You can make the most perfect crispy homemade croutons in the air fryer in just 6 minutes. Garlicy and herby, with the perfect crunch - you will never buy croutons again! Air Fryer Croutons are so easy to make, a great way to use leftover stale bread and the best topping for salad and soups.
About air fryer croutons
You just can't beat homemade croutons. They are a great way to use bread that has gone a little stale, so nothing goes to waste, and you can flavour them just the way you like.
If you have tried our Sourdough Croutons, then this is an air fryer version, but you can use any bread.
Croutons in the air fryer couldn't be easier. You just mix cubes of bread (we used a French stick) with some melted butter and your favourite seasoning blend and put them in the air fryer for 6 minutes, shaking once.
Looking for more ways to use your air fryer? Why not try our juicy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks, tasty Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas, quick Air Fryer Potato Peels or our delicious Air Fryer Chicken Tacos?
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Bread - Any bread goes here, but if it is a couple of days old and a little stale then that works best for croutons in the air fryer. We used French stick as that's what we had.
- Butter - This helps to keep the croutons tender in the middle and give that golden crunch on the outside.
- Garlic, Parsley, Salt and Pepper - This is what we have seasoned our air fryer croutons with. But we have given other options below.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make croutons in the air fryer - Step by step
One: Cut the bread into cubes of about 2.5cm/1 inch.
Two: Put the bread into a bowl and add the butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
Three: Mix well to coat all of the bread. Let rest for 2 minutes.
Four: Put the coated bread into your air fryer in a single layer.
Five: Cook at 200°C for 4 minutes, shake well then cook for a further 2 minutes.
Six: Transfer the cooked croutons to a paper towel until ready to eat.
Variations
This is a super simple recipe, so there isn't too much than you can adapt, but there are a few options:
- Bread - We used a French stick to air fry croutons, but you could use tiger bread or even a cheap basic white loaf. We have tried lots of different bread for making croutons, but we find using French stick gets the crispiest results. The denser the bread, the chewier the croutons will be.
- Oil - We used butter, as it gives a nice golden coating. But you could use olive oil instead.
- Seasoning - There are so many options here. We used garlic and parsley, but you could add some paprika for a little smokiness and chilli powder for spice. An Italian season blend will work well too.
- Cheese - If you want to make these croutons in the air fryer a little more indulgent, then you can toss them in some grated Parmesan when you shake them and put them back on for 2 minutes.
Serving suggestions
There is so much that you can do with these air fryer croutons, here are some of our favourites:
- Salads - Add a bit of crunch to your salads with homemade croutons. Why not try our Watercress Salad, Rocket Salad or Halloumi Salad?
- Soups - Why dip bread into soup, when you can serve it ON the soup. This might be our favourite way to use croutons. Try our Slow Cooker Tomato Soup, Creamy Vegetable Soup or Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup.
- Dips - Why not just dip them in your favourite dip/sauce. We would recommend our Easy Garlic Sauce, Healthy Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dip.
Storage
Store: You can store air fryer croutons in an air tight container at room temperature. This prevents moisture and keeps their crispiness. However, because they are homemade and don't have preservatives they won't store as long as store bought croutons. They will last about 2 weeks though.
Freeze: We wouldn't recommend freezing air fried croutons.
Reheat: If you want to crisp them up a bit again before serving, you can put them back in the air fryer for a minute.
Extra Tips
- If you don't want super crunchy croutons (maybe you have teeth worries), then cook them for 2 minutes less.
- Make sure you cut all the croutons to a similar size so that they cook evenly.
- Shake them half way through so that they crisp up on all edges.
- The croutons will crisp up more as they cool.
- If you have too many leftovers, you can turn them into breadcrumbs. Just put them into a food processor and blitz.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can of course use fresh bread, but stale bread soaks up the fat from the butter better and gives crispier croutons.
Yes, you can use gluten free bread to make this.
Every air fryer cooks differently, so keep an eye on these as they can burn quickly. Your air fryer might crisp them up in just 4 minutes.
If you have put too many in the basket and they are all overlapping, then they won't get crispy.
More bread recipes
If you’ve tried these air fryer croutons, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Air Fryer Croutons
Ingredients
- 125 g (4.5 oz) French stick
- 3 tablespoon Butter - melted
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Garlic granules
Instructions
- Cut 125 g French stick into cubes of about 2.5cm/1 inch.
- Put the bread into a bowl and add 3 tablespoon Butter, 1 teaspoon Garlic granules, 1 teaspoon Dried parsley, 1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper.
- Mix well to coat all of the bread. Let rest for 2 minutes.
- Put the coated bread into your air fryer in a single layer.
- Cook on the Air Fry setting at 200°C/400°F for 4 minutes, shake well then cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked croutons to a paper towel until ready to eat.
Recipe Tips
- If you don't want super crunchy croutons (maybe you have teeth worries), then cook them for 2 minutes less.
- Make sure you cut all the croutons to a similar size so that they cook evenly.
- Shake them half way through so that they crisp up on all edges.
- The croutons will crisp up more as they cool.
- If you have too many leftovers, you can turn them into breadcrumbs. Just put them into a food processor and blitz.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Tayler says
I made these croutons to serve with our salads last night and they were delicious! So easy to make too!
Casey says
Such a smart idea! I make croutons in the oven all the time but haven't yet tried the air fryer method. It seems so much easier!
Elisa says
Love this Air Fryer Croutons recipe always so crispy and full of flavor. My favorite. Thanks for sharing :)
Kushigalu says
These air fryer croutons look so crispy and perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Lana says
I never even thought about using my air fryer to make croutons, this was literally so simple and so good. Thank you!