Everyday kitchen · Easy
Garlic whole-wheat croutons
Cubes of whole-wheat bread tossed with olive oil, garlic powder and dried basil, then oven-baked until golden and crunchy. Add them to salads and soups just before serving.
- Prep
- 8 minutes
- Total time
- 62 minutes
- Portions
- 8
Estimated nutrition
| Nutrient | Per portion | Whole batch |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 92 kcal | 734 kcal |
| Protein | 3.2 g | 25.5 g |
| Carbs | 10.9 g | 87.4 g |
| Fiber | 1.6 g | 12.6 g |
| Sugars | 1.1 g | 8.7 g |
| Added sugars | 0–1.1 g | 0–8.7 g |
| Fat | 4 g | 32.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.6 g | 4.9 g |
| Sodium | 114 mg | 912 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
How these estimates work
Per portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
Estimate includes all bread, olive oil, garlic powder and basil, divided into eight portions. Olive oil adds most of the extra energy compared with plain bread. Commercial bread may contain added sugar, shown as a range, and sodium varies by brand. A topping component; the salad or soup is not included.
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Ingredients, sources & assumptions
All listed edible food and oil are counted as eaten. Cooking losses and final cooked weight are not measured. Some ingredients use a stated reference food or a proxy for a missing nutrient. No personalized dietary advice.
Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared · 200 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceOil, olive, salad or cooking · 25 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSpices, garlic powder · 2 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSpices, basil, dried · 1 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceCalculation version 2. Source records and method are documented in our nutrition guide.
Nutrition guidancePer portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
Estimate includes all bread, olive oil, garlic powder and basil, divided into eight portions. Olive oil adds most of the extra energy compared with plain bread. Commercial bread may contain added sugar, shown as a range, and sodium varies by brand. A topping component; the salad or soup is not included.
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Let’s make it
Steps at a glance 4 steps
Amounts below match your selected batch. Follow each short step, and use timers as reminders to check the food.
Equipment
Kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g · Oven · Serrated knife and cutting board · Large mixing bowl · Rimmed baking sheet · Spatula · Airtight container
- 1
Heat the oven and cube the bread
Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C, about 15 minutes. Check 200 g whole-wheat bread and discard the whole loaf if any part has mold, then cut it into cubes about 2 cm across.
- 2
Season the cubes
Put the cubes in a large bowl and drizzle 25 g olive oil over them while tossing. Sprinkle with 2 g garlic powder and 1 g dried basil crumbled between your fingertips, and toss until evenly coated.
- 3
Bake until crisp, then cool
Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and crisp all the way through; watch the last few minutes because garlic powder scorches quickly. Cool completely on the tray, about 20 minutes, as they crisp further.
- 4
Store and use
Pack the cooled croutons in an airtight container. Add a portion to salads or soups just before eating so they stay crunchy. Refrigerate any salad or soup leftovers at 40°F / 4°C or colder within 2 hours.
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Make it work for you
For kids & different preferences
Hard and crunchy, which can be a choking risk for young children. For children who cannot yet manage hard crunchy foods, let croutons soak in soup until fully soft, or skip them. Serve to seated, supervised children. Contains wheat; check the bread label for other allergens. Not age-specific feeding guidance.
Storage & packed lunches
Store completely cooled, crisp croutons airtight at cool room temperature for up to 1 week for quality (the oil can turn stale). They contain garlic powder, not fresh garlic. Once added to salad or soup, refrigerate leftovers at 40°F / 4°C or colder within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C) and use within 3 days.
Freezing & reheating
Freeze airtight for up to 1 month; recrisp in the oven if needed.
To recrisp, bake a few minutes at 300°F / 150°C and cool before storing.
If something looks different
Croutons that are crisp outside but chewy inside need a few more minutes or smaller cubes. Dark, bitter spots mean the garlic powder scorched; lower the oven slightly next time and stir more often.
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Updated 2026-10-29
Bethany’s Kitchen · /recipes/garlic-whole-wheat-croutons · Original instructions and generated food illustration. General culinary practice informed the method; no third-party prose or photograph copied. Not physically kitchen-tested or human-reviewed.