I'll reveal the ingredients and step-by-step instructions that will have you serving up a copycat version of Little Caesars Italian cheesy bread recipe filled with cheesy, garlicky goodness in no time. This recipe is designed for all skill levels, ensuring that anyone can enjoy the deliciousness of Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread!
**Just a note: This is our original recipe that makes the dough from scratch. We updated the recipe and made an easy Italian cheese bread recipe that uses premade gluten free pizza dough or regular pizza dough. It cuts cooking time to 20 minutes!
Jump to:
- Why is Little Caesar's Italian Cheesy Bread Recipe so popular?
- Ingredients for Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
- Pizza dough:
- Cheese:
- Garlic butter spread:
- Secret seasoning blend:
- Step-by-step instructions for recreating Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
- Tips and tricks for achieving the perfect texture and flavor
- Variations and additions to customize your Italian Cheese Bread
- Frequently asked questions about making Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
- Can I make the dough in advance?
- Can I freeze the bread?
- Can I use a different type of cheese?
- Can I make the bread vegan?
- Can I add more garlic to the butter spread?
- Other delicious recipes inspired by Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
- Little Caesar's Italian Copycat Cheesy Bread Recipe
Why is Little Caesar's Italian Cheesy Bread Recipe so popular?
There are times my kids just ask me to go get Italian Cheese bread. Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread has gained immense popularity for its unique combination of flavors that perfectly complement each other. The warm, doughy bread is generously topped with a blend of cheeses. The cheese melts to perfection, creating a gooey texture that is simply irresistible. The bread is then infused with a garlic buttery spread and sprinkled with a secret seasoning blend that adds a burst of flavor. This combination of cheesy goodness, garlicky aroma, and delectable spices is what sets Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread apart and makes it a favorite among pizza lovers around the world.
Ingredients for Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
To recreate Little Caesar's Italian Cheesy Bread recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
Pizza dough:
You can either make your own dough from scratch like in the recipe below or use store-bought pizza dough. If you're making a gluten free version, you can use this storebought gluten free pizza dough. To get full instructions on how to use premade pizza dough, check out our easy copycat Italian cheese bread recipe.
Cheese:
This is the star of the show. Use high-quality cheese and shred it yourself for the best texture and flavor. This recipe contains muenster cheese and parmesan cheese. I actually had someone comment on the blog to let me know that is the cheese combination Little Caesar's uses. Muenster cheese tastes a lot like mozzarella. You can use mozzarella cheese in a pinch or use a combination of muenster and mozzarella cheese.
Garlic butter spread:
The garlic butter spread is what gives Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread its signature aroma and taste. You can make your own by combining melted butter with minced garlic, or use a store-bought garlic spread.
Secret seasoning blend:
Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread is sprinkled with a secret seasoning blend that elevates the flavors. While the exact blend is a well-guarded secret, you can create your own combination of herbs and spices to add a similar burst of flavor.
Now that you have all your ingredients ready, let's move on to the step-by-step instructions for recreating Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread.
Step-by-step instructions for recreating Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Follow recipe instructions for making just the dough in our under an hour white bread recipe. Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll each dough ball out to fit a 9x13 inch pan. Lightly grease each pan, then set dough inside each pan.
- Split butter evenly between the two loaves and spread the butter over the dough until the dough is evenly covered.
- Sprinkle 2 garlic cloves, ½ cup parmesan cheese and ½ pound mozzarella cheese over each loaf. Sprinkle lightly with salt and parsley or Italian seasoning.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until cheese is browned and melted. Remove from oven, serve with marinara dipping sauce.
Tips and tricks for achieving the perfect texture and flavor
Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best results. This includes the cheese, garlic, and any herbs and spices you decide to add to the seasoning blend.
- Let the dough rise properly. This will ensure a light and fluffy texture.
- Don't be shy with the cheese. Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread is all about that cheesy goodness, so don't skimp on the amount of cheese you use.
- Experiment with different herbs and spices to create your own signature seasoning blend. While we can't reveal the exact blend used by Little Caesar's, feel free to get creative and add flavors that you love.
- Serve the bread fresh out of the oven for the best taste and texture. The cheese will be gooey and the crust will be crispy, creating a delightful contrast of textures.
Variations and additions to customize your Italian Cheese Bread
It hurts my heart to think about customizing this wonderful bread. It's perfect just hte way it is, but if you would like, here are some ways you can customize it:
- Pepperoni and Jalapeño: Add slices of pepperoni and jalapeño on top of the cheese before baking for a spicy kick.
- Bacon and Onion: Cook and crumble bacon, then sprinkle it along with sautéed onions over the cheese for a savory flavor combination.
