These Keto Croutons are an easy low-carb addition to your favorite salads! Made the rustic style, they’re crunchy, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and even plant-based depending on what bread you use!
Who doesn’t love croutons, we sure do! A caesar salad, or any salad really, just isn’t complete without a heaping handful. Our recipe uses pre-made bread for a semi-homemade style recipe saving you time and the mess of making your own bread.
What is a crouton you ask? Obviously, you didn’t ask as we all know what a crouton is but we love giving a bit of history to our recipes. The word crouton is derived from the French word croûte, which means crust. A crouton is generally used in soup or salad to add crunchiness, but can also be crispier when they are baked.
They are also known as breadsticks; although the terms are interchangeable, it is believed that breadsticks tend to be more crunchy than croutons. You can use them in salads, on French Onion Soup, as breadcrumbs when crushed, or Alex’s favorite way of a handful straight to your mouth 😆
Here’s what you’ll need to make low-carb croutons
- 12 ounces Keto bread, torn into bite-sized pieces – preferably a say or two old so that it’s not super fresh. You want the bread to be a little on the dry side. If your bread is frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator, toast for a few minutes in the oven before proceeding with the recipe.
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil – you can also use a bit of melted butter (we love Miyokos!)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
How to make Keto Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- In a large bowl, toss the torn pieces of bread with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt.
- Arrange the croutons on a baking sheet (we love our Cast Iron one obviously 😉 ) in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. You can bake a bit longer for very crunchy croutons or a bit less time if you want the outsides to be crispy with chewier insides.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator and reheat them in a hot oven as needed.
*A note on parchment paper, we have found that the croutons don’t get as crispy when using parchment paper so skip it for this recipe.
What type of bread to use for Crunchy Keto Croutons
We used the plant-based ketogenic buns from Unbun for our croutons. We find that the roll nature of the buns leads to a great rustic style crouton. If you’re using sliced bread, cubing the bread will give you the best outcome. Be sure to adjust the cooking time if you’re making small croutons instead of larger ones like we have here.
If you want to keep these croutons gluten-free, be sure to choose a gluten-free low-carb bread or even try making your own! There are numerous recipes online for low-carb bread using almond flour.
What to serve croutons with on a keto diet
Salads, duh, but there’s more! We love pulsing croutons in a food processor to make homemade low-carb bread crumbs. A sprinkle of bread crumbs on roasted veggies is simply perfection. You can also use them in anything that calls for breadcrumbs.
Keto Croutons
Ingredients
- 12 ounces your favorite Keto bread torn into bite-sized pieces (see post for recommendations)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- In a large bowl, toss the torn pieces of bread with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt.
- Arrange the croutons on a baking sheet in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25* [see notes] minutes, flipping halfway through, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy.
What Keto bread is gluten free? I’ve never seen one. Keto bread that I’ve found always has wheat gluten.
There are tons! We use Unbun and Carbonaut the most. Pictured in this recipe is Unbun.