Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

A lot of recipes call for Gluten Free Bread Crumbs – and they are so much cheaper and easier to make at home. This easy gluten free bread crumbs recipe will save you lots of money and is a great way to use up stale bread. Perfect for fighting food waste!

It can be difficult to find gluten free bread crumbs for sale in the shops, but don’t worry, it’s far cheaper to make your own.

With the cost of free from foods going up-and-up, you can easily make a stash of gluten free bread crumbs for the cupboard or freezer.

I use gluten free breadcrumbs a lot, in recipes from cod goujons and fried chicken to ground chicken burgers or Greek meatballs, so I like to always have some on hand!

This is a great way to use up those (all-to-common) holey slices of gluten free bread, or stale crusts that you don’t want to eat.

Gluten free bread is far too expensive to waste so turn your unusable slices into this easy bread crumbs recipe – you can even freeze them!

Why make this recipe?

• Money Saving: Using up bits of holey gluten free bread, stale slices or unwanted crusts can help to save money and cut down on food waste.
• Easy to Make: You only need 1 ingredient (bread!) and a few minutes to prep everything and you’ll have all the bread crumbs you need.
• Versatile: You can keep your gluten free bread crumbs plain or flavour them with herbs and spices – see my variations below.
• Great for Meal Prep: These gluten free breadcrumbs will store in a jar for weeks or can be frozen and they still retain their crunch. Perfect for meal prep.

Ingredients

I mean, there is only one ingredient you need to make gluten free bread crumbs and that is – drumroll please – gluten free bread.

Any gluten free bread will work for this recipe. You can use shop bought or leftover homemade gluten free bread.

I tend to use gluten free white bread but brown or seeded bread will also work. It depends on your preference.

The best bread for bread crumbs is actually slightly stale bread – so if you have a few slices lurking in the cupboard looking a little sad, these will be perfect!

How to make gluten free bread crumbs

This recipe is super simple but I’ve included some step-by-step photos as well as a video to guide you here.

To make my gluten free bread crumbs recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. If your bread is quite soft still, I recommend laying out the slices on a baking tray and popping them in the oven for 5 minutes-or-so as it heats, until it feels a bit drier.

2. Tear the gluten free bread into small chunks and add to a food processor. Blitz until you have crumbs – some might be a bit chunkier than others but that’s ok. You may need to do this in batches if you only have a small processor.

3. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a non-stick baking tray and spread into one even layer. Use two trays if you only have small ones. Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes, remove from the oven and stir the crumbs around. Place back in the oven for another 7-8 minutes until golden brown.

4. Cool the bread crumbs to room temperature before storing in an airtight jar or in a bag in the freezer.

A note on gluten free panko bread crumbs

Panko bread crumbs tend to be a lot drier than normal bread crumbs and are made with a crustless bread.

This recipe is for standard gluten free breadcrumbs but I have a recipe for gluten free panko bread crumbs in my cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals.

You can find it on page 38 in the Absolute Basics chapter, along with lots of other favourites including fresh gluten free pasta, gnocchi, pastry and more!

Recipes using gluten free bread crumbs

I have a tonne of recipes on my site which you can use these gluten free bread crumbs for:

• Gluten Free Cod Goujons
• Breaded Fried Chicken
• Greek Chicken Meatballs
• Gluten Free Scotch Eggs
• Ground Chicken Burgers
• Blue Cheese and Mushroom Gnocchi Bake
• Gluten Free Arancini
• Spicy Breaded Chicken
• Gluten Free Treacle Tart
• Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls
• Herb Crusted Salmon and Smashed Potato Tray Bake

I’ll also make sure I add any new recipes using my bread crumbs to this list so keep checking back if you’ve made a batch and need inspiration!

Variations

Want to try jazzing up your gluten free breadcrumbs? I’ve kept this recipe plain so it can be used for anything, but you could try:

• Italian Bread Crumbs: Try mixing a teaspoon of Italian seasoning in with your bread before processing for a herby, garlic crust.
• Spicy Bread Crumbs: I like to add a teaspoon of chilli flakes and half a teaspoon of smoked paprika for a smoky, spicy crumb.
• Parmesan Bread Crumbs: Adding a tablespoon or parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp garlic granules will give you the best topping for a gluten free pasta bake.
• Cajun Bread Crumbs: Spicy cajun seasoning can add a kick to your bread crumbs – these are great for coating chicken and enjoying in a gluten free wrap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we get into the recipe, here are a few quick fire questions you might have.

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.