You will never buy it from the store again when you see how easy it is to make Homemade Garlic Bread! And not only is it simple, it’s also the tastiest garlic bread EVERRR, with two forms of garlic, Parmesan, and plenty of butter.
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Why has it taken me this long to make homemade garlic bread?!
I’ve been sleeping on homemade garlic bread, guys.
Not literally sleeping on it because that would be weird, but figuratively speaking—all these years of running a food blog and I never really thought to post a recipe for it.
But with approximately eleventy-billion pasta recipes here on Well Plated, it was clearly time to come up with a garlic bread recipe to accompany them.
This recipe isn’t breaking any barriers or working in any secret ingredients, but that’s not what we want with garlic bread—we want that comforting, classic, garlicky, buttery, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside goodness. And that’s exactly what you get here!
Making your own garlic bread is EASY and completely worth it.
5 Star Review
“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.”
— Jodie —
My Tips for Garlic Bread Perfection
- Use Italian Bread or French Bread. When I say French bread, I mean the large loaves with a chewy crust, not a baguette. Baguettes don’t have the room for all that garlic butter—plus they’re a little too crusty for this.
- Don’t Forget to Soften the Butter. Let your butter soften to room temperature before you get started. You want it easy to mix and easy to spread without tearing the bread.
- Double Up on the Garlic. Yes, that’s right, we use garlic powder AND fresh garlic in this homemade garlic bread. Fresh garlic brings sharp garlic flavor, while garlic powder rounds things out with a mellower garlic note.
How to Make Homemade Garlic Bread
Prepare. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the Loaf. Cut it half lengthwise. Using a large serrated knife helps.
Make the Garlic Butter. Mash the garlic, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, and salt into the butter.
Butter Up the Bread. Slather half of the garlic butter on each half of the bread. This is going to be delish.
Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the garlic bread is golden brown on the edges and the crust is crisp. This will take 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your desired level of crispedy-brownness.
Serve. Cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve your homemade garlic bread. ENJOY!
What to Serve with Homemade Garlic Bread
You probably came to this homemade garlic bread recipe knowing exactly what you’re going to be serving it with, but if not, here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Pasta. OF COURSE. Because obviously when you’re eating a carb-based dinner, you need to add more carbs in the form of bread. (I didn’t make the rules, but I’m not going to question them either.) Serve this homemade garlic bread with a saucy pasta like Penne Alla Vodka, or creamy Chicken and Orzo.
- Soup. Minestrone Soup, Lasagna Soup, or Crockpot Tomato Soup are perfect for soaking up with garlic bread.
- Other Italian-American Favorites. Dishes like Stuffed Shells and Manicotti also pair well with this recipe.
Homemade Garlic Bread
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Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf Italian bread or French bread
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 big garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley plus additional for serving
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the bread in half lengthwise through its middle, as if you were slicing it into 2 giant slices of sandwich bread. Place on the baking sheet cut-sides up.
- In a bowl, mash together the butter, garlic, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon parsley, garlic powder, and dsalt. Smear evenly all over the cut sides of the bread.
- Place in the oven and bake until golden brown on the edges and its crisped to your liking, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then cut crosswise into slices.
Notes
- TO MAKE AHEAD: After slathering the bread with the garlic butter, place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze just until the butter is solid. Then, wrap the garlic bread tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. You can bake it directly from frozen, just adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- TO STORE: Wrap the garlic bread in foil or transfer it to an airtight container. Store it at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm up leftover garlic bread wrapped in foil in a 350ºF oven until it’s heated through. You can warm it in the microwave if that’s your only option, but it may end up tough.
- TO FREEZE: If you want to freeze baked garlic bread, store it in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. You can reheat it directly from frozen or thaw it at room temperature first for faster reheating.
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. Thank you for always putting out such delicious, budget friendly recipes, my family is happy!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Jodie! Thank you!
Delicious as always! I just wanted to say how much I (and probably all your readers) value not only the incredible variety in your posts but also how frequently you share them. It must be tough to keep coming up with fresh ideas, but it’s what makes your blog stand out. Thanks for your dedication!
Thank you for your kind words, Veronica! It means so much to me!
I am a big fan of your recipes and this time I can’t stop myself from commenting on this amazing recipe. I always pin your recipes and when I get time I used to try it to impress my husband and he always loves it all thanks to your efforts and sharing.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Frances!
I feel silly asking this question but I always wonder when a recipe calls for “grated “ Parmesan cheese. Does it mean freshly grated or pre-grated from green can?
Hi Donna! For my recipes it means freshly grated! Hope this helps and enjoy!
Really liked how quick this was to throw together. The bread toasted just right and had a nice crunch without drying out. I used a bit more butter than the recipe called for, just to make sure it covered every bit, and it paid off!
So glad to hear, Lynn! Thank you!
My family did nothing more than add garlic to butter to make garlic bread, so I’m so glad I decided to search for a recipe online. Found this one quickly and let me just say, it was SOOOO good! I will never order garlic bread from a restaurant again. We all loved it and the fact that you can make this ahead and freeze it makes it even better! Thank you!
So happy to hear, Melissa! Thank you!
I really enjoyed this. It had that classic garlic bread flavor we all love, and the homemade touch definitely made a difference. I might add a pinch more garlic next time, just personal preference. Just want to tell you that I am a big fan of your recipes. Thank you Erin for always sharing amazing recipes.
This melted my heart, THANK YOU!
3 semi-picky teenagers said “the garlic bread is amazing”.
Yay! Thank you Kerri!