Cheesy Everything Bagel Croutons will be your new favorite 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, but you won’t be able to resist them for straight up snacking either!
January seems to be soup and salad season around here, and since I’m into all the crunchy and savory toppings (hello, crispy chickpeas and savory 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.
Ingredients
- Stale sourdough bread
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Nutritional yeast (for the ‘cheesy’ flavor)
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a cheesy flavor. 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.
Once they’re fully cooled, store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature.
If stored properly, they should last for 5-7 days.
Key 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 flavor. 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!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Cheesy Everything Bagel Croutons
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cheesy Everything Bagel Croutons will be your new favorite topping for soups and salads! They’re seasoned with everything bagel spice and nutritional yeast, and bake up ultra crunchy in the oven.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed stale sourdough bread (1-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the bread 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 the bread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle on any remaining crumbs from the bowl and press them into the bread cubes. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy. (Flip them over after about 15 minutes of baking).
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. Store at room temperature and enjoy within 5-7 days.
Notes
- Gently toss the bread cubes with seasoning. If you’re too rough, the bread may start to crumble.
- For a crunchier texture, make sure your bread is a few days old. Fresher bread will take 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. They have lots of flavor so don’t throw them away. I usually add the crumbs to soups and salads along with the croutons.
They look soooo scrumptious! I love croutons so much!
Thank you!
Such a great idea, I love everything bagel (who doesn’t?!), and to have that on a salad or in my soup would be delicious!
Right?! It’s such a great spice blend. Thanks Matt!
Hooray for having the most delicious use for stale bread! These look sooo good Leanne. I am definitely making them soon and putting them all over everything! Happy Friday to you!
Haha! Thanks Katherine! We’ve been eating them as straight up snacks too!
Leanne, pretty sure I could just eat this entire pan of croutons and not even add them to a salad or soup..LOL! So good!
Haha! Thanks Haylie! I usually eat quite a few straight off the pan!
Is it terrible that my salads are often more crouton than anything else? I just love carbs! These look totally addictive, and definitely worthy of being piled high on any bed of greens 🙂
That’s how my husband enjoys his salads too! Thanks Kelsie!
These look delicious and always a great idea to have a supply of homemade croutons around for soup season 🙂
Thanks Jennifer!
I LOVE everything bagel seasoning on just about anything Leanne. I’ve never though to top my croutons with them. Genius! Can’t wait to try these on my next salad!
Thank you Mary Ann! The seasoning is addictive!
These would be delicious on any salad or soup, Leanne! I actually have a crouton recipe coming up too! I could just enjoy ’em straight off the pan (and have). Love the everything bagel vibe! Happy (almost) Friday 🙂
I definitely eat quite a few off the pan! Thanks Dawn!