Have you ever been to Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant? They have some great things on the menu, but if we are being honest, I could go just for the olive oil bread dip, fresh bread and a glass of wine and be a perfectly happy camper.
What You’ll Need
Carrabba’s olive oil bread dip clearly uses dried spices, but you can also use a variety of finely minced fresh herbs and spices. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Olive oil – This is the star of the show, so you want to make sure to use a high quality olive oil here. I generally buy my quality olive oil domestically, from California, in fact. This one is my favorite.
- crushed red pepper flakes
- freshly cracked black pepper
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- dried parsley
- onion powder
- dried rosemary
- coarse sea salt (or Kosher salt)
- fresh crushed garlic
- garlic powder
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – The coarse kosher salt in this recipe helps to bring out the taste and flavors of the other ingredients while not being overly salty.
- Seasonings – You can mix and match fresh with dried herbs and add a few of your own, like thyme or a dash of dried minced onion or garlic for more texture and crunch. A dash of balsamic vinegar or a few grates of fresh parmesan cheese are also great.
- Sauces – Try mixing up the olive oil! Flavored oils, like garlic oil or herb infused oils are also fun and add another layer of flavor sophistication.
- Senses – Crusty bread meets a rich blend of olive oil, garlic, and herbs—warm, savory, and irresistibly fragrant. Each dip is a burst of flavor: earthy, peppery, and perfectly smooth.
Perfect Pairings
What is the best bread for dipping? What bread can’t you dip should be the answer! For this type of dip, aim for something that is hearty enough to tear and sop up the spices and olive oil. Above all, make sure it is something you like, your favorite bread! These are my favorites:
- Focaccia
- Italian bread (loaf)
- Sourdough bread
- Classic crusty white bread
- Toasted quick rolls– white or whole wheat
- French bread
- Olive bread
- Naan, pita or flatbread
- Check out all of our bread recipes!
Homemade Gifts
Restaurant style olive oil bread dip is also one of my favorite DIY gift ideas, much like my other infused olive oils. Buy cute little glass containers or mason jars at the local craft store and decorate them with fun and colorful string or silk flowers.
I like to use festive twine to attach a gourmet bottle of olive oil and voila, you have the perfect hostess gift straight from your kitchen! Label it as Bread Dipping Oil or Olive Oil Bread Dip and everyone will know what you mean.
Copycat Carrabba’s Bread Dipping Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 3 cloves fresh garlic , freshly crushed or minced
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary , 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt and 3 cloves fresh garlic, grated. Mix well.
- If serving immediately, measure out about 1 tablespoons of the spice mixture into a shallow plate or bowl. Add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Save the rest in an airtight container for another day!
- If you've made this recipe at home, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Shelf Life & Storage
Dry mix can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container and the shelf life is good for several weeks. The salt is a natural preservative. If you know it won’t be used for a long time, omit the fresh garlic and add a teaspoon of garlic powder instead. Or you can include a cute note asking to “just add fresh garlic to serve”.
Because the shelf life is so long (before adding the olive oil) there should be no need to freeze.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this bread dip in advance. Mix your Italian seasonings and just add olive oil when you are ready to serve. Do not add the oil until you are ready. Store the mix in an airtight container.
I make a VERY large batch when I make this recipe. Salt will preserve the fresh garlic. Keep it in a dry, cool place, like the pantry, in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Check it to make sure the moisture in the fresh garlic doesn’t make mold. Again, salt should prevent this as it is a natural preservative.
It sure can. Olive oil can go rancid and the actual spice blend, when fresh garlic is used, can go bad if not stored properly. If you just make a dry spice blend, the spices themselves can lose flavor and potency, however they won’t be at the same risk for food contamination.
Pair with Our Italian Recipes
For a simpler bread dip, try my crack dip recipe, Garlic Parmesan Bread Dip or Stinking Rose Garlic Relish or give a look through our easy appetizer recipes! And then pair them with these dinners:
My wife just came home with the Carrabba’s Cook Book and the Herb and Olive Oil recipe is in the book. Also all the other favorites, we live in Houston so we have the two non chain owned Carrabba’s here.
