Need a crunchy salad topper? Try these BEST Gluten-Free Croutons, made with high-quality GF bread, extra virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, and tons of zesty seasonings!
As gluten-free people, we often overlook how boring a salad can be. Yes, we can add nuts, toasted chickpeas, or corn chips to a salad for crunch, but sometimes nothing will satisfy like a crouton.
Gluten-free croutons are also very hard to find in stores. And once you do, one bag totals $8. There must be a better way!
Well, like most GF foods, homemade is better! These homemade BEST Gluten-Free Croutons are perfectly seasoned to accompany (or even star in) your favorite salad. Make extras of these croutons and keep them in a sealed container for up to 1 week!
Salads for Croutons
Almost all salads benefit from the addition of croutons. But, some salads require croutons as a main element. How many of us have craved a caesar salad only to find that GF croutons are scarce? It happens all the time!
These BEST Gluten-Free Croutons are perfect for just about any salad. When making them, please consider adding them to these salads:
- Caesar salad
- Panzanella (bread salad)
- Tossed salad
- Fresh tomato salad
- Kale salad
- Cobb salad
Feel free to add these croutons to any salad you like! Panzanella is a great salad for these because it is a salad of mostly croutons with some herbs and a dressing. Be sure to dry them out very well before adding the dressing!
Ingredients in The BEST Gluten-Free Croutons
- ½ loaf of gluten-free sandwich bread, I used Little Northern Bakehouse
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Pinch of black pepper
How to Make The BEST Gluten-Free Croutons
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice your bread into ½-inch cubes as evenly as possible. Toss them into a large bowl.
To the bowl, add your oil, garlic cloves, Italian herbs, cayenne, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Toss to coat the bread evenly.
Dump the mixture out onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes. Toss and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Remove the sheet tray from the oven. Allow to cool slightly. Take the garlic cloves and squeeze the softened garlic out of the peels and onto the bread. Mash the garlic lightly with a spoon and then toss it with the bread cubes evenly so that they are coated.
Return the garlicky bread cubes to the oven and bake for another 3-4 minutes to caramelize the garlic.
Remove from the oven and allow the croutons to cool completely on the tray. Once cooled completely, consume or store in a ventilated, lidded container for up to 1 week.
The BEST Gluten-Free Croutons
Ingredients
- 1/2 loaf gluten-free sandwich bread, I used Little Northern Bakehouse
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch cayenne (optional)
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Slice your bread into ½-inch cubes as evenly as possible. Toss them into a large bowl.
- To the bowl, add your oil, garlic cloves, Italian herbs, cayenne, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Toss to coat the bread evenly.
- Dump the mixture out onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Toss and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the sheet tray from the oven. Allow to cool slightly. Take the garlic cloves and squeeze the softened garlic out of the peels and onto the bread. Mash the garlic lightly with a spoon and then toss it with the bread cubes evenly so that they are coated.
- Return the garlicky bread cubes to the oven and bake for another 3-4 minutes to caramelize the garlic.
- Remove from the oven and allow the croutons to cool completely on the tray. Once cooled completely, consume or store in a ventilated lidded container for up to 1 week.
