I played around for a long time to find the *perfect* gluten-free crouton recipe. It had to be easy (a requirement for all my recipes) but still crunchy and flavorful. I have yet to see gluten-free croutons in the store, though I’m sure they exist somewhere. So, I made my own Gluten-free Croutons and was blown away by how easy and budget-friendly they are!

Why We Love These Gluten-free Croutons

• First, they are EASY! Just cut bread into cubes, toss with oil and seasoning, and then air fry or oven bake. So very simple!
• Second, they are budget-friendly. They use up old or little bits of bread you might not eat anyway. Plus, they come out to $2.50 per batch, which is less than I gluten-free croutons would cost in the store if I could find them.
• Third, they are so delicious. Like, my kids requested to have them on Yes Day level good! 

My kids can’t get enough of these and these have really helped in getting them to love their salad again. Good luck keeping their hands out of them until you get them on the table!

What’s Your Favorite Gluten-Free Bread?

The biggest question I get on these is what bread do you use? The bread we buy the most often is Canyon Bakehouse Heritage Style Honey White Bread. We get it from the freezer section at Winco (it’s $6 at Winco, $8 at Walmart), where it is the most affordable with the biggest slices.

I’ve found softer bread, but this one wins for balance of price and not ridiculously small slices. Plus, I can find it locally and it keeps for a long time in the freezer.

But, a lot of gluten-free bread is dry, which makes for terrible sandwiches but perfect croutons!

Ingredients

• • Bread – See above for the gluten-free bread we usually buy. But, any gluten-free bread will work!
  • Olive oil – We usually have extra light-tasting olive oil on hand, which we use so the croutons won’t taste too “olive-y”. Or you can use avocado oil, ghee, or vegan butter. Whatever flavor you love and works for you!
  • Garlic powder – Garlic powder or granulated garlic both work well here. We love a little garlic flavor to our croutons! 
  • Salt – Regular table salt or garlic salt. 

Instructions

• If using, preheat the oven to 375.
• In a large bowl or ziplock, combine oil and bread cubes until olive oil has coated all the bread cubes. Then add and stir in the garlic powder and salt. Stir or shake until combined.
• OVEN: Place on a cooking pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper. Spread to a single layer and bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Keep a close eye on them and keep in mind that fresh bread will need longer to cook than bread that is more stale.
• AIR FRYER: Spread croutons out in air fryer in a single layer as much as possible. Air fry at 300 degrees for 4 minutes, stir, and then for another 2-4 minutes. Watch closely those last few minutes to prevent burning. Every air fryer differs in size so end time will vary. 
• To store: Store in a sealed container in the pantry for up to 1 month.