Garlic Knots
Updated May 23, 2026
This homemade garlic knots recipe uses a two-ingredient dough that comes together fast. Brushed with garlic, fresh parsley, and parmesan before baking.
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lOVE A GOOD homemade garlic knot!
For a long time, I thought garlic knots were just something you ordered from a pizza place. Turns out they are not that complicated to make at home, especially with a Greek yogurt dough that skips the yeast completely. This garlic knots recipe uses the same two-ingredient dough base I reach for a lot: flour and Greek yogurt. The knots are done in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
My kids go through these faster than I can get them off the baking sheet. I usually make garlic knots with Pasta Bolognese or Lasagna Soup, but they also hold up on their own with a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping. Once I figured out the Greek yogurt dough, homemade garlic knots became something I actually make regularly.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Garlic Knots Ingredients
- Garlic Knot Dough: To prepare the dough for these garlic knots, you’ll combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl until the mixture comes together, but still looks a little crumbly. You can use self-rising flour (just make sure to skip the baking powder and salt).
Full-fat Greek yogurt works best here. It has more moisture, making the dough easier to bring together. Low-fat or 0% Greek yogurt can make the dough dry and harder to work with. Stir the yogurt before measuring so it is evenly combined. Do not swap with regular yogurt, as it has too much liquid and will change the dough’s texture. - Garlic Mixture: Olive oil, fresh garlic cloves, fresh parsley, and grated parmesan. Mince the garlic as finely as you can so it does not burn in the oven. You can sub in a different oil, but I think olive oil will taste best! Substitute ¼ cup melted unsalted butter for the olive oil in the topping. The knots will brown a little deeper and have a richer flavor. You can certainly double or triple the garlic amounts in this recipe, depending on your taste preferences, too. And for a more subtle garlic taste, you can also use garlic powder (about ¼ teaspoon per garlic clove).
If you don’t have any parsley ½ teaspoon of dried oregano or Italian Seasoning will also work! Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the topping better than the pre-shredded kind. If you want cheesy garlic knots with more parmesan flavor, add an extra tablespoon to the topping mix.
How to Make Garlic Knots
These photos walk you through the garlic knot process step by step. For the full ingredient list and instructions, jump to the → Garlic Knots Recipe
1. Mix Dry Ingredients & Yogurt
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl first, then add the Greek yogurt on top. Getting the dry ingredients combined before adding the yogurt helps everything come together more evenly.
2. Combine Dough Until Crumbly
Use a fork or spoon to work it all together. The mixture will look rough and crumbly at this point, which is normal. As long as there is no dry flour sitting at the bottom of the bowl, you are ready to move on.
3. Knead the Dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it with your hands until it smooths out and becomes a little stretchy. If it sticks to the surface, dust with a little more flour and keep going.
4. Cut Dough Into Pieces
Press the dough into an even round, then use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide it into 8 roughly equal pieces. Keeping them close in size helps them bake at the same rate.
5. Roll Into Thin Logs
Working one piece at a time, use your palms and the surface to press and stretch it into a rope about 10 to 12 inches long. Try to keep the thickness as even as possible so the knot holds its shape.
6. Tie Each Piece In a Knot
Loop each rope and pull the ends through like you are tying a loose overhand knot. They do not need to look perfect. Transfer each one to the lined baking sheet as you go.
7. Brush With Garlic Mix
Stir together the olive oil, garlic, parsley, and parmesan in a small bowl, then brush the mixture over each knot. Do not worry about the bottoms. If there is topping left over, save it to brush on right after they come out of the oven.
8. Bake Until Golden
Slide them into the oven and bake until the knots are lightly golden and slightly puffed. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Full Homemade Garlic Knot Recipe
Garlic Knots Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum free
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated
- Marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the greek yogurt and stir to combine.
- Transfer dough onto a flat, lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and stretchy, about 2 minutes. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
- One at a time, roll each piece out into about a 10-12-inch log. Tie each log into a knot and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, parsley and parmesan cheese. Brush the olive oil mixture on each garlic knot.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the garlic knots puff slightly and become lightly golden, about 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and enjoy with marinara or dipping sauce of choice.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Knead the bread dough well. It will take a couple of minutes to do this by hand, and the dough should be smooth and stretchy. Don’t rush the process!
- Flour your surface to knead the dough. A little flour will make the kneading process so much easier! Otherwise, your dough will stick to whatever surface you’re using.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with pasta. These Italian garlic knots are so great for mopping up extra pasta sauce on a plate. Try my lemon pasta, my pasta pomodoro, or my chicken alfredo.
- Add dipping sauces. If you’re eating these garlic knots as a snack, they’re so good dipped in marinara sauce, homemade ranch, or even pesto sauce.
- Eat with protein. I love eating these carb-y garlic knots with cast iron skillet steak, air fryer chicken parmesan, or lemon garlic shrimp.
FAQs
I prefer to make these with all-purpose flour! Bread flour has more protein in it, so while your garlic knots will still be delicious, they’ll be much denser and heavier in texture.
The dough should feel slightly tacky but not stick to your hands. If it is very sticky, the yogurt may have been thin or watery. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time and continue kneading until it becomes manageable.
This usually happens when the dough is overworked or when the baking powder is old. Two minutes of kneading is enough for this dough. Check that your baking powder is still fresh since expired baking powder will not give the knots enough lift.
