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 is bread dipping oil?
It can be many things, but in this case it is just a basic blend of dried herbs with a quality olive oil and a crusty bread for dipping. It is honestly one of the easiest and also most popular recipes I make. It is a wildly easy recipe and perfect for quick appetizer.
When entertaining, I like to serve my olive oil dip with a variety of breads and crackers on an Ultimate Cheese Board, however I personally prefer either Italian or rosemary focaccia.
A nice crusty bread, Italian, French or even crostini are also delicious to pair with this garlic herb combo. Some folks even like it with chopped vegetables like carrot sticks, celery and bell pepper strips with a butter board or cream cheese board added on.
What Else Can I Use It For?
The herb mixture isn’t just for breads either. The spice blend will brighten up any pasta dish, especially plain white or Alfredo sauce.
It can be sprinkled on a salad coupled with a few dashes of red wine vinegar or used to season chicken, beef or pork. Blend it with cream cheese or sour cream for a lovely spread or sauce.
You can even use it as a marinade or baste is on grilled vegetables. Clearly, these aren’t just bread dipping spices, they are really an all-purpose Italian blend of deliciousness. Homemade Italian seasoning!
Ingredients
Carrabba’s clearly uses dried spices, but you can also use a variety of finely minced fresh herbs and spices. Mine includes:
- crushed red pepper flakes
- freshly cracked black pepper
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- dried parsley
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried rosemary
- coarse sea salt (or Kosher salt)
- fresh crushed garlic
- olive oil, the star of the show!
You can even mix and match fresh with dried 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.
If you choose to use fresh herbs, the ratio is 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried chopped herbs.
The way you slice your garlic makes a world of difference. More garlic flavor comes with severing more of the fibers. For less intense flavor use whole, roast garlic or garlic slices. For the maximum amount of flavor, minced or use a garlic press.
In fact, so many people have contacted me to tell this isn’t the right recipe, but they all claim to work there and have differing stories on how the real olive oil bread dip.
Some people also say it is similar to the Macaroni Grill version, but I’ve never had that one, so I can attest. What I can say is that it seems every location makes is a little different, so adapt accordingly.
Best Olive Oil For Bread Dip
I do get asked quite frequently about the best olive oil to use for bread dip. The number one thing you want is an extra virgin olive oil, meaning it is the first press. From there you want a quality product, but what does that even mean?
You might be surprised to know that many imported olive oil touted to be “authentic” are a blend of olive oil and either vegetable oil or canola oil. It is tough for the US to verify the validity of “pure olive oil” when it is already imported.
For this reason, I generally buy my quality olive oil domestically, from California, in fact. This one is my favorite.
Good, first press olive oil is what you want for drizzling and bread dips. It will be dark in color and a little tangy when you taste it. Of course, if you’ve just taken a trip to the Mediterranean or can guarantee the authenticity of the oil, go ahead and use it.
Light virgin olive oil will be a little less pungent because it comes from the second or third press. This makes it better for using in recipes where the flavor of the oil isn’t the main focus or for frying. In fact, olive oil has a fairly high smoke point, so while it is more expensive, it is perfect for pan frying.
Flavored oils, like garlic oil or herb infused oils are also fun and add another layer of flavor sophistication.
Best Bread for Dipping
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!
What Can I Dip Besides Bread?
I like to serve mine with a whole crudite platter including:
- Sliced cucumbers
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Roasted tomatoes
- Marinated artichokes
- Marinated cheese
- Diced cheese
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.
See notes below on using fresh garlic when given as a gift.
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”.
Also beware that there is a difference between garlic powder and granulated garlic. Granulated garlic is larger and has a grainy texture. Make sure to use garlic powder, which is fine and will dissolve in leaving only flavor and not a funny texture.
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
Parmesan Garlic Pasta
Squid Ink Pasta with White Wine Cream Sauce
Honeycomb Pasta Recipe
Chicken Marsala Recipe
Seafood Fra Diavolo Recipe
For a simpler bread dip, try my Garlic Parmesan Bread Dip or Stinking Rose Garlic Relish or give a look through our easy appetizer recipes!
More Favorites from Savory Experiments
Copycat Carrabba’s Bread Dipping Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic , freshly crushed or minced
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the crushed red pepper, black pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, sea salt and crush garlic. Mix well.
