Homemade Garlic Bread

5 from 2 votes

A quick and easy homemade garlic bread that’s crisp on the edges, buttery in the center, and bursting with fresh garlic flavor.

Course bread, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword garlic bread, garlic bread recipe, garlic toast, homemade garlic bread, how to make garlic bread

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings slices

Calories 209kcal

1 (16 ounce) loaf of soft Italian or French bread, halved lengthwise
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or minced (or sub with about ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or more to taste)
1 heaping tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley (or sub with 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes)
Optional: grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, garlic, and parsley.
Place the bread cut-side up on a baking sheet. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper first for easy cleanup (if desired). Spread each half of bread with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using.
Bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

Use a large, soft loaf of Italian or French bread. I find that a baguette gets too crunchy when toasted.
Use a microplane to grate the garlic cloves (or press to a fine mince). This helps evenly distribute the garlic throughout the spread so that you don't bite into a large chunk of garlic on your toast.