Mini Sourdough Croutons
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These mini sourdough croutons are crisp, golden and crunchy. Toasted with a mix of olive oil, butter, garlic and herbs, these tiny cubes are the ultimate topping for soup and salads. They’re also perfect for snacking.
🍞 Why We Love This Recipe
- Mini sourdough croutons are crunchy and delicious. Our tiny 1/2-inch cubes are the perfect size, but you can make them smaller if desired. This topping made at home is so much better than store-bought.
- All that’s needed are basic pantry items. Common ingredients most of us already have on hand in the fridge and cupboard.
- They’re quick and easy to make. Toast the bread cubes on stovetop or in the oven. I’ll show you how to do it both ways.
- Great way to use up leftover sourdough bread. Avoid food waste by turning the extra slices or loaves into mini croutons.
🛒 Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Helps our mini sourdough croutons brown evenly.
- Butter: Adds a rich buttery taste while contributing to browning. If desired, you can use all butter or all olive oil instead of a mix.
- Sourdough Bread: I use a crusty boule of day-old sourdough bread for these croutons, but to prevent food waste, use any type of sturdy bread you have on hand – like a baguette, ciabatta or an Italian loaf.
- Kosher Salt: Heightens the flavor of the toasted croutons.
- Garlic Powder: This herb has a strong earthy taste that’s nutty, spicy and sweet. It pairs well with olive oil and butter. We use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic so it really sticks to the bread well.
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram and thyme – this mix is savory, earthy and slightly sweet. It contributes a delicious flavor to the sourdough croutons.
- Cracked Black Pepper: Adds rustic flavor with a bit of heat.
📖 How to Make Mini Sourdough Croutons
👩🏻🍳 Stovetop Method
This is the fastest way to make mini croutons. They toast in half the time compared to making them in the oven.
- Cut sourdough bread into 1/2-inch cubes, or tinier if desired.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, immediately add bread cubes to the pan in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd the pan. If needed, cook in batches.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the bread is golden blonde and toasted on all sides. Remove the pan from heat.
- Sprinkle the mini croutons with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Set croutons aside until ready to serve. They’ll become even crisper as they cool.
⏲ KITCHEN SMARTS: By using a skillet for croutons you can see the browning occur, and can stop before they over-brown. And clean-up is faster because you won’t need a bowl for tossing, or a ramekin for melting the butter.
🧑🏼🍳 Oven Method / Bake
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Melt the butter in the microwave in a heat-safe dish.
- On a wooden board with knife, cut the sourdough bread into 1/2-inch cubes, or smaller if desired. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil and melted butter over the bread. Add in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine. We want all the mini sourdough croutons evenly coated.
- Transfer the coated cubes to the prepared baking sheet. Spread them out into a single layer. Leave space between the pieces so all the mini croutons can properly brown.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden blonde and crispy. Halfway through the cook time, toss the croutons and rotate the tray. Set aside until ready to enjoy.
🥣 Recipe FAQ
These are the most common questions for achieving the BEST mini sourdough croutons, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Make sure the heat is not too high, as bread toasts fairly quickly. We don’t want blackened croutons. Avoid overcrowding the pan. The croutons require space in order to crisp up and brown evenly.
The best seasonings include garlic, salt, black pepper and herbs. Try seasoning the cubes with lemon pepper instead of black pepper. Add a bit of onion powder or parmesan to the seasoning mix.
They’re fabulous toppings for salad, soup, chili and polenta. Serve them with scrambled eggs and bacon instead of toast. Use them for making meatloaf, casseroles and stuffing. They’re also perfect for snacking.
They taste best when enjoyed during the first 2 days. But if they’re really dry and crisp, they can last up to 1 week in an airtight container.
🍽 Dishes to Enjoy With Croutons
Garnish these delicious recipes with mini sourdough croutons. The extra crunch is fabulous for enhancing the taste and texture of the dishes.
- Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Leek Soup
- Creamy Asparagus Soup
- Watermelon Arugula Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated these the BEST mini sourdough croutons. They loved the buttery taste, texture and seasonings. And they appreciated the directions for making them two ways – on stovetop and in the oven.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Mini Sourdough Croutons
- Total Time: 8 Minutes
- Yield: 3 Cups 1x
Description
Mini sourdough croutons are crisp and golden. Toasted with olive oil, butter, garlic and herbs, they’re a crunchy topping for soup and salad. They’re also ideal for snacking.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups crusty sourdough bread, cut into 1/2″ inch cubes (about 1/2 of a medium boule)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or as desired
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or as desired
Instructions
Stovetop Method
This is the fastest way to make croutons. They toast in half the time compared to making them in the oven.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add bread cubes to the pan in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd the pan. If needed, cook in batches.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the bread is golden blonde and toasted on all sides. Remove pan from heat.
- Sprinkle the mini croutons with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Set croutons aside until ready to serve. They’ll become even crisper as they cool.
Oven Method
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Melt butter in the microwave in a heat-safe dish.
- Put the sourdough cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and melted butter over the bread. Add in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine. We want all the bread cubes evenly coated.
- Transfer the coated cubes to the prepared baking sheet. Spread them out into a single layer. Leave space between the pieces so all the mini croutons can properly brown.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden blonde and crispy. Halfway through the cook time, toss the croutons and rotate the tray. Remove from oven. Set aside until ready to enjoy.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
How long homemade croutons last: They taste best when enjoyed during the first 2 days. But if they’re really dry and crisp, they can last up to 1 week in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 2 Minutes
- Cook Time: 6 Minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: American
Mini Sourdough Croutons 👉🏻 Join the Convo
What do you think of this easy recipe? Do you prefer the oven or stovetop method? Share your thoughts on these homemade croutons in the comments below.
