I made Homemade Bread Crumbs that turn stale slices into panko-style crunch for meatballs, casseroles, and even fried goat cheese, so keep scrolling if you want in on this trick.
I am obsessed with Homemade Bread Crumbs, seriously. I keep a bag of stale bread cubes in the freezer so I always have something gritty and crunchy to toss on casseroles or smash into meatballs.
I love that I can make Diy Bread Crumbs Fast and choose plain or seasoned, I reach for dried parsley flakes when I want Italian vibes. They’re great on pasta, fantastic for fried goat cheese, and crumbly enough to give texture without taking over.
I use any bread I have. Salty crusts, soft sandwich bread, whatever.
Crunch, flavor, simple satisfaction. I crave them every week.
Ingredients
- Stale bread cubes: Basically gives crunch and stretches meals without wasting bread.
- Olive oil or melted butter: Adds richness and helps crumbs brown, it’s cozy and toasty.
- Fine salt: Brings out flavor, so everything tastes less flat.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Adds warmth and a little bite, not overpowering.
- Garlic powder: Gives quick garlic punch, it’s easy and savory.
- Onion powder: Adds sweet-savory depth, kind of like comfort food in dust form.
- Dried parsley flakes: Brightens color and adds a mild herbal note.
- Dried oregano: Basically Italian earthiness, pairs great with tomato dishes.
- Dried basil: Sweet herbal lift, it softens and balances stronger spices.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Plus it adds a sneaky heat if you like spice.
Ingredient Quantities
- About 6 cups stale bread cubes (roughly 1 standard loaf; white, whole wheat, sourdough or gluten free all work)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional for richer crumbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (omit or reduce if using salty bread)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes (for Italian style)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (for Italian style)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (for Italian style)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional, if you like a little heat)
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 250 F (120 C) if your bread is not fully stale, or set it to 300 F (150 C) if you want to toast crumbs for extra crunch; tear or cut about 6 cups of stale bread into roughly 1 inch cubes.
2. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven 15 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they feel dry and slightly crisp but not browned; if bread is already stale you can skip or shorten this step.
3. Let the dried cubes cool for 5 minutes so they do not steam when processed.
4. For coarse crumbs like panko, pulse the cooled cubes in a food processor 6 to 10 short pulses until pieces are the size you want; for fine crumbs pulse longer or use a blender; you can also grate dried cubes on a box grater for coarse texture.
5. If you want Italian seasoned crumbs, add 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the processor; for plain crumbs omit those herbs and heat only the basic seasonings.
6. Add 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder to the crumbs in the processor and give a few quick pulses to mix evenly; reduce or omit salt if your bread was salty.
7. For richer, crispier crumbs toss the crumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon melted butter in a bowl, then spread back on the baking sheet and bake 8 to 12 minutes at 300 F (150 C) until golden, stirring once; skip the oil if you need them dry for binding in meatballs.
8. Cool completely on the baking sheet so they crisp up, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
9. Store crumbs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, in the fridge for a month, or freeze up to 3 months in a labeled freezer bag.
10. Quick hacks: freeze fresh bread for 30 minutes to make slicing easier, grate frozen bread for fast coarse crumbs, and always make a little extra because they disappear fast.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (preheat and toasting)
2. Baking sheet (large, rimmed)
3. Food processor or blender (for pulsing crumbs)
4. Mixing bowl (for tossing with oil and seasonings)
5. Spatula or wooden spoon (stirring and spreading)
6. Measuring spoons (for spices and oil)
7. Cutting board and chef knife (to cube or tear bread)
8. Box grater (optional, for coarse crumbs)
9. Cooling rack or clean surface (to cool crumbs)
10. Airtight container or freezer bags (for storage)
FAQ
Homemade Bread Crumbs Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- About 6 cups stale bread cubes: swap for 3 cups panko crumbs plus 3 cups crushed crackers or pretzel crumbs if you want extra crunch or you’re out of old bread. works well with fried coatings.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon melted butter: use avocado oil or light vegetable oil for a neutral flavor, or a tablespoon of mayonnaise for richer, moister crumbs.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder: substitute 1 to 2 cloves minced fresh garlic (cook briefly in the oil first so it doesn’t burn) or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic if you want less intensity.
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil: use 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or just 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning if you want to simplify.
Pro Tips
1. Freeze the loaf for about 30 minutes before grating or slicing if you need crumbs fast; frozen bread grates into coarse crumbs super quick and you won’t end up with mush.
2. Taste a small bit of your dried cubes before seasoning, especially if the bread was store bought or homemade with salty butter, cause you’ll want to cut the added salt way down or skip it.
3. Pulse in the food processor in short bursts for control — you can always pulse more, you cant fix overprocessed crumbs easily; for extra crunch toss with a little olive oil or melted butter and toast at 300 F for 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Make a double batch and freeze portions in labeled bags; they keep months frozen and it saves time because these crumbs disappear fast.
Homemade Bread Crumbs Recipe
I made Homemade Bread Crumbs that turn stale slices into panko-style crunch for meatballs, casseroles, and even fried goat cheese, so keep scrolling if you want in on this trick.
8
servings
129
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat and toasting)
2. Baking sheet (large, rimmed)
3. Food processor or blender (for pulsing crumbs)
4. Mixing bowl (for tossing with oil and seasonings)
5. Spatula or wooden spoon (stirring and spreading)
6. Measuring spoons (for spices and oil)
7. Cutting board and chef knife (to cube or tear bread)
8. Box grater (optional, for coarse crumbs)
9. Cooling rack or clean surface (to cool crumbs)
10. Airtight container or freezer bags (for storage)
Ingredients
About 6 cups stale bread cubes (roughly 1 standard loaf; white, whole wheat, sourdough or gluten free all work)
2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional for richer crumbs)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt (omit or reduce if using salty bread)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes (for Italian style)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (for Italian style)
1 teaspoon dried basil (for Italian style)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional, if you like a little heat)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 F (120 C) if your bread is not fully stale, or set it to 300 F (150 C) if you want to toast crumbs for extra crunch; tear or cut about 6 cups of stale bread into roughly 1 inch cubes.
- Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven 15 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they feel dry and slightly crisp but not browned; if bread is already stale you can skip or shorten this step.
- Let the dried cubes cool for 5 minutes so they do not steam when processed.
- For coarse crumbs like panko, pulse the cooled cubes in a food processor 6 to 10 short pulses until pieces are the size you want; for fine crumbs pulse longer or use a blender; you can also grate dried cubes on a box grater for coarse texture.
- If you want Italian seasoned crumbs, add 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the processor; for plain crumbs omit those herbs and heat only the basic seasonings.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder to the crumbs in the processor and give a few quick pulses to mix evenly; reduce or omit salt if your bread was salty.
- For richer, crispier crumbs toss the crumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon melted butter in a bowl, then spread back on the baking sheet and bake 8 to 12 minutes at 300 F (150 C) until golden, stirring once; skip the oil if you need them dry for binding in meatballs.
- Cool completely on the baking sheet so they crisp up, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Store crumbs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, in the fridge for a month, or freeze up to 3 months in a labeled freezer bag.
- Quick hacks: freeze fresh bread for 30 minutes to make slicing easier, grate frozen bread for fast coarse crumbs, and always make a little extra because they disappear fast.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 41g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 129kcal
- Fat: 4.6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.74g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.56g
- Monounsaturated: 2.6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 328mg
- Potassium: 43mg
- Carbohydrates: 18.4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 1.9g
- Protein: 3.4g
- Vitamin A: 0IU
- Vitamin C: 0.1mg
- Calcium: 38mg
- Iron: 1.35mg
