The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
Air fryer croutons are the perfect addition to salads – a popular choice being Caesar salads.
Made from a few slices of bread, butter, and some common spices, these perfectly crispy brown croutons are a versatile ingredient that can even be a light snack on their own!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before you make these homemade croutons in the air fryer, read through these recipe tips and substitutions so that you know what to expect!
- We use simple white sandwich bread but you can use other kinds of bread like French bread, baguette, or others.
- We prefer making croutons with slightly stale bread since it is easier to cut. You can definitely also use fresh bread, just be gentle when cutting it.
- The combination of spices can be changed up to suit different tastes. We like garlic powder and some herbs but you might want croutons that have a tad more kick to them.
- Be sure to watch the croutons towards the end of their cooking time since they can go from perfectly brown and crispy to burnt rather quickly.
Step by Step Instructions
For the detailed instructions on how to make crispy air fryer croutons, you can follow these recipe steps with photos below.
If you want to skip the photos, you can head down to the bottom of this post for the detailed recipe card with cooking times and temperatures.
First, cut the bread into 3/4 – 1 inch pieces and add them to a bowl.
Drizzle the melted butter as well as garlic powder, salt, pepper, and fine herbs (optional) on top of the bread pieces in the bowl.
Feel free to change up the spices to suit your personal preferences.
Toss or gently mix with a spoon until the bread is evenly coated.
Now preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is hot, add the bread pieces into the air fryer tray and shake them into one even layer.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer – otherwise, the croutons might not get as crispy. If you have a very small air fryer, make less or cook the croutons in two batches.
Cook the croutons for 4-7 minutes until browned and crispy, shaking the tray every 2 minutes.
Keep a close eye on them towards the end since you don’t want the croutons to burn.
Once done, remove the croutons from the air fryer and snack on them as is or use them in salads. They add the perfect crunch to a creamy Caesar salad!
Storage Tips
We would recommend only making the number of croutons that you need since they taste best when they are fresh and crispy. you need onto a salad otherwise they get soft.
If you do end up having leftovers, you can store the unused croutons in a sealed container on the counter (not in the fridge, or else they might get too moist).
Use them within 2-3 days. They stay crispy for a while but the sooner you eat them the better!
Related Recipes
We have lots of other great air fryer recipes for things that you can snack on or add as an ingredient to other dishes:
- Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
- Air Fried Tofu
- Tortilla Chips Made in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Edamame
- Tempeh in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread
- 2-3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fine herbs, optional
Instructions
- Cut the bread into 3/4 – 1 inch pieces and add them to a bowl.
- Drizzle the melted butter as well as garlic powder, salt, pepper, and fine herbs (optional) on top of the bread pieces in the bowl. Toss or gently mix with a spoon until the bread is evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When it is hot, add the bread pieces into the air fryer tray and shake them into one even layer. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer – otherwise, the croutons might not get as crispy. If you have a very small air fryer, make less or cook the croutons in two batches.
- Cook the croutons for 4-7 minutes until browned and crispy, shaking the tray every 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on them towards the end since you don’t want the croutons to burn.
- Once done, remove the croutons from the air fryer and snack on them as is or use them in salads – they add the perfect crunch to a creamy Caesar salad!
Notes
- We use normal white sandwich bread for our croutons, but you can also use French bread, baguette, or various other kinds of bread for croutons.
- We prefer making croutons with slightly stale bread since it is easier to cut. You can definitely also use fresh bread, just be gentle when cutting it.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
