If youre looking to add some zesty crunch to your salads or soups, you really cant go wrong with croutons. These savory bites of deliciousness are made from crisped bread cubes, oil or butter, and seasonings. While it is possible to make your own croutons at home using a skillet, the oven, or even an air fryer, you may not always have the time, motivation, or ingredients to do so. (No judgment here!)
For a simple alternative, you may wish to try store-bought croutons. These common grocery items are typically inexpensive (most brands fall between $2 and $3 a bag), just as yummy as homemade varieties, and can be conveniently stored in your pantry for whenever a sudden crouton craving strikes. But before heading to the store to blindly pick some up, it is important to understand that not all crouton brands are created equal. Thats where our helpful rankings come in.
Our product testers have been hard at work gathering, crunching on, and ranking top crouton brands. To determine our favorites, we first scoured major grocery outlets to see which croutons are most readily available to consumers. Then, we sampled a popular flavor from each brand. Lastly, we evaluated each crouton brand based on taste, texture, range of flavors, product availability, and, of course, overall product enjoyment. Check out our definitive crouton brand ranking below.
Simple Truth Organic
Simple Truth Organic, an organic brand available through Kroger and Kroger-affiliated stores, offers two types of croutons: Garlic & Parmesan Caesar and Garlic, Onion & Parsley Seasoned. We sampled Garlic & Parmesan Caesar, which were very good. These croutons are made from organic bread toasted golden brown (per product packaging). Unlike some of the blander Caesar croutons tested, these ones are packed with all the savory flavors of an actual Caesar salad. We like many things about this crouton brand, but it would likely rank higher on our list if more crouton varieties were available.
We also learned that not everyone is a fan of Simple Truths plastic pouches. In the brands defense, it uses similar packaging as other crouton brands but appears to be held to a higher standard, as seen in Plastics Today. The article critiques Simple Truth for not living up to its “premise,” pointing out that the brands plastic pouches are not easily recyclable. Note: You may be able to sign up for TerraCycle services, which allow Simple Truth customers to ship off used pouches for recycling. At times, there may be a waitlist. And realistically, how many of us will go through the trouble?
These come from the founder of Caesar salad himself, Caesar Cardini, so I went into the bag with high expectations. Unfortunately, the result was a solid meh. They boasted a wonderful crunch and a just-fine herbaceous flavor, but I wanted these to be the stars of my salad. Instead, they were the background actors with nearly three seconds of screen time. That said, I do think these would be great for more complex dishes with potentially conflicting ingredients (i.e. meat, cheese, peppers, olives, etc.). They’ll serve as a mediator, of sorts, as flavors bounce around your mouth and attempt to blend together.
The positive was that this Walmart bag was extremely affordable at under $2. The negative was that I didn’t find them to be particularly interesting. In fact, it was the only contender I had to go back and retry because it left virtually zero influence on my palate. If you’re pinching pennies, knock yourself out. But if you’re into options that aren’t, well, bland AF, read on for my top five picks.
I am a New Yorker who doesn’t enjoy salads. There, I said it. While friends nosh on dandelion greens and kale at Sweetgreen or Chopt, I’m more of a “let me sneak spinach into my protein shake and pretend I ate my veggies” kind of guy. A lot of this has to do with IBS-induced digestion issues (TMI, I know), but I just find many fast casual spots to offer plates that would be better suited for a brontosaurus.
Keeping Sharipov’s crouton criteria in mind, I rounded up seven of the most popular grocery store options to see what may actually get me to eat my vegetables.
Note: Seasonings will obviously impart a distinct (and sometimes polarizing) flavor, but can vary across brands. As a result, I primarily kept crunch, saltiness and butteriness in mind to be as objective as possible.
How to Make Healthy Croutons
FAQ
Are croutons a good snack for weight loss?
Are chickpeas healthier than croutons?
What is a healthier alternative to croutons?
Are any croutons healthy?
Are croutons healthy?
Croutons may be able to provide some limited health benefits, especially if they are made from whole grain bread. But most brands of croutons made from enriched bread are not going to contribute to your health in any substantial way. Croutons provide calories (energy) primarily in the form of carbohydrates .
What is the healthiest food that is delicious?
The combination of spices is what makes food delicious. Making healthy food by combining protein, vegetables, starch, and less oil, such as grilled dory with vegetable stir fry, can be delicious.
What is the best organic Crouton?
It is dairy-free, vegan, non-GMO, and made from 100 percent organic ingredients, making it the best crouton choice for those conscious about what they consume. However, it’s worth noting that Edward & Sons Organic Croutons has the smallest bread cubes compared to the others on this list and leans more on the salty side.
What makes a good Crouton?
“A good crouton is made from high-quality bread that is perfectly toasted and seasoned. It’s important to note the distinction between a crouton and a cracker; a crouton should be crunchy but still have a soft bite overall. Crackers are drier and have a hard snap.”