Air Fryer Crouton Recipe (Vegan)

This air fryer crouton recipe makes the tastiest croutons! Perfectly crisp on the outside with just enough give on the inside. They will add crunch and flavor to your favorite soups and salads in only 10 minutes.

Homemade air fryer croutons are a great way to use up yesterday's bread in a delicious way.

I have to admit that before I discovered that I can make croutons in my air fryer, oftentimes left-over bread would end up on our compost heap. Not anymore: Stale bread makes the best croutons!

The air fryer makes the process super easy and quick. And they come out great every time.

They're delicious on top of your favorite salad or with soup, like my cream of broccoli soup. Yum!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Air Fryer Crouton Recipe (Vegan)

Ingredients

• day-old bread: any type of bread will do here. You'll need about 4-5 slices of sandwich bread or half a loaf of sourdough or no knead bread
• olive oil or avocado oil
• balsamic vinegar (for a little tang)
• italian seasoning
• nutritional yeast (optional)
• salt and pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Cut bread into equal sized pieces (about 1 Inch cubes) and add to a large bowl.

Whisk together vinegar and olive oi

Drizzle oil/ vinegar mixture evenly on bread and toss with spatula.

Sprinkle with italian seasoning, nutritional yeast (if using), salt and pepper. Mix well.

Set air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes and let it preheat.

When prompted to add food, add bread to air fryer basket in a single layer and close basket.

After 3 minutes check bread and give the basket a good shake.

Croutons are done when they're golden and slightly browned on the edges.

Substitutions

There are many ways in which you can customize this recipe to your liking.

• Bread - you can use any type of bread: sandwich bread, left-over baguette, hamburger buns, whole wheat bread, sourdough, gluten-free, etc. May favorite is homemade no knead bread (so easy, yet so good)
• Seasoning - you could add onion powder, garlic powder, any kind of dried herb, fresh rosemary, parmesan cheese (if you're not vegan), crushed red pepper... you name it.

Variations

Croutons that store well for a long time

I like my croutons to still be a tiny bit soft in the middle and I love that extra tangy flavor I get from the balsamic vinegar. BUT both these things mean that there's still moisture left in the bread or in this case even added through the vinegar.

Remaining moisture means that the croutons won't store well (3-4 days) and will probably be a little soggy and in need of a little re-frying or baking.

To me that's totally worth it, I love the texture and taste when they're fresh

If you're looking for a recipe that will give you croutons that will store well for weeks, I recommend you:

1. Omit the balsamic vinegar (you don't want extra moisture).
2. Cut off the crust or use sandwich bread.
3. Store in an airtight bag and remove as much air from it as possible.
4. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze.
5. If the croutons come out soggy, toss them back into the air fryer to crisp up for a few minutes

Equipment

For this recipe I used the Instant Vortex Duo Air Fryer (affiliate link). Using an air fryer will allow you to use less oil and get a crispier result.

If you don't have an air fryer, I have instructions for you in the recipe card on how to make these croutons in the oven.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or freeze for longer shelf life. I like to crisp them up in the air fryer for a few minutes before eating.