Have pizza dough on hand? You can make these irresistible Parmesan Bread Bites using store-bought (or homemade) pizza dough, grated parmesan, and a rich garlic-herb butter. They’re a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer that’s soft inside, golden outside, and perfect for dunking in marinara or your favorite pizza sauce.
These bread bites are one of those “doughy” treats that feel both comforting and fun. My friends and family love them because they hit that soft, pillowy texture on the inside and crisp, golden surface on the outside. They’re brushed with a flavorful garlic butter, showered with parmesan, and baked until perfectly light golden.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- JUST LIKE DOMINO’S – If you’ve had Domino’s Parmesan Bread Bites, you’ll appreciate this homemade version that captures the same flavors.
- EASY – Super simple to make. Once you try them, you’ll experiment with different seasonings (sweet or savory) and variations.
- KID-FRIENDLY – These are a hit with kids and adults alike, perfect for movie nights, game days, or pizza parties.
Look at those bite-sized treasures: soft inside, golden outside, ideal for dipping. They make a fantastic appetizer or an easy side to any Italian-style meal.
How to Make Parmesan Bread Bites
These bread bites come together in just a few steps. Below is a clear method to follow, plus the full printable-style recipe card with ingredient and instruction details in the recipe section. Feel free to pin or save this recipe if you enjoy it!
Best Pizza Dough for Bread Bites
Store-bought refrigerated pizza dough works perfectly and keeps this recipe quick. If you prefer homemade dough, use your favorite pizza dough recipe instead. Both approaches give great results.
Cut Pizza Dough into 1-Inch Bites
- Roll the dough into a long rope about 1 inch thick and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut 1-inch pieces. This size makes ideal bite-sized pieces.
- You can adjust size to be smaller or larger — just remember to adjust baking time accordingly.
- Arrange the 1-inch pieces on a baking sheet lightly greased with nonstick spray.
- Brush each unbaked bite with garlic butter and lightly sprinkle with parmesan. Save roughly half the butter and parmesan to add after baking for the best coating.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 12–17 minutes, watching closely. You want them lightly golden — avoid over-baking so they stay soft inside.
Garlic Butter & Parmesan Finishing
When the bites come out of the oven, immediately brush them again with the remaining warm garlic butter, then generously top with grated parmesan while the butter is still tacky. The warm butter helps the cheese stick, giving a flavorful, textured finish.
Handy Bread Bites Recipe Tip
Add the grated parmesan immediately after brushing with garlic butter so the cheese adheres. Work in small batches: brush a few, top with cheese, then repeat.
After the final butter and parmesan coating, these bread bites are ready to serve. They’re an easy appetizer that’s great for feeding a crowd or adding a playful side to an Italian meal.
What to Serve with Parmesan Bread Bites
Serve with a bowl of warm marinara or pizza sauce for dunking. They’re also excellent with extra virgin olive oil, garlic oil, or any dipping sauce you prefer. As a side, pair them with pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan, or any meal where you’d normally serve garlic bread.
Ingredient & Recipe Notes
Parmesan Cheese – Use the parmesan you prefer: grated, shredded, or the finely grated varieties. All work well.
Garlic Butter – Make a simple garlic butter with melted butter, minced garlic (or garlic powder), salt, and dried parsley or Italian seasoning. For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes. You can swap butter for olive oil to make a garlic oil if desired.
Pizza Dough – Refrigerated dough is convenient and reliable. Homemade dough works just as well if you prefer to make it from scratch.
More Bite-Sized Appetizer Ideas
Looking for more bite-sized appetizers to serve at a party? Try toast bread cups filled with dips, spinach cheese squares, or sausage phyllo cups — all great companions to these parmesan bread bites.
I hope you’ll try this recipe — between the herbed garlic butter and the generous parmesan coating, these bites are likely to become a favorite finger food in your rotation. They’re simple to make, easy to scale for a crowd, and always popular at gatherings.
If you try this Parmesan Bread Bites recipe, enjoy — and consider leaving feedback so others know what worked well for you!
Parmesan Bread Bites
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Garlic Butter
- 5 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried parsley (or chopped fresh)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or dried oregano)
Instructions
To make the bread bites:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- On a clean surface, roll the pizza dough into a rope about 1 inch thick. Cut into 1-inch pieces with a pizza cutter or knife.
- Place the pieces on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
To make the garlic butter:
- Whisk together melted butter, garlic, salt, parsley, and Italian seasoning.
- Brush each raw dough piece with about half the garlic butter and lightly sprinkle with grated parmesan. Reserve the remaining butter and parmesan for after baking.
- Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Avoid over-baking to keep them soft inside.
- Remove from oven, brush with the remaining warm garlic butter, and add a generous coating of parmesan. If the butter has cooled, reheat briefly until pourable.
- Serve warm with marinara, olive oil, or your favorite dipping sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
Add red pepper flakes to the garlic butter for a spicy version. Use fresh or powdered garlic depending on preference. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Nutrition (approx.): Calories 33 kcal | Carbs 6 g | Protein 1 g | Fat 1 g | Sodium 132 mg