15 Garlic Bread Recipes I Tested This Season

This easy garlic bread recipe is the one I make on repeat, because it turns four pantry staples, bread, butter, garlic and parsley, into a side that disappears faster than the mains. I tested 15 versions this season, from a classic French loaf to a five-minute air fryer batch, so you can match the method to whatever night you're having. Every version bakes to the same result: a golden, faintly crisp crust giving way to a soft, garlicky, buttery centre. Scroll down to find the one that fits your oven, your budget and your cravings.

This is the base recipe everything else in this list builds on: a split French loaf slathered edge-to-edge with softened butter mashed with 5 cloves of minced garlic, chopped parsley and a handful of parmesan. Wrap it in foil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes so the butter melts all the way through, then open the foil and bake 5 minutes more until the edges turn golden. The double-bake is the key trick here: foil first keeps the crumb soft, open second gives you the crisp top everyone fights over.

When you want garlic bread with almost no prep, swap the fresh garlic and herbs for 2 teaspoons of garlic powder stirred straight into softened butter. Spread it over split ciabatta or a supermarket baguette and bake uncovered at 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes, no foil, no mincing, no chopping. It won't have quite the same fresh bite as the classic, but the garlic powder toasts into the butter and still delivers a properly savoury, golden result.

For the brightest, most pungent garlic flavour, skip the powder entirely and crush 6 fresh cloves into the butter along with a tablespoon of olive oil, which keeps the spread loose enough to reach right to the crust edges. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before spreading so the raw garlic mellows slightly and infuses the fat. Bake open-faced at 200°C (400°F) for 9-10 minutes; any longer and fresh garlic can turn bitter, so watch the last two minutes closely.

This is the comfort-food version: spread the classic garlic butter, then scatter over 100 g (1 cup) of shredded mozzarella before the final bake so it melts into long, stretchy pulls. Bake uncovered at 200°C (400°F) for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and just starting to catch colour at the edges. Serve it straight from the tray while the cheese is still stretchy, since it firms up fast once it cools.

Beat 60 g (1/4 cup) of full-fat cream cheese into the softened butter along with the garlic and parmesan for a spread that's noticeably richer and stays soft even after baking. The cream cheese also makes the mixture more forgiving to spread on crusty, craggy sourdough without tearing the crumb. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 10-12 minutes, slightly lower and slower than the classic, so the cream cheese doesn't split before the bread crisps.

This version is built for beginners: soften the butter, then stir in garlic, salt and pepper in one bowl with a fork, no food processor or mincer required. Spread it generously right to the edges of a split loaf, since thin patches burn before the centre browns. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes; it's essentially foolproof and the easiest starting point if you've never made garlic bread from scratch.

Stir the zest of half a lemon and a good pinch of dried chilli flakes into the garlic butter for a version with real punch that cuts through rich pasta mains. The acidity from the lemon brightens the garlic without making the bread taste sharp, since it's balanced out by the butter's fat. Bake exactly as the classic recipe, 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes covered then 5 minutes open, and finish with an extra pinch of chilli flakes on top after baking for colour and heat.

Swap the French loaf for a wholemeal or seeded sourdough and use olive oil for half the butter to cut the saturated fat without losing richness. Wholemeal crumb is denser, so add an extra 2-3 minutes covered in foil to make sure the butter melts all the way through before you crisp the top. This version has a nuttier, heartier flavour that pairs particularly well with tomato-based soups and stews.

Use a cheap own-brand baguette and garlic powder instead of fresh cloves, then skip the oven altogether and toast the halves in a dry frying pan instead, so you're not heating a full oven for one small side dish. Press the buttered cut-side down into the hot pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and toast the crust side for a further 1-2 minutes. Skip the parmesan or replace it with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast or any hard cheese odds and ends you have in the fridge, keeping the whole side dish close to free.

For the fastest route to garlic bread on a busy night, skip the oven preheat entirely and use the grill (broiler) instead: spread the butter over split bread and grill 10 cm (4 inches) from the heat for 3-4 minutes until bubbling and golden. Watch it the whole time, since grills go from golden to burnt in under a minute. This is the version to reach for when dinner's already on the table and you need bread in five minutes flat.

Instead of slicing neatly, tear a whole sourdough boule into rough chunks, toss them in melted garlic butter, and pile them back into the bread's own hollowed shell or a baking dish. The torn, craggy surfaces catch far more butter and crisp unevenly in the best way, with some pieces soft and some deeply golden. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes, tossing once halfway, until the top pieces are crisp and golden brown.

Cut a loaf into a criss-cross grid without slicing all the way through, then push garlic butter and shredded mozzarella down into every gap so the cheese melts throughout the loaf, not just on top. Wrap loosely in foil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes, then open the foil for a final 3-4 minutes to brown the peaks. It's the pull-apart version that works best as a table centrepiece for sharing.

Spread garlic butter, then top with a thin layer of pizza sauce, mozzarella and a few pepperoni slices before baking; it turns the side dish into something kids will happily eat as the main event. Bake uncovered at 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the bread are crisp. Cut it into individual portions before serving so everyone gets their own slice without arguing over the ends.

This combines the best tricks from every version above: a two-stage foil-then-open bake, fresh garlic rested in the butter for 10 minutes, parmesan and mozzarella together, and a final brush of olive oil and flaky salt straight out of the oven. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes covered, then 5-6 minutes open until deeply golden. It's a few extra minutes of effort for a loaf that genuinely tastes like it came from an Italian restaurant kitchen.

Skip the oven altogether: spread garlic butter over bread halves and air fry at 190°C (380°F) for 4-5 minutes, checking at the 3-minute mark since air fryers vary. Add shredded cheese for the final 1-2 minutes only, so it melts without the bread over-browning underneath. This is the version to make for one or two people when heating a full oven feels like overkill.

Always let butter come fully to room temperature before mixing; cold butter tears the bread crumb and spreads unevenly. Mince garlic finely or use a garlic press rather than chopping it roughly, since larger pieces can burn and turn bitter before the bread crisps. Spread the butter all the way to the edges of the loaf, not just the centre, or the crust edges will bake dry while the middle stays soggy. If you're feeding a crowd, make double the butter mixture and freeze half in a log wrapped in cling film for next time.

Garlic bread is the classic partner for tomato-based pasta like spaghetti bolognese or lasagne, where it's perfect for mopping up extra sauce. It also works well alongside soups, minestrone, tomato, or a hearty vegetable soup, for dunking. For a simple starter, serve slices with a small bowl of warm marinara or balsamic and olive oil for dipping before the main course arrives.

Cooled garlic bread keeps well wrapped tightly in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, always use the oven or a toaster oven at 180°C (350°F) for 5-8 minutes rather than the microwave, which turns the crust soft and chewy instead of crisp. To freeze, wrap unbaked buttered halves tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months, then bake straight from frozen at 200°C (400°F), adding an extra 5-7 minutes beyond the recipe time.