bite into a evenly crisp chewy crouton that will elevate your salad to a whole new level. There is truly nothing like it for sale at the store.

Straightforward to mix. The good news is that these croutons are simple and straightforward to mix. They’ll finish baking basically in the time it takes to make the actual salad. You can make them in your air fryer, too (see air fryer croutons).

Lynda Said:

“This recipe was excellent!… Don’t worry if you only have whatever bread you have. No one will be the wiser. Tasty croutons! Thanks!

See More Reader Reviews

What goes in

• Bread: Like all the other croutons, Caesar croutons are also a great way to use up leftover or day-old bread. We like to use a French baguette because it’s fairly porous and toasts well. Avoid sandwich bread or bread that has a sweet flavor.
• Olive Oil: The bread cubes are tossed with olive oil which adds flavor and helps the bread toast to a golden brown.
• Parmesan Cheese: We find that the shelf-stable Parmesan cheese works just fine for croutons. It sticks in the little nooks and crannies of the bread and adds lots of flavor.
• Pantry Seasonings: To keep things straightforward and simple, we use seasonings we have in our pantry: dried parsley, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

Cooking Tip

The drier your bread cubes, the faster the croutons will brown. If your bread is dry, make sure to keep a close eye on it to keep it from burning. If your bread is quite fresh, plan on slightly increasing baking time.

How To Use Caesar Croutons

Classic Caesar Salad: A classic Caesar salad is made with romaine lettuce. Toss the lettuce with Caesar dressing. (You’ll definitely want to try our recipe for from-scratch Caesar dressing. It’s healthier, straightforward to mix, and tastes fantastic.) When the lettuce is coated with dressing, top the salad with your from-scratch Caesar croutons and shredded Parmesan cheese. That’s it!

Chicken Caesar Salad: Simply add cooked or grilled chicken to the salad. We like to grill Italian marinated chicken. It can be served on the side if you prefer.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad: This is a standby of two worlds: pasta salad and Caesar salad. Chicken Caesar pasta salad is a hearty main course salad.

Chicken Tenders: Another way to use Caesar croutons is to crush them and use as a coating for from-scratch chicken tenders. Try our chicken Caesar chicken tenders. They’re especially good dipped in Caesar dressing. The crispy chicken strips can be added to a Caesar salad, too.

Keeping leftovers

Cool the croutons completely before storing. If they’re still warm, condensation will form on the inside of the container and the croutons will get soft and won’t keep well. Store them in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 weeks.

Sautéed Mushrooms (special trick!)

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 10 minutes
• Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 4 cups (heaping) cubed white bread (we like to use a French baguette)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme.
3. Add bread cubes and toss to coat bread cubes with olive oil mixture. Spread the bread cubes into an even layer on a sheet pan. Don’t crowd the pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring once to ensure even toasting. If you’re using super fresh bread, they’ll take a little longer to become golden brown. If the bread is day-old and dry, it may brown faster, so keep an eye on it!

Notes

Storage: Allow the croutons to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep for up to two weeks.