By Becky Hardin
Published Mar 1, 2025
This Homemade Garlic Bread recipe is the absolute BEST I’ve ever tried! The butter melts deep into the bread, creating the ultimate garlicky, carb-filled side dish. I bake this first and then broil it, making it crispy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside.
5-Star Review
“I am loving this recipe…This sounds so amazing, I am highly disappointed that I’m drinking a smoothie right now instead of eating this bread.” Danielle
The Best Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe
My Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe is loaded with garlic butter, baked to perfection, and then broiled a bit to really take things over the top. It turns out buttery and delicious, without any preservatives.
The key to making this recipe special is the bread-to-butter ratio. We want the butter to really bake down, deep into the bread (about half way down). I use SO SO MUCH butter for this bread and it turns out amazing!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 16 ounce loaf of Italian or French bread
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 16 tablespoons unsalted butter divided (12 tablespoons for the bread and 4 tablespoons for extra dipping butter)
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes red pepper flakes
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley divided
- ▢ 1 teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt
- ▢ ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Video
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Slice the loaf in-half lengthwise, and place each half cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. 1 16 ounce loaf of Italian or French bread
- In a small saucepan set over LOW heat, combine butter, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a low boil and boil for 1 minute. Do NOT allow the garlic to brown. Remove from heat. 4 cloves garlic, 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Pour the butter through a mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl. Add 1-tablespoon parsley and mix well. 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Spread or brush all except 4 tablespoons butter mixture over the bread and sprinkle with salt. 1 teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt
- Bake the bread at 350°F, on the middle rack of the oven, for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and set the temperature to BROIL. If using Parmesan cheese, sprinkle it onto the bread. ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Return the bread to the oven and broil 1-2 minutes or until the bread is toasty and golden and the cheese bubbles slightly. Watch closely so the bread doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tablespoon of parsley. Allow the bread to cool 1-minute before slicing.
- Use leftover butter mixture for a dipping sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.
Becky’s Tips
- Ciabatta and baguette are the best substitutes for french bread. But even sliced white bread will work.
- Fresh garlic is the BEST, but if it’s not available use garlic salt.
- You can make this with olive oil as well. However, I suggest not completely swapping butter with olive oily. You can use 1:1 ratio of butter and olive oil.
- I don’t wrap my garlic bread slices in foil, although you definitely can. Wrapping in foil will keep the outside from crisping quite so much. If you prefer your bread on the softer side, wrap in foil before baking and skip the broiling. I like the outside crispy, but not everyone does. The choice is completely yours!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Cheesy Garlic Bread At Home
Preheat the oven and line the baking sheet: Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and keep it aside.
Cut the loaf: Place a 16 ounce fresh loaf of bread on a cutting board and slice the loaf in-half lengthwise. Transfer them on the lined baking sheet, place each half cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
Pour the butter through a mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl. Add 1-tablespoon fresh minced parsley and mix well.
Spread and bake: Spread or brush all the spread except 4 tablespoons butter mixture (save for later) over the bread and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt.
Bake the bread at 350°F, on the middle rack of the oven, for 10 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and set the temperature to BROIL. If using 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, sprinkle it onto the bread.
Return the bread to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the bread is golden and the cheese bubbles slightly. Watch it closely so the bread doesn’t burn.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tablespoon of parsley. Allow the bread to cool for 1 minute before slicing. Use leftover butter mixture for a dipping sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.
Garlic Bread in an Air Fryer
To make this in an air fryer, bake it at 350°F for 5 minutes or until golden.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate: Store leftover garlic bread in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. While reheating, wrap it in the foil and bake in the oven for 10 min at 350°F.
Freeze: Once you lather the butter on, space the slices evenly on a baking sheet and freeze for one hour. Once the butter is frozen, transfer slices to a freezer-friendly container and store for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight and bake at 350°F.
Serving Suggestions
This Garlicky Cheesy Bread is EVERYTHING I want in a side dish. Serve it with Instant Pot zuppa toscana or my Texas chili . It’s also so good with my chicken Parmesan pasta or lasagna roll ups . This ridiculously good recipe needs a place at your table when you’re cooking Italian food too!
Homemade Bread recipes that you’ll love
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Cinnamon Roll Bread
No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
Zucchini Bread
Funnel Cake
Brioche French Toast
Pancake Mix Muffins
Baguette
Our Homemade Garlic Bread recipe was originally published 5/10/18. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/01/25 .
Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce loaf of Italian or French bread
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter divided (12 tablespoons for the bread and 4 tablespoons for extra dipping butter)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Slice the loaf in-half lengthwise, and place each half cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. 1 16 ounce loaf of Italian or French bread
- In a small saucepan set over LOW heat, combine butter, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a low boil and boil for 1 minute. Do NOT allow the garlic to brown. Remove from heat. 4 cloves garlic, 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Pour the butter through a mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl. Add 1-tablespoon parsley and mix well. 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Spread or brush all except 4 tablespoons butter mixture over the bread and sprinkle with salt. 1 teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt
- Bake the bread at 350°F, on the middle rack of the oven, for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and set the temperature to BROIL. If using Parmesan cheese, sprinkle it onto the bread. ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Return the bread to the oven and broil 1-2 minutes or until the bread is toasty and golden and the cheese bubbles slightly. Watch closely so the bread doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tablespoon of parsley. Allow the bread to cool 1-minute before slicing.
- Use leftover butter mixture for a dipping sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Ciabatta and baguette are the best substitutes for french bread. But even sliced white bread will work.
- Fresh garlic is the BEST, but if it’s not available use garlic salt.
- You can make this with olive oil as well. However, I suggest not completely swapping butter with olive oily. You can use 1:1 ratio of butter and olive oil.
- I don’t wrap my garlic bread slices in foil, although you definitely can. Wrapping in foil will keep the outside from crisping quite so much. If you prefer your bread on the softer side, wrap in foil before baking and skip the broiling. I like the outside crispy, but not everyone does. The choice is completely yours!
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
