Best Homemade Air Fryer Croutons

Ninja Air Fryer Croutons

I have to admit I have 3 different hot air machines at home. This white one lives on my countertop all the time but I also have a Cosori and Foodi tucked away. Many times I will use more than one to make dinner, my oven hasn’t been used in quite some time now.

After we made a few mini loaves of air fryer bread this thought came to mind. Once they were “day old” they’d be better seasoned and made into these babies. They turned out great.

How to Make Croutons in Air fryer

You really can use any kind of loaf but French bread is best. Day old is better. Just a little bit stale in the center but not so hard it is difficult to slice is just right. Always use a sharpened serrated knife so you don’t smash your pieces. 3/4 of an inch for each cubed piece is the best size I found.

Beyond that you just need some oil and seasonings of your choice. Toss everything together and you’re set to go. A lot easier than heating up your oven, lining a baking sheet and baking.

1. Loaf of bread cubes with crust left on for sure
2. Olive oil or avocado oil is fantastic, I’ve never used melted butter but I imagine that would work too
3. Seasonings of your choice but everything bagel mix is great, Italian seasoning would be good too

You’ll want a mixing bowl to coat all the pieces too and a spoon or just toss it y’all, it will work. 😉

Garlic Croutons

Love this flavor?? You can really do them well this way. You will still need the oil so everything sticks but you could add diced air fryer garlic into the mix with 1 tbsp garlic salt and onion powder or garlic powder. A sprinkle of regular salt and pepper never hurt these either.

Since salad is typically a bit bland you really need to amp it up with something(s). You can use any sort of bread you want to as well. Gluten free works, cubed leftover cornbread or Sourdough Croutons have an added tang.

These are not just great on top of salads though. If you love any or all of our Ninja Foodi soup recipes I love them on top of those as well. Adds a bit of texture to each bite, and flavor too.

Texas Toast Croutons

You know that delicious sliced and already made garlic bread in the freezer section of your grocery store? You can totally use that too! That makes things super fast and easy. The only prep to that is allowing it to defrost and slicing. That is it!! Then follow our directions for cooking below.

• Cut your bread of choice into 3/4 inch cubes. Add into bowl and preheat air fryer to 370 degrees F for 5 minutes.
• Drizzle olive oil on bread and toss together with your seasonings.
• Pour seasoned bread into air fryer basket and cook for about 5 minutes. Toss halfway thru until as crispy air fried as you’d like.

Serve on top of salad and soups and enjoy my friends.

Homemade Croutons Recipe

5 minute cooking time is all you really need. Of course there is a slight variance to this depending on how large each piece is, the amount of oil on each cube and how much you’re making. You could easily double or triple this but don’t overload the basket with each load.

You don’t want them to overlap too much but a little is okay. Make sure you toss them so every piece gets really crisp on all the edges. If you just want a little crunch aim for 4 minutes instead. You get my drift.

There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with nutritional information listed. Specific calories, saturated fat, etc. will vary depending on the bread you choose.

How long do bread croutons last?

If you keep them in an airtight container they will stay crunchy for a good 2 weeks. Make sure all the air is eliminated out of the bag every time you take some out or they may get stale. Keep them out of the refrigerator too or the condensation will make them moist and won’t last more than a day.