Lucky you living near the non chain Carrabbas. I lived in the city for several years and people don’t know that there is a major difference between the family owned and the chains that are all over the country. I do love their meatballs! with a side salad, bread & dip & a glass of wine. Dinner is served!
So, Carrabba’s is my wife’s favorite restaurant. We go there AT LEAST once a month and have done so for about the last 5 years. We love the bread dip. Not only am I VERY familiar with the taste, I’m also a pretty decent home chef.
This is REALLY close to the actual thing. I followed the recipe as listed save for a few “edits” I used pressed garlic and I used about 5 cloves. I use only 1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
Looking over the recipe I thought that 1 – 1/2 tsp Salt would be too much so I cut it down to 1 tsp. In hindsight that is STILL WAY TOO MUCH. I would say that 1/4 tsp of salt would be sufficient, (I used Coarse Sea Salt)
Other than those edits I made this exactly as the recipe stated.
I served this the way that I imagine they serve it in the restaurant. I mixed up all of the spices and then I added this tubed (garlic paste). It’s essentially garlic extruded into a toothpaste tube. And I used about 5 tsp. I mixed this in well with the spices but it formed a pretty dry paste so I added in about a tbsp of olive oil. I mixed it well and it formed a thick paste. Then I put it in a 2 oz mason jar and put it in the fridge.
When you eat this at Carrabba’s they come out with a small (approx 4inch) plate with a little ball of herbs on it. They then add about 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and mix it all up so this is exactly the way I served it.
I’m not kidding that I took a loaf of sourdough bread I made (poorly) this morning and dipped it in this and OMG it is so close to the real thing that I yelled for my wife to come try it and she agreed that it is VERY similar to the original.
Thanks for this recipe.
Also, I would disagree that there isn’t any Rosemary in the original. I’ll hunt through the oil the next time we go to see for sure but it it a flavor that I remember pretty distinctly.
Like you say, either way, I think it is BETTER with rosemary even if it’s turns out to not be in the original.
My family have LOVED Carrabba’s bread dip for almost 2 decades. We would always ask for a container “to go”. We were so glad to find this recipe. I was the first in the family to try it. Basically the flavor is ALMOST spot on. However, I found the crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt taste to be a bit overwhelming. So I made a second batch, leaving out the red pepper and salt altogether, then mixing it with my first batch. Much much better! And my grandkids could enjoy it with the heat of the pepper. Next time I will use HALF the measurement of the crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt. Or maybe substitute ground salt for the coarse.
My special addition: When serving, I add whole Pink Peppercorns, about a 1/4 teaspoon to the dipping dish. I know! I just complained about the red pepper. But Pink Peppercorns are not part of the pepper family. They have a spicy-sweet flavor. Add them whole as they are almost hollow.
BEWARE: Do Not Try This At Home if you have a NUT ALLERGY. Pink Peppercorns are closely related to the cashew family. ENJOY!
Thanks for the feedback, Linda!
GREAT!!! I ADDED TOP SHEF BALSAMIC (BERTOLLI OF MODENA) VINAGAR. I WAS VERY GOOD!!
Thank you, Gary! The addition of vinegar is fabulous!
Super awesome way for me to get good fats into my super strict diet! Sopped the herbs up with a coconut flower tortilla!
Yummy!!!!
This recipe is a home run! Thank you for sharing it. I also used it as a rub for grilled steaks and they were delicious. I cut back the red pepper flakes because it made too spicy for me. Wonderful!
Thanks for the feedback, Frank!!!! Glad you loved it!
I love to add grated parm cheese to mine! Love this recipe with my home made bread.
Absolutely fabulous! Had to make second batch for Family Meatball Sunday dinner. Went thru 4 loaves of crusty Italian bread…more than ever before! Guess what I get to bring to next family dinner?! Thanks!!
Glad you loved it!
Absolutely loved it! Stop looking for a olive oil bread dip. You will not find a better one! Thanks for sharing
Thank you for taking the time to stop and let us know!
Hi,
I worked at Carrabbas for years and this is a little off unless it has changed. The mix is basil, parsley, cosher salt, crushed red pepper, crushed black pepper, granulated garlic, fresh garlic, rosemary, and oregano.
Like I mentioned it’s been years but that recipe just stick in my head. This may or may not have changed since then. 🙂
Thank you, Brittany!