Herb & Garlic Air Fryer Croutons

Toasted to perfection, these herb & garlic air fryer croutons are full of crispy buttery goodness. They’re perfect for topping salads, soups, or just simple snacking! (Seriously, they’re that good.)

Yes, croutons can easily be snagged already made, ready to eat, from the store. But these herb and garlic air fryer croutons are next level. (Most of them don’t even make it to a salad because I can’t stop snacking on them.) They’re so buttery and tasty!

I love popping them onto a Caesar salad tossed with my homemade Caesar dressing or a nice veg salad with this dill pickle buttermilk ranch dressing. Of course, croutons are also a great topper for homemade tomato soup or roasted red pepper soup.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• They’re super easy to make — prep is only about 10 minutes!
• They last a while — when kept dry and in an airtight container, they can last over two weeks. That is if you can refrain from snacking on them, which I admittedly can not…
• Less ingredients and filler — all you need for these air fryer croutons is bread, olive oil, and seasoning.
• You can control the flavor — whether you like things more or less salty, or more or less garlicky, you get to control it.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Croutons

• Bread — When making from-scratch croutons, you typically want day-old bread. But I’ve found that it doesn’t matter when making them in the air fryer. You’ll still get a beautiful golden crisp! I usually use a loaf of butter bread, potato bread, or Texas toast.
• Extra virgin olive oil — You’ll still achieve a beautiful buttery flavor with olive oil instead of actual butter.
• Italian seasoning — I always reach for my homemade Italian seasoning! But you can use any store bought variety.
• Other seasoning — I like adding garlic powder, onion powder, and of course some sea salt and cracked black pepper. You can totally get creative, however. Add smoked paprika for a smoky note, or some red pepper flakes to add a little heat!

How to Make Air Fryer Croutons

Step 1. Mix the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 2. Cube the bread into about 1-inch pieces, then place half of them into a large mixing bowl.

Step 3. Drizzle with half of the olive oil, and then sprinkle with half of the seasoning. Toss them well. Bring the rest of the bread cubes to the mixing bowl and drizzle the rest of the olive oil on top; add the rest of the seasoning as well, and toss to coat.

Step 4. Place half of the bread into the basket of your air fryer. Close it up and cook, at 375º F, for 3 minutes.

Step 5. Open the air fryer, give the croutons a good shake, then close it back up and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and toasted.

Step 6. Transfer the croutons to a sheet pan to cool and continue on with the second batch of croutons.

Recipe Tips

• Mix the seasoning — Instead of just sprinkling the seasonings over the bread cubes individually and tossing, I like to mix the seasoning beforehand to ensure it’s well blended and distributes evenly throughout.
• Air fry in batches — Don’t overcrowd the air fryer, or you won’t get that nice crisp.

Storage & Freezing

1. Once cooled, air fryer croutons can be stored in an airtight container for two weeks or more. Note: It’s important to make sure they are very dry!
2. To freeze, spread the croutons onto a baking sheet once cooled and pop them into the freezer to partially freeze for about 30-minutes. Then you can pop them into a freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to use them, simply place them onto the countertop or the fridge to thaw, then give them a quick trip in the air fryer to crisp them up again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to Use Air Fryer Croutons

• Lemon Pepper Salmon Caesar Salad
• Greek Steak Salad
• Easy Dinner Side Salad
• Homemade Tomato Soup

Let us know what you think!

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4.91 from 10 votes

Herb & Garlic Air Fryer Croutons

By: Dana Sandonato

Toasted in the air fryer, these homemade croutons are full of buttery herb and garlic goodness. Perfect for topping salads, soups, or just snacking.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 1 20 oz loaf of bread, I like to use butter bread, potato bread, or Texas toast.
• ▢ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; more if needed
• ▢ 1 TBSP Italian seasoning
• ▢ 2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 3/4 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

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Instructions 

• In a small bowl, blend the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper; set aside.
• Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes, then place half of them into a large mixing bowl.
• Drizzle the bread cubes with half of the olive oil; sprinkle them with half of the seasoning. With bare hands, toss to coat. Add the rest of the bread cubes to the bowl, then drizzle the remaining olive oil and sprinkle on the rest of the seasoning. Toss to coat, ensuring olive oil soaks into all pieces of the bread.
• Transfer half of the bread into the air fryer basket, close up, and cook at 375º F for 3 minutes.
• After 3 minutes, open the air fryer and give the croutons a good shake. Close it back up and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and toasted.
• Transfer the croutons to a container and continue on with the second batch of croutons, repeating steps 6 & 7.
• Store the croutons in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze them for up to 4 months in a resealable freezer bag.

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