Garlic bread makes every meal better, especially if it’s this buttery, crispy, extra garlicky homemade garlic bread. I’ve been obsessed with this recipe for years now and probably make it more often than I should. Why? Because it really couldn’t be easier to make, it’s SO good, and it’s very freezer-friendly so you can keep some on hand for whenever that craving hits. …Which for me is pretty much every night. 😏
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My husband loved this bread, and so did I. It was so easy to make and with ingredients that I always have on hand. The bread was light, tasty, and crispy. I’ll never buy frozen garlic bread again.
Donna Bishop
Homemade garlic bread with real butter and fresh garlic is incredibly simple to make and so much better than what you’ll find in the freezer aisle at the grocery store.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make my absolute favorite garlic bread:
- Bread: The best bread, IMHO, is a large soft loaf of French bread or Italian bread. It soaks up the garlic butter well without getting too tough or crispy as it bakes. While I do generally love baguettes, they tend to get really hard and don’t soak up the butter as readily as a slightly softer loaf.
- Butter: Salted butter is the vehicle for all that garlicky flavor and makes the bread extra rich and delicious. You can use unsalted butter if you have it, but you’ll need to add extra salt to the garlic butter mixture to make sure all the flavors pop!
- Olive Oil: A little bit of olive oil helps make the butter more spreadable AND helps keep the butter from browning quite as fast while it bakes.
- Fresh Garlic: What would garlic bread be without fresh garlic?? Fresh garlic helps keep the garlic flavor front and center with a nice punchy finish.
- Garlic Powder: A little bit of garlic powder in addition to the fresh garlic adds a really deep garlicky base note, so you’re getting a full one-two garlic punch!
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a little bit of freshness to cut through the rich butter and strong garlic flavor, plus it adds a pretty splash of green color. You can skip the parsley if you don’t have any on hand.
- Salt: There is some salt in the salted butter, but adding just a little more really helps all of the flavors in the garlic bread really pop.
Storage Instructions
This garlic bread is perfect for freezing. After spreading the delicious garlic butter mixture onto your loaf, freeze it in an air-tight container, like a gallon-sized freezer bag. It can then be baked straight from the freezer, with just a couple of extra minutes of baking time added.
To store leftover garlic bread that has already been baked, make sure to allow it to cool completely to room temperature before packing in an air-tight container to avoid condensation. The garlic bread will stay good at room temperature for about a day, or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in an air-fryer for a minute or two, microwave for about 30 seconds, or wrap tightly in foil and bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
What Else Can I Add?
The basic recipe below is divine on its own (IMHO), but you can make it even more epic by adding any of the following ingredients:
- Stir a tablespoon or two of pesto into the garlic butter mixture for a fun twist.
- Try stirring a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan into the garlic butter mixture for a crispy umami finish.
- Top with whole milk mozzarella before baking to make it into an easy cheesy garlic bread.
- Use roasted garlic instead of or in addition to the fresh garlic for a milder, roasted flavor.
- Add more herbs. Try stirring an Italian herb blend or a pinch of red pepper flakes into the garlic butter for even more flavor. Or, if you have an herb garden, add in some chopped basil or oregano.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious homemade garlic bread was made for Italian food. It goes so great with almost any meal, but here are some of my favorites:
- The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Baked Ziti
- Cabbage Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Pasta
- Tuscan Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce
And don’t forget to make some Homemade Pizza Sauce for dipping!
Homemade Garlic Bread
Servings 12 (2 slices each)Ingredients
- 1 loaf French or Italian bread (approx. 24" long) ($2.99)
- 6 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.75)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley ($0.22)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, stir together the room-temperature butter, olive oil, minced garlic, garlic powder, chopped parsley, and salt until relatively smooth (a few small lumps of butter are okay).
- Cut the loaf in half, into two 12" long pieces, then cut each piece open lengthwise. Lay the bread on a baking sheet cut sides facing up. Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the open surfaces of the bread.*
- Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and crispy. Bake for less time if you prefer a softer garlic bread, and more time if you prefer a crispier garlic bread. Cut the bread into 2-inch sections and serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Garlic Bread – Step By Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, combine 6 Tbsp room temperature butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 4 minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and ⅛ tsp salt.
Mix the garlic butter ingredients together until they’re evenly combined. It’s okay if there are some small butter lumps left in the mixture.
Cut one large French loaf (24 inches) into two 12-inch sections, then cut each section open lengthwise.
Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the open surfaces of the bread, making sure to get all the way to the edges.
If you want, you can freeze some of the unbaked garlic bread for later! Bake the frozen garlic bread as usual, no need to thaw, adding just a couple extra minutes to the bake time.
Place the garlic bread on a large baking sheet (using parchment is optional, but makes clean up easier). Bake the garlic bread in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until it is golden brown and crispy on the edges. Bake less time for softer garlic bread and longer for crispier garlic bread.
Cut the garlic bread into 2-inch wide pieces and serve!
Yaassssssss. Garlic bread ❤️ forever.
I loved this recipe but I first roasted a whole head of garlic in the oven at 400 degrees. First cut the top of garlic head open sprinkle with olive oil and a bit of dried thyme. Wrap in foil and roast until soft. when cool squish out garlic . Mix with the olive oil and butter in this recipe and follow recipe. Comes out very tasty
I made this with Walmart’s Great Value Texas toast bread and it turned out excellent. Unfortunately, I can’t eat it due to celiac but my boys loved it. Just like the stuff you buy only better because I know what goes in it. Thanks again, Beth, for a great recipe.
Can this garlic bread be frozen with cheese on it or should I wait to put the cheese on until I bake it
I would probably just put it on just before baking. It might be hard to get the cheese to stick to it if frozen before baking. :)
This bread was excellent! I know what I’m putting in my recipe ie.. the vegan butter that I use rather that dairy and cheese is good but I prefer not to have it, and most of the garlic breads already prepared have cheese on it. I’m so glad I came across this recipe and will be making it on a regular on the go forward. I’d also like to mention as you have price per ingredient that is soooo much cheaper than those already prepared breads.
My wife had decided to cook a dish from Greece for Sunday dinner she loves Creek food as she lived there for a few years called Patstisio.
I decided to make our own garlic bread to go with it, So searched for a recipe and came across this one. We had all the ingredients in too.
I rushed down to the local bakery purchased a baguette, followed the recipe and it was superb. My wife loved it.
Dead easy and delicious
Superb!!
Made it with coriander as had no parsley and very good!
Thank you for sharing
Made for my kids that i au pair they loved it!
After I spread the Garlic, butter , olive oil and mixed from room Temp. on the bread I also spoon a couple of Tbl. spoons of Mayo spread on then top with grated Parmesan Cheese. When I serve this to my guests I always get rave revues . It is delicious .
can i use normal bread instead?
It won’t quite be the same but you can try if that’s what you have on hand!
Can you use dried parsley instead of fresh
Yes but you will not need as much. Dried herbs carry way more punch!
This recipe has become a staple. When I have time, I chop up the garlic; otherwise, I have Penzey’s dried garlic as a back-up (directions say to let it soak in butter or oil for a bit). Pick up a loaf of bread from Jimmy John’s (inexpensive and not super thick as bread from the grocery store) and slather on the butter. Delicious!
Have also made the frozen version. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to trying more recipes.
Good to know the dried will work in a pinch! Thanks for sharing Donovan!
I love this recipe! So easy and fast to do and really good! Definitely gonna make this one again!
Thanks!
Hi! I recently made your chicken noodle soup, your tomato soup AND ur garlic bread and I wanted you to know how grateful I am. I’m disabled and very unwell at the moment, these tecipes were affordable, easy to follow and most importantly tasty as hell. Thank you! You have a big fan in someone who usually never comments and is too forgetful to follow. Thank you xxxx
Thank you Rain! Sending thoughts of healing your way.
I love Garlic Bread so much I have tried so many recipes for the same thing. But something was wrong don’t know why? and also I have tried your recipe some days back and It came out really well. Thanks for sharing this recipe in details dear. Loved it completely.
Happy to hear it worked out this time.
Delicious and easy! 3 year old asked why there was grass on it, but he still enjoyed the taste of the parsley!😅
I am a big fan of your all recipes and this time I can’t stop myself to comment on this amazing recipe the way you have explained this recipe is super and awesome picture presentation. I always pin your recipes and when I get time I used to try it to impress my husband and he loves it always all thanks to your efforts and sharing
Thank you!
Loved the garlic butter, loved ths recipe, thank you so much for sharing. I made one tiny change, I used a rasp to mince the garlic. This way the garluc is like a paste or a puree, either way it is smooth. Then I added the other ingredients and yummy on bread, pasta, steak, potatoes, sandwiches…posivilities are endless.