Easy Herbed Dipping Oil For Bread

Recreate the herbed bread dipping oil you love at restaurants with our easy homemade recipe! You’ll love the delicious flavor with your favorite breads!

Know one thing I miss about being gluten-free? Never getting a bread basket at restaurants.

In our pre-gluten-free days, I LOVED getting slices of warm artisan bread and herbed dipping oil to go with it. Thankfully, it’s really easy to recreate restaurant bread dipping oil at home with just a few simple ingredients and pantry staples.

This olive oil bread dip recipe is the perfect pairing for your favorite bread. We love our Gluten-Free Rosemary Focaccia, but this herby oil also pairs nicely with sourdough bread, french baguette, crusty bread (like ciabatta), dinner rolls, or your favorite artisan loaf. It makes for an easy appetizer, upgrade to a charcuterie board, or a great addition to your next dinner party!

Dipping your bread in a little herby olive oil feels so fancy and fun, but it couldn’t be easier to make. Here’s our go-to combination for this olive oil herb dip…

Simple Ingredients For This Herbed Dipping Oil

• GOOD QUALITY OLIVE OIL. For best results, try for good olive oil! You can really play with the flavor profile here, by choosing something floral, fruity, or earthy. My favorite is the Balanced olive oil from Queen Creek Olive Mill!
• FRESH ROSEMARY. If you’ve got fresh rosemary for this dipping oil recipe, I recommend it! Don’t have fresh rosemary on hand? I’ve got directions for dried rosemary in the recipe card below.
• DRIED GARLIC FLAKES. Sometimes called dried minced garlic, this is more coarse in texture than garlic powder and tastes amazing here. You could certainly use fresh garlic. Dried garlic flakes are just have a touch less bite (which means your garlic breath won’t be as strong!)
• FLAKY SEA SALT. The nice, big flakes of sea salt are SO GOOD here. Maldon is our go-to brand. (I prefer coarse salt over table salt for this)
• DRIED OREGANO. A little dried oregano does the trick. This is in a lot of restaurant dipping oil blends and it’s lovely.
• RED PEPPER FLAKES. A little pinch of red pepper flakes is perfect. It warms up the other flavors and won’t have time to get too spicy. If you *do* want it spicy, mix up your oil and herbs ahead of time and let them sit together to infuse a bit. Or, feel free to add a more generous pinch (or two!) to the dipping oil.

How To MAke Dipping Oil For Bread, Step By Step:

1. Prep Any Fresh Herbs. If you’re using fresh herbs (like fresh rosemary, or fresh oregano), wash and mince them finely. I like to go for a very fine mince, but you can leave some larger pieces if you like for a more organic look.
2. Combine The Seasonings. In a small shallow bowl, or a small plate with raised sides, sprinkle rosemary, garlic flakes, flaky sea salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. (If you’re adding other extras, like more herbs, Parmesan cheese, etc., add those here.)
3. Finish With Olive Oil. Drizzle the herbs and seasonings with olive oil. Use a spoon to mix everything evenly, if needed.
4. Enjoy Right Away Or Store. Serve with warm bread. Cover any leftover oil or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. (The oil will solidify in the fridge, but will quickly thaw at room temperature.) You can also use leftovers as a sort of salad dressing for roasted vegetables!

More Mix-Ins & Flavors To Try

Now that we’ve covered my basic restaurant-style dipping oil combination, let’s talk about variations! There are so many delicious ways you can play with the herby flavors of this easy bread dip, depending on your mood or what kind of bread you’re serving this with. Try:

• Fresh Parmesan Cheese. A classic! Or try asiago cheese.
• Italian Seasoning. If you need a quick option, you can swap out the dried oregano for store-bought or homemade Italian seasoning! It’s got a nice blend of seasonings and herbs. Or add in other dried herbs, like dried basil, thyme, sage, or more oregano!
• Fresh Garlic or Roasted Garlic. Love garlic flavor? Swap out the dried garlic flakes for a clove of fresh garlic for some bite, or some roasted garlic for more depth of flavor.
• More Fresh Herbs. Try different herbs, like fresh basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, or sage!
• Black Pepper. Some coarse black pepper or freshly ground black pepper can add some bite. I love this when I want a little extra warmth!
• Lemon Zest. Just a touch! A tiny hint of lemon zest can add so much vibrant flavor to dipping oil! I love it paired with parmesan and extra red pepper flakes.
• Balsamic. A little splash of balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction can add brightness. I love this with sourdough or a rosemary loaf of bread!
• Chili Oil. For even more kick, add a few drops of chili oil. Layer them with the red pepper flakes for more heat, or use it instead of red chili flakes for less.
• Smoked Salt or Truffle Salt. One fun twist is using smoked sea salt flakes. It adds a deep, punchy, smoky note to your olive oil dip. Or you can try truffle salt!

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Dipping Oil:

What Kind Of Olive Oil Do You Use For Dipping? I love extra virgin olive oil, and there are SO many delicious varieties and blends to choose from these days. In general, I love something light and fresh. More of a finishing olive oil than a cooking olive oil. I reach for high quality brands, like Queen Creek Olive Mill, California Olive Ranch, etc. Get the best olive oil that works for your budget!

What is Carrabba’s Bread Dip Made Of? Their recipe is similar to ours, combining fresh herbs (parsley, basil and rosemary) with granulated garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

Can I Use Dried Herbs? I love to make our bread dipping oil with fresh herbs when I have them, but you can absolutely make dipping oil with dried herbs. Just use 1/3 the amount of dried herbs that you would fresh. So if the recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs, you use 1 teaspoon of dried. This recipe is very much made to taste, so don’t stress if the measurements aren’t perfect. Just follow your tastebuds!

Have Leftovers? Try drizzling this herbed oil on cooked or roasted veggies (like carrots, potatoes, or artichoke hearts), or add this oil and some vinegar to dress a salad! (Kind of like we do with our Olive Oil Herb Bombs!)