Cheesy Everything Bagel Croutons

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Cheesy Everything Bagel Croutons will be your new favourite topping for soups and salads! These baked croutons are seasoned with everything but the bagel seasoning and nutritional yeast, and toast up ultra crunchy in the oven.

We love them as a topping for this green pea soup and this kale caesar salad, but you won’t be able to resist them for straight up snacking either!

Everything Bagel Croutons cooling on a baking sheet.

January seems to be soup and salad season around here, and since I’m into all the crunchy and savoury toppings (hello, crispy chickpeas and savoury granola!), I thought it was time to add some homemade croutons to the mix.

Why you’ll love these croutons

You need just a few ingredients.
They’re baked, not fried.
They turn out ultra crunchy.
The recipe is a great way to use up stale bread.

Cubes of bread on a wooden cutting board.

Ingredients

Stale sourdough bread

Extra virgin olive oil

Nutritional yeast (for the ‘cheesy’ flavour)

Everything bagel seasoning

How do you make homemade croutons

First, make sure your bread is stale. And not just a day old. It should be a few days old. Stale bread is the key to making extra crunchy croutons.

Cut your bread into one-inch cubes (roughly – it doesn’t need to be precise) and add the cubes to a medium-sized bowl.

Slowly drizzle on the oil, making sure to cover as much of the bread as possible. Sprinkle on the seasonings and gently toss together until the bread cubes are well coated.

Arrange on a prepared baking sheet and bake on 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the croutons from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet. They will get crunchier as they cool.

Overhead view of seasoned bread cubes in a glass bowl.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of bread is best to use for homemade croutons?

While I’ve made these croutons with all types of bread, I prefer the texture of sourdough. You can also try a crusty baguette, multi-grain bread or an Italian loaf. Just make sure they are stale.

Where do you find everything but the bagel seasoning?

You can buy it or make it. The most popular place to get it is at Trader Joe’s. But since I don’t have one nearby, I often make my own seasoning using this recipe from Two Peas and their Pod.

What is nutritional yeast and where can you find it?

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a cheesy flavour. It also has a flakey texture, so it works well sprinkled on food. It’s dairy-free and vegan, and can usually be found at your local grocery store in the organic or specialty section. Bulk food stores normally carry it too.

How should you store homemade croutons?

Once they’re fully cooled, store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature.

How long will homemade croutons last?

If stored properly, they should last for 5-7 days.

Overhead view of bread cubes arranged on a baking sheet and ready for the oven.

Additional recipe tips

If you’d like more even coverage of oil on the croutons, try using an extra virgin olive oil spray.
Gently toss the bread cubes with seasoning. If you’re too rough or toss them too much, the bread may start to crumble.
Make sure your bread is stale. It ends up with a crunchier texture and fresher bread takes longer to get crispy.
You may need to adjust your bake time slightly depending on the type of bread you use and how stale it is.
There will be crumbs left on the pan after baking the croutons. Don’t throw them away. They have lots of flavour. I usually add the crumbs to soups and salads along with the croutons.
I normally let the croutons cool on the pan for 1-2 hours before storing them just to make sure they are fully cooled and crunchy.

Serving options

Enjoy these crunchy croutons on top of creamy soups like this red pepper and butternut squash soup or this roasted sweet potato and carrot soup.

Croutons and tomato soup just go together! Add a handful to this bacon tomato soup by my friend Carmy at One Pot Only!

What salad is complete without croutons? Pair these crispy cubes with this strawberry kale salad or this vegan caesar salad!

Up-close view of Cheesy Everything Bagel Croutons on a baking sheet.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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