- Spinach and Feta: Sauté spinach until wilted, then mix it with crumbled feta and spread it on top of the cheese for a Mediterranean twist.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil: Chop sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, then mix them with the cheese before baking for a burst of Italian flavors.
Frequently asked questions about making Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
Here are some questions you might have when you are making your cheese bread:
What Type of Bread Dough Should I Use?
The recipe below uses a handmade traditional bread dough recipe. There are several shortcuts you can take to make this recipe faster:
- Storebought bread dough loaves, thawed and then rolled out
- Storebought gluten free bread dough to make the cheese bread gluten free
- Using pre made pizza dough (frozen or fresh) you can even use gluten free pizza dough.
Can I make the dough in advance?
Yes, you can make the dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. Just make sure to let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
Can I freeze the bread?
Yes, you can freeze the bread after it has been baked. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you're ready to enjoy it, let it thaw at room temperature and reheat it in the oven until warmed through.
Can I use a different type of cheese?
Absolutely! While the combination of mozzarella, parmesan, and muenster is what gives Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread its distinct flavor, you can experiment with other cheeses as well. Cheddar, provolone, asiago or even a combination of different cheeses can work well.
Can I make the bread vegan?
Yes, you can make a vegan version of Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread by using vegan cheese alternatives and replacing the butter with a vegan butter substitute. There are plenty of vegan cheese options available that melt and taste similar to dairy cheese.
Can I add more garlic to the butter spread?
Absolutely! If you're a garlic lover, feel free to add more minced garlic to the butter spread. Just be mindful that too much garlic can overpower the other flavors, so use it according to your taste preferences.
Other delicious recipes inspired by Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread
I am ALL about copycat recipes! Having food intolerances and allergies that run in our family is no fun. Eating out is always a pain or just plain frustrating when something looks amazing and you can't eat it! You can search our list of copycat recipes on our website, or grab a copy of our five ingredient or less copycat recipes book!
Get Your Copy of Restaurant Copycat RecipesLittle Caesar's Italian Copycat Cheesy Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- basting brush optional
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 batch Under an Hour White Bread dough
- 8 tablespoons softened salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ pound grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ pound grated muenster cheese
- Salt
- Parsley or Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Follow recipe instructions for making the Under An Hour White Dough. Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll each dough ball out to fit a 9x13 inch pan. Lightly grease each pan, then set dough inside each pan.
- Split butter evenly between the two loaves and spread the butter over the dough until the dough is evenly covered.
- Sprinkle 2 garlic cloves, ½ cup parmesan cheese and ½ pound mozzarella cheese over each loaf. Sprinkle lightly with salt and parsley or Italian seasoning.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until cheese is browned and melted. Remove from oven, serve with marinara dipping sauce.
Amanda
This recipe was awesome! This is as close as I want to get to the MSG loaded chain-store version.
burntapple
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it. Have a great week!
burntapple
So glad you enjoyed it!
Ken
When I worked at Little Skeezers in the mid-late 90s, there was no MSG in it, but the "butter" was anything but butter. It was a yellow garlic infused liquid made with hydrogenated oils.
burntapple
I'm sorry. That sounds so gross! 🙁
Trish
I'm only a couple years into working with yeast. Does your recipe call for rapid rise yeast? And what temperature should the water be? Thank you!
burntapple
No, you don't need rapid rise yeast. Just regular is fine. And the water should be 105=110 degrees. Or very warm to the touch. Hope that helps!
Katy Jo
what is the yield for this recipe and can i use this recipe for a homemade cookbook i am making for a school project?
burntapple
I usually make about 24-30 cheese bread sticks if I put it in a cookie sheet pan. Absolutely yes you can use it for your school project as long as credits are given. You can say "recipe from Burntapple.com" or something similar when giving credit. Thanks!
Katy Jo
when using this recipe what is usually the total time spent on making and prepping this recipe
Katy Jo
also can this recipe be stored until served if so where and how?
Carrie
This was an absolute hit! My family of 7 loved it. I don't have a mixer, so I just mixed it by hand after adding all the ingredients together and kneaded it in the bowl. I placed the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it in oil for rising. After rising, I halved the dough, placing it on a large cookie sheet oil side down, and spread it out by hand. One thing I noticed was that while it baked, the oil served to fry the edges of the cheese bread and make them quite crispy. Thank you for sharing the Under an Hour dough recipe. This is one I will use a lot!
burntapple
I'm so glad that you reached out, thank you! I'm glad you've loved this recipe!! It's our family favorite and we've been using it for years because it's fast and adaptable. I'm so glad that your family has enjoyed it too. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and let me know...always makes my day! Traci