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Several heads of roasted garlic, cut open to reveal the soft, golden cloves inside.
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Make and Freeze Roasted Garlic

Turn ordinary garlic into a rich, sweet, and buttery flavor booster by roasting whole heads in the oven until caramelized, then freeze the soft cloves for easy use anytime.  This easy method turns fresh garlic into a rich, ready-to-use kitchen staple that adds instant depth to soups, veggies, sauces, and more.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Meal Prep
Cuisine: American
Keyword: freezer-friendly, fresh, from the garden, homemade, make-ahead, meal-prep
Author: Angela Judd

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Garlic Bulbs
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper To taste

Instructions

How to Roast Garlic:

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C), cut off the top portion of each head of garlic to expose the cloves, and arrange them in a pan with the cut side facing up.
    Garlic bulbs on a baking sheet, chopped garlic on a cutting board with a red knife, and a metal bowl nearby show how to make and freeze roasted garlic easily at home.
  • Drizzle the exposed tops with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
    Several heads of roasted garlic nestled together under a sheet of aluminum foil, ready for the oven—a simple step in how to make and freeze roasted garlic for use in future recipes.
  • Pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the cloves are soft and caramelized. (Get ready for your house to smell amazing!)
    Close-up of roasted garlic bulbs, golden and glistening with oil, packed closely together in a pan—perfect for learning how to make and freeze roasted garlic at home.
  • For a more intense flavor, you can roast the garlic for longer until it becomes deeply caramelized.
    Roasted garlic bulbs with browned tops and a sprinkle of black pepper on a baking tray—perfect for anyone learning how to make and freeze roasted garlic for convenient use in future recipes.
  • To use right away, let the cloves cool slightly before squeezing them from their skins. The roasted garlic will be soft and spreadable, perfect for adding to various dishes like roasted veggies, soup, mashed potatoes, or as a spreadable bread topping. Store the extra garlic in a jar and use within a week.
    Left: Hands squeezing roasted garlic cloves—an essential step in how to make and freeze roasted garlic. Right: Roasted garlic stored in a small glass jar with a black lid, ready for use anytime.

How To Freeze Roasted Garlic:

  • Allow the garlic to cool. Then, place the bulbs in an individual layer in a reusable ziplock-style bag.
    Hands sealing a silicone bag filled with roasted garlic cloves on a kitchen counter—perfect for anyone wanting to learn how to make and freeze roasted garlic for easy use in recipes.
  • Seal them tightly and store the bags in the freezer for up to one year.
    Three reusable silicone bags filled with frozen food, stacked on a wooden surface—perfect for storing meal prep or learning how to make and freeze roasted garlic for convenient use anytime.

How to Use Frozen Roasted Garlic:

  • When ready to use your frozen roasted garlic, let a few cubes defrost on the counter for a couple of hours or pop them in the microwave for quick thawing. The flavor will remain just as delicious as when you first made it.
    Roasted garlic cloves, cooked and peeled, are artfully arranged on a white plate—a perfect example of how to make and freeze roasted garlic for use in your favorite dishes.
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