Croutons are the perfect addition to any salad or soup providing a nice little indulgence.  Just a little goes a long way when eating these little crunchy bites. These are not as hard as one would think to make and take less than 10 minutes to have on your table!

My kiddies love croutons but I don’t like to buy them as they are expensive. Not to mention, full of additives and preservatives and enriched wheat flour which I avoid. So I decided I wanted to make my own and the kiddies have given them a thumbs up!

You can really use any bread you like since the flavorings added are what won my kiddies over. If I had told my oldest 12 year old picky eater he was enjoying some whole grain gluten free croutons he would have never tried them for sure!

You can also make this vegan by replacing the butter with perhaps coconut oil or another butter replacement. Haven’t tried that because we love butter here.:)

I’ve made them twice now and the first time I didn’t use the broiler but toasted them in a saute pan with the melted butter then added other ingredients. They came out delicious but my youngest wasn’t happy they weren’t as crispy and crunchy as he likes. They had a nice warm softer center, which I actually prefer than completely crunchy. But to please the little man I chose the broiler the second time. Just an FYI: you must watch them after one minute as they can easily burn to a crisp!

Stay tuned on Monday as I will be sharing my New England Clam Chowder recipe and topping it with these croutons! Subscribe via email or RSS feed so you won’t miss any recipes posted!

Nutrition Info

Servings: 4 cups* Serving Size: 1/4 cup* Calories:53* Fat: 3g* Cholesterol: 7mg* Sodium: 92mg* Carbs: 4g* Fiber: 0g* Sugars: 1g* Protein: 1g* Points+: 1*

Gluten Free Garlic Parmesan Croutons

Ingredients

• 6 slices or 4 cups cubed Gluten Free Bread ( I used Udi’s Whole Grain)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh finely chopped cilantro or parsley

Directions

In a small bowl mix melted butter with garlic powder and stir well. Place cubed bread in a large bowl and toss with melted butter mixture. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly lay the cubed bread so none are overlapping. Spray the cubes with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the cubes. Broil for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove, turn cubes over with a spatula and spray again with nonstick cooking spray.  Broil 1-2 minutes more. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the croutons once out of the oven. Enjoy warm! Store in an airtight container.