• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Unlikely Baker®
  • Home
  • Ice Cream
  • Recipes
    • Cakes
    • Cupcakes and Muffins
    • Cookies
    • Brownies and Bars
    • Pies and Tarts
    • Bread and Biscuits
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • No Bake Desserts
    • Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
    • Filipino Desserts and Kakanin
    • Filipino Cuisine
    • Other Sweet Treats
    • Video Recipes
    • Ube Recipes
    • Lemon and Citrus Recipes
    • Savoury Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
    • Recipe Collections
  • Contact
  • About Me
    • Hello
    • Terms of Use
  • Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Berry Desserts
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Berry Desserts
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Bread and Biscuits

    Korean Garlic Bread

    by Jolina | Published: June 8, 2021 | Last Updated: January 5, 2023 | 22 Comments
    This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Terms of Use for more information.

    • Share
    • Flip
    • Tweet
    • Share
    • Send
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Pin - How to Make Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread
    Pin - How to Make Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread
    Pin for Korean Garlic Bread.
    Pin for Korean-Style Garlic Bread.
    Pin - Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread - Easy and Simple Recipe
    Pin - Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread - Easy and Simple Recipe

    Korean garlic bread is sweet and salty, soft and crunchy in one mouthwatering bite. Filled with sweetened cream cheese and dipped in rich, creamy garlic butter, this is unlike any garlic bread you’ve had before. Best of all, it’s done in 15 minutes.

    (Are you a fan of all things sweet and savory? Try these crispy baked chicken wings — baked not fried then drizzled with a sticky soy sauce garlic brown sugar sauce. So good! And these cheese bars are perfectly sweet and salty you can’t stop at just one.)

    freshly baked Korean garlic bread
    Jump To hide
    What is Korean garlic bread
    Difference from regular garlic bread
    What does it taste like
    Why you’ll love this recipe
    How to make
    Recipe FAQs
    Korean Garlic Bread

    I’m a little late to the garlic bread with cream cheese game. 

    It’s been around for a few years but I only recently stumbled upon a video on YouTube of this Korean bakery baking a big batch of soft, fluffy Korean buns which turned into crispy, cheesy, golden brown discs of deliciousness.

    The video has millions of views, my 20 or so included. I can’t stop watching, it was mesmerizing.

    Unfortunately, I can’t find a local place that sells them.

    Fortunately, I love to bake and I’ve made my own version so I can make them any time. 

    And being the lazy baker that I am, my Korean garlic bread recipe is quick and easy but comes out delicious every time. Use your favourite store-bought bread for added convenience.

    Let’s get to it.

    What is Korean garlic bread

    This garlic bread is a popular Korean street food. It’s a bread bun or roll that’s cut into wedges, filled with cream cheese and dipped in garlic butter (which is why it’s also sometimes called Korean cream cheese garlic bread).

    It’s been around a while and has gained a strong following in other Asian countries like Singapore and the Philippines.

    I haven’t yet seen sold it where I am (I live in Ontario, Canada); good thing it’s very easy to make at home.

    Difference from regular garlic bread

    Unlike regular garlic bread that’s usually made of garlic, butter and herbs spread liberally on bread then baked or toasted until golden brown, Korean garlic bread uses a garlic butter mixture closer to custard.

    The garlic butter sauce for this recipe contains eggs and milk and that makes the sauce creamier, richer and more delicious.

    Also, as the name suggests, Korean garlic cheese bread has sweetened cream cheese in it for that sweet and salty combination we’re always craving for.

    What does it taste like

    Not sure what that would taste like? In a word: delicious!

    Sweet cream cheese, salty garlic sauce, perfectly crunchy crust, soft custardy bread. And you get all that in one bite. It really works and it’s so good.

    Why you’ll love this recipe

    crunchy cream cheese garlic bread

    Make this recipe once and you’ll be hooked.

