By: Jill Mills Posted: Feb 9, 2023 Updated: Mar 30, 2023

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These Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks are absolutely addictive, with a soft, tender inside and a buttery garlic salt topping on the outside. Enjoy with your favorite soup, salad, or pasta!

Homemade Olive Garden breadsticks wrapped in a towel on a plate

Easy Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

Can we all just agree that the endless breadsticks are the best part of going to Olive Garden? I don’t know about you but I can easily make a meal out of breadsticks and salad alone. By the time my actual meal comes, I’m usually pretty close to full because I just can’t stop eating breadsticks.

Now you can recreate those famous endless breadsticks at home with this easy copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks recipe. You’ll need just a handful of basic ingredients for the dough and once they’re baked to golden perfection, they’re topped with butter and garlic salt for that classic flavor. So irresistible!

Watch The Recipe Video!

What You’ll Need

These homemade garlic butter breadsticks are made with just a handful of simple ingredients. Check the recipe card below for measurements.

Warm water – Be sure that it’s warm but not hot to the touch, as that can kill the yeast.
Active dry yeast – Helps the dough rise and creates the soft, chewy breadstick texture. Be sure to check the expiration date!
Sugar – Sugar helps to activate the yeast but it won’t make the bread taste sweet.
Salt
Vegetable oil
All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure it correctly as too much flour can affect the texture of the breadsticks.
Butter – Melted butter helps the seasonings stick to the breadsticks.
Garlic salt – Garlic salt with parsley flakes gives these copycat breadsticks the signature Olive Garden flavor.

Copycat Olive Garden breadstick ingredients

How to Make Olive Garden Breadsticks

Here’s how to make these irresistible Olive Garden breadsticks in the comfort of your own home.

Activate the yeast. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
Prepare the dough. Mix the salt, oil, and two cups of flour until combined. Add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl. It should be soft and only slightly sticky.
Knead the dough. Knead the dough until smooth, sprinkling with flour as needed.
Let rise. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Let rise for 30 minutes, until doubled.

A ball of dough that's risen in a glass bowl

Dough that's been cut into pieces and some rolled into breadsticks

Form the breadsticks. Punch the dough down then divide into 12 balls. Roll each one into a 9-inch rope. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Let rise again. Cover the baking sheets and let the breadsticks rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

Melted butter being brush on homemade breadsticks

Bake. Bake the breadsticks for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown.
Add the garlic butter. Brush the breadsticks with melted butter as soon as you remove them from the oven. Sprinkle with garlic salt and serve warm.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips to help you make the perfect copycat Olive Garden breadsticks.

Made sure your yeast is good. If your yeast doesn’t foam up during the first 10 minutes, toss it and start over.
Allow plenty of time to rise. These breadsticks need to rise twice and each time they should double in size. The exact amount of time each rise takes will depend on the temperature, so always double-check to make sure they’ve doubled in size before continuing.
Watch carefully during baking. These bake quickly, in under 20 minutes. Keep a close eye out to ensure they don’t over-brown, though you want them to bake long enough that they’re not doughy inside.

Copycat olive garden breadsticks on a plate with spaghetti

Serving Suggestions

We love these breadsticks with our Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Pasta and Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup. Add a toss salad and it’s just like being at the restaurant (but better).

Of course, these garlic salt breadsticks go with pretty much any pasta or soup. Try them with classic spaghetti, alfredo pasta, or whatever your favorite is!

You can also serve them as an appetizer with some marinara sauce for dipping.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover breadsticks can be stored at room temperature for 3 days. Just keep them in a ziploc bag. Since they’re best enjoyed warm, you can either pop them in the microwave for a few seconds or wrap them in foil and reheat in the oven.

Can I Freeze Homemade Breadsticks?

Yes, you can freeze any extra Olive Garden breadsticks. Allow them to cool, wrap them tightly in plastic, and place them in a ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours and reheat in the microwave or oven.

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