Low Calorie Homemade Croutons

Baked croutons

Banar Fil Ardhi / EyeEm / GettyImages

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 17 mins
Servings: 6 servings

We like a nice sized crouton atop our salad, and so we make our own homemade croutons. Thick slices of Italian bread and a generous sprinkling of spices and herbs are all it takes to make your very own croutons at home.

These crispy little squares never seem to last long as everyone loves them so much. We use them for salads and soups, and even snacks. If you are lucky enough to have a few leftover, they do store in an airtight container for a small amount of time. 

For another alternative, you can try using a whole-wheat bread for the crouton. Do make sure that it is a dense type of bread so that you end up with a nice hearty crouton. Breads that are thin or frail will make for sort of a wimpy crouton.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces Italian bread, sliced into 1-inch cubes

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground paprika

  • Cooking spray

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

  2. In a small dish, combine the salt, the pepper, the dried thyme, the dried oregano, and the paprika to make the seasoning for the croutons.

  3. Place the bread cubes into a large bowl. Spray the cubes with a 2-second spray of cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of the herb mixture. Then gently toss the cubes and herbs together being careful not to mash the bread cubes together, and repeat the process with the cooking spray and remaining herbs until all of the bread cubes have become evenly coated with herbs and a bit of cooking spray. 

  4. Place the bread cubes on a large baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. One of the tricks for making nice crisp croutons is to make sure that the bread cubes are evenly spread out on the try in a simple layer so that they can bake evenly. Bake the cubes for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cubes are lightly browned and crunchy. Keep an eye on the bread cubes during the baking process to make sure that they do not overcook and burn.

  5. Once they are finished baking, allow them to cool completely by placing them in a single layer on a small slotted cooling rack until they are completely cool. Then you can store them in an airtight container until you are ready to use them.

  6. Use them to top all kinds of things from green salads to soups, or even eat them as a tasty snack.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
52 Calories
1g Fat
10g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 52
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 151mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 23mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)