This cheesy garlic pull apart bread uses frozen dinner roll dough for an easy shortcut to homemade garlic bread. Each piece of dough is layered with garlic herb butter, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, then stacked in a loaf pan and baked until golden brown. A final brush of melted butter and Parmesan makes it extra cheesy and delicious.

Hand pulling bread slice off loaf and melted cheese pulling.

Using frozen rolls means there’s no homemade bread dough to mix or