These Cheesy Garlic Rolls combine the structure of a cinnamon roll with the flavor of garlic bread. The dough is enriched with milk, egg, and butter for a soft, pillowy crumb, then rolled with a savory garlic butter filling and baked until golden. They’re fluffy, rich, and deeply aromatic — with dramatic swirls and pull-apart layers.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Bold, buttery garlic flavor
• Soft, bakery-style enriched dough
• Beautiful cinnamon-roll spirals
• Perfect balance of structure + fluff
• Ideal for holidays, pasta night, or entertaining
• Reheats beautifully without drying out

Cheesy Garlic Rolls: Garlic Bread Meets Cinnamon Roll

These rolls started as a late night craving! I wanted garlic bread, but I also wanted something soft and pull-apart and a little bit dramatic. So I took everything I love about cinnamon rolls, the swirl, the layers, the way they puff up in the pan — and filled them with a buttery, garlicky, cheesy filling instead. The result is something that looks impressive, tastes even better, and disappears faster than anything else on the table.

Cheesy Garlic Rolls Ingredients

The Dough

• 360g bread flour
• 25g granulated sugar
• 6g salt
• 7g instant dry yeast
• 185g warm milk
• 1 large egg
• 65g unsalted butter, softened

Garlic Butter Filling

• 90g butter, softened
• 30g mayo
• 50g minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 250g mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

The Dough

The dough for these rolls is a soft enriched dough — think milk, egg, and butter all worked in together. The milk keeps it tender and fluffy, and the butter gives it that pillowy pull-apart texture. You want the butter fully softened before you add it so it incorporates smoothly without tearing the dough. Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test — stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through without it tearing. That’s how you know the gluten is developed enough to hold those swirly layers.

The Garlic Butter Filling

The filling is what makes these rolls. Softened butter, mayo, minced garlic, oregano, and parsley — mix it until it’s smooth and spreadable, almost like a compound butter. The mayo is the secret ingredient here. It keeps the filling from separating in the oven and adds a subtle richness that takes it from good to really good. If you want a deeper, sweeter garlic flavor, swap the minced garlic for a whole roasted head — just squeeze the cloves out and mash them right into the butter.

How To Make Cheesy Garlic Rolls

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine bread flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast, warm milk, and egg. Mix until a rough dough forms and no dry flour remains.
2. Once a cohesive dough ball forms, add the softened butter. Knead until fully incorporated and continue kneading for 8–12 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test.
3. Roll into a tight ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for about an hour until doubled in size.
4. In a bowl, mix together softened butter, mayo, minced garlic, oregano, and finely chopped parsley until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 10 x 14 inches.
6. Spread the garlic butter filling evenly over the surface, leaving a small border along the far short edge. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and parmesan over the filling. Starting from the short side closest to you, roll the dough snugly into a log. Slice into 9 even rolls using a serrated knife.
7. Place the rolls into a greased 9×9 inch pan, leaving a little space between each one.
8. Cover and let the rolls rise for 45–60 minutes at room temperature until puffy and touching.
9. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. The rolls are done when they reach an internal temperature of 190–195°F.
10. Brush with melted butter mixed with finely chopped parsley. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

Storage and Reheating

These rolls keep well and freeze beautifully, here’s everything you need to know.

Room Temperature: Store cooled rolls in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Avoid refrigerating! It dries out enriched dough.

Freezing Before Baking (Best Method): Shape and place the rolls in your pan, skip the second proof, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, let proof at room temperature for 1–2 hours until puffy, then bake as directed.

Freezing After Baking: Let rolls cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months.

Reheating: From room temperature, microwave 15–20 seconds or warm in a 325°F oven for 8–10 minutes. From frozen, thaw overnight and warm in a 325°F oven for 10–15 minutes, or microwave 30–45 seconds then finish in the oven for 5–8 minutes.