Tasty, creamy roasted garlic cloves make a wonderful topping for warm bread, mashed cauliflower, or any cooked vegetable.
Even if you're not a fan of raw garlic (I'm certainly not!), I think you should give this recipe a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Creamy and almost-sweet, roasted garlic is a delicacy. It's amazing how cooking eliminates its sharpness, almost unbearable when raw, and replaces it with a creamy sweetness.
Raw vs. cooked garlic
There's such a big difference between the two! I deeply dislike garlic when it's raw. I find its sharpness unpleasant. And I can't stand the taste it leaves in my mouth, which lingers long after I've eaten. Even if I brush my teeth!
I distinctly remember an episode of "Chopped" where one of the contestants made the grave mistake of using too much raw garlic in the dish he had made, overpowering it. He was eliminated that same round, and I have to say, I empathized with the judges!
But when garlic is cooked it's delicious, and I use it quite often in many of my recipes. Cooking removes its sharpness and makes it creamy and mild, although it's still very flavorful.
You can use a garlic head or just the cloves
Most recipes for roasted garlic use a whole garlic head, but I'm a lazy cook and I can't stand peeling it! So I use peeled garlic cloves that I get at Whole Foods.
It's just as tasty and it's so much easier. I'm sure you'll agree that easy is good when it comes to cooking!
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need three simple ingredients to make this tasty and good-for-you recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Peeled garlic cloves: I buy them already peeled at Whole Foods (what can I say, I'm lazy!). Needless to say, you can peel them yourself.
Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Melted butter is another tasty option.
Kosher salt: If using fine salt instead, you might want to reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
How to roast garlic cloves
It's so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. These are the basic steps:
1. You start by placing the garlic cloves in a bowl and coating them in olive oil. I use about one tablespoon of oil.
2. Next, arrange the garlic cloves on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet. Season them with salt.
3. Finally, bake them in the oven until they are tender, golden and creamy. Depending on how hot your oven is, this should take between 20-30 minutes in a 400°F oven, and you should stir them midway through baking.
How to use roasted garlic cloves
They are exquisite when mashed and spread on warm bread (if you eat bread), or on toasted almond flour bread. It's also wonderful as a topping for mashed cauliflower.
I often serve it scattered on top of any vegetable dish that I might be making that night. Tonight I steamed some broccoli and topped it with melted butter and roasted garlic cloves. It truly elevated the simple dish and added so much flavor.
Can I keep the leftovers?
Yes! If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days and gently reheat them in the microwave on 50% power. They'll be just as good as when freshly cooked.
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Roasted Garlic Cloves
INGREDIENTS
- 24 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the garlic cloves in a bowl. Add the olive oil and mix to coat.
- Spread the garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet, in a single layer. Season them with the salt.
- Bake until golden brown and fork-tender, stirring halfway through cooking. Depending on your oven, the total baking time should be between 20-30 minutes.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 