Homemade Croutons - 4 ingredients! Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep homemade croutons crispy? ›

Cool a batch of homemade croutons before you store them.

If you toss warm croutons into a storage bag, the bag traps moisture and you'll be left with soggy croutons! To avoid a mushy mess, spread the croutons in a single layer and cool them completely. If you're storing store-bought croutons, you can skip this step.

Spread the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the bread cubes are in an even layer and not touching. If they are too close and overlapping, they won't cook evenly and won't crisp up. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until the croutons are golden brown.

If you're baking your croutons, make sure they are well-spaced-out on a shallow tray to ensure they crisp evenly and they don't steam, causing them to become soggy. They also need to be in a single layer and not touching. If you're frying the croutons, toss the pan regularly to make sure they crisp evenly.

To Store: Once the baked croutons have cooled completely to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container or large zip-top bag. Store them on the counter for up to 2 weeks. Freezing: You can also freeze croutons for longer-term storage.

Good soup croutons are tossed in butter before they're baked too. The butter helps to make them waterproof, for a little while anyhow. So, dry and buttery. That's what you want.

Our croutons are made with Romano cheese, seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs & spices, and baked to a delicious golden brown.

Our croutons are made with Romano cheese, seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs and spices, and baked to a delicious golden brown. Try all of Olive Garden's® signature ingredients.

a small piece of fried or toasted bread, served in soup etc. crostino.

Croutons that are perfectly crisp right out of the oven will be too hard to eat when they cool. For the perfect crouton, pull them from the oven when they are still have a bit of give to them – as they cool, they will crisp up perfectly. Stale bread will crisp faster in the oven and will need less time to bake.

How long do croutons last? The expected shelf-life for homemade croutons is about two weeks. Moisture encourages mold, so make sure your croutons are completely dehydrated during the bake and let cool completely at room temperature before storing them away in an airtight container.

What temperature do you dehydrate croutons? ›

The most common way to tell if croutons have gone bad is by smell and taste. If they have an off smell, it's best to throw them out. Similarly, if they taste stale or have lost their crunch, it's time to discard them.

The expected shelf-life for homemade croutons is about two weeks. Moisture encourages mold, so make sure your croutons are completely dehydrated during the bake and let cool completely at room temperature before storing them away in an airtight container.

Croutons can be stored at room temperature, in an air-tight container, for up to a week. They need to be completely cool before boxing up. Otherwise they will get soft. You can also freeze croutons.

Keep crispy stuff and cheesy stuff off

Since a salad is typically a high-moisture dish, it's best to keep anything crispy or cheesy off until serving. Crispy items such as croutons or fried wontons will become soggy and cheese will become soft.