Name: Air fryer croutons
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 4 min
Ingredients: 3 slices of stale bread; 30 ml melted butter (or olive oil); 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or other herbs (parsley, oregano, dill, chives, coriander and tarragon all work well)

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Croutons work well with soups, including slow cooker soups, easy potato soup, air fryer roasted tomato soup and your favourite salads. They are a great way to cut food waste and these easy air fryer croutons take just minutes to prepare too.

I love cooking all manner of air fryer recipes, and this one is super fast to prepare. Of course if you’re already using your oven then cooking up some croutons can be a great way to make use of that energy which is already being used, but if not, if you want some croutons in a hurry, then give them a go in your air fryer!

Any recipe that encourages people to use up leftovers is great with me, especially when it is something as delicious and labour intensive as bread! I love to make my own bread, both with and without the use of a bread maker, and so I really appreciate how much time and effort can go into each loaf. This sourdough cinnamon raisin bread would work great for a sweet crouton.

A white and blue trimmed enamel dish filled with air fryer croutons.

Ingredients for air fryer croutons:

Slices of bread (leftover bread that has gone stale is best!)

Olive oil or melted butter (homemade garlic butter works well)

Garlic salt or garlic powder

Salt & pepper – seasoned salt works well

Dried basil or other herbs (parsley, oregano, dill, chives, coriander and tarragon all work well)

See the recipe card below for the exact quantities I used for this recipe

Method for making croutons in the air fryer:

Slice your bread into cubes and place into a large mixing bowl.

Some people remove crusts, but it can be your own preference whether you remove them. If you’re looking to reduce food waste then leaving the crusts on is ideal.

Drizzle melted butter or olive oil over the cubed bread.

Add salt & pepper, garlic salt/powder and the herbs of choice. I love to use dried basil, as this brings lots of nice flavour without being overpowering. I find a teaspoon works well for around 3 pieces of bread.

Toss well until the croutons are all coated.

Place into the air fryer basket.

Air fry at 200C (390F) for 3-4 minutes, until well browned and ready to enjoy. I like to shake halfway through, just to avoid any sticking.

Store in an airtight container and they’ll keep for 3 days at least.

I love to make different flavoured croutons such as salt and pepper ones for soups, then ones with basil and garlic for salads. We often prepare salads in advance in our home, for time saving. When I need breadcrumbs I love to blitz together the basil and garlic flavour ones, as these work so well for things like topping bacon, mac and cheese pasta bake, air fryer pasta bake or air fryer mac and cheese.

Easy tip: If you want to save some time then brush the bread and THEN cube it. You’ll have some bare edges but it is time and effort saving.

roasted tomato pizza sauce in a glass jar with red tomatoes to the side and a patterned lid

Can you air fry frozen croutons?

Yes you can. I’d add 1-2 minutes at the cooking time, depending on how large the cubes for your croutons are.

I love to cook frozen foods in the air fryer. It’s super simple and is a great way to lower food waste too.

If you’re short on time then you can prepare these croutons and then freeze them flat on a tray, before transferring to a bag or freezer safe container.

Can you make croutons with no oil?

Yes you definitely can, they will be drier of course. If you’re looking to be a little healthier than I really rate the 1 calorie oil sprays. Put them directly onto the bread, and not into the air fryer basket itself, as one of my air fryer tips for beginners is to be cautious of the oil that you use in your air fryer.

Air fryer grilled ham and cheese sandwiches cut in half and stacked up on a wooden chopping board

What types of bread can you use for croutons?

All sorts of breads work great. I’ve used sourdough bread, bagels, white bread, wholegrain bread, stoneground bread, cornbread, ciabatta, panini (we often have leftovers from when I make air fryer tuna panini) and even brioche.

I love to make sourdough sometimes and this post showing how to cold proof sourdough is very useful!

Want to make something else out of leftover stale bread?

Leftover stale bread works great for breadcrumbs, bread pudding and even air fryer French toast. You really don’t need to throw bread away just because it has passed its best, as long as it is still safe to eat of course.

A bowl of air fryer roasted tomato soup with basil. Alongside is a grey tea towel with a brushed aluminium teaspoon and a white and blue enamel dish with air fryer croutons.

Want something different to serve with croutons other than soup?

I love to make a serving platter, with lots of little picky bits. Air fryer roasted tomatoes go beautifully with this and croutons work great on a salad too. Sometimes I will cook some air fryer rosemary chicken, as this works very well in a salad, and serve with a simple dressing too.

Looking for some other lovely bread and dough based recipes?

Air fryer Ninja roast potatoes, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and air fryer pizza with salad and garlic and herb dip - text overlay that says what can you cook in an air fryer?

Here are some of my favourite air fryer cookbooks and accessories:

Something to note about air fryer recipes is that all air fryers have different sizes, depths and as such the cooking times can vary. All air fryer recipes on this website are intended as a guide, and not a guarantee that the timings will be perfect. Enjoy!

How to make air fryer croutons:

Air fryer croutons

Super delicious croutons that are made in the air fryer and use up any leftover stale bread.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Keyword air fryer, bread

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Servings 3 servings

Calories 143 kcal

Author Katykicker

Ingredients

3 slices of stale bread
30 ml melted butter or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or other herbs parsley, oregano, dill, chives, coriander and tarragon all work well

Instructions

Slice your bread into cubes and place into a large mixing bowl.
Some people remove crusts, but it can be your own preference whether you remove them. If you’re looking to reduce food waste then leaving the crusts on is ideal.
Drizzle melted butter or olive oil over the cubed bread.
Add salt & pepper, garlic salt/powder and the herbs of choice. I love to use dried basil, as this brings lots of nice flavour without being overpowering. I find a teaspoon works well for around 3 pieces of bread.
Toss well until the croutons are all coated.
Place into the air fryer basket.
Air fry at 200C (390F) for 3-4 minutes, until well browned and ready to enjoy. I like to shake halfway through, just to avoid any sticking.
Store in an airtight container and they’ll keep for 3 days at least.
I love to make different flavoured croutons such as salt and pepper ones for soups, then ones with basil and garlic for salads. We often prepare salads in advance in our home, for time saving. When I need breadcrumbs I love to blitz together the basil and garlic flavour ones, as these work so well for things like topping bacon, mac and cheese pasta bake or air fryer mac and cheese.
Easy tip: If you want to save some time then brush the bread and THEN cube it. You’ll have some bare edges but it is time and effort saving.

Note: All calorie information is for demonstration purposes only and is based on the specific uncooked ingredients that I used when creating the recipe.