Homemade Rye Bread Croutons
Homemade Rye Croutons, a simple oven-baked croutons recipe with only 4 ingredients and comes together in 10 minutes!
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Are you a crouton fanatic? Look no further! Homemade croutons are quick and easy to make with a delicious loaf of leftover rye bread.
👉 Here’s why you’ll LOVE this do-it-yourself rye croutons recipe:
- It’s simple. 4 ingredients and 10 minutes is all it takes to make tasty rye bread croutons at home.
- It fights food waste. Making homemade croutons is a great way to use up stale bread that you don’t know what to do with. Instead of throwing it out, you can make these DIY croutons as a topping for salads, soups and other dishes.
- It’s versatile. Make these croutons your own by adding your favorite dried or fresh herbs and spices. They will taste great with just about any seasoning!
Are you ready to learn how to make homemade croutons with rye bread? Let’s do it!
🥖 Ingredients you’ll need
Homemade croutons are easy to make, tasty, and versatile with the amount of substitutions you can use to tailor them to your liking. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Rye bread: You can’t make croutons without bread, and rye bread is a base that you can’t go wrong with. If you don’t have rye bread, this recipe can be made with other breads like sourdough, French bread, and ciabatta.
- Olive oil: Using a good oil is essential for adding rich flavor to croutons. Olive oil does just that for this recipe, but any oil will do if you don’t have olive oil on hand.
- Salt and pepper: A little pinch of salt and pepper will add a kick of flavor.
- Optional Ingredients: You can get creative with rye croutons by adding dried herbs of your choice. We recommend parsley, oregano, or basil! You can also use a little garlic powder for extra flavor.
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Preheat the oven + prep the bread
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Next, slice the rye bread into 1 inch thick slices, then cut each slice into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubed rye pieces into a large mixing bowl.
2️⃣ Step Two: Mix bread cubes with oil + spices
Lightly pour the olive oil over the cubes of rye bread, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper as well as spices and herbs of your choice.
Then, using your hands or a wooden spoon, toss the croutons to completely coat them in oil and spices.
3️⃣ Step Three: Bake the croutons until crispy
Once the rye bread cubes are oiled and seasoned, spread them onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the croutons are crispy and golden brown, flipping once to cook all sides.
When the bread is done baking, remove from the oven and let cool. Give the croutons a taste test and add more spices or seasoning if needed!
The rye croutons can be used as a topping for salads or soups. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5-6 days.
❓Questions + quick tips
Rye bread can be used to make croutons. All you need to do is cut the bread into cubes, mix them with olive oil, spices, and seasonings, and bake the cubes in the oven. You can use fresh or stale rye bread to make croutons.
Leftover rye bread is a fantastic ingredient to use to make croutons. Making homemade rye croutons out of leftover rye bread is a great way to cut back on food waste and to add flavor and crunch to salads and soups.
Leftover rye bread can be made into croutons, used to make bread pudding or added to a bread salad like panzanella. You can also use leftover rye bread to make bread bakes, French toast, or breadcrumb toppings for desserts.
💛 More recipes using croutons
We love using croutons on top of salads and soups! Here are a few of our favorite recipes to use rye bread croutons on:
Looking for other ways to make croutons? Try making homemade croutons with stale ciabatta bread or turn your leftover sourdough into croutons for salads. And store leftover croutons in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy!
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Homemade Rye Bread Croutons Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf rye bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- Optional ingredients: spices like garlic powder or dried herbs like parsley, oregano, or basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven + prep bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut rye bread loaf into 1 inch thick slices, then cut each bread slice into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubed rye pieces into a large mixing bowl.
- Add oil + spices: Drizzle olive oil over the rye bread pieces, then sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper and any desired optional spices. Toss to combine.
- Bake until crispy: Spread the oiled and seasoned rye bread cubes onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the croutons are crispy and beginning to brown, flipping once halfway to cook on all sides. When the bread is done baking, remove from the oven and let cool.
- To serve + store: After the rye croutons have cooled, serve on top of salads or soups. Store in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 5-6 days.
Notes
- Recipe notes: This crouton recipe is made with rye bread, but any type of bread can be used. We like ciabatta bread or a thick whole grain loaf for homemade croutons.
- Leftovers + storage: After croutons have cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, or in the refrigerator for 6-7 days. We do not recommend freezing as the croutons will lose their crisp texture after thawing.
- Nutrition notes: This recipe uses all plant-based ingredients, making it suitable for vegan diets.