Air Fryer Crouton Recipe

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 and cut down on food waste.

I have to admit that before I discovered air fryer croutons, oftentimes leftover bread would end up on our compost heap. Not anymore: Stale bread makes delicious croutons!

The air fryer makes perfect croutons using simple ingredients - easy and quick. They come out great every time and are delicious on top of a Caesar salad or with soup, like tomato soup or cream of broccoli soup. Yum!

Jump to:

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

Ingredients

• day-old bread: any kind of bread will do here. Even fresh bread can be used, but will increase cooking time to turn into crunchy croutons
• olive oil or avocado oil
• balsamic vinegar (optional, for a little tang)
• italian seasoning
• nutritional yeast (optional)
• salt and pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Using a serrated knife cut bread slices into equal sized pieces (about 1 Inch cubes) and add to a large bowl.

Whisk together vinegar and olive oil

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 F 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: regular sandwich bread, French bread, hamburger buns, whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, white bread gluten-free, etc.
• Seasoning - add your favorite seasonings, like onion powder, garlic powder, any kind of dried herb, fresh rosemary, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, etc.

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.