This simple homemade garlic bread comes together in 20-minutes with just 5-ingredients: French or Italian bread, butter, garlic powder, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Using garlic powder instead of fresh skips the chopping and delivers classic garlic bread flavor with almost no prep!

Closeup shot of two halves of a loaf of bread made into garlic bread. One of the halves is sliced.

5 star review

“My kids are obsessed! I feel much better feeding them this than the garlic bread from the grocery store freezer with all the creepy ingredients 🙂”

– Ashley
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My Favorite Way to Make Garlic Bread Using Garlic Powder

Okay, I know most garlic bread recipes call for fresh garlic that needs peeling and mincing, but using garlic powder gets you the same craveable flavor with zero prep. The trick is treating the garlic powder like the seasoning it is and combining it with softened butter, parmesan, and Italian seasoning to make a savory spread you can slather on warm bread.

I recommend starting with a soft French or Italian loaf, not a baguette, which has too thick a crust. Slice it lengthwise, spread the garlic butter mixture generously on both halves, then sandwich them back together and wrap tightly in foil. The foil bake softens the bread and melts the butter into every crevice. Finish with the bread cut-side up, foil off, for a few minutes to crisp the top.

This garlic bread is the perfect side for pasta night, especially with my stuffed shells with ground beef or pulled apart for dunking into slow cooker lasagna soup. Make a double batch and freeze the second loaf so you’ll have it ready on busy weeknights when dinner is already on the table and you just need to pop the bread in the oven. So good!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Homemade Garlic Bread

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: loaf of bread, stick of butter, spices, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of a butter and spices mixture being mixed in a small white bowl.
Combine the butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan.
Two halves of a loaf of bread. One is being slathered with a butter mixture.
Slather on both bread halves.
Overhead shot of a baking pan with a loaf of bread covered in aluminum foil.
Sandwich the bread halves together. Wrap in foil and bake for 10 min.
Overhead shot of two halves of a loaf of bread made into garlic bread on a baking sheet lined with foil.
Unwrap and bake until golden.
Overhead shot of two halves of a loaf of bread made into garlic bread. One of the halves is sliced.
Slice and enjoy!
Overhead image of a serving dish with garlic bread slices. A hand is reaching in to grab one of the pieces.

Testing Notes for Simple Garlic Bread

  • Use freshly grated parmesan, not the shelf-stable shaker kind if you can. The pre-grated stuff in green canisters won’t melt into the butter the same way.
  • Use unsalted butter unless you love a salty bite, as unsalted gives you control to season at the end if needed.
  • Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the butter for a hint of heat. A quarter teaspoon stirred in with the garlic powder adds warmth without making it spicy.
  • Watch the final unwrapped bake closely! Once the foil comes off and the bread is cut-side up, you have about 3-5 minutes before the edges go from golden to bitter and dark. Stay near the oven for this part, and use the smell as your signal. When the garlic aroma hits full strength, the bread is ready to come out.
Overhead shot of slices of garlic bread on parchment paper.
Overhead shot of two halves of a loaf of bread made into garlic bread. One of the halves is sliced.
5 stars (9 ratings)

Simple Garlic Bread (with Garlic Powder)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 12 (1-piece) servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Easy homemade garlic bread made with garlic powder, butter, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. The perfect side for pasta night, ready in 20 minutes!
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Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound) soft French or Italian bread loaf, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) softened butter, salted or unsalted
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons no-salt added Italian seasoning

Optional

  • chopped fresh parsley

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425F.
  • To a medium bowl, add the butter, parmesan, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the butter mixture is smooth.
  • Place the bread pieces cut side up, then spread the butter mixture evenly on both pieces. Sandwich the bread halves together, then wrap tightly in foil.
  • Bake the foil wrapped bread for 10-18 minutes, or until the butter inside has melted, then unwrap and place both the slices of bread, cut-side up, on the foil or on a baking sheet. Bake for an additional 5 more minutes, or until the butter is golden and the bread is slightly crisp. Slice and serve.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 12) pieces, Calories: 193kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 239mg, Potassium: 92mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 26IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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