This homemade garlic bread comes together in 25 minutes with a simple mix of softened butter, garlic (both fresh and powdered), herbs, and spices, spread over an Italian loaf and baked until golden and crisp—perfect with pasta, salads, or warm dips.
Garlic Bread That Steals the Dinner Spotlight
Whenever I make my husband's favorite pasta (which also happens to be my first-ever viral recipe—creamy chicken mozzarella pasta), I always serve it with this garlic bread. It’s been a long-overdue addition to my site, even though my pasta recipes—like this sausage rigatoni or shrimp orzo—are some of the most popular. This homemade garlic bread is quick, easy, and perfect for pasta night, salads, or dipping into something cozy like warm jalapeño popper dip or spinach artichoke dip. I usually go with an Italian loaf, but French bread or a baguette works too. I love how quickly it comes together—just 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven. Perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute guests.
You'll Need These Ingredients
- Italian Bread Loaf: Ideal for soaking up garlic butter while staying soft inside. You can substitute with French bread, baguette, ciabatta, homemade machine bread, or even rustic rye bread. For a crispier texture, use sourdough. Thinner breads may need less bake time.
- Butter: Use unsalted or salted butter. Margarine is a dairy-free option. Olive oil can work for a lighter or vegan version, though the texture will be less rich and creamy.
- Fresh Garlic: You can substitute with jarred minced garlic (1 teaspoon per clove) or roasted garlic for a milder, sweeter flavor.
- Fresh Herbs (parsley and basil): Mince finely for even distribution. You can sub with dried herbs (1 tablespoon parsley, 1 teaspoon basil), or use others fresh or dried herbs like oregano, thyme, or chives depending on what you have.
- Powdered Seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper): Reduce salt if using salted butter or a salty cheese topping. Add crushed red pepper flakes if you want heat.
How to Make Garlic Bread
Note: This is only an overview of the recipe with helpful step-by-step photos. The detailed recipe + the ingredient amounts are at the bottom of this post - if you want to jump straight down to the recipe - CLICK HERE.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, minced garlic, parsley, and basil until well combined.
- Slice the Italian loaf lengthwise using a serrated knife.
- Poke holes in the cut side of the bread with a fork so the butter soaks in while baking.
- Spread the garlic herb butter evenly over both halves.
- Place the bread on a large baking sheet and bake for 10–15 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Let cool slightly, then slice into 2–3-inch pieces and serve.
Serve with
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta
- Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce
- Chicken Spaghetti with Burrata Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, and Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce
- Chicken Feta Pasta
Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened, or margarine
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil minced
- 1 large Italian loaf (about 1 pound). You can also use a French loaf, a baguette, sourdough, or ciabatta.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F / 204°C.
- In a small mixing bowl, use a spoon or spatula to combine the softened butter with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, stir until the spices are evenly combined.
- Add the minced garlic, parsley, and basil to the butter mixture, stir until combined.
- Using a cutting board and a serrated bread knife, carefully cut the Italian loaf lengthwise so that there are two even halves to spread the butter on.
- Use a fork to poke holes in the cut side of the bread loaf so that the butter mixture can fully saturate the bread as it cooks.
- Spoon half of the butter on each of the two bread halves, use the spoon to distribute the butter mixture until it evenly covers the surface of the bread.
- Transfer the buttered bread to a large baking pan and place in the oven.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the garlic bread is golden brown and crispy.
- Let the bread cool for a few minutes then use a serrated bread knife to slice the bread into 2–3-inch slices.
Notes
- A classic way to serve garlic bread is warm alongside a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping or as a side to Italian dishes. Speaking of which, I have the perfect marinara pasta shells recipe for you to complete the meal! Or, serve with my sausage spaghetti, creamy chicken mozzarella pasta, or dip it in my Italian sausage tortellini soup.
- Storage: Store garlic bread in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating:
- Oven: Reheat at 400°F (200°C) for 5–7 minutes until warm and crispy.
- Air Fryer: Heat at 350°F (175°C) for 3–5 minutes.
- Toaster Oven: Toast on medium heat for 3–5 minutes.
- Microwave: Warm for 20–30 seconds but note it may soften the bread.
- Freezing: Wrap garlic bread tightly in foil and then place it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, you can bake it straight from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 10–12 minutes until heated through and crispy. For quicker thawing, let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Made this twice already and added the print-out to my recipe book.
I used Italian loaf and served it with the sausage meatballs and spaghetti dinner, my family loved it.
I froze the half for next week's pasta night.
So glad it made the recipe book! 🙂 Love the Italian loaf and sausage meatballs combo—such a classic. Thanks for your review, Courtney! 🙂