Out of store-bought breadcrumbs? Make your own breadcrumbs at home with this super easy, step-by-step tutorial!
*UPDATED POST – Homemade breadcrumbs are one of my favorite things to make instead of buying. And with everything going on in the world today, I figured this was an important skill that you should know, so I’ve updated this old post to include some new tips, tricks and even a few ideas to make your own breadcrumbs sweet instead of savory!
I haven’t bought breadcrumbs in the store in YEARS. In fact, this post was originally published on my old blog…way back in 2013! I’ve been making my own ever since.
Honestly, there are so many reasons to make your own breadcrumbs, too!
For example, you can:
Ensure that your family is eating healthy ingredients and not a bunch of preservatives and chemicals…
Add your own spices and seasonings to create different flavors…
Use up leftover bread ends and/or dried out slices…
Plus, there are so many different ways to use your homemade breadcrumbs!
From topping casseroles to crusting desserts, you can literally use them for anything that calls for breadcrumbs or CRUMBS in general. It all depends on how you flavor them!
Have I enticed you to make your own breadcrumbs, yet?
Yes?
Awesome, let’s get started…
~ START OF ORIGINAL ARTICLE ~
How to Make Your Own Breadcrumbs at Home
I was the lucky recipient of 11 loaves of bread this past week. A friend of a friend of a friend received a large amount of day old bread and was kind enough to share the love.
Wasn’t that nice?!
Well, I thought so, until I stood at the counter grinding up 176 slices of bread for hours on end…I can tell you that much!
Yes, 176 slices…11 loaves with 16 slices each…that’s alotta bread!
We don’t even eat white bread and yet, there I stood in awe as my husband continued to carry it into the house, thinking “What on Earth am I going to do with all this bread?“
Breadcrumbs, I decided…
It seemed like the most logical thing to do at the time.
Little did I know, by the end of the day I’d want to put myself in the food processor along with the sliced bread.
In fact, I got so sick of processing fine crumbs that I gave up and started making stuffing instead.
But no worries, I have enough breadcrumbs to pass down to my unborn grandchildren!
All joking aside, I am truly grateful for the gift of bread.
Stocking up the pantry is one of my goals for this summer and this was a huge bonus.
I may never have to buy breadcrumbs again…
Here’s how I did it –
Homemade Breadcrumbs
Get your bread ready. I recommend using day old bread, but I wouldn’t suggest you start with 11 loaves…just 1 or 2 would be a much better choice!
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toast each slice of bread in a regular toaster.
Cut toast slices in half and shove them into the food processor. I used about 8 slices for each batch.
Process the toast for about 30 seconds….for each batch.
Keep pouring the breadcrumbs into a large bowl until you’ve finished processing all the bread slices.
Add some seasoning to the crumbs.
Spread the seasoned breadcrumbs onto baking sheets and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the crumbs are a light golden brown in color.
Remove the breadcrumbs from the oven and let them cool before packaging for storage.
As you can see from all the different layers in the photo above, I made many batches. Some cooked a little more than others…but no fear! They all taste good. I stored the breadcrumbs in a vacuum seal bag that is about 3 feet tall.
At this point, I still had around 5 loaves of bread to go and I just knew I couldn’t make anymore breadcrumbs or they’d be coming out my ears.
So, I moved on to stuffing mix, but that’s a post for another day…
Make Your Own Breadcrumbs in All Kinds of Flavors!
per each 8 qt. bowl
Simply Savory: 2 tablespoons salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper and 1 tablespoon ground garlic
Garlic: 1 tablespoon garlic salt and 2 tablespoon ground garlic
Italian Seasoning: 1 tablespoon ground garlic, 2 teaspoons each; rosemary, basil and oregano
Cinnamon Sugar: 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Simply Sweet: 3 tablespoons white sugar
Cheesy: 4 or 5 tablespoons of cheese powder
Garlic Parmesan: 2 teaspoons granulated garlic and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Taco : 1 package of taco seasoning
Pizza: 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon dried tomato powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
As you can see there are tons of different things you can use to flavor your homemade breadcrumbs! And you can use them on all sorts of things like…
- Homemade Chicken Patties and Nuggets
- Any of your favorite casseroles
- In place of crumb topping on a pie
- Sprinkle some on your favorite vanilla ice cream or yogurt to give a little crunch
That’s it for today! I hope you try out lots of these combinations to make your own breadcrumbs in a variety of flavors!
You might also like:
- Make Your Own Homemade Brownie Mix
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Creamer
- McDonald’s Apple Pie: Copycat Recipe
Be sure to signup for my daily newsletter to receive updates on this subject, along with free printables, easy dinner ideas, recipes, home business tips and so much more right in your inbox!
Have a Spectacular Day!
Vanessa Hamlin is the owner and founder of Food Life Design and VLHamlinDesign. With her passion for frugal living and homesteading, Vanessa loves to write about easy recipes, making money, gardening, home remedies and everything else that a good life entails! When she’s not writing for Food Life Design or creating products for VLHamlinDesign, you’ll find Vanessa reading, drawing, gardening, cooking or spending time with her family.