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This Garlic Bread Spread is delicious slathered over a loaf of French bread and baked to toasty perfection! It’s a quick and easy, packed with garlic flavor and the ideal side dish for any pasta meal!

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Slice of garlic bread on a white plate with more garlic bread and parsley in the background

There’s something about pasta that’s so comforting. Whether it’s a bowl of spaghetti or a plate of lasagna, there’s no better side dish than a buttery slice of garlic bread!

Skip the store-bought frozen garlic bread and make this homemade garlic spread recipe!! It’s got just a few ingredients and can be slathered on almost any kind of bread you have on hand. And the best part?! The aroma from the garlic and buttery goodness in the oven is incredible and it doesn’t take long to make!

ingredients needed to make a garlic bread spread - fresh parsley, mayo, butter, salt, garlic powder and onion powder.

Garlic Bread Ingredients (amounts listed in recipe card below)

  • Loaf of Bread – French bread is my favorite bread for this.  Don’t have any? No worries. See my list of other options below!
  • Softened Butter – You’ll want to use real butter, no margarine! I like to use salted butter, but unsalted butter would work fine, too.
  • Mayonnaise
  • Salt
  • Garlic Powder or Ground Garlic – You can also use fresh garlic. See recipe notes for details.
  • Onion Powder
  • Fresh Parsley – You can also use dried parsley. See recipe notes for details.

What type of bread should I use to make Garlic Bread?

The best bread to use (in my opinion!) is French bread, however, that’s certainly not the only option! We’ve used leftover hamburger or hot dog buns, Texas toast, sliced white bread, sourdough, etc.

How to Make Garlic Bread

First things first, you’ll make the easy garlic butter spread.

You’ll want to make sure the butter is soft (cold butter is hard to mix well). Once softened, you’ll mix the butter and mayo until it’s nice and smooth. Then add the salt, garlic & onion powders and the parsley. Once it’s combined, it’s time to slather it on some bread!

ingredients for homemade garlic spread for making garlic bread.

Preheat the oven to 350F and grab the bread you plan to use. If you’re using French bread, you’ll slice it down the center and place it on a sheet pan with the cut sides up. Add a layer of parchment paper for super easy cleanup, if you’d like.

Spoon the garlic bread spread (as little or as much as you’d like) over the bread and smooth it out to an even layer.

Now, you need to decide if you want a crunchy, toasty garlic bread OR a soft, buttery garlic bread….

garlic topping spread on top of two halves of French bread.

For Crunchy Garlic Bread

For a crunchy, toasty garlic bread, you’ll leave the bread as-is on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the butter is all melted. Then turn the oven on broil and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

For a Soft, Buttery Garlic Bread

If you don’t want so much crunch, I’d recommend baking it a little differently. Once you have the spread on the bread, press the two bread halves back together and wrap in aluminum foil. Then place back on the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven. This will melt the butter and make the bread nice and hot without the crunch.

Once the bread is done, transfer it to a cutting board, cut into thick slices and serve warm!

close up of sliced garlic bread on a piece of parchment paper.
Can I make Garlic Bread Spread ahead of time?

Absolutely. There’s a couple ways to do this. First, you can simply make the spread and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. That’ll stay good for at least 1 week. Once you’re ready to use it, simply let it set out at room temperature to soften a bit before spreading on the bread.

Or, you can make the spread, put it on the French bread halves, put the bread back together, wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake within 24 hours.

Can I make it a cheesy garlic bread?

Absolutely.  Add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the spread.  Then, once the spread is on the bread, top with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and bake until melted!

My Favorite Pasta Dishes

One Pot Spaghetti

Ravioli Soup

Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet

One Pot Enchilada Pasta

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Follow on PinterestInstagram and Facebook so you never miss a recipe!! And as always, thank you for following along with my blog, making my recipes, liking and sharing on social media and any other way you support Dance Around the Kitchen!  -Kelsey

garlic bread slice on a white plate with fresh parsley on top and more garlic bread in the background

Garlic Bread Spread

Author: Kelsey
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
10 people
Garlic Bread Spread is delicious slathered over a loaf of French bread and baked to toasty perfection! It's a quick and easy, packed with garlic flavor and the ideal side dish for any pasta meal!

Ingredients
 

  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley*
  • large loaf of French bread

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and mayonnaise until smooth.
  • Add the garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Stir until well-combined.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Slice the loaf of French bread down the center and place it on a sheet pan with the cut sides up.
  • Spoon the garlic bread spread over the bread and smooth it out in an even layer.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, then broil for an additional 1-2 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Notes

*You can also use fresh garlic if you have it.  You’ll use 5 cloves of fresh, minced garlic.
*Don’t have fresh parsley?  No worries.  Use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes or 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning instead OR skip it altogether.
*Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the spread to add some heat!
 
NOTE:  Nutrition Facts calculated for 1 tablespoon of the spread (without bread).

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.5g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 11.6g | Saturated Fat: 4.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15.7mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 19.2mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 183IU | Calcium: 2.8mg | Iron: 0.1mg
“Dance Around the Kitchen” is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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