March 21, 2024

Easy Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip (vegan recipe)

Spring has sprung…everyone is about to crawl out of their hibernation hole…which means more social gatherings are headed your way! Don’t be that guest that just brings a bag of chips to the party. Bring something delicious and unique to the table…like these Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip.

This recipe consists of Garden Breadsticks, made from Pillsbury Pizza Dough, decorated with sliced asparagus, olives, tomatoes, shallots and fresh dill. These beauties are served with a Black Garlic Dip, made with hummus, black garlic, regular garlic, balsamic glaze, olive oil, and seasoning.

This easy Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip recipe takes very little effort…but looks gorgeous and tastes amazing! Impress your guests at your next party and put this spread on the snack table…everyone will be drooling. Perfect recipe for beginners in the kitchen and it’s so easy you can even make this one with kids! This plant-based recipe is also perfect for Easter Brunch.

Jump to Recipe

Why you will love this Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip recipe

EASY TO MAKE – Thanks to the pre-made pizza crust and store-bought hummus, this Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip recipe is so simple to make! This is a dish that looks and tastes gourmet…but can be successfully made by a beginner in the kitchen.
VERY UNIQUE – This Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip is super unique. For one…it’s beautiful. But the flavor is complex and unique as well. Black garlic is a very underused ingredient. It’s slightly sweet, savory, garlicy and just really brings a new flavor to any dish.
MEAL PREP – Looking for a vegan party snack recipe you can make in advance? This Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip is it! Simply make the recipe and store in an air tight container in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, bring the Garden breadsticks back to room temperature or you can heat them up. Serve and enjoy! You don’t have to wait for a gathering to enjoy this snack…this also makes a great meal prepped snack, appetizer, or light meal for any week.

Ingredients you will need to make Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip

PILLSBURY DOUGH PIZZA CRUST – Yes! Pillsbury Dough pizza crust is vegan! Feel free to substitute any pizza crust of your choice.
SHALLOTS – You can substitute red onions if desired
OLIVES
SMALL TOMATOES
ASPARAGUS
FRESH DILL
OLIVE OIL
BLACK GARLIC – Black garlic is garlic that has been aged and cured. This process transforms strong, raw garlic into a completely different version of garlic that can be described as soft, yet slightly chewy, sweet, and of course…black. You can buy black garlic in the produce section of most major grocery stores and can often be spotted at your local farmers market. You can also find it at your local Asian market.
REGULAR GARLIC
HUMMUS – I went with store bought, traditional hummus. But feel free to get a flavor if you desire!
BALSAMIC GLAZE – Balsamic glaze is balsamic vinegar that has been cooked down and sweetened into a thicker consistency. You can usually find this in the vinegar section of your grocery store. If you substitute regular balsamic, you may want to add maple syrup to balance out the flavor.
ITALIAN SEASONING
SEA SALT
EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING

ingredients for Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip

How to make Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip

This recipe looks and tastes gourmet…but is actually super simple to make! Here’s how…

Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF.

MAKE THE GARDEN BREADSTICKS

Start by prepping you veggies. Slice 1 shallot into thin pieces lengthwise.

Thinly slice the 6 olives so they are little flat circles.

Cut 10 pieces of asparagus in half (carefully) lengthwise…this will allow them to cook nicely in the amount of time the pizza dough takes to bake.

Cut the 12 mini tomatoes in half.

Pull apart the handful of fresh dill into smaller pieces.

Next open up your Pillsbury Pizza Dough and lay it out on a flat surface on parchment paper. Cut the dough into breadstick-sized pieces (I went down the middle long ways, and then cut the dough into 20 breadsticks).

Pillsbury Pizza Dough cut into breadsticks

Now it’s time to decorate. Place the prepped veggies on the dough in a design you want. Be creative! This is the fun part. Make sure you press each ingredient into the dough so the baked dough will grab onto them and keep the toppings from falling off.

Once all of the toppings are on, brush the dough and toppings lightly with olive oil.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes at 400ºF. Breadsticks will be ready when dough is cooked all of the way through and the edges start to brown.

While the garden breadsticks are cooking, move ahead and prepare the Black Garlic Dip.

MAKE THE BLACK GARLIC DIP

Begin by chopping the two cloves of regular garlic into small pieces.

Next, place a small pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil for one minute.

Add chopped garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat…make sure you do not overcook the garlic, you only want it to be slightly browned.

In a small bowl, mash 2 tbsp of black garlic. Add cooked garlic, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of balsamic glaze, 1/4 tsp of Italian seasoning, 1/8 tsp of sea salt, 1/2 tsp everything bagel seasoning. Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.

On a serving plate, spread one container of hummus. I like to spread it into a circle about 1/4 inch thick…but do whatever works for you!

Place black garlic mix in the center of the hummus and spread so about 75% of the hummus is covered (I do this because it looks nice and you are able to get black garlic with every bite).

hummus and black garlic dip spread on plate

PLATE AND ENJOY

Once the Garden Breadsticks are finished baking and the black garlic dip has been made, plate the breadsticks. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for making Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip

USE PARCHMENT PAPER – Use parchment paper for the pizza dough when you are decorating your breadsticks AND when you are baking them. This dough is pretty sticky and will give you a headache if you don’t have a non-stick barrier.
PRESS ON YOUR TOPPINGS – You want to make sure you are pressing the toppings into the dough with a little force. If you don’t, they will easily fall off once they are baked.
DON’T BURN YOUR GARLIC – Garlic cooks very quickly on the skillet…so you have to babysit it so it doesn’t burn! Pay attention to when it’s just starting to brown and remove it from the heat AND the skillet. Burnt garlic will ruin the dish.

pressing toppings into garden breadsticks

Questions Answered

Can I use different toppings – Of course! Sky is the limit! I chose these topping because they would pair well with black garlic and they would be visually pleasing, but any herb or veggie will work great! Just cut your veggies thin so they will bake in time.
Can I add cheese – Sure can! If you want to keep things plant-based, just go with a vegan cheese. Here’s a list of some of my favorite vegan cheeses.
Can I make this in advance – A huge yes! This is a perfect recipe for meal prep. Just make the recipe and store in air tight containers. Store the hummus in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, simply bring the Garden breadsticks back to room temperature or heat if desired.
Is this recipe vegan – Yes! This recipe is vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

What to serve with Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip

This Garden Breadsticks and Black Garlic Dip recipe makes a perfect appetizer or snack for any gathering. It also makes an excellent light meal!

If you want some more options to dunk in the Black Garlic Dip, serve with raw veggies, chips or crackers.

Looking for more snacks to serve along side this one? Here’s some delicious, crowd-pleasing options…