This roasted garlic recipe is easy to make and results in tender, sweet, caramelized, creamy, golden garlic cloves that are perfect for adding to mashed potatoes, bread, soups, and more!

This oven roasted garlic recipe is easy to make and results in the most tender, caramelized, creamy, golden garlic cloves. Add to soups, mashed potatoes, and more! Video. 

Have you ever tasted roasted garlic? It is truly transformational! Pungent, sharp garlic becomes sweet and nutty without any of its raw edges. It is easier to digest while not losing any of its tremendous health benefits.

As a chef, both at my restaurant and in my catering business, we would take the last of the farmers market garlic, and roast it off whole in large hotel pans, freezing some for future use. On those days the kitchen smelled heavenly.

Here, I’ll teach you how to roast garlic in two different ways: whole garlic heads or peeled individual garlic cloves.

I’ll also share a few chef’s tricks for storing and preserving roasted garlic and, my favorite, making a roasted garlic paste to use at home or in your restaurant. You’ll find a million uses for roasted garlic! I love the flavorful depth it imparts, giving food a beautiful complexity.

Why You’ll Love Roasted Garlic

  • The flavor! Roasting garlic concentrates the sugars, transforming it into a caramelized, spreadable, buttery texture with sweet, deep, nutty, earthy, complex flavors. This process removes all the sharpness, pungency, and bite.
  • Increases Digestibility! It’s easier to digest for many people, while not losing any of the health benefits!
How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

What you’ll need

  • Fresh Raw Garlic– either whole heads of garlic (garlic bulbs) or peeled garlic cloves.
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil
  • Optional: salt and pepper
How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

How to Roast Garlic

  1. With a sharp knife, cut off half-inch of the tips off so the inner cloves are exposed.
  2. Place in a well-oiled skillet or baking dish and drizzle with oil and optional salt and pepper. Feel free to add fresh herbs. We skip the foil packet to minimize aluminum exposure.
  3. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35- 40 minutes in a 400F oven.
  4. Uncover and continue roasting until caramelized and golden, 10-20 more minutes.
How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

When they come out, they will be golden, tender, and creamy. Let them cool and just squeeze them out.

How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

How to Roast peeled Garlic

Now, if you happen to buy big bags of peeled garlic, roasting garlic is even easier! You can roast big batches, blend the paste, and freeze the resulting paste in little jars, pulling them out as needed.

  1. Place 1 cup peeled garlic cloves in a well-oiled glass baking dish (TIP: a glass baking dish lets you see the level of color as it develops.) Again, we skip using a “foil packet” to minimize aluminum exposure.
  2. Toss generously with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (and optional salt and pepper)
  3. Cover with foil. Bake at 400F until tender and golden, 20-30 minutes
How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

Peel the garlic and place in a baking dish, drizzle with oil and cover with foil. When it’s done the roasted garlic will be golden, buttery and delicious. I let these go a little longer because my husband really enjoys a little of the edges crispy and caramelized texture.

how to roast peeled garlic in the oven

How to store roasted garlic

Roasted garlic can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

How to Make Garlic Paste!

roasted garlic paste

Make a garlic “paste” (see photo below) by pureeing roasted garlic with a little olive oil, place in a jar, cover with a layer of olive oil and keep in the fridge for up to 10 days. Or freeze, and pull out as needed- ice cube trays work great here.

Store Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil

How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

Roasted individual cloves of garlic, stored in olive oil, will keep in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Note that it must be refrigerated. Do not let roasted garlic sit out for more than a couple of hours, as it can spoil easily at room temperature.

How to use Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is lovely in mashed potatoes, sauces, pasta, pizza, stews and soups.

  1. Spread on Bread: Spread warm roasted garlic cloves on toasted bread or baguette slices for a tasty and simple appetizer.
  2. Add to Dips and Spreads: Mix roasted garlic cloves into hummus, guacamole, or sour cream-based dips for a flavorful twist.
  3. Enhance Mashed Potatoes: Mash a few roasted garlic cloves into your favorite mashed potato recipe for a savory and aromatic side dish.
  4. Add to pasta dishes.
  5. In Soups and Stews: Puree roasted garlic cloves and add them to soups and stews to infuse them with a deep, rich flavor.
  6. Blend into Sauces: Mix roasted garlic cloves into tomato sauces, pesto, or creamy pasta sauces for an extra layer of flavor.
  7. Topping for Pizza: Scatter roasted garlic cloves over your pizza toppings before baking to add a sweet and mellow flavor.
  8. Flavor Butter and Spreads: Mix chopped roasted garlic into softened butter, cream cheese, or mayo for a delicious spread for bread or crackers.
  9. Add some to your next Sourdough loaf!
  10. Salad Dressings: Blend roasted garlic cloves with olive oil, vinegar, and herbs to create a flavorful dressing for salads.

