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This Air Fryer Croutons recipe only requires three simple ingredients and is ready in just minutes! Once you see how easy it is to make crispy croutons in your air fryer, you’ll never buy them in store again.

air fryer croutons in a small bowl with a green linen to the side

Easy Homemade Air Fryer Croutons Recipe

My absolute favorite way to serve these crispy air fryer croutons is with any creamy soup or salad. I like to use them in my roasted red pepper soup and on my Caesar salad for an extra crunch.

You can also use these sourdough croutons as seasoned bread crumbs in recipes like cornbread stuffing, air fryer stuffed mushrooms, or air fryer chicken parmesan. Just throw them in a food processor and you’ll have perfect homemade bread crumbs!

For this simple air fryer recipe, all you need is a loaf of bread, olive oil, and salt. I have found that the best kind of bread to use is either any day-old bread or crispy bread, like sourdough.

You will also need an air fryer; I like use either the Ninja Air Fryer or the GoWise Air Fryer.

olive oil, salt, and bread in small ingredient bowls

Ingredients you will need

Sourdough bread: the best croutons are made from sourdough bread! That’s because it’s a little dryer and it’s flaky, which is great to use for making croutons. If your sourdough bread is a tad bit too moist, leave it out and make your croutons the following day. If your bread is super moist, the croutons may have trouble crisping.

You can also put the bread in the oven at a low temperature to help dry it out before making the croutons.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I prefer to use olive oil over butter because it is healthier, and a light coat also helps your croutons crisp up. You can also use avocado oil for this crouton recipe.

Salt: any kind of salt will work for this recipe but don’t use too much!

air fryer croutons in a single layer in an air fryer basket.

How to make croutons in the air fryer

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350℉.

2. Prepare the croutons. Slice the sourdough bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and salt in a medium or large bowl.

3. Air fry the croutons. Place the bread in the air fryer basket. It’s ok if they overlap a little, but if you end up with a big mound of cubed bread in your air fryer basket, you may want to work in batches.

Air fry the croutons for 4 minutes, toss and continue air frying for 2-3 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp to your liking.

Serve your sourdough croutons with one of your favorite soups or salads!

Best type of bread for homemade croutons?

I like to use sourdough bread for my homemade croutons or bread that is crusty and has a lot of flavor. French bread is another great option. This is also a great way to get rid of bread that is starting to get a little stale.

You can also make croissant croutons by tearing up croissants into bite size pieces. These make really nice organic shaped croutons for rustic soups and salads.

Are store-bought croutons fried or baked?

Store bought croutons are made very similarly to air fried croutons, except store bought croutons are coated in either butter or oil and then baked in the oven.

They may be tossed in seasonings like garlic powder or onion powder for more flavor. However, both frying and baking your croutons will give you similar results.

mixed greens salad with tomatoes and croutons in a large white salad bowl.

How long do homemade croutons last?

Homemade croutons will last up to about a week in an airtight container at room temperature but are their freshest within the first three days.

If you need to crisp up your leftover croutons a bit, you can spray them with olive or avocado oil and toss them in the air fryer or oven for a few minutes. You can also freeze crispy croutons for around a month or two, after that, when they thaw, they may be a little too soggy.

Should I use butter or oil?

I’ve tried using both, but I like extra virgin olive oil a lot better. It’s a little healthier and makes the croutons incredibly crispy.

Butter works as well, both unsalted and salted. Be sure not to saturate them too much in the melted butter.

How do you keep homemade croutons crunchy?

When your croutons are in the air fryer, make sure they’re all laid out in a single layer without overlapping. I’ve gotten my croutons to crisp even when they overlap a tiny bit, but the best way is to make sure they are in a single layer.

You should also toss them once or twice while they’re air frying to make sure they cook evenly. Keep in mind, the croutons will continue to harden as they cool.

close up of air fryer croutons in a glass jar.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Croissant Croutons. Croutons are a great way to use up your leftover bread, especially leftover croissants! Dry and stale bread can even make your croutons crispier.
Seasoned Croutons. You can add Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to make seasoned croutons. After you add olive oil, toss your croutons around in the seasoning for the best flavor.
Parmesan Garlic Croutons. Another of my favorite ways to make croutons is to add garlic, parmesan cheese, and a dash of Italian seasoning before air frying. These crunchy croutons are great to add to any salad, especially one using homemade herb ranch. My favorite salad to use them in is a Caesar salad!
Cornbread Croutons. You can use cornbread to make croutons too. Cornbread works well because it has a great texture, especially when it’s dried out a bit. If your cornbread is super moist, wait a day before starting the croutons to make your bread a little more dry.

Note that the cooking time may vary for different types of bread, so just be sure to check on it while it’s cooking.

More easy air fryer recipes to try

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