Roasted Garlic Purée

Roasted garlic purée is a delicious and versatile paste that is used for the best Indian recipes, as well as classics like Italian bread and pasta. Find out how to make oven-roasted garlic purée with our easy recipe.

Roasted Garlic Purée

Homemade garlic puree is a great way to add a mild garlic flavor to your favorite casseroles, curries, or stews. While raw garlic has a uniquely sharp taste, roasting the cloves gives it a mellow and sweet flavor that adds a beautiful note of flavor to your homemade recipes.

This delicious cooking paste only takes one hour to make from scratch, and only needs a handful of ingredients. Discover how to make roasted garlic puree with our easy recipe.

roasted garlic puree recipe

Ingredients

Before setting out to make oven-roasted garlic puree, as with any other recipe, it’s essential that you know what you will need for the recipe to be a success.

Here’s what ingredients you will need:

  • Fresh garlic: We need 12 cloves of garlic, which you should be able to get within just one bulb. Prepare the cloves by peeling them and slice off the ends.
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
chef peeling garlic for paste recipe

Roasting garlic in the oven has a way of releasing the flavors more robustly. It is an easy and essential step in making oven-roasted garlic puree.

Once roasted, the garlic can be spread across bread or used in different recipes. A well-roasted bulb should spread easily and burst with a unique flavor.

roasted garlic puree in serving bowl with whole garlic bulb

Times & Temperature

You will need to roast the garlic in the oven for this recipe. The temperature needs to be set to 350˚F (180°C) to roast the garlic. You will need to place it in the oven at this temperature for about 55 minutes to 1 hour. This should be enough time for it to go soft and have all the flavors bursting through.

The amount of time that the garlic is in the oven will depend on several factors. One of these will be the size of the garlic bulb. This also varies depending on the age and type of garlic that you are roasting.

You will also need to let the garlic cool down for about 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven before you need to puree it. This recipe should take you right around 1 hour and 10 minutes to make.

Tips

An average-sized garlic bulb should give you about 1 ¼ teaspoon of puree. This is not an exact or standard figure across the board. It will vary depending on the size of the garlic bulb you pure. An average-sized garlic bulb should give you about 1 ¼ teaspoon of puree.

When you put the garlic in the oven, you will need to wrap it in foil paper. This helps concentrate the heat.

Cleaning garlic can be a pain, but you can lighten the load by putting the bulb in a container around the size of a quart. You can do this for cloves or a whole bulb. Close the container, and then shake it up nicely. This will loosen the skins from the cloves. This trick will work predominantly on bigger bulbs and cloves. Keep shaking until all the skin has come off the cloves.

You know the garlic is cooked when it becomes soft and almost mushy. Also, you will be able to smell it.

pestle mortar crushing garlic cloves

How to make garlic purée from scratch

Oven-roasted garlic puree is one of the easiest recipes to make. For this recipe, you will need aluminum foil, in addition to the ingredients listed above. You will also need a baking tray. 

The first step will be to preheat the oven for your cloves when you are done preparing them. Now line your baking tray with aluminum foil. This will help concentrate the garlic’s heat and prevent the garlic from sticking to the pan. 

You will then peel the garlic and prepare it for roasting. Cut off the tops and place them on the tray to make sure they are facing up. You do this to make sure the garlic will fully absorb the oil and seasoning.

The next step is to infuse the garlic with more flavor and ensure it doesn’t burn out. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil over the cut bulbs, then season them with salt and pepper. 

Ensure the bulbs are tightly covered in the foil, and then bake them for around 1 hour at 350˚F. The exact amount of time will depend on the size of the bulb.

Once done, allow the garlic to sit for 15 minutes so that it cools down. Then mash the cloves up to make the puree.

Storage

You can refrigerate the purée in an airtight container or bottle for one week. Thanks to the olive oil content, the garlic will stay fresh for longer. Your other option is to freeze the garlic. You can do this by laying the puree on parchment paper then leaving them in the freezer for about 2 hours. When they are frozen, place them in an airtight container, and they should be good for up to 3 months.

You could also freeze the garlic in ice cube trays. Once they are frozen, pop the cubes out, and seal them in a resealable bag, which you can keep in the freezer.

Serving ideas

You can spread garlic puree on bread and snack on it. You can also add the puree to mashed potatoes to give them an extra boost. 

It is also good to add some mayonnaise and use it as a spread or mix it into pasta. The puree is also used to make garlic bread or add some flavor to certain soups. You will give many meals a robust, roasted garlic flavor.

roasted garlic puree recipe

Oven-Roasted Garlic Purée

Roasted garlic purée is a delicious and versatile paste that is used for the best Indian recipes, as well as classics like garlic bread and pasta.
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine French, Indian, Italian
Servings 1 cup

Equipment

  • aluminum foil
  • baking tray

Ingredients
  

  • 12 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
  • Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and cooking spray
  • Arrange garlic cloves on tray, leaving ½ inch space between each clove. Pour olive oil over the garlic, and season with salt and black pepper.
  • Put garlic in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour
  • When done, remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes
  • Put garlic in a large bowl and mash until puréed. Put in airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.