If you love warm, soft, buttery bread with rich garlic flavor, then Homemade Garlic Knots are about to become your new favorite baking project. These pillowy knots are brushed with a luxurious garlic herb butter that soaks into every twist, making them irresistible as a side dish, snack, or appetizer.

They’re perfect for pasta nights, pizza nights, family gatherings, Italian feasts, or simply as comfort food. Even better, they use simple pantry staples, and the dough is incredibly easy to work with — beginner friendly, but still impressive enough for special occasions.

This recipe gives you soft, fluffy knots that stay moist and tender for hours after baking. They’re brushed with garlic butter twice (before and after baking) for maximum flavor, and the shape is much simpler than it looks. Once you make these at home, you’ll never go back to store-bought frozen garlic knots again.

Why These Garlic Knots Are the Best

1. Ultra-soft dough that’s easy to shape and rises beautifully.
2. Garlic butter sauce that infuses flavor into every fold.
3. Quick rise times so you can have them ready fast.
4. Versatile dough—use it for pizza, rolls, or calzones.
5. Perfect for any meal from Italian dinners to game-day snacks.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup warm water (110°F)

Garlic Butter Sauce

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

Make the Dough

1. Activate yeast (if using active dry)
   Stir yeast, sugar, and warm water together and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
   (Skip this if using instant yeast.)
2. Combine dry ingredients
   In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
3. Add wet ingredients
   Pour in olive oil and warm water. Mix with a spoon or dough hook until it begins forming a dough.
4. Knead
   Knead by hand 6–8 minutes (or 4–5 minutes in a mixer) until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. First rise
   Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

Homemade Garlic Knots

Soft, fluffy garlic knots brushed with buttery garlic herb sauce and baked until golden and irresistible.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 14 knots

Course: Appetizer, Side

Cuisine: American, Italian

Calories: 140

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.25 tsp instant yeast 1 packet
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup warm water 110°F

Garlic Butter

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 0.5 tsp salt

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Baking sheet
• Wire rack
• Hand mixer or stand mixer

Method

 

1. Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water if using active dry yeast.
2. Whisk flour and salt together.
3. Add olive oil and water; mix until dough forms.
4. Knead until smooth and elastic.
5. Let dough rise for 1 hour.
6. Divide dough into pieces and roll into ropes.
7. Tie ropes into knots and let rise 20–30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
9. Brush knots with garlic butter and bake 12–15 minutes.
10. Brush baked knots again with remaining garlic butter.

Notes

For extra flavor, sprinkle knots with Parmesan before baking.

Shape the Garlic Knots

6. Divide dough
   Punch down dough and divide into 12–14 equal pieces.
7. Roll strips
   Roll each piece into a long rope about 8–10 inches.
8. Tie into knots
   Tie each rope into a loose knot and tuck the ends under to form a neat ball-like shape.
9. Second rise
   Place knots on a lined baking sheet. Cover and rise 20–30 minutes.

Bake

10. Preheat oven
    Heat to 400°F (200°C).
11. Brush with garlic butter
    Mix melted butter, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt.
    Brush half over the knots before baking.
12. Bake
    Bake 12–15 minutes until golden brown.
13. Brush again
    Immediately brush with remaining garlic butter for glossy, flavorful knots.

Tips for Perfect Homemade Garlic Knots

1. Don’t over-flour the dough

Soft dough = soft knots.

2. Brush twice

The secret to deep garlic flavor is brushing before and after baking.

3. Use fresh garlic

It adds significantly more aroma and richness than powdered.

4. For extra softness

Tent knots with foil for the last 5 minutes to trap steam.

5. Want them extra golden?

Add an optional egg wash before baking.

Variations

• Cheesy Garlic Knots: Add mozzarella inside or sprinkle Parmesan on top.
• Spicy Garlic Knots: Add red pepper flakes to the butter and dough.
• Herb Knots: Add oregano and basil to the butter.
• Pizza Dough Knots: Use store-bought dough to save time.

Serving Suggestions

• With pasta like spaghetti or lasagna
• Alongside pizza
• As a party appetizer with marinara dip
• With soups like tomato basil or minestrone

They’re a guaranteed crowd favorite.

Storage

• Room Temperature: 2 days (air-tight container)
• Refrigerator: 4 days
• Freezer: Up to 2 months
• Reheat at 300°F for 5–7 minutes for fresh-from-oven softness