How to Make Croûtons in the Air Fryer or Oven - with Garlic

What are Croûtons?

In France, croûtons are simply small crispy cubes of leftover bread, toasted until golden. They mainly garnish vegetable soups (potages) and fish soup (traditional from Marseille), plus add crunch to green salads. It also refers to the crust of the bread without the softer inside (la mie).

Croûton: small pieces of old, sliced bread in various shapes, grilled, browned in butter, fried in oil, or simply dried in the oven. Small crispy cubes are used to garnish soups, salads, scrambled eggs or omelettes or buttered greens.
- Larousse Gastronomique, French gourmet dictionary

Why Make Homemade Croutons in the Air Fryer?

I love to make them in the air fryer because they're:

• Ready in minutes - no need to preheat a big oven
• Golden and crunchy, with less oil than pan-frying
• A great way to use up stale bread (like French toast or pain perdu)
• Infused with real fresh garlic (not powder) for that French touch

Easy Homemade Croûton Recipe with Garlic

Before you gasp in horror about adding fresh garlic when crisping croûtons in an air fryer, the good news is that it works really well. Both shouldn't be burnt but toasted.

Please avoid powdered garlic, as the taste is nowhere near the same as fresh. We're just adding one fresh garlic clove - remember to remove the inner sprout, especially if it's green - as this helps digestion, removing any bitterness.

How to Crisp Crôutons: Fry or Bake?

Toss together cubed day-old bread with a grated fresh garlic clove, olive oil, salt and herbs in an air fryer dish or bake in the oven. As we're using olive oil rather than butter, this croûton recipe is vegan - and healthier as it uses less olive oil in the air fryer. You could add a little more oil and bake them in the oven- just use the same temperature.

Or simply go the old traditional method and fry them - it gives a richer flavour. Auguste Escoffier (the French chef of chefs) fried his croûtons in clarified butter. To clarify butter, follow my instructions in this Béarnaise sauce recipe.

Storage Tips: How to Keep them Crispy

As we're making homemade croûtons without any preservatives that stops them from turning, the oil will go rancid after a few days. So, to avoid them from turning bad and keep them crisp:

• eat within 3 days
• store in aluminium foil or an airtight container.

Can You Freeze Homemade Croûtons?

Croûtons can be frozen, only if your bread hadn't been frozen first. Let them cool completely, then pop into an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

To re-crisp, just heat in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes before serving - or place in the a medium oven (about 180°C/350°F).

Homemade Croûtons - Serving Ideas

Croûtons are always best served at the last minute to avoid any sogginess - who wants a soggy piece of bread in their soup? (Although, ask my husband - he grew up with a lot of that in Corsica! Perhaps he took too long to come to the table!)

• Add to a simple green salad for extra crunch - or a topping for Caesar salad (this homemade dressing is coming soon!)
• Float on top of soups or potages like this French pea soup (potage St Germain), Leek & Potato soup (potage bonne femme), or Crème Dubarry.
• Sprinkle over creamy pasta bakes or gratins such as Gratin Dauphinois or this cheesy Potato Gratin Savoyard without cream.