Comments
Does the yogurt give the bread a sweet taste to it ?
Not really, the yogurt helps make the garlic knots rich and moist but not sweet.
Can you sub plain yogurt for Greek?
Yes!
I’ve failed to make any type of bread in my life, this is literally the only bread recipe I’ve ever successfully made, and was really quick and easy to make! Turned out delicious! This 30 minutes gave me the best bread I’ve ever made!
Yay! Nice work!
These were really good! I’ll be honest that I was skeptical about whether they would turn out tasty since they aren’t yeasted, but I was in a hurry and really wanted garlic knots. These turned out great with a nice fluffy bready texture even without yeast. I’ll be making these again and again.
I made them with half white whole wheat, half unbleached flour and added Italian seasoning to the flour. I only had a single serving container of Greek yogurt so I added a little milk to make it to about 3/4c.
So happy you enjoyed them!
Going on holiday, will try after.
Have a great trip and hope that you enjoy these when you return!
Hi, I absolutely LOVE making this recipe. Recently I got into a relationship and i always dreamed of making these for my partner one day. Sadly my partner has a casein allergy. Im interested if you have any recommendations on a substitute for greek yoghurt. I know they won’t be the same and that is a big part of the recipe but its worth asking the question right. Even if there isn’t I’m so glad i found this recipe its so quick and easy and SO TASY.
I’m so glad you have loved this recipe! I have not personally tried using a non-dairy yogurt alternative, but that might be an option for you to explore!
HI YAMNA I WANT TO TRY CAN I SUB YOGURT FOR MILK- THANKS
Hi CJ, great question. The yogurt in the recipe actually helps with the rise and making them soft and fluffy, I do not recommend substituting it with milk.
Made these tonight with my 2 year old. The simple recipe made for a great activity. She’s a pretty plain eater, so we just did plain knots, sans oil, garlic, and other seasonings. The flavor was pretty tangy from the yogurt and whole wheat flour we used, but that’s to our taste. A big hit, fun to pull apart. I may try simply brushing them with unseasoned olive oil next time to compare — there will definitely be a next time!
So glad you like them Mary Ellen!
Also, for anyone trying all whole wheat flour, I did add a generous extra spoonful of yogurt to make the dough come together. As some of the other recipes here note, whole wheat is a little “thirstier” than all purpose flour.
Can you use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt? I am allergic to the Greek.
Yes, plain yogurt will work well too!
Added cheese cheddar cheese to mine!
So easy and delicious, thank you.
Sounds extra delicious! Glad you enjoyed!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them yum yum 😍 Thanx for the recipe 🤩
Thank you! So excited for you to give it a go!
I made this few days ago and i was so impressed with the results! I couldnt believe that I can bake something that yumm and easy coz I always had hard time with the dough! Lol thank you so much Yumna! You nailed it as usual! Highly recommend for family gatherings and kids they devoured it! 😍😍😎 plz keep those yummy delicious recipes of yours coming! 😎👍🏻
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much!
I just made these garlic knots and followed the exact recipe but the dough turned out very sticky. Not sure why. I just added a lot more extra flour. Any idea why it was sticky? I used all purpose flour and full fat plain yogurt.
It will take a couple of minutes to do this by hand, and the dough should be smooth and stretchy. It may feel wet at first, but don’t be tempted to add more flour unless the dough sticks to your hands.
Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, it was sticking all over my hands after mixing the dough for 3-4 min which is why I had to add more flour. It could be the type of yoghurt has too much water where I live so next time I will try Greek yoghurt to see instead of the plain yoghurt. However, I must say they still tasted divine and I served them with a nice soup. My family loved it. So thanks again and I love all your recipes.
Let me know how it goes with the Greek yogurt! So glad you all enjoyed!!
Made these last night and they were great! I originally tried with fat-free Greek yogurt and it did not work. I tried again with full fat, and that was the right move! I served them with marinara sauce. 🙂
Made the garlic knots and they were delicious! Thank you
That’s amazing! You’re so welcome!
Made for a family Christmas lunch to accompany garlic prawns – family loved them. Thank you for such a simple and fast recipe . ❤️
Sounds like such a great combo! You’re so welcome!
What can you substitute the yogurt for? I don’t have any on hand and want to make them tonight…heavy cream? Cream cheese? Lol anything else?
I haven’t tried a yogurt substitute, but you could try plain yogurt too!
I immediately made these after seeing ur recipe. These are irresistible. Thanks for the easy recipe
I love that! So glad you enjoyed!!
Yumna,
Reading through this recipe I’m impressed at the details offered in your blog. I’m trying these today with gluten free flour. I’m excited! Merry merry!
Your neighbor across the Beltline,
Lily 😉
Thank you so much! Let me know how it goes. Happy Holidays!!
How did they come with Gluten free flour?
Good!! Even though these garlic knots are made with all-purpose flour, they will work just as fine with a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
Do you use full fat Greek yogurt?
What brand did you use?
Thank you.
Looking forward to trying these!
I like the plain whole milk Stonyfield organic Greek yogurt! Let me know what you think once you give them a try!
I will be making these Garlic Knots tonight! You have the best recipes! Thank you!
Yay! Hope you enjoy! Thank you so much.