10 Easy Substitutes for Bread Crumbs in Recipes

You can make a crumb mixture out of pretty much any dry ingredient, including crackers, cereals or chips. (Keep reading for some of my favorite combos!)




No matter what ingredients you use, the basic instructions are the same:

1.Put your dry ingredients into a plastic zipper bag. (I usually use the gallon size baggies.)

2.Place the plastic bag on your table or counter. Roll a rolling pin over the bag until the dry ingredients have turned into crumbs. Don’t worry if you don’t have a rolling pin… you can use any heavy cylinder. (A can of vegetables works really well in a pinch.)

3.Season your crumb mixture however you want.

That’s it! Easy and inexpensive!

Some of my favorite crumb mixes:

Note: I am not including how much of each ingredient to add, which may frustrate some of you who like accurate recipes. I like to just throw in a bit of this and a bit of that, and it always turns out good! If you need someplace to start… try about a cup of the main dry ingredient. Mix and match ingredients and feel free to experiment with the seasonings!

•Crushed wheat crackers with grated Parmesan cheese. Season with garlic powder, black pepper and parsley.

•Crushed potato chips with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

•Crushed Corn Flakes seasoned with salt and pepper.

•Crushed tortilla chips with shredded monetary jack cheese. Season with chili powder, lime juice and fresh cilantro. (Add dry cayenne pepper or hot sauce if you want it spicier.)

•Crushed pita chips. If these are pre-seasoned, don’t add anything. If they’re plain chips, season with oregano, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder.

•Crushed Honey Nut Cheerios. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

•Crushed Cheezits (or other cheese crackers). Season with garlic powder.

•Crushed Ritz crackers with one envelope of ranch dressing seasoning mix.

•Crushed bran flakes with shredded Swiss cheese. Season with onion powder and garlic powder.

•Crushed dry toast. Season with oregano, black pepper, garlic powder and a pinch of sugar.