This homemade garlic knots recipe is made with our foolproof pizza dough and zesty garlic butter. Perfect for kid’s parties or alongside soup or salad!

These homemade garlic knots will transport you right back to childhood. I love using them to sop up soup broth and pasta sauce. My kids beg me to make them when their friends come over with a variety of different dipping sauces. I always oblige and then steal a couple of them for myself!
Before we dive into the recipe, let’s touch on a little history. So many pizzerias carry garlic knots these days, but where did they actually come from? Garlic knots first started appearing in New York City pizza shops in the 1940s. These little morsels were a simple (and delicious!) way to not waste leftover pizza dough scraps. Whenever you make homemade pizza, you can do the same. All hail a budget bite!
Note: For this recipe, you’ll need to prepare homemade pizza dough ahead of time. Make it a day in advance to cut down on day-of prep, or pick up some pre-made dough from the grocery store. Trader Joe’s has a great ready-to-use dough in the refrigerated aisle when you’re in a pinch!
How to Make Pizza Dough for this Garlic Knots Recipe
This pizza dough recipe only requires a handful of ingredients and a couple of simple steps. Below, find an overview of the process.
- Make the Dough: Using a stand mixer with a dough hook or a wooden spoon, mix the dry yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and warm water together. Next, slowly add the flour just until it’s well-combined. That’s right – there’s no need to knead!
- Let the Dough Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for about two hours at room temperature, or until it doubles in size. And BAM – you have perfect pizza dough to use for your garlic knots!
How to Make this Garlic Knots Recipe
Making this garlic knots recipe requires pizza dough and a few other simple ingredients.
- Make the Pizza Dough: Prepare a batch of pizza dough or pick up pre-made dough from the grocery store for a shortcut.
- Shape the Dough: Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into thin strips on a floured surface. Next, tie each one into a knot.
- Bake the Knots: Assemble the knots on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 400℉, or until they turn golden brown.
- Slather with Herb Garlic Butter: Once the garlic knots come out of the oven, slather them with the melted butter mixture. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Here you’ll find a collection of quick-hitter tips and tricks to help you nail this garlic knots recipe.
- Don’t roll the dough out too thin. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick for best results. This will ensure that your knots are sturdy enough to shape and dip.
- Play around with different seasonings. Consider this garlic knots recipe a great foundation to tweak and alter to your specific taste buds. Want to go fancy? Swap in truffle butter. Love herbs? Add in fresh rosemary, basil, or oregano – or all three! Want cheesy garlic knots? Toss in some parmesan cheese or asiago cheese.
- Slather the knots in butter right out of the oven. Once you pull the knots out of the oven, waste no time in slathering them in garlic butter. This will help the seasoning stick to the knots, while also keeping them nice and moist.




What do you Eat Garlic Knots with?
Garlic knots can be served alongside most salads, pastas, and soups, or eaten with a variety of dipping sauces like alfredo, ranch, or marinara for a fun appetizer. They pair wonderfully with caesar salad, shrimp fettuccine alfredo, or creamy tortellini soup. They are perfect for kid’s parties, movie nights, and casual get-togethers with friends!
Storing Garlic Knots
Whether you have a handful of knots to store for the next week or you doubled or tripled the recipe to freeze, find all the best storage tips here.
- Refrigerator: Keep garlic knots on hand for up to a week by storing them in an airtight container in the fridge to keep them from going stale.
- Freezer (Baked): If you’d like to have garlic knots on hand for up to 1 month, freeze them. To do so, assemble them on a lined baking sheet and pop them in the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer the garlic knots to a freezer-safe bag. To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight.
- Freezer (Raw): If you’d like to have garlic knots on hand for up to 3 months, double or triple the recipe and freeze them raw. To do so, assemble them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, pop the entire baking sheet in the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. To bake, simply place the frozen notes in the oven and bake according to the recipe instructions.
FAQ
Are garlic knots a New York thing?
Yes, garlic knots are a New York thing. They were first created in pizzerias in the Big Apple to prevent food waste by putting leftover pizza dough scraps to good use.
How long do garlic knots last?
Garlic knots will last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
How far in advance can I make the pizza dough?
The pizza dough can be made up to a week in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to make the garlic knots recipe.
Can I freeze these garlic knots?
Yes, this garlic knots are great for freezing. To do so, allow them to cool completely. Pop the entire baking sheet into the freezer. Next, transfer the frozen knots to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Can I use a different dough besides pizza dough?
In a pinch, you can use Pillsbury Crescent Dough instead of homemade pizza dough. Additionally, Trader Joe’s has a great premade pizza dough in the refrigerated section if you’re looking for a shortcut.
Other Tasty Bread Recipes
- Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe – Herby-Italian flatbread
- Cheesy Bread Recipe – Perfect garlic and cheese bread
- Easy Homemade Naan Bread – Indian-style flatbread
- Ukrainian Garlic Bread (Pampushky) – Garlic and sunflower oil bread
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp dry or fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thin strips.
- Tie each dough strip into a simple knot. Bake them at 400°F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Next, add in the oil, parsley, and pressed garlic. Add salt to taste.
- Brush each dough knot with a garlicky glaze and serve warm!
The pizza dough recipe makes 4 pizzas. Are the 30 knots from one or all four(all the dough)? This recipe did not say the size of the the dough strips. I have made the pizza rolls loved them with frozen store pizza dough but even better with this dough recipe.
Hi Lori- you'll need to make the full pizza dough recipe. When making the knots, the dough shouldn't be rolled out too thin- about 1/2inch to 1 inch thick, that way they are sturdy enough to tie into a knot. Hope this helps!
I like pizza dough and I prepared them this morning. It was delicious 🙂
Ivan, thank you for sharing. I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe.
Mom always made her pizza dough ,,,,,made finger sizes pieces let em size ttill puffy then deep fry in oil. they puff way up. sprinkle wit powder sugar. maybe honey if we had any ,great ,that was 50 ta 65 years ago
Hey Joseph, that made my mouth water. Sounds incredibly delicious. I want to try it next time we make pizza dough.
These are soooo good. The only issue I had was making enough for everyone. They all loved them and kept asking for more more more...
Krissy, goodness! I am so happy to hear this!
Super easy, soft, & tasty! These are a must with our dinners!
Natalie, thank you for sharing! This makes me so happy!
Oh yum! I don't think I could stop eating these once I started! 😉
Carrie, lol, favorite comment of the day! Thank you!
Yum, I made these and my family ate them up! Thanks for a great recipe!
Melissa, I am so so happy to hear this! Thank you!
These are the perfect side dish. Love how easy they are to make too.
Erin, I am so glad you loved this recipe. 🙂 thanks for sharing