- If serving immediately, place the spice mixture in a shallow plate. Drizzle the desired amount of extra virgin olive oil over, serve. Wait to combine extra virgin olive oil and dry spices until right before serving.
- If you've made this recipe at home, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
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Notes
Nutrition
Delicious, I love simple recipes and ones that I usually have everything to make it.
Thank you, Sharon!!!
This is tasty!
Woohoo! Glad you loved it!
I made this recipe to take to my family Christmas as we were serving Italian. I brought individual cups (it was all I could find) to serve it in. Everyone was excited to get some only I had put it in a mason jar for easy transport and when everyone was pouring it up the spices stayed in the jar and only the oil was poured. What did I do wrong and what can I do next time to keep it from happening again?
Hi beth, I’d keep them seperate and pour the oil in when you are ready to dip. The weight of the spices will always have them clinging to the bottom.
Just what I was hankering for!
Woohoo! We aim to please!
Tastes like the real thing!! Thank you for this recipe! We love garlic so we added a bit more, but 5 stars all the way.
Woohoo! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
I’m a Carrabba’s dip expert, and this was perfect! We don’t live in the States, so this fed my craving! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was quite easy to make and my husband and I absolutely loved it. The only thing I will say is even though it says it’s for four people it makes a ton and unless you guys are eating a lot of this at once I don’t think you need that much. I could probably halve the recipe and still have plenty. I saw in the comments someone said they used it on fish I think I’m going to try that with some of the leftover I have
Thanks for the feedback. And I do tend to pile it on my bread. GUILTY! LOL.
I did make the Carrabba’s Bread dipping oil. It was fantastic!!! I can’t wait to my make it again. Carrabba’s is my place to eat. I did not use the rosemary, because that is one of many spices I do not like. I wouldn’t change a thing besides the rosemary Thank you for sharing this
So glad you loved it and thank you for taking the time to come let us know.
Fantastic! Carrabba’s is my favorite and this is the exact dipping sauce, thanks!
Glad you love it!
I got this recipe years ago by a former cook, and forgot the ratios. Turned out GREAT! I left out the rosemary, but will try it in the future. I use this on fish adding a dash of lemon juice and it’s AMAZING!! Just place fish on aluminum foil, top with the dipping oil, wrap and bake. I’m always amazed I made something so delicious.
Yay!!!! Thank you so much for coming back let us know!
Yes, Yes, Yes!!
This is an excellent recipe and tastes just like Carrabbas! Did back off on the chili peppers just a bit though. Now my go to recipe!
Woohoo! Love to hear that and thanks for coming back to let us know!
WOW! I’ve been wanting to make this recipe again (I’ve made this before two years ago) and it hit the spot! I wanted to infuse the seasoning in some olive oil and use the olive oil as my dressing for a salad instead of for bread. However, I forgot about this and left the seasoning in! For some reason it was TWENTY TIMES better then what I thought! Amazing recipe, 10000000 stars!
This recipe tastes just like the restaurant! It is super easy to throw together and goes great with homemade fresh bread. I will make this again!
Woohoo! Love to hear that and thank you for coming to let us know!
I just love this. I keep the olive oil and a jar of this on the table all the time. Anything that I would put butter on I use this. even veggies, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. So much better than butter.
Yay! Love to hear that and thank you for coming back to let us know!
Made this delicious bread dip (oil & spices) and to say it was a ‘hit’ is an understatement. Our dinner guests couldn’t get enough of it. Will make it again at our next gathering.
Yay!!! We love to hear that and thank YOU for taking the time to come back and let us know.
Loved this but did reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Used the leftovers to toss with fresh pasta, I highly recommend that!!!
Thanks for the feedback! Did you use a coarse Kosher salt? I’ve had some folks use a fine or iodized salt and that would certainly be too salty.
Amazing! Family and friends loved this! Thank you
Thank you!
I made this with some gluten free baguettes. My guests said it was better than carrabba’s! Score! Thanks for the easy recipe.
Nice! That is what we like to hear 😉
I have made this twice and it was GREAT!!!! I used to a buy a small container of this from Carabba’s for an arm and leg, but NO MORE! This is the real deal!!!!
Thank you, Pamela!
Love the oil dipping sauce
Thank you!