High Protein Croutons

These High Protein Croutons are addictive in the best way! They’re amazing for salads, but also fun to just have around to snack on! I make this high protein bread pretty much every week, because it’s great to make sandwiches with or to just eat as a side with some creamy fettuccine alfredo! Sometimes I don’t end up using it all while it’s super fresh and make these croutons with it, and sometimes I literally make the bread just so that I can have a bunch of high protein croutons to use in salads!

If you have protein goals, I’m sure you’ve either avoided croutons or used them sparingly; I’ve done it too. It sucks because I only eat salads in order to eat croutons if I’m being honest. With these high protein croutons, you can use as many as you want because they’ll help you hit your protein goal while adding flavor and texture to your salad.

Be sure to check out my high protein ranch dressing and high protein Caesar dressing recipes if you’re looking for some creamy and flavor-packed dressings!

Also, just a side note, these have the texture of incredibly fresh croutons, similar to what you might get at a nice restaurant or salad bar. They’re crunchy and crispy on the outside and the inside is still a little soft and chewy. These are not like the packaged croutons you get at the store that are just super hard. If you, for some reason, want them to be super hard, cut the bread into smaller pieces and bake for longer so that you get rid of more of the moisture.

Ingredients

• High Protein Bread – to make high protein croutons, you do need high protein bread. I recommend the one I linked; I make it weekly and it’s super easy!
• Olive Oil – I find that adding a little bit of olive oil helps the croutons toast a little better and come out with that classic crouton texture!
• Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder – these are the seasonings that I really like on croutons for most salads, but you can definitely swap these with other spices if you have a specific flavor in mind that’s different.
• Vegan Parmesan – I highly recommend sprinkle a little bit of Follow Your Heart Parmesan (from the container, not the shaker). It adds a really nice flavor, and also a bit of texture since this specific brand of parmesan browns and gets crispy in the oven.

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 375 F (191 C).
• Cut your high protein bread into 1/2 – 1″ cubes, depending on how large you want your croutons. Larger pieces will be a little more soft on the inside, if that factors into your decision.
• Throw the bread chunks into a bowl and toss with olive oil, Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. I usually toss them for a minute or two to make sure they’re all well-coated.
• Spread the seasoned bread chunks on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• This step is optional but recommend – sprinkle some vegan parmesan on top!
• Bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, around the 7-8 minute mark.

• The croutons should be crispy and crunchy on the outside, but still a little soft and chewy on the inside.
  • You can store these in the fridge for up to 5 days, but they will get a bit soft. I usually re-heat them in the oven for about 5 – 10 minutes until they’re back to the texture they were the first day!

I love to use these in a Caesar Salad!

Silly Little Haiku

High Protein Croutons

They are freaking addictive

I just snack on them