Cajun Seasoning Croutons

Adding Cajun Seasoning Croutons is a great way not only to jazz up a salad, but to use up homemade bread.  I specifically created this recipe as a way to use leftover Fluffy Dinner Rolls, but now I use it all the time with all kinds of bread.

Up until recently, I made homemade croutons without using a recipe and just seasoned bread cubes with whatever I felt like.  The Cajun Seasoning Croutons were so good I actually wrote down all the measurements and bake times.

Badia Cajun Seasoning

For the record, here's the brand of Cajun seasoning I use. And I'm mentioning this because different brands seem to have different flavors and levels of salt. This one has enough so that you don't need to add any. I do add a dash of sugar, though. It doesn't make the croutons sweet, but it enhances the flavor overall.

Louisiana Fish Fry Brand

Update:  I have been buying Louisiana Fish Fry brand Cajun seasoning lately, and it works very well for Cajun Seasoning Croutons. It's a bit saltier than the Badia, so you may want to use slightly less than ¼ teaspoon. A little goes a long way.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

You can also make your own Cajun seasoning. This version is not quite as salty as the two packaged ones mentioned above. In fact, you can leave the salt out entirely. I always add brown sugar to mine because it punches up the flavor, but feel free to leave it out. If using this in the croutons, you'll still want to add the additional ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and the ¼ teaspoon of sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (you can leave it out if you like)
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1-2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper (optional, but a good addition!)
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper type chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon celery seed 

Instructions

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients.
2. Store in an airtight container such as a jar.

Lazy Crouton Making

As of 2024, homemade croutons are still a favorite way to use up a lot of the extra bread I make. I use this recipe all the time, but sometimes I'm lazy and do it this way: Melt the butter directly on a rimmed baking pan by putting it in the preheating oven. Keep an eye on it. Remove melted butter and swirl in the olive oil (or garlic oil) and seasonings. Toss in the bread. Bake at 400 and reduce heat as mentioned in recipe card or just keep baking at 400 and checking very often. The croutons will be a lot browner, but it's much faster.

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Recipe

Cajun Seasoning Croutons

Anna

This recipe works with any kind of bread, but I especially like making these with leftover dinner rolls.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

 

• ¼ pound leftover dinner rolls Fluffy Dinner Rolls or white bread
• 1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon Louisiana style Cajun seasoning or ½ teaspoon of the homemade type.
• ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes (or any size you want).
• Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the oil and seasonings.
• Toss the cubes in the butter mixture.
• Spread the croutons on a large ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 5 minutes. NOTE: If you have more time and want more browning, you can skip this step and just heat to 300F.
• Open door and stir the croutons around, flipping to ensure they’ve browned a bit, then close door and reduce heat to 300. Continue baking for about 10 to 15 minutes (or longer if you skipped the 400 degree heat), stirring every 5 minutes or so. When they are nicely browned, let them cool completely. They will crisp up as they cool.
• Alternate Methods: If you have more time, you can heat the croutons at 400 for about 5 minutes then turn off the oven and let them sit in the off oven until they dry out. This will depend on how steamy your oven is and how it holds heat, but generally and extra 20 minutes should do it.

Notes

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (you can leave it out if you like)
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1-2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper (optional, but a good addition!)
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper type chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon celery seed 

Instructions

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients.
2. Store in an airtight container such as a jar.

Keyword Cajun, croutons

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