Easy Garlic Bread
Easy Garlic Bread Recipe – Learn how to make the BEST cheesy garlic bread with homemade seasoning! All you need are 6 simple ingredients and less than 20 minutes.
Homemade Garlic Bread
To me, garlic bread is the “tall, dark, and handsome” of the food world. Irresistible.
And Homemade Garlic Bread is an appealing dish that relaxes and comforts you. It’s there when you need it, or at least could be in about 15 minutes!
But I know what you’re thinking… With all the pre-made fresh and frozen products at the grocery store, why should you buy a loaf of bakery bread and make this easy cheesy garlic bread recipe from scratch?
BECAUSE IT TASTES BETTER.
Our homemade garlic bread is almost as fast to make as unwrapping a frozen package, yet you have total quality control.
Ingredients You Need
- Large fluffy bread loaf—Not a skinny baguette, but any sort of large French or Italian bread would work.
- Butter – Obviously. I suggest unsalted butter, so you have more control over the sodium content.
- Parmesan cheese – I like to mix some shaved parmesan into the butter and shmear it over the bread to create a unique, thin, cheesy crust.
- Olive oil – To make the butter easy to spread.
- Fresh garlic – Use lots of freshly minced garlic.
- Fresh herbs – You need 2 tablespoons, but you can use any fresh herbs you like. I usually use thyme, parsley, rosemary and/or basil. In a pinch, you can also use dried Italian seasoning.
- Salt and pepper – To enhance all the other flavors.
How To Make Easy Garlic Bread
Ready to get started? You won’t believe how easy this is!
- Cut. Use a serrated knife to cut the bread loaf in half.
- Mix. Make the garlic bread seasoning by mashing the butter, parmesan, herbs, and olive oil together until smooth.
- Smear. Spread the garlic butter mixture over each loaf half.
- Bake. Pop in the oven until it’s golden-brown.
Once the bread is out of the oven and slightly cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the loaves into 1-inch slices.
Get the Complete (Printable) Easy Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Other herbs – I always use parsley and thyme, then sometimes add in rosemary and/or basil. However feel free to use more, less, or totally omit any of these.
- Dried herbs – We make this recipe using fresh herbs, but dried herbs work well in a pinch! If using dried herbs, reduce to 2 teaspoons.
- Gluten-free – Look for a large uncut loaf of gluten-free bread. There are a lot of great options out there nowadays!
- Dairy-free – Use vegan butter spread in place of regular butter. You can substitute shredded vegan cheese or omit it.
Serving Suggestions
Serve a warm basket of crusty garlic bread slices with any of your favorite Italian-inspired dishes! Here are a few recipes amerai (you will love):
- Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- One-Pot Sunday Gravy
- No-Boil Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken
- Old School Meatballs
Use thick slices of cheesy, garlicky bread to sop up soups, like:
- 5-Ingredient Cheesy Chicken Chili
- Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Cacciatore Soup
- Italian Meatball Soup
And don’t forget a side dish of homemade marinara sauce for dunking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can prep, wrap well, and refrigerate the bread for up to a week. Then bake when ready to use.
In my house, less than one hour. However, if you do happen to have leftover pieces, you can wrap and refrigerate them for 3-5 days. Then rewarm in the oven.
Yes. After prepping the bread with the garlic bread seasoning, wrap it well before popping into the freezer. Then unwrap and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Looking for More Easy Side Dish Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Cheesy Broccoli Cornbread
- Cinnamon Drop Biscuits
- Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
- Baked Turnip Fries
- Best Sauteed Mushrooms Ever
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
- Muffuletta Cheesy Garlic Bread
- See all our side dishes!
Easy Garlic Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french or italian bread (a large fluffy loaf)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (thyme, parsley, basil, and/or rosemary) or 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Set out a large baking sheet.
- Cut the loaf of bread in half, parallel to the cutting board. Lay both pieces of bread cut-side-up on the baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, parmesan cheese, olive oil, minced garlic, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Smash and mix until well combined.
- Spread a thick even layer of the garlic butter over the top of each piece of bread. Spread it all the way to the edges, and use it all!
- Bake on the center rack for 8 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Immediately cut and serve the garlic bread.
Delicious! The perfect garlic bread recipe!!
So easy and super yummy!
We can not get enough! One of our favorites to make along the side of pasta!
I love garlic bread! This one is so good! Can’t wait to make it again!
I love that this recipe is using REAL garlic! That makes this bread so delicious!
This is hands down the best bread like, ever!
You are right, this is the BEST! And it goes with just about everything. Great recipe.
best recipe for entertaining!