Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe

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.

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!

Recipe Card

Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe

4.10 from 50 votes

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 12 minutes mins

Total: 17 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Becky Hardin

Print Rate Pin

This Homemade Garlic Bread recipe is the absolute BEST I've have ever tried! The butter melts deep into the bread, creating the ultimate garlicky, cheesy goodness. This recipe is baked and then broiled, making it crispy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside.

Save this recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you, plus new recipes weekly!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email *

Go

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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!

Calories: 507kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 10gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 457mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 995IUVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 2.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

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.

Email This Recipe

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email *

Go

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Cookie Rookie.

Prepare garlic butter spread: Set a small saucepan over low heat, add 16 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 4 cloves of minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon crushed of red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a low boil and boil 1 minute. Do NOT allow the garlic to brown. Remove from the heat.

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. This ridiculously good recipe needs a place at your table when you’re cooking Italian food too!

Homemade Bread recipes that you’ll love

Baguette

White Sandwich Bread

English Muffins

Nutella Banana Bread

Buttermilk Biscuits

Homemade Fruit Cake Recipe

Cranberry Muffins

Pumpkin Bread

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.