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Freshly-baked and shining with herbed garlic butter, these Easy Homemade Garlic Knots are the soft, flavorful dinner rolls of your dreams. Plus, they’re super fast to make, thanks to refrigerated pizza dough!
Homemade Garlic Knots with Pizza Dough
I have noticed that even people who aren’t really into bread or carbs still love a fresh, warm dinner roll, right out of the oven. There’s just something about a soft, golden-brown roll that is irresistible, maybe even more than a fresh loaf or slice of bread!
When I want to serve dinner rolls fast, I turn to these easy garlic knots. They’re so fast to make, thanks to pre-made pizza dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. You don’t need any special equipment, rising time, or anything. Just a good sharp knife for cutting the dough, and a cookie sheet or baking pan for baking.
Plus, the pretty knot shape is so beautiful! This is definitely a recipe that packs a visual punch. The soft, knotted pieces of dough bake up beautifully golden-brown and shiny. And let’s not forget the fragrance of the warm garlic butter! It makes your whole house smell like a traditional pizzeria. Heavenly!
Where Did Garlic Knots Originate?
Garlic knots are a quintessential New York treat! Some say they first showed up in Brooklyn, while others point to Queens. In any case, it seems that New York City pizzeria owners had the (fantastic) idea to create little rolls out of leftover pizza dough, dressed with garlic and oil or butter, sometime in the mid-20th century.
Long-time fans of garlic knots say that the knots were originally palm-sized treats that could be bought for pennies. These days, you can find them small or large, pretzel-size, or as large as a croissant. Some are topped with cheese, some aren’t. I like to serve mine with marinara dipping sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
This list is short and sweet! Keeping pizza dough (or biscuit dough—see below) on hand allows you to make these anytime, even on short notice.
- Pizza Dough: I use one can of refrigerated pizza dough to make about 12 large garlic knots.
- Butter: Melt about 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter for brushing on the garlic knots.
- Fresh Garlic: Fresh minced garlic helps to give these knots their mouthwatering flavor. I use three cloves. You can substitute one teaspoon of garlic powder, if you prefer!
- Italian Seasoning: A savory herb blend.
- Marinara Sauce: For serving.
How to Make Homemade Garlic Knots
My garlic knots are on the larger side, about the size of a croissant. If you’d like to make smaller garlic knots, just cut the strips as directed, but then cut each strip in half. Stretch and roll slightly to make a thin rope you can tie in a knot.
- Prep the Oven, Baking Sheet, and Dough. First things first: preheat your oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once that’s done, open the pizza dough and unroll it onto a cutting board or work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough evenly into 12 strips. Each one should be a little less than an inch wide.
- Tie the Knots. This is the fun part! Fold or “tie” each dough strip into a knot shape, and place them on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Tuck the loose ends of dough underneath each knot.
- Make the Garlic Butter. Melt the butter. I usually do this in the microwave. You can also melt it in a small saucepan on the stove. Stir in the Italian seasonings and the minced garlic.
- Butter the Rolls and Bake. Using a pastry brush, coat the tops of the dough knots with the herbed melted butter. Pop the rolls into the preheated oven, and bake for about 18 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Serve. When the garlic knots are done, take them out of the oven and serve warm, with marinara sauce for dipping.
Tips for Success
This easy recipe is so fun and simple to make, and it’s great to do with the kiddos as well! But before you start cutting and tying, have a look at these helpful tips.
- Substitution: Depending on your taste, you may prefer to substitute olive oil for some or all of the butter, and fresh parsley for the Italian seasoning. These are two common variations. Either way, the knots will be delicious!
- Knot a Problem: You can make these into any shape you like! Twists, pretzel shapes, or short sticks are all great options.
- Different Dough Options: If you’d rather make your own pizza dough, that’s a great option, too! You can also use refrigerated biscuit dough. Just cut each unbaked biscuit in half, and roll each half into a strip 6-8 inches long. Tie in knots and proceed with the recipe as written.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
- To store your leftover garlic knots, place them in airtight containers or food storage bags, ideally inside a pantry or bread box.
- Store at room temperature for up to five days. Don’t refrigerate; refrigeration causes the rolls to lose moisture and go stale faster.
- To reheat, place in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 350°F for a few minutes, until warm.
Can I Freeze These?
- Yes! You can easily freeze the unbaked knots, to have a convenient side ready to bake another time.
- Once you have shaped and brushed the knots, freeze them on a sheet pan until frozen solid, and then store in freezer bags until you’re ready to bake.
- Bake from frozen, increasing the time by 5 to 10 minutes to account for the frozen dough.
- The knots will last in the freezer for up to one month.
Easy Homemade Garlic Knots
Ingredients
- 1 can (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza dough
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter,, melted
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Marinara, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Open the can of refrigerated pizza dough and gently unroll onto a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 12 even strips about ¾-inch in width.
- Fold each dough strip into a knot shape, and place on the prepared baking sheet. You can create the knot shape by holding one end of the dough in each hand and tying into a single knot. Tuck the loose ends underneath.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter on low heat in the microwave. Stir in the Italian seasonings and minced garlic.
- Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the tops of the dough knots with the herbed butter mixture.
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven, and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden on top.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and serve the garlic knots warm with marinara sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Perfect for any party. These will be a big hit with everyone!
I hope you’ll enjoy them! Thank YOU! 🙂
Flovorful and crispy! These are the definitely the best knots ever!
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll enjoy them! 🙂
Easy and fun to make.Turn out perfect every single time.
I’m very happy you loved these! Thank you so much! 🙂
These are my favorite and I can’t believe how easy they are!
I hope you enjoy them! Thank YOU! 🙂
These are perfect for the holidays!
I hope you enjoy them! Thank YOU! 🙂