Oven Baked Crunchy Garlic Butter Croutons

Garlic croutons on a pan with a spatula.

Oven Baked Crunchy Garlic Butter Croutons

Garlic Croutons are a simple and delicious component to soups, salads, snack boards or for scooping up dip. The secret to tasty garlic croutons is in using fresh garlic and butter for rich punchy flavor and golden brown craggy edges. Ready in about 20 minutes, they're easy to make with 4 simple ingredients. This recipe is vegetarian.

Course Component

Cuisine American, French

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Garlic Croutons

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings 1/2 cup servings

Calories 118kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

4 cups (225 grams) Day Old Bread sourdough, French or baguette, torn into bite size pieces (about 1/2 pound)
3 tablespoons (45 grams) Unsalted Butter
1 tablespoon Fresh Garlic minced, about two fat cloves
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Dried Italian Herbs
1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit (190 celsius) and arrange rack in the center of the oven.
In a medium mixing bowl add the torn bread. Set aside.
To a mini sauce pan, add the butter, garlic, salt, herbs and onion powder if using. Melt on medium-low, swirling the pot several times.
Once melted, pour the butter mixture over the bread. Mix throughly.
Scrape out the ingredients onto an unlined sheet pan and bake at 375 Fahrenheit for five minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 Fahrenheit (176 celsius) and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring the croutons mid way through baking. The longer they bake, the crunchier they'll become.
The croutons are done when golden to darker golden brown. The garlic should be light to dark golden brown, not burnt (*keep an eye on it). Taste for salt adjustment, and add a pinch more if desired.
Share warm or at room temperature, making sure to enjoy the crunchy garlicky bits. They're especially delightful in soup.

To Store:

Room Temperature: cool completely on the sheet pan, then transfer to a lidded container. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
Freezer: homemade croutons freeze really well, up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour, or gently reheat in a warm oven.

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