Welcome to my recipe for the easiest garlic toast you’ll ever make! There’s no chopping, no fresh ingredients, no mashing butter. Just 10-15 minutes between you and a piece of crunchy, garlicky goodness. It’s barely even a recipe, but this method is an absolute go-to when I just need that little late night snack or something to serve alongside soup or pasta and I’m sure it’ll become a go-to for you, too.
BREAD OPTIONS
The first step is picking your bread. And it’s an easy step because you can use this method with basically any kind. Sliced bread (even gluten-free!) works well, but it will also work with buns, baguettes, rolls, or ciabatta as long as they’re split open. All you need is an exposed surface of bread to season, and the recipe will work. Just lay your sliced bread on a sheet tray and you’re ready to go. I do think it’s particularly delicious with ciabatta (and would be amazing on any nice bread from a bakery), but truly use what you have. (I also love doing it with this sourdough from TJs.)
BUTTERING THE GARLIC TOAST
Okay, you have sliced bread on a sheet tray and your oven is preheating. You’re basically halfway there! My favorite way to make this recipe is with a soft, spreadable plant butter. Any brand will work, so use your favorite. The key is to make sure it’s easy to spread so you don’t tear up your bread. If your butter is cold or hard, I really recommend you leave it at room temperature until it’s softened. It’s the little things that count in a recipe this easy! Once you have softened butter, make sure to spread it thinly and evenly across the entire surface of the bread. No corners left behind, I mean it!
BUTTER ALTERNATIVE
If you’re in a real pinch and don’t have any plant butter but absolutely need garlic toast ASAP, don’t worry! You can substitute the butter for olive oil. Just don’t be stingy. Generously and evenly drizzle the surface with oil and problem solved. It will still be delicious.
GARLIC TOAST SEASONINGS
Once the bread is adequately buttered (or oiled, if you must), you’re ready to season. The list is short, sweet, and to the point: nutritional yeast, garlic powder, flaky sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Again, very foolproof, but since this recipe is so simple, I’ll give you a few of my very favorite versions of each of these seasonings to make this toast as delicious as possible.
We start with a very fine sprinkling of nutritional yeast, which gives a wonderful savory flavor. I love this nutritional yeast by Bragg’s for its beautiful flaky texture, so I buy large quantities and store it in glass jars. As for garlic powder, I’ve been loving this California-style garlic powder, which has a slightly coarse texture and robust garlicky flavor (with the added bonus of a little parsley mixed in). Just make sure to go a little heavier with the garlic powder. We want even coverage, but in a slightly thicker sprinkling than the nutritional yeast. It is garlic toast after all.
Then you add a sprinkle of salt, and I prefer this flaky salt for its lovely crunchy texture, but you could use what you have. Lastly comes red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. You can experiment a little with spices here the more you make this, but these are the essentials. (You can also add some fresh toppings here—finely chopped garlic or vegan cheese are particularly delightful.)
BAKING THE GARLIC TOAST
All that’s left to do now is bake! The toast goes into a 450°F oven for 10-15 minutes, and that’s it. Keep an eye out for the moment it becomes perfectly golden brown and you’re ready to enjoy!
I hope that you love this super easy garlic toast! It’s kind of hard not to. I know this recipe is an absolute staple for me and I hope it will be for you, too. It’s just such an easy way to transform a piece of bread into a fabulous snack or amazing accompaniment for your favorite soup. You could also use this as a base for different spreads to level up a crostini situation. Imagine this crispy garlic toast with bruschetta topping, or hummus and some veggies. No matter how you slice it, it’s a slam dunk!
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER RECIPES TO PAIR WITH THIS GARLIC TOAST:
Zuppa Toscana
Gumbo
Vegetable Lentil Soup
If you do try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. It greatly helps the health of my site and makes me oh so happy to read. Thank you for being here and happy cooking, y’all.
-Timothy
4-6 slices desired bread Prepare the baking sheet: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (This is optional if you'd rather bake directly on the sheet). Season the bread: Place the bread on the baking sheet and, using a butter knife, butter the slices from edge to edge. If using olive oil, drizzle evenly or use a pastry brush to get an even layer. Once evenly buttered (or oiled), sprinkle over a very light dusting of nutritional yeast and a heavier sprinkling of garlic powder (I love California-syle garlic powder). Then finish each piece of bread with a pinch of flaky salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Bake: Bake until golden brown, crispy, and delicious, about 10-15 minutes. You can use slices of bread, a baguette or ciabatta sliced open, the options are fairly endless!
Ingredients
Plant butter (soft, spreadable butter is ideal, but you can use olive oil)
Nutritional yeast, to sprinkle
Garlic powder, to generously sprinkle
Few pinches flaky sea salt
Few pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)Instructions
notes
You can add a teaspoon of minced fresh garlic for even more flavor and you can add a sprinkling of vegan cheese shreds to make it garlic cheese toast!
Food styling, photography, and recipe by Timothy Pakron
Text by Hannah Kearing and Timothy Pakron
4 comments
“bread” is the theme for my youngest daughters 1st birthday in April so this comes at a perfect time. Hehe.
Hey my love bug. I will make this for you ASAP.
I just recently found you and haven’t had a chance to try many things but I can tell it’s all going to be wonderful. I mean, brewer’s yeast on garlic bread!!!! Today it’s going to be that vegetable lentil soup with garlic bread!! Oh, thank you. I know I needed a little Mississippi in my weary vegan diet. Thank you Timothy for showing up in my inbox!! Big Hugs!
So happy to have you here! Yes, definitely add a sprinkling of nutritional yeast on this recipe. I especially like the Braggs brand (they sell them as flakes, which I love!). Thanks for the kind words and happy cooking!