If you love garlic bread and need an appetizer for your next party, you've got to give this garlic bread dip a try! It's made with two heads of roasted garlic, three kinds of melty, gooey cheese, and crostini for dipping.
Recipe summary
Texture: Melty, cheesy, and rich.
Flavor: Roasting garlic significantly mellows the flavor to create an ingredient that's caramelized, soft, and buttery. Mixed with three cheeses and served with crostini, this dip tastes like an elevated cheesy garlic bread.
Great for: Football parties, New Year's Eve, or movie night at home.
Serve with: Crostini (small, toasted slices of bread), crackers, or celery sticks.
Similar to: Garlic Baked Brie and Roasted Garlic Hummus
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Garlic - You'll need two full heads of garlic for this recipe. While it may seem like a lot, roasting mellows out the harsh flavor of raw garlic and creates a caramelized, mild, savory flavor instead.
- Cream cheese - You'll need one full, 8-ounce block of standard cream cheese for this recipe. Full fat cream cheese ensures the dip doesn't separate in the oven when baked.
- Sour cream - Adds creamy texture and tangy flavor to the dip.
- Oil - A bit of oil is drizzled on the garlic before roasting. Olive oil could be substituted with your favorite cooking oil if needed.
- Seasoning - A bit of salt and pepper enhance the flavor of the dip.
- Parsley - A fresh green parsley garnish on top adds visual appeal when serving to a crowd.
- Cheeses - A combination of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese add melty, gooey texture and salty flavor. Grate cheese fresh from a block for a smooth consistency when melted. Bagged, pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-clumping powders that prevent even melting and add a grainy texture.
How to make garlic bread dip
- Slice off ¼" of the wide end of each garlic head to reveal all of the cloves inside. Wrap in foil, drizzle with oil, and cover with additional foil.
- Roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until garlic looks golden brown and soft.
- Allow garlic to cool slightly before pinching each clove out of the skin and mashing with a fork.
- Mix the remaining ingredients into your garlic mixture and spread into a baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown across the top and bubbly.
Tips and tricks
Garlic heads falling apart? - As you can see in the photos above, one of my garlic heads fell apart while the other held its shape. This happens sometimes! Carefully reassemble your garlic in the foil with the sliced ends facing up. They'll roast just fine either way.
Broil for more color - If your dip is hot and bubbly but you'd like to add more color on top, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Don't walk away while using the broiler! Food browns very quickly under the broiler and can go from golden to burnt in a few seconds.
Use room temperature cream cheese - This makes the ingredients much easier to incorporate together and create a smooth, even dip without clumps.
Storage
Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Your dip can also be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days before baking and serving.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Assemble your dip as directed in the recipe card. Before baking, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring your dip to room temperature while your oven preheats, then bake as directed.
I like to make crostini with a fresh baguette from the grocery store bakery. Use a serrated knife to slice into thin pieces, then lightly toast in the oven before serving.
Crackers, pretzels, pretzel chips, celery, pork rinds, or kettle potato chips make great dippers!
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📖 Recipe
Garlic Bread Dip
Ingredients
Roasted garlic
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley, as a garnish
- crostini or crackers, for serving
Instructions
Roasted garlic
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Remove excess papers from outside of garlic heads. Slice off ¼" from the top of each head of garlic (the wide/root end) to expose the cloves. Discard top portion.
- Make a little bowl of foil to set garlic in and hold the heads upright. Drizzle the tops with olive oil, then cover completely with foil. Roast in the oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until garlic is soft throughout and lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool before handling.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350℉.
Dip
- Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and into a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork to create a paste consistency.
- Add cream cheese and sour cream to the bowl. Mix until combined. Add shredded mozzarella, half of the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Spread into a small baking dish (8x8 square or 8-9 inch pie pan works well) and top with remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake for about 25-28 minutes, or until middle is hot and bubbling. Top should be lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crostini or crackers.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Serve warm: Dish is best served hot or warm within 10-15 minutes of baking.
- Make ahead: Assemble dip as directed but before baking, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature while your oven preheats, then bake as directed above.
- Serve with: Serve with crostini, crackers, pretzels, potato chips, celery, bell pepper wedges, carrots, or pork rinds.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!