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These vegan homemade garlic herb croutons are perfectly seasoned, crunchy, and super easy to make. As the name suggests, these vegan croutons are flavored with lots of fresh garlic, vegan butter, and Italian seasoning. They’re absolutely amazing tossed on plant-based Caesar salads and soups!
why we love these homemade garlic herb croutons
It’s soup season, and if you’re like me, then you LOVE topping soup off with tons and tons of croutons. What can I say, I love a big pile of croutons on my soup. Especially if they’re super flavorful like these garlic herb ones. These vegan croutons can actually be made with just one sheet pan. Fewer dishes make clean-up a breeze!
These homemade croutons are flavored with dairy-free garlic butter, vegan parmesan, and a generous helping of Italian seasoning. They’re a nice, crunchy compliment to creamy soups or salads.
the homemade garlic herb crouton ingredients
This easy vegan crouton recipe only uses 5 ingredients plus some salt and pepper. To make them, you’ll need to gather the following:
- Cubed Day-Old Bread, like sourdough
- Garlic
- Vegan Butter
- Italian Seasoning
- Vegan Parmesan, like Violife
- Plus salt & pepper
the best type of bread for coutons
Croutons taste best when made with good quality, day-old bread. For this recipe, I’m using a loaf of sourdough that I’ve cubed into 1/2″ pieces. But you can use any other type of thick bread that you love! Really, you could even use sliced bread if you’d like. If using pre-sliced bread that is thinner than 1/2″, the croutons may be crispier when baked unless the baking time is reduced.
Below are some of my favorite types of bread to make croutons out of:
- Sourdough bread
- French Baguette
- Country Bread
- Foccacia
- Rye bread
- Cornbread
herbs & seasoning
The abundance of flavor on these makes them the best vegan croutons! The garlic butter, Italian seasoning and herbs, and the vegan parmesan create a trifecta of deliciousness that just can’t be beaten. I’m using a storebought blend of Italian seasoning but you could substitute in dried basil, oregano, thyme, onion powder, or any other flavors you’d like.
how to dry out the bread
This crouton recipe is a great way to use up day-old bread. But if you only have fresh bread, that’s okay too! Drying out your bread helps make these croutons crunchy. If you’re able to plan ahead, you can easily dry out your bread prior to making them by spreading the cubes onto a baking sheet and leaving them at room temperature overnight.
If you’re in a pinch, you can dry the fresh bread out in the oven prior to seasoning the cubes.
To do this, preheat the oven to 300F. Then, place the cubes into the oven for 20 minutes. They should feel dry to the touch, but shouldn’t start to brown just yet. Let the cubes cool for 5 minutes before tossing them with the vegan butter and seasonings.
how to make the garlic croutons
These vegan croutons come together in just under 20 minutes. Below are the simple steps to make them:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Spread cubed bread on a baking tray in an even layer.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter and garlic.
- Pour vegan butter & garlic onto the cubed bread.
- Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and vegan parmesan. Toss the bread cubes with your hands to evenly coat them in the mixture
- Bake for 15 mins at 350F, stirring halfway.
- Let cool on the baking tray.
baking the homemade garlic herb croutons
These easy vegan croutons can be baked or air-fried! To bake them, preheat your oven to 350F. Then, bake them for 15 minutes, giving them a stir halfway through.
air frying the croutons
These croutons can also be made in the air fryer. To get crispy croutons preheat your air fryer to 375F. Then place the croutons in a single layer onto the lined basket, and air fry them for 5-6 minutes.
storing the croutons
You can keep these croutons in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you’d like to store them longer than that, I recommend freezing them. Place the croutons in a freezer-proof ziplock baggie and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. To help prevent freezer burn, you can double bag the croutons.
ways to use homemade garlic herb croutons
These croutons are a fan favorite in my house since they pair perfectly with any salad and most soups. They’d be delicious on this lemon arugula salad!
They help round out these dishes making them more substantial, filling, and of course flavorful! Below are some recipes I absolutely love using these homemade croutons in.
Recipes to use homemade Vegan croutons in:
- 30 Minute Vegan Potato Leek Soup
- Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Vegan Caesar Salad with Blackened ‘Chicken’
homemade crouton tips & tricks
For this recipe, I’m using a day-old loaf of sourdough bread. I love the taste and texture of sourdough but this recipe can be made with pretty much any type of bread you’d like! You can make rye croutons, cornbread croutons, and even focaccia croutons with this recipe.
While a lot of storebought croutons have milk or cheese in them, there are a few good brands that are vegan-friendly. If you have a Kroger near you, the Simple Truth Seasoned Croutons are vegan. These croutons by Fresh Gourmet are also vegan.
Yes, homemade croutons can be air-fried. To air-fry them, preheat your oven to 375F. Then place the croutons in a single layer onto the lined basket, and air fry them for 5-6 minutes.
Did you make these Vegan Homemade Garlic Herb Croutons? I’d love to know! Leave a rating and comment below!
Homemade Garlic Herb Croutons (Vegan)
These vegan homemade garlic herb croutons are perfectly seasoned, crunchy, and super easy to make. As the name suggests, these vegan croutons are flavored with lots of fresh garlic, vegan butter, and Italian seasoning. They're absolutely amazing tossed on plant-based Caesar salads and soups!
Ingredients
- 4 cups day old bread, cut into ½” cubes (like sourdough or french baguette)
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter, or olive oil
- ¼ cup grated vegan parmesan, like Violife
- 1 tbsp garlic , minced
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Spread cubed bread on a baking tray in an even layer.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter and garlic.
- Pour vegan butter & garlic onto the cubed bread.
- Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and vegan parmesan. Toss the bread cubes with your hands to evenly coat them in the mixture
- Bake for 15 mins at 350F, stirring halfway.
Notes
Air Fryer Instructions:
- These croutons can also be made in the air fryer. To get crispy croutons preheat your air fryer to 375F. Then place the croutons in a single layer onto the lined basket, and air fry them for 5-6 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 90Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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