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This Homemade Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs is an easy recipe to make and simple to customise. You’ll discover what kind of bread to use, the best way to use them depending on what recipe you need them for and how to season them. So, let's dry out, whizz up, flavour and season together to make better crumbs for all your baking and cooking requirements.
Jump to:
- Homemade vs. commercial gluten-free breadcrumbs
- Traditional Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs
- What types of bread can you use to make breadcrumbs?
- Do you need to ‘stale’ your bread?
- How to ‘stale’ your bread
- Should you take the crust off your bread?
- Step-by-step instructions on making the breadcrumbs
- Expert tips
- How to flavour your breadcrumbs
- Perfectly seasoned breadcrumbs
- How to store
- How to use gluten-free breadcrumbs
- FAQs
- Best Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs
Homemade breadcrumbs are a basic ingredient which are so easy to have on hand in your kitchen at all times to produce great recipes. And just because you are following a gluten-free diet in no way limits your access to them.
Many breadcrumbs recipes will just show you one way of achieving the breadcrumbs but it’s not a one-size fits all ingredient as you will often need them for different reasons. So here I will show you how to follow one basic recipe which will achieve great results for the two main type of breadcrumb:
- Flaky crumbs with good absorption as a filling in your favourite meatballs, stuffing or dessert recipe.
- A crispy texture to use for breading or as a topping to your favourite oven baked dishes, salads, stews etc.
If you are short on time I will advise you on how to make these breadcrumbs quickly so you are not waiting around for loaves to stale. And you’ll discover the best way of storing the breadcrumbs so that they are on hand whenever you need them.
Then if you really want to level up your homemade breadcrumbs we’ll discuss all the different ways you can season them.
Homemade vs. commercial gluten-free breadcrumbs
It's not always easy to buy commercial gluten-free breadcrumbs but actually making them yourself is a great option to ensure you can achieve a better texture and more customisable flavour than even the best brand of breadcrumbs. Yes, including gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
Shop bought breadcrumbs are often totally dried out so they are fine to use for a crunchy coating but not so good in recipes where we need a little more absorption in our crumbs – like in our stuffing recipes or homemade meatloaves.
Traditional Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs
The most typical gluten-free version of breadcrumbs is made from bread that is free of gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. You can use homemade bread or shop bought bread for the basis of your breadcrumbs.
Actually the most common way I make a gluten-free substitute for traditional breadcrumbs is from my attempts at making gluten-free bread which has gone slightly awry in the baking. It doesn't matter if that loaf was gummy, brick-like, dry or crumbly - they nearly always make decent breadcrumbs.
Using up shop bought leftover bread is a great way of making the most of your gluten-free bread. A gluten-free lifestyle is not cheap and by whizzing up the dog ends of loaves into fine crumbs for future recipes ensures you make the most of your money spent.
What types of bread can you use to make breadcrumbs?
- Sourdough bread. When I was practising my sourdough bread recipe I produced so many breadcrumbs that my freezer was full of them for months until I worked my way through them.
- Brioche Bread. Brioche will produce a sweeter breadcrumb so may not be as advisable to be used in recipes like meatballs. Much better used for breading.
- Wholewheat. This bread will produce a tastier crumb and can be used for any purpose.
- Multigrain. This bread will definitely give a bit more crunch to the proceedings, especially if whole seeds and grains are used. Again, I prefer for breading.
- White Bread. This is the most commonly used bread for breadcrumbs and is completely versatile and is the bread of choice for making homemade panko breadcrumbs.
Do you need to ‘stale’ your bread?
Staling your bread is a bit of a misnomer as it’s actually dried bread that you need to create the perfect kind of breadcrumbs.
The perfect texture for your breadcrumbs is crisp on the outside with a softer inside. You don’t want your breadcrumbs to be gritty. The way to achieve this is to bake sliced bread on a very low oven setting before grinding in a food processor to create the crumbs. Then they are fit for any purpose – breading or stuffing.
✨This is why commercial breadcrumbs aren’t always ideal as they are always totally dried out. Great for breading your fish cakes, not so great for your meatballs.✨
If you want very crunchy breadcrumbs – like panko breadcrumbs – then I recommend a second bake after the crumbing process which I’ll take you through in the recipe card below.
How to ‘stale’ your bread
To have total control over the texture of your breadcrumbs I recommend staling your bread in the oven as opposed to just leaving it out in a dry place for a few days. That way it still retains a little softness.
