Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Shari Mason
Incorporating croutons is a fantastic method for enhancing the texture of your salads, soups, and stews.
However, if you’re like us and don’t have the time or energy to make them from scratch, going store-bought is always a great alternative (if you know what to look for!).
We’ve crunched, munched, and compiled this list of the best store-bought croutons to help you stock your pantry/fridge. Let’s start.
Top 15 Store-Bought Croutons For Caesar Salads (Ranked)
1. Edward & Sons Organic Croutons
Average Price: Around $10
Why We Love It: Edward & Sons Organic Croutons is one of the best croutons on the market today.
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. It also doesn’t come in a resealable bag. [1]
If those are deal breakers for you, it might be best to try other options.
2. Great Value Seasoned Croutons
Average Price: Around $1
Why We Love It: Great Value from Walmart also offers croutons for your Caesar salads, soups, or stews.
It’s also one of the most inexpensive top crouton brands (each bag is priced under a dollar) and comes in three flavors: Seasoned, Cheese and Garlic, and Garlic and Butter.
Their Seasoned variety is a solid choice if you only need that crunch, but it’s nothing special. But hey, if you like budget-friendly croutons, getting a dozen of these at every grocery run won’t hurt your wallet that much. [2]
3. Simple Truth Organic Garlic & Parmesan Croutons
Average Price: Around $2
Why We Love It: Simple Truth Organic Garlic & Parmesan Croutons is among the best croutons available through Kroger and Kroger-affiliated stores.
It is made from organic bread toasted in an oven to golden brown perfection and chopped into little cubes. They also offer another variant, Garlic, Onion, and Parsley, which is just as tasty, but we liked the former just a bit more.
4. Fresh Gourmet Butter & Garlic Croutons
Average Price: Around $2.50
Why We Love It: Fresh Gourmet is one of those brands that is synonymous with salads. If you go to the grocery store and look for salad greens, you will often find them hanging out nearby (talk about optimal placement!).
That said, this is one of the best croutons for a simple salad. Each crouton is more rectangular (as opposed to cubes) with a garlicky flavor and crunch.
“But I mean…. bread, olive oil, and spices tossed together and baked until golden brown… What’s not to love about croutons?”
Nicole, Vegetarian Foodie Blogger
Fresh Gourmet has 12 other crouton flavors for you to choose from, aside from Butter and Garlic: Cheese & Garlic, Country Ranch, Garden Herb, Italian Seasoned, Classic Caesar, Deli-Toast, Texas Toast, and Cornbread.
5. Good & Gather Organic Garlic & Butter Flavored Croutons
Average Price: Around $2
Why We Love It: Good and Gather is one of Target’s most solid brands, providing high-quality, organic food at great prices.
Good & Gather Organic Croutons is made with organic bread and includes no artificial flavors and synthetic colors, so you know you’re eating only the best.
Each crouton has a buttery and garlicky flavor, which is always a winning combination.
However, something else caught our attention: the packaging suggests adding it to popcorn and peanuts to create a snack mix of sorts, and these are the best croutons for it! [3]
6. Chatham Village Caesar Salad Croutons
Average Price: Around $22 (for 3)
Why We Love It: Chatham Village Croutons has a homey and rustic feel. If we hadn’t seen it coming out of a packet, we might’ve guessed that this was homemade.
These are made from a special white and rye French bread baked fresh in their oven, flavored using their unique seasoning blends.
7. Signature SELECT Herb Seasoned Croutons
Average Price: Around $2.50
Why We Love It: Signature SELECT is a brand you should watch out for if you live somewhere with a nearby Albertsons, Safeway, or Vons.
Depending on your preference, they have a wide range of flavors: Cheese & Garlic Flavored, Garlic & Butter, and Caesar.
And if you’re looking for croutons not made from bread, they also offer tortilla and wonton strips.
8. Whole Foods 365 Caesar Croutons
Average Price: Around $7
Why We Love It: Whole Foods 365 Croutons has a light cheesy flavor, so if that sounds tasty to you, trying this out should be worth it.
And while this Amazon-owned brand has a reputation for being slightly expensive, its familiar and organic ingredient list would convince you that you’re only paying for the best.
9. Marzetti Caesar Croutons
Average Price: Around $27 (for 6)
Why We Love It: Marzetti is interesting because they have multiple types of bread in their croutons (dark and light), making the color variance within each pouch visually pleasing.
They also offer a whole-grain option, which is pretty much what you’d call a unicorn in the crouton world.
Each crouton has a mild flavor, and while that might not be the most interesting option for some, this means it will work tremendously well with whatever it’s incorporated into.
