Easy Air fryer Croutons

This easy air fryer croutons recipe is a quick alternative to oven-baked croutons. Enjoy crispy, crunchy croutons in under 15 minutes with minimal oil and no fuss. Perfect for soups, salads, and casseroles.

Making your own croutons at home is a great way to save money and use up old bread. There's no need to buy store-bought croutons when you can easily make them in just a few minutes with a few simple ingredients.

To make croutons, start by cutting up bread into small cubes about ½ an inch. Toss the bread with oil and seasonings of your choice. Then, air fry the bread until it's crispy, which takes about 5-7 minutes.

One of the best things about making croutons in the air fryer is that you don't have to heat up your oven. The air fryer does all the work for you, making it a quick and convenient way to turn stale bread into a delicious snack.

So, why spend money on store bought croutons when you can make them at home easily?

Ingredients

You will need only a handful of ingredients to make croutons in the air fryer.

Bread cubes - Use any type of bread you have on hand, such as white, wheat, or sourdough. Stale bread works best for this recipe as it is already partially dried out and will become crispy more easily.

Olive Oil - The oil helps the seasonings stick to the croutons. You can also use other oils, such as vegetable oil or avocado oil, if preferred. For a richer tasting croutons, use butter.

Seasoning - I have used garlic powder, salt and dried Italian herbs. Feel free to experiment with other seasonings, such as paprika, cumin, dried parsley or dried basil.

Cut the bread into cubes

To prepare the bread for your croutons, start by laying a loaf of bread flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the bread into small, bite-sized cubes about ½ to 1 inch in size.

It's important to cut the bread into similar-sized cubes so that they will cook evenly and become crispy in the air fryer.

Seasoning

Once you have your bread cubes ready, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Start by drizzling the olive oil over the bread cubes, making sure they are evenly coated. Then, sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning over the bread cubes.

Finally, use your hands to toss everything together, making sure each cube is evenly coated with the oil and seasonings.

How to make Air fryer croutons?

Making Air Fryer Croutons is quick and easy! Firstly, preheat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 170 C. Next, you'll need to transfer the bread cubes to the air fryer basket, in a single layer. Air fry for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the croutons become crispy and have a golden colour.

Don't forget to shake the basket halfway through the cooking process to ensure that the croutons are cooking evenly.

Serving Suggestions for air fryer croutons

• As a salad topping in buddha bowls or mason jar salads
• Garnish for your favourite roasted carrot soup or cauliflower soup.
• As a snack on its own.
• Mixed into casseroles like shepherds pie or pasta dishes for added texture.
• Crush them and use as a crunchy alternative to breadcrumbs in popcorn cauliflower.
• Crumbled over roasted vegetables for added crunch.

Variations (Change it up)

Use any type of bread such as white, rye, wheat, soda bread or sourdough.

Experiment with different seasoning for new flavours. Try curry powder, old bay seasoning, taco seasoning, baharat spice blend or anything you like.

Use butter for a richer taste, instead of oil.

If you don't have an air fryer, use the same recipe and bake in the oven for a few minutes until crispy.

Storing Croutons

In the Fridge: Storing croutons is simple. Allow the croutons to cool down completely and then put them in a plastic bag and seal it. You can also store them in an airtight container up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

In the Freezer: Store the croutons in plastic bags in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow them defrost on a paper towel for an hour. Reheat in the air fryer to crisp up before serving.

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