    • First, it’s very easy. It uses ready-made bread so you don’t have to deal with bread dough, flour, yeast and all that jazz.
    • Second, it’s a very forgiving recipe. It really is hard to mess this up. It comes out delicious and looking fabulous every time. Rustic is the way to go.
    • Also, it’s very customizable. Want more garlic flavour? Simply add more garlic. Want it sweeter? Add a touch of honey to your cream cheese. In the YouTube video I’m obsessed with, they sprinkled sliced green onions on top of the baked bread and you can certainly do that too.
    • It’s done in less than 15 minutes. You’re done as soon as your bread turns a lovely golden brown. Takes no time at all.
    • It’s also freezer-friendly. I promise you won’t often have leftovers but in case you do, these bread rolls are easy to freeze and reheat.

    How to make

    garlic cream cheese bread

    If you prefer homemade bread, go for it. I love baking bread too but this is one of those times where I find buying good quality bread is the way to go.

    It makes the recipe easier, more convenient and done in less than 15 minutes. No proofing, no kneading, no double baking.

    Ingredients

    You’ll need simple ingredients. Key things to note:

    • Bread rolls or buns – see FAQs below to help you choose the best kind of bread to use
    • Cream cheese – use the ones available in blocks, not in tubs, and buy full-fat as much as possible
    • Milk – I use whole milk; you can substitute with cream or half and half
    • Garlic – I use pre-minced garlic sold in bottles
    • Parmesan cheese – optional but highly recommended

    Baking tools 

    You don’t need special baking tools or gadgets to make these. Just items you already have in your kitchen:

    • Baking sheet — I use a commercial sized baking sheet
    • Serrated knife to cut the bread
    • Mixing bowls
    • Measuring spoons and cups

    I use my handheld electric mixer to beat the cream cheese but this can also be easily done by hand.

    Step-by-step photos

    Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a large or commercial sized baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. 

    Cream cheese and sugar in a bowl.

    In a medium-sized bowl, beat softened cream cheese with sugar…

    Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

    …until smooth and incorporated.

    Transfer sweetened cream cheese in a piping bag

    Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag or a large Ziploc bag with one of the corners cut off and set aside.

    Garlic butter sauce ingredients in a bowl.

    In another bowl (large enough so you can dip your whole bread in), whisk melted unsalted butter, milk, minced garlic, dry parsley, sugar and eggs…

    Whisk garlic butter sauce.

    … until combined.

    Slice buns into 6 wedges.

    Take a piece of bread and make 3 slices (which would result to 6 wedges). Make sure not to slice the bread all the way through. You want to cut about 90% to the bottom but not slice the bread completely.

    Pipe sweetened cream cheese filing.

    Pipe cream cheese filling into each wedge and on the middle of the bread.

    dip in garlic butter sauce

    Then dip each bread top side down into your garlic mixture. Don’t worry, the cream cheese will stay in place. Remember that you want the sweet garlic mixture to get into every nook and cranny of your bread roll so after you’ve dipped all of your bread, spoon extra garlic mixture between your wedges to make sure each slice is coated.

    sprinkle with parmesan cheese

    Place the bread on your baking sheet, sprinkle some parmesan cheese (optional but highly recommended!).

    bake the bread until golden brown

    Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown.

    Recipe FAQs

    Easy, right? Here are some more baking tips and answers to your frequently asked questions to make this bread recipe even easier.

    How do you store Korean cream cheese garlic bread?


    Korean cream cheese garlic bread is best eaten the day they’re made. 

    Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and consumed the next day. If you want to keep them for longer, the best way to store them is to freeze them.

    – Allow to cool completely then wrap each piece of bread in plastic wrap
    – Place them in a freezer-safe container or a Ziploc bag

    How long do they keep?


    Frozen garlic bread should last for at least a month. Refrigerated bread tends to get stale quickly so it’s best to eat them the next day, or within 2 days at the most.

    How do you reheat Korean garlic bread?


    To reheat, bring out of the freezer (or fridge) so the cream cheese filling can have the chance to thaw. If you’re short on time, you can microwave for 20 seconds or so.

    Then pop into your oven toaster or in your oven preheated to 350F and reheat for about 10 minutes or just until the bread is heated all the way through.

    To avoid browning or burning the tops, loosely cover with aluminum foil. 

    Korean garlic cream cheese bread on a tray

    What kind of bread should I use?