I’m so excited to hear all the ways you will use roasted garlic over the holidays. Please let me know in the comments below.

More Cooking Basics

Watch how to Roast Garlic

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How to Roast Garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! And so many health benefits! Whole cloves can be stored in olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days, or made into a paste, to add to soups, stews, sauces, dressings and mashes. #roastedgarlic #bakedgarlic #garlic #garlicbenefits #roastgarlic

Roasted Garlic Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 22 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup
  • Category: condiment, cooking basics
  • Method: roasted
  • Cuisine: american
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

How to roast garlic in the oven (using whole heads of garlic or peeled garlic cloves). Roasting garlic transforms it! Spreadable, buttery, sweet, earthy, and complex it has a multitude of uses in the kitchen! With so many health benefits!

Ingredients

  • Garlic- either 6 whole heads, or 1 cup peeled cloves
  • olive oil (1 teaspoon per head) or 2-3 tablespoons per cup of peeled cloves
  • salt and pepper to taste – optional
  • a few fresh sprigs of rosemary or thyme- optional

Instructions

Roasting Whole Garlic Heads 

  • preheat oven to 400F
  • Cut the tips of the heads, exposing the cloves inside, slicing off roughly 1/2 inch
  • Place in a well-oiled skillet or baking dish.
  • Drizzle generously with olive oil roughly, 1 teaspoon per head.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you like, and tuck in some sprigs of rosemary or thyme. Both optional.
  • Cover tightly with foil.
  • Roast 35 minutes, check for tenderness, by inserting the tip of a knife into an inner clove. If tender, uncover and roast until golden and caramelized, 10-20 more minutes. If not tender, recover with foil and check again in 5-10 minutes.

Roasting Peeled Garlic 

  • Preheat oven to 400F
  • Place 1 cup garlic cloves in a baking dish ( glass allows you to see the depth of color).
  • Drizzle generously with olive oil 2-4 tablespoons ( the flavorful oil can be used in dressings, and  to preserve the garlic)
  • Cover with foil.
  • Place in the hot oven for 20 minutes, check, continue roasting until golden and caramelied,

Notes

To preserve and store:  Refrigerate whole heads in ziplock bags for up to 5 days (or freeze for 6 months). 

To preserve roasted (peeled) cloves, simple cover with a layer of olive oil in a jar. Add herbs, lemon zest and chili flakes if you like. This will keep 10 days in the refrigerator with the garlic submerged in oil. Use the flavorful garlic-infused oil in your cooking or dressings etc, but always top off the jar with more oil, so the garlic is completely covered. Take care to always refrigerate, and not leave too long at room temperature. 

Or freeze in little jars. You can also freeze cloves in little ziplock bags.

Make Roasted Garlic Paste: My favorite way is to blend the garlic cloves with the oil in a food processor and make a paste, covering with a tiny layer of olive oil.  This will last 10 days in the fridge. For longer, store the garlic paste in little jars in the freezer, and pull out as needed. You could also free in ice cube trays.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
  • Calories: 28
  • Sugar: 0.1 g
  • Sodium: 1.4 mg
  • Fat: 1.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 2.8 g
  • Fiber: 0.2 g
  • Protein: 0.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Comments

  2. I took my frozen garlic cloves out and left them out on my counter all day. Are they still good to use?

    Reply

    1. I should think they are probably fine. But use your best judgement. Don’t use if they look or smell off.

      Reply

  4. i threw a few raw halves into a tupperware container of black olives a few days ago…will it kill me to eat the olives?

    Reply

  6. Fantastic garlic recipe. As for sautéed mushrooms! Delicious.

    With garlic one is enjoying one of natures effective natural antibiotics – among several powerful healing elements.

    Form the southern tip of Africa, “thank you”!

    Reply

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