They also have a pretty impressive lineup — aside from Caesar and Whole Grains, they also offer Cheese & Garlic, Garlic & Butter, Ranch, and Seasoned.
10. Caesar Cardini’s Caesar Croutons
Average Price: Around $25 (for 6)
Why We Love It: Here’s a little trivia for you: Caesar Cardini, which this brand of croutons was named after, is known as the inventor of the Caesar salad. He was a wealthy restaurateur from Tijuana. [4]
That being said, it makes sense that his brand of croutons would make it to our top 15.
You can choose from any of these three gourmet croutons: Garlic, Caesar, and Italian, all of which have delicate seasoning and incredible crunch. They are also made from light and dark bread, which provides a bit of color variety.
11. O Organics Caesar Croutons
Average Price: Around $3
Why We Love It: O Organics, available in Albertsons, Safeway, and Vons, carries the O Organics Croutons, a 100 percent organic brand made with no artificial additives.
Each bread chunk is toasted to perfection, with a hint of cheese and garlic flavor in every bite.
The brand doesn’t offer much variety, so aside from Caesar, you can also choose between Seasoned and Garlic and Butter.
12. Trader Joe’s Rosemary Croissant Croutons
Average Price: Around $4
Why We Love It: Trader Joe’s Rosemary Croissant Croutons is pretty interesting. It’s made with croissants instead of traditional bread loaves. As a result, this is noticeably flakier and has more of a “melt-in-your-mouth” quality.
The non-vegan option is made with buttery croissants, while the vegan-friendly option omits this dairy ingredient.
Each crouton is also packed with a strong rosemary flavor, which we imagine will work extremely well with many creamy soups.
Our only gripe about this brand is it doesn’t come in resealable bags, so it’s crucial to have bag clips on hand if you’re determined to keep the rest nice and crunchy.
13. Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Seasoned Croutons
Average Price: Around $16 (for 4)
Why We Love It: Mrs. Cubbison’s has a wide range of products you’ll typically find in every feast — salad toppers and stuffing mixes — but none as popular as their croutons.
Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Seasoned Croutons are some of the most flavorful, with a parsley and garlic flavor taking center stage at each bite.
The other variants, Cheese & Garlic, Caesar Salad, and Garlic & Butter are just as delicious, so it’s worth checking them out.
However, one thing we must point out with this brand of croutons is that it’s not as crunchy as the others on this list.
14. Kroger Homestyle Cheese & Garlic Croutons
Average Price: Around $1.50
Why We Love It: You can get Kroger Homestyle Cheese & Garlic Croutons at the namesake store or your nearby Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, or QFC at a great price point (they are almost always on sale!).
However, we must say that its flavor or texture didn’t wow us, as we found it slightly bland (despite already getting the Cheese and Garlic variant) and not that crunchy.
Other variants from this brand include Seasoned Herb, Caesar, and Zesty Italian.
15. New York Bakery: Texas Toast
Average Price: Around $16 (for 4)
Why We Love It: New York Bakery is most famous for its Texas Toast, which is what its croutons are made from.
The Seasoned variant is our personal favorite because of its uber-buttery, garlicky, and crisp flavor. Each crouton also varies in size, which makes every bite interesting.
Other flavors include Caesar, Cheese & Garlic, Garlic & Butter, and Zesty Italian, all made from the same high-quality French bread.
FAQs
u003cstrongu003eHow do you make store-bought croutons better?u003c/strongu003e
You can make store-bought croutons better by pan-frying them with butter/margarine and other seasonings, like minced garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eMake them more cheesy and delicious by sprinkling a bit of parmesan cheese over them.
u003cstrongu003eAre store-bought croutons fried or baked?u003c/strongu003e
Most store-bought croutons are baked in an oven for a nice and crunchy texture.
u003cstrongu003eAre store-bought croutons healthy?u003c/strongu003e
Most store-bought croutons aren’t healthy. They are considered snacks with empty calories with basically no health benefits, not to mention also pretty high in sodium. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eMaking homemade croutons might be the better route for those looking for a healthier option.
In Summary
Store-bought crouton brands can be as good as homemade ones if you know which brands to look for.
Croutons must be crunchy, buttery, and garlicky, which will otherwise complement all the flavors found in a bowl of Caesar salad, soup, or stew. They must also be good on their own for people who like munching on them as a snack.
Our personal favorite is the Edward & Sons Organic Croutons because we like our croutons a bit on the salty side with a buttery and herby flavor. We are also strong advocates for their non-GMO and non-dairy claims.
References:
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ziploc
- https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1109/6-reasons-why-you-need-a-budget.aspx#
- https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/snack-mixes/
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cesare-Cardini
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