    When choosing the kind of bread to use in this recipe, consider the following:

    1. Freshness. If you have a favourite local bakery that makes fresh bread, find your bread rolls there.

    2. Size. You want a bread roll or bun that’s between 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Anything smaller and it’s going to be challenging to slice wedges. If you have bigger bread, adjust the recipe so that you’ll have enough cream cheese mixture for the filling.

    3. Crust. Don’t go for really hard crusted bread — the crust makes it difficult for all that sweet garlic butter to absorb and baking them a second time will make their crust even tougher. You don’t want a very soft and fluffy bread either — the ones that flatten and lose their shape at the slightest touch. The perfect bread is a somewhere in the middle — firm, but soft and fluffy inside. 

    I always use large Kaiser buns from our local bakery that are 5 inches in diameter.

    Why did my garlic butter mixture solidify?


    This usually happens when your butter is warm but the rest of your ingredients are cool. To avoid this from happening, try and get your ingredients to roughly the same temperature.

    If it does happen, no worries. Just give your garlic mixture a good whisk and carry on. It will still be delicious.

    Hope you enjoy this one-of-a-kind garlic bread. Eat it as a snack or even for breakfast. It goes well with coffee or tea. You can even have it with pasta.

    It’s a taste of Korean street food right in your own home.

    Serve it with lasagna with cheese ravioli, roasted tomato garlic soup or garlic parmesan chicken pasta for a truly memorable meal!

    Fan of all things garlic? Try this making homemade garlic butter. You’ll want to spread it on everything! Have an air fryer? You can make air fryer frozen garlic bread.

    And if you’re a fan or garlic and cheese, you’ll love this garlic and herb baked brie.

    Love Korean cuisine? Mandu rice is for you.

    Happy baking!

    Did you make Korean cream cheese garlic bread? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!

    You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

    Korean cream cheese garlic bread on a tray

    Korean Garlic Bread

    Author: Jolina
    Korean garlic bread is sweet and salty, soft and crunchy in one mouthwatering bite. Filled with sweetened cream cheese and dipped in rich, creamy garlic butter, this is unlike any garlic bread you’ve had before.
    5 from 37 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Brunch, Snack
    Cuisine Korean
    Servings 6 garlic bread
    Calories 340 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking Sheets
    • Hand Mixer
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Measuring Spoons

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 6 pcs large bread rolls or buns 4-6 inches in diamater

    For the sweetened cream cheese filling

    • 1 8-oz block cream cheese softened
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar

    For the garlic butter mixture

    • 1 cup unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
    • ½ cup milk can substitute cream or half & half
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp minced garlic
    • 1 tbsp dry parsley flakes
    • 2 pcs large eggs room temperature
    • parmesan cheese for sprinkling optional

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a large or commercial sized baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. 
    • In a medium-sized bowl, beat softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar until smooth and incorporated.
      Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
    • Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag or a large Ziploc bag with one of the corners cut off and set aside.
      transfer sweetened cream cheese in a piping bag
    • In another bowl (large enough so you can dip your whole bread in), whisk 1 cup melted unsalted butter, ½ cup milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp dry parsley and 2 eggs until combined. 
      whisk garlic butter sauce
    • Take a piece of bread and make 3 slices (which would result to 6 wedges). Make sure not to slice the bread all the way through. You want to cut about 90% to the bottom but not slice the bread completely.
      Slice buns into 6 wedges.
    • Pipe cream cheese filling into each wedge and on the middle of the bread.
      Pipe sweetened cream cheese filing.
    • Then dip each bread top side down into your garlic mixture (don’t worry, the cream cheese will stay in place). Remember that you want the sweet garlic mixture to get into every nook and cranny of your bread roll so after you’ve dipped all of your bread, spoon extra garlic mixture between your wedges to make sure each slice is coated.
      dip in garlic butter sauce
    • Place the bread on your baking sheet, sprinkle some parmesan cheese (optional) and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown.
      bake the bread until golden brown

    Video

    Notes

    1. When choosing the bread to use for this recipe, consider its freshness, size and the kind of crust it has. See post for details.
    2. If your garlic butter mixture solidifies, just give it a good whisk and carry on. 
    3. See post for more tips, storage instructions and FAQs.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 21mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 989IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

    Nutritional information are estimates only.

    Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating today!Also tag @iamtheunlikelybaker I’d love to see your creations.

    More Bread and Biscuits

    • Honey butter toast topped with yogurt and strawberry.
      Honey Butter Toast
    • Banana bread with pecans on a serving platter.
      Banana Bread with Pecans
    • Closeup shot of mamon showing fluffy texture.
      The Best Mamon Recipe
    • A stack of ube hopia on a plate.
      Easy Delicious Ube Hopia
    • Share
    • Flip
    • Tweet
    • Share
    • Send

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Farrah

      June 20, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      This is so mouthwatering by just looking at your photos. I’m a big fan of garlic bread and to have cream cheese to top it all is win win for me.

      Reply
    2. Marysa

      June 19, 2021 at 8:14 pm

      I love bagels and cream cheese, and this sounds like an flavor combination I would enjoy!

      Reply
    3. Mel

      June 18, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      I do enjoy eating garlic bread. The Korean version with cream cheese sounds interesting.

      Reply
    4. Janice

      June 18, 2021 at 11:47 am

      I love korean garlic bread! Sweet and salty. I like how it’s so easy to make at home.

      Reply
    5. Ali Smith

      June 18, 2021 at 9:44 am

      gosh my lasagna nights are in for a korean twist! I love the sounds of this.

      Reply
    6. Veena

      June 17, 2021 at 6:55 am

      Thanks for the recipe! I’ve tasted this bread before but never attempted to bake at home. Your recipe looks so easy and delicious! Hope to try it soon.

      Reply
    7. Ivan

      June 17, 2021 at 4:52 am

      I’m seeing a lot of social media posts about the Korean cream cheese garlic bread. I’m curious because I love cream cheese and garlic. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    8. Catalina

      June 16, 2021 at 4:38 am

      Mmmmm…. how good this bread looks! Amazing! Such a perfect appetizer!

      Reply
    9. Isabel

      June 12, 2021 at 12:08 am

      My family loves Korean cream cheese garlic bread! Maybe I’ll surprise my parents and make them at home!

      Reply
    10. Terri A Steffes

      June 11, 2021 at 10:59 pm

      I buy this at a Korean bakery near my home, but now I want to try making this at home. It doesn’t look too hard!

      Reply
    11. Lisa Martin

      June 11, 2021 at 10:59 pm

      I love garlic bread! This looks better than any I’ve ever seen. I am making this asap.

      Reply
    12. Heather

      June 10, 2021 at 4:10 pm

      I am 100% going to make this. Why haven’t I ever heard of anything like this in my life? It sounds delicious!

      Reply
    13. Amber Myers

      June 09, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      Oooo this looks so delicious! I am all about garlic, so I know I’ll love the bread.

      Reply
    14. Tasheena

      June 09, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      You had me at garlic bread, I would love to try this.

      Reply
    15. Briana Baker

      June 09, 2021 at 11:35 am

      This looks right up my husband and mother’s alley! I’m thinking next dinner party!!

      Reply
    Newer Comments »
    5 from 37 votes (34 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate the Recipe




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jolina! And I'm definitely a late bloomer, a thoroughly unexpected baker.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Pecan Bars Recipe
      Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

    • Ube Cake (Filipino Purple Yam Cake)
      Ube Cake (Filipino Purple Yam Cake)

    • Best Lemon Cheesecake
      The Best Lemon Cheesecake. Ever.

    • Classic Buttermilk Scones
      Classic Buttermilk Scones – Easy, Delicious, Done in 15 Minutes

    Spring Desserts

    • Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
      Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

    • A stack of raspberry white chocolate cookies on a plate.
      Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

    • Photo of ricotta cake showing juicy blueberries within.
      Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake

    • Slice of strawberry ricotta cake with whipped cream and strawberries.
      Strawberry Ricotta Cake (Easy No-Fail Recipe)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Terms of Use

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2016-2025 The Unlikely Baker ™

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.