These are my easy homemade Ciabatta Croutons and they're the perfect topping for salads and soups. These croutons that are made from scratch are a hundred times better than the store-bought version. I've provided instructions for both oven-baked and air fryer ciabatta croutons, so I really hope you enjoy them!
These ciabatta croutons are crunchy on the outside and soft on the very inside. The seasoning makes the bread taste delicious, using dried oregano, paprika, grated parmesan, and olive oil. Want more than just croutons? Check out some of my favorite crunchy salad toppings from roasted chickpeas to apple crisps!
Henry (my boyfriend) said he can't believe how much better they are than store-bought croutons!
If you're looking for some salads to go with these croutons, check out my chicken salad without celery recipe or my chicken salad without mayo recipe.
If you're a big fan of bread, then check out my ciabatta garlic bread that's the perfect side for most dishes!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy: homemade ciabatta croutons are genuinely one of the easiest things to make, but I feel like so many people just buy them instead of making them from scratch because they think they're time consuming...but they're so simple and take less than 15 minutes to make! They're also a great way to use up leftover ciabatta bread that's a little stale!
Flavourful: I find store-bought croutons so boring, with little flavour, and overly dry. Which is why I adore making my own. And I think you guys will love the seasonings I've added to these ciabatta croutons.
Customisable: further down the blog, I'll share my personal favourite recipe for these homemade croutons, but I'll also provide a few variations for you!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ciabatta bread: fresh or slightly stale ciabatta rolls or loaf is great. I just sliced mine up into small-ish pieces. If you don't have ciabatta bread, focaccia bread or a farm loaf would be great. There are some great gluten-free ciabatta bread options in stores nowadays, so make sure to go for them if you or your guest is intolerant.
Olive oil: I used olive oil for this recipe because I love the nuttiness it brings. Feel free to use walnut, sunflower, or peanut oil!
Parmesan: grated parmesan adds a lovely saltiness to the croutons. You could also use grated pecorino cheese. For a plant-based alternative, feel free to use nutritional yeast.
Oregano: dried oregano is my preferred ingredient over fresh oregano. You could use dried mixed Italian herbs too if that's all you've got!
Paprika: this doesn't make the homemade croutons spicy, it just adds another level of flavour that makes these ciabatta croutons totally delicious. If you don't have paprika, feel free to use ground cayenne or mild chili powder.
Salt and pepper: I'm using flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for this recipe rather than table salt and pre-ground black pepper.
The full list of ingredients and quantities is at the bottom of this blog in the recipe card! The substitutions are all suggestions, I've not had a chance to test them but let me know how it goes!
Variations
Plain: Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Great served on top of my roasted red pepper and gouda soup.
Spicy Curry: Season with vegetable oil, salt, pepper, ½ tablespoon curry powder and ½ teaspoon mild chili flakes. This would go really well with a coronation inspired salad or a carrot ginger soup.
Zesty: Season with sundried tomato oil (the stuff that's in the jar), salt and pepper, 1 zest of a lemon, and 1 tablespoon oregano.
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190c fan / 410F or prepare your air fryer at 190c / 375F. Slice your ciabatta bread into small pieces around 1 inch by ½ inch. I like to have some that are a bit bigger and some that are a bit smaller, to provide a bit of diversity in the texture and crunch!
Step 2: Place the sliced ciabatta into a medium-sized bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss the bread cubes and then sprinkle over the grated parmesan, dried oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly with your hands or a spoon so that all of the croutons are covered.
Step 3:
Oven: Transfer the bread pieces to a metal tray and place in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Flipping halfway. Cook until golden and crispy.
Air Fryer: Transfer the bread pieces to your air fryer compartment and cook for 3 minutes, then toss and cook for a further 2 minutes until golden and crispy. Every air fryer is different, this is what worked with my air fryer. So just keep an eye on the croutons so they don't burn!
Step 4: Remove the croutons from the oven/air fryer once they're golden and crunchy on the outside.
Step 5: Serve warm with a salad or on top of a soup! Enjoy!
What To Do with Leftovers
Storage: leave the ciabatta croutons to cool, then place in airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 3 days. I'd recommend reheating to crisp up before eating (see instructions below).
Freezing: you can totally freeze these croutons. Place in airtight containers and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: place the croutons on a tray or in the air fryer compartment and reheat in the oven for 3 minutes at temperature set in regular instructions.
FAQs
Yes, they make incredible croutons! They're light and airy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
For sure, simply slice them up into small bite-sized pieces and follow instructions in the recipe card.
Yes, just make sure to pick up some gluten-free ciabatta rolls and follow instructions.
I love to serve them in salads and in soups.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy!
If you tried this Ciabatta Croutons recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Easy Homemade Ciabatta Croutons (Oven or Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 120 g ciabatta roll or bread
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan or pecorino
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika smoked or sweet
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt 5-8 grinds of salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 10-15 grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190c fan / 410F or prepare your air fryer at 190c / 375F. Slice your ciabatta bread into small pieces around 1 inch by 1 inch. I like to have some that are a bit bigger and some that are a bit smaller, to provide a bit of diversity in the texture and crunch! But you do you!
- Place the sliced ciabatta into a medium-sized bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss the bread cubes and then sprinkle over the grated parmesan, dried oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly with your hands or a spoon so that all of the croutons are covered.
- Oven: Transfer the bread pieces to a metal tray and place in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Flipping halfway. Cook until golden and crispy. Air Fryer: Transfer the bread pieces to your air fryer compartment and cook for 3 minutes, then toss and cook for a further 2 minutes until golden and crispy. Every air fryer is different, this is what worked with my air fryer. So just keep an eye on the croutons so they don't burn!
- Remove the croutons from the oven/air fryer once they're golden and crunchy on the outside.
- Serve warm with a salad or on top of a soup! Enjoy!
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