Homemade Parmesan Garlic Bread with Basil and Lemon
This tear-and-share parmesan garlic bread is great for pizza and movie night, parties, and those times you want to treat yourself. Easy to make, it consists of baking a baguette coated in a garlic, parmesan, lemon, and basil sauce.
Enjoy the satisfying crunch and rich, buttery, and tangy flavor in so many ways. I’d recommend serving it with salads, this easy one-pot lemon basil pasta, or this rich tomato soup. This also makes for a great party food to go with other tasty appetizers, like these parmesan-garlic air fryer chicken wings or this whipped ricotta and olives.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make this parmesan garlic bread:
- Baguettes – 2 bake-at-home baguettes (about 12 inches each) or 1 large bakery baguette (24 inches); see ingredient notes)
- Butter – 8 tbsp unsalted butter (112 grams)
- Garlic – 2-3 large garlic cloves
- Parmesan – 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- Basil – handful of fresh basil (about 2 packed tablespoons when finely chopped)
- Lemon – zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
- Salt – a pinch of salt
- Pepper – a pinch of black pepper
Ingredient Notes
- Baguettes – You can use either already-baked bakery baguettes or bake-at-home/part-baked baguettes. If the baguette is already baked, you’ll just have to wrap it in foil before placing it in the oven. If using a long baguette, cut it in half to fit on the baking sheet.
- Parmesan – I highly recommend you buy a parmesan wedge and grate it at home fresh when you need it rather than buying pre-grated parmesan.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
Step 1. Melt the butter. You can do so in a small pot over low heat or in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave, in 15-second increments until melted (carefully so it doesn’t make a mess in the microwave).
Step 2. Add the minced garlic, grated parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and finely chopped fresh basil.
Step 3. Slice the baguette only 3/4th of the way into slices that are about 3/4 inch thick (about 2 cm).
Step 4. Brush it with the butter mixture both on top and in the cuts (in between all the slices). If using an already-baked bakery baguette, wrap it in foil. If using part-baked (bake-at-home) baguettes, you don’t need to wrap them in foil.
Step 5. Bake the baguettes at 390°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes.
Step 6. Once baked, unwrap from the foil and serve hot.
Here is the garlic bread using bake-at-home baguettes.
There is something so satisfying about tearing off a slice of garlic bread from the baguette and watching the garlic sauce oozing from the bread! Share with friends and family, and enjoy it with some of the dishes mentioned above and below.
Serving Suggestions
Who am I to tell you what to enjoy your garlic bread with? We all have our favorite pairings, and plenty of us have had it with pizza. If you’re hosting a big party and you need lots of dishes, this is such a great go-to. For a big spread, have a look at my appetizer collection for inspiration.
I would love to know if you and your guests loved this homemade garlic bread. Let me know in the comments if you’re converted, and what you ended up serving it with.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 bakery baguette about 24 inches or 2 bake-at-home baguettes (about 12 inches each, see ingredient notes)
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter 112 grams
- 2-3 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- a handful of fresh basil about 2 packed tablespoons when finely chopped
- zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Melt the butter. You can do so in a small pot over low heat or in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave, in 15-second increments until melted (carefully so it doesn’t make a mess in the microwave).
- Add the minced garlic, grated parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and finely chopped fresh basil.
- Slice the baguette only 3/4th of the way into slices that are about 3/4 inch thick (about 2 cm).
- Brush it with the butter mixture both on top and in the cuts (in between all the slices). If using an already-baked bakery baguette, wrap it in foil. If using part-baked (bake-at-home) baguettes, you don’t need to wrap them in foil.
- Bake the baguettes at 390°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes.
- Once baked, unwrap from the foil and serve hot.
Notes
- Baguettes – You can use either already-baked bakery baguettes or bake-at-home/part-baked baguettes. If the baguette is already baked, you’ll just have to wrap it in foil before placing it in the oven. If using a long baguette, cut it in half to fit on the baking sheet.
- Parmesan – I highly recommend you buy a parmesan wedge and grate it at home fresh when you need it rather than buying pre-grated parmesan.
Need some quick garlic bread for a birthday or pizza night? Pin this article to one of your party side or appetizer boards, ready for your next big gathering.
