This easy recipe for homemade Air Fryer Croutons are great for anyone on a low carb or keto diet. By using a keto friendly bread you can make the most crispy, flavorful croutons right in your air fryer in 7 minutes or less. Customize the flavors to add to your favorite soups or salads.
It’s year 3 with my air fryer and I cannot live without it. This tiny convection oven has made such a difference when it comes to getting healthy food on the table fast. I especially love using my Ninja Foodi because it’s an air fryer and pressure cooker combined!
Since I am adopting a low carb diet this year, I didn’t want to miss out on croutons for my soups and salads because I love them so much. And because there are so many different low carb breads out there, I figured I would make them into a flavorful garlic butter crouton that is keto friendly.
I used the Aldi keto friendly bread for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorites such as, Sola, Kiss My Keto, Thin Slim Foods, or make some yourself!
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🍞Ingredients You’ll Need
Keto or Low Carb Bread - You’ll need about 4 full slices to make this recipe. You can keep the crust on or off depending on your preference. It can either be wheat or white bread.
Melted Butter - I like using butter because it adds a delicious flavor to the bread. You could also use olive or avocado oil.
Sea Salt - You’ll need this to bring out all the flavors in the bread. I start with 1 tsp and adjust if it needs a bit more flavor.
Dried Garlic Powder, Parsley & Paprika - These spices give the croutons a classic garlic butter flavor but feel free to customize it however you like.
📖How To Make Croutons In Your Air Fryer
1️⃣ Slice 4 pieces of bread into squares using a serrated knife. Each square should be about ½” around. Add cubes to a large bowl.
2️⃣ In a small bowl, melt 2 tbsp of butter then add in your salt and spices. Mix together so the seasonings are evenly combined into the butter.
3️⃣ Drizzle the seasoned butter onto the bread cubes and toss until the bread is evenly coated in the butter mixture.
4️⃣ Add to the air fryer basket in a single layer. It’s ok if they overlap a bit but make sure they are not overcrowded.
5️⃣ Air fry at 375 for 5-7 minutes or until croutons are golden brown and crispy. Since every air fryer and each bread is different, check on your croutons at 4 minutes, give them a shake and check again at 7 minutes to see if they are finished.
6️⃣ Remove them from the air fryer basket and let them cool completely before serving on top of your favorite soup or salad.
🔀Variations
Oil Free: You can make an oil free crouton by eliminating the oil and tossing with spices only. Change the cooking time to 4-5 minutes as they may burn quicker without the oil but will still taste flavorful.
Cheesy Croutons: After tossing in butter mixture, add some grated parmesan cheese for a crispy cheese crouton that’s great for a caesar salad.
If you like spicy croutons, add some cayenne pepper or some Cajun seasoning to the butter mix.
🍽How To Serve Homemade Air Fryer Croutons
- Use them to make this Gluten Free Stuffing
- Sprinkle on top of this Keto Hamburger Soup
- Make a green salad and drizzle this Thousand Island Dressing on top with the croutons.
- Make this Leftover Stuffing Breakfast Casserole after a holiday feast.
- Pulse them up in a blender for keto breadcrumbs.
- Use them on top of this Instant Pot French Onion Soup.
🍲Don’t Have An Air Fryer? Make oven baked keto croutons!
- Preheat your oven to 375.
- Follow the recipe by cutting and coating the bread in the butter mixture.
- Place croutons on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes flipping 1-2 times during the cooking process. Cooking time may vary depending on the oven and type of bread used.
👩🏻🍳Chef's Tips
Make sure your bread is all cut roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.
It’s best to add the seasonings to the butter rather than add them one at a time. This makes sure the bread is evenly coated and no pieces are over or under seasoned.
Air fry them in a single layer as much as possible to prevent them from steaming and having parts of them be too soft.
Start with 5 minutes of cooking time and adjust until they are completed.
❔FAQ
Do you need to preheat the air fryer? I see air fryer recipes often that require you to preheat the air fryer. I can tell you from experience that this step is completely unnecessary! The air fryer heats up very quickly itself as it is a small oven with circulating heat. If it makes you feel better, do it but you don't need to.
How do I reheat croutons if they become stale? Simply throw them back in the air fryer at 375 degrees for 1-2 minutes flipping halfway through.
Can I Freeze Croutons? Believe it or not, you can! Make sure they are in a sealed bag with as much air taken out as possible. To thaw them leave on the counter for 1-2 hours until thawed. Throw them in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to crisp them back up before using.
Keto Air Fryer Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 slices Keto Bread
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Dried Parsley
Instructions
- Slice 4 pieces of bread into squares using a serrated knife. Each square should be about ½” around. Add cubes to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, melt 2 tbsp of butter then add in your salt and spices. Mix together so the seasonings are evenly combined into the butter.
- Drizzle the seasoned butter onto the bread cubes and toss until the bread is evenly coated in the butter mixture.
- Add to the air fryer basket in a single layer. It’s ok if they overlap a bit but make sure they are not overcrowded.
- Air fry at 375 for 5-7 minutes or until croutons are golden brown and crispy. Since every air fryer and each bread is different, check on your croutons at 4 minutes, give them a shake and check again at 7 minutes to see if they are finished.
- Remove them from the air fryer basket and let them cool completely before serving on top of your favorite soup or salad.
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