However, if you do have accidently stale bread then by all means turn it into crisp breadcrumbs ideal for crumbling on top of your mac n’cheese or gratin.
Slice the bread and arrange the slices evenly on a baking tray. Then, bake them at 140°C / 120°C fan-assisted / gas mark 1 for 30 minutes. Be sure to flip the bread slices halfway through the baking time to ensure an even result. Once you have dried your bread then you are ready to turn it into breadcrumbs.
Should you take the crust off your bread?
It really is a personal preference whether you would prefer to leave the crusts on or take them off before you grind your bread.
Crust-on breadcrumbs provide a slightly coarser texture and a toastier flavour due to the crust. However, using a crustless white bread produces finer, softer breadcrumbs, which may be preferable for more delicate coatings or stuffing mixes.
To find the right balance, you can even use a mixture of both crust-on and crust-off bread slices in your breadcrumbs.
Personally I am happy to leave the crust on, even if I’m using the breadcrumbs for stuffing mixes as I don’t want to waste ingredients and having the occasional coarse texture in my recipe is fine for home use.
Although if you want a more authentic reproduction of gluten free panko crumbs then you should always remove the crusts.
Step-by-step instructions on making the breadcrumbs
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Slice fresh bread, then arrange on a large baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping over halfway through. (If your bread is already very stale then you can skip the oven and go straight to the next step).
- Cut the dried bread into equal sized cubes.
For unflavoured breadcrumbs
Useful for stuffing mixes and desserts
- Grind the bread in the food processor for about 20 seconds until you achieve uniform crumbs.
- Store in the freezer until needed.
For seasoned breadcrumbs
Useful for breading meat, fish or topping salads or an oven baked dish
- Add the bread cubes and chosen seasonings to food processor and grind for about 20 seconds until you achieve uniform crumbs.
- Pour the breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet and bake for a further 5 minutes in the oven until golden brown to set the flavour and crisp up a little more.
- Store in the freezer until needed.
Expert tips
- You can use a variety of different kinds of loaves of bread which all add their own personalities and background flavour to the breadcrumbs.
- Cubing the bread before you grind it means the bread will grind more effectively producing a more even result.
- Process the bread in small batches for a more uniformed breadcrumb.
- Consider removing the crusts and processing those separately to the rest of the bread as they take longer to break down.
- After you have ground your breadcrumbs you may decide to season them so they are ready to go for crumbling over the tops of salads, pasta bakes, gratins, soups or stews.
How to flavour your breadcrumbs
Plain breadcrumbs are the most useful ingredient to have to hand and are what I prepare most often. However, if you already have a large store of them in your freezer already then it's time to get fancy and start seasoning your breadcrumbs for more exciting culinary adventures.
Create the following flavours by adding the following ingredients into your food processor when you are grinding the bread.
- Italian breadcrumbs. Add a little pesto or Italian Seasoning.
- Herby breadcrumbs. Add fresh or dried herbs, like parsley or woody herbs like thyme or rosemary leaves.
- Seasoned breadcrumbs. Add a little paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, onion powder, dried lemon powder.
- Cheesy breadcrumbs. Add a little grated parmesan cheese.
Perfectly seasoned breadcrumbs
This is the seasoning blend I use when creating my favourite breadcrumbs – it’s the right amount for 200g bread. It goes with pretty much any kind of recipe from homemade chicken nuggets to topping my cauliflower cheese.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (black pepper is fine too)
Follow the instructions in the step-by-step instructions above for how to season your breadcrumbs.
How to store
You should store your breadcrumbs in an airtight container to increase shelf life. However, it is my recommendation to always store your breadcrumbs in the freezer. It can be tricky sometimes to tell if your breadcrumbs have spoilt at room temperature but if you keep in the freezer then they store well for up to a year. Plus you can use your breadcrumbs directly from the freezer, no thawing necessary. So really, it’s a no brainer.
How to use gluten-free breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are a very versatile ingredient have a variety of uses in sweet or savoury recipes including:
1. Stuffing mixes
Breadcrumbs are often the main ingredient in a homemade stuffing recipe but they can also be used to improve the structure and texture of dishes like meatballs, meatloaf or even baking recipes like Christmas Pudding, Treacle Tart or even at the base of your pastry crust in your fruit pie to soak up the fruit juices.
