How to Make Croutons in the Air Fryer

Homemade Croutons in the Air Fryer

When you buy croutons in the store they are almost always very small squares that look like little pieces of toast.

Store-bought croutons often lack taste and flavor or are overly salty, but why buy them from the store when it’s so easy to make them yourself?

But what about the mess of making homemade croutons? No messy croutons?

Yes, so there is no need to use a resealable bag or cover your hands with oil and seasonings.

With this recipe you will see that you can prepare your homemade croutons in the Air Fryer without making a huge mess.

Air Fryer Croutons Ingredients

To make this recipe you only need a few ingredients. Put the following on your shopping list and have them ready when you start:

• Bread – you can use any type of white, wholemeal, artisanal, yeast bread. I recommend a thicker loaf because it is easier to cut and maintain its shape. Stale bread works great for making croutons
• Vegetable oil – you can use any type of vegetable oil. For this recipe, I like to use olive oil or avocado oil, but sunflower oil works too.
• Salt – a small pinch is sufficient, but can be omitted if using a seasoning
• garlic powder
• Seasoning – to add more flavor to your croutons, add your favorite seasoning, for example Italian seasoning

How to Make Air Fryer Croutons

These croutons are not a mess to prepare.

Take a small bowl and pour avocado oil into it. Place the bread slices on a cutting board or plate and brush avocado oil on both sides of the bread slices.

Take a second bowl and add garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.

Then, sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the olive oil-coated bread slices. You can use a small spoon, use your fingers, or put it in a cocktail shaker.

Preheat the Air Fryer to 400℉/200℃ with a baking tray inside. You can also use a regular Air Fryer bucket.

Now cut the bread into 2.5 cm cubes with a knife. Your croutons are ready for the Air Fryer.

Divide the croutons onto the Air Fryer rack and bake for 5-6 minutes for golden, crispy croutons. If you want soft croutons, leave them in the Air Fryer for 4 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Can I make croutons with stale bread?

Yes, stale bread is great for making croutons. Fresh bread is soft when cut, while stale bread holds its shape better.

Stale bread absorbs the flavors you add and you’re not wasting the bread, so win, win.

How to Store Air-Fried Croutons

You have several options for storing your croutons. In all cases, let them cool completely before storing them:

• Room temperature – you can store the croutons at room temperature if you plan to serve them within a week. Use a resealable bag to store them
• Freezer – if you plan to serve the croutons later, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months

It is not recommended to store croutons in the refrigerator, as they may soften in the refrigerator.

How to revive croutons

If your croutons become mushy or spoiled, you can easily revive them.

• Air Fryer – to revive a small portion of croutons you can use an Air Fryer. Preheat the Air Fryer for 3 minutes at 350℉/175℃. Heat the croutons for 3-4 minutes or until heated through
• Oven – preheat the oven to 375℉/200℃ and place the croutons on a baking tray. Heat for 5-6 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t get too dark. If they are already dark brown you can cover them with aluminum foil. Remove them from the oven and serve

Serve air fryer croutons with

You can serve these croutons with soup or salad, of course, but you can also serve them with:

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