2. Toppings
Scatter a handful of breadcrumbs across the top of dishes to create a crispier texture when baked, for example on the top of topping for macaroni and cheese, fish pie, vegetable gratin, cauliflower cheese or a pasta bake. Or even used seasoned breadcrumbs crumbled over salads, soups or stews for a great crunch and flavour.
3. Breading
You can use breadcrumbs as a coating for frying or baking, for example in recipes like chicken schnitzel, pan fried pork chops, fish cakes or chicken nuggets. If you are using them in this way then seasoning your breadcrumbs in the initial crumbing and then baking the breadcrumbs for 5 minutes really helps create a crisp coating.
4. Thickening
Breadcrumbs are often thought of as an excellent thickener. However, gluten-free bread often doesn’t bind as well due to the lack of gluten so this isn’t necessarily a use which I recommend for your gluten-free version. Gluten-free flours are a much better bet for thickening.
FAQs
Yes you can grate the bread using a box grater.
For optimal freshness and a much longer shelf life I recommend storing your breadcrumbs in the freezer. They can be used directly from the freezer, no thawing necessary.
In most cases a simple 1:1 swap will work out just fine. However, it is work noting that gluten-free flours do absorb liquid differently, so if you are using as a breading you might need more cooking oil. If you are using as a stuffing you and you are finding your mixture a little dry then add more liquid ingredients.
They can do depending on which gluten-free flours were used in the bread. You can always adjust the seasoning in your recipe or add more herbs/spices if stronger flavoured flours have been used.
Panko breadcrumbs which you buy at the grocery store are traditionally made from wheat flour bread. They are popular in Japanese cuisine and are beloved for their light and airy texture which often has a coarser grind than regular breadcrumbs. They are often used in recipes where you need a crispier texture like for breading and frying. I'll show you how to customise the recipe at the bottom of the recipe card to create your own version of gluten free panko bread crumbs.
✨Have you tried this Easy Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs Recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
Best Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 200 g fresh gluten-free bread - sourdough, white bread, shop bought or homemade
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 140°C /120°C fan-assisted / gas mark 1 / 275°F.
- Slice fresh bread* into 1½ cm slices (½ inch) and place on a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn the bread slices over, bake for a final 15 minutes then remove the bread from the oven.
- Cut the bread into cubes and place in a food processor.
- If you are seasoning your breadcrumbs (useful for toppings or breading purposes) then add your chosen seasonings in too.
- Grind the bread in a food processor for about 20 seconds, to achieve uniform crumbs. If you are using more than 200g bread then grind in batches.
- At this point you can decide how you finish your breadcrumbs. For the most versatility I finish the process here and prepare the breadcrumbs for storing.
- However, if you know you will be using your breadcrumbs for breading and toppings or if you have seasoned your breadcrumbs then pour back onto the lined baking sheet you used earlier and bake for a final 5 minutes at a higher heat of 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F. This makes the crumbs a little more crunchy and also sets the flavour if you have seasoned them.
- Store the breadcrumbs in the freezer until needed.
Notes
Using fresh bread or leftover / stale bread
If you are using leftover or stale bread as opposed to fresh bread then you can skip the initial bake in the oven.Bread choice
You can use a variety of different kinds of loaves which all add their own personalities to the breadcrumbs.My favourite seasoning for breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (black pepper is fine too)
Recipe adaptation to make panko breadcrumbs
- For panko breadcrumbs it’s essential to use white bread and grind the breadcrumbs without the crust.
- Pulse the food processor lightly. You want the breadcrumbs to be courser than regular breadcrumbs, flaky and uniform.
- Bake the ground breadcrumbs on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment for 5 minutes at 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F.
- Allow to cool before storing.
Storing
I recommend always storing breadcrumbs in the freezer in an airtight container. You can use them direct from frozen without thawing.Nutrition information
Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.The nutrition serving is for 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs.
Gill says
Ever since I started making GF bread I've made breadcrumbs with my many failures by toasting the bread then breaking up and crumbing in my machine and then sometimes toasting the crumbs in the oven, very similar to your process. Crumbs made this way are are much tastier than bought ones. I use them as you describe but also to make what used to be called Brown Betty, (don't ask me why), this n cade you've never heard of it, is 2 layers of apple and breadcrumbs though almost any fruit can be used. I use cooked apples, (with a little cloves,lemon juice and sugar if necessary), and the breadcrumbs are mixed with melted butter and a little brown sugar, then bake till crunchy on top, the recipe should be available on internet, mine is from an old Womans Weekly cookbook a present from my Gran. By the way, love all your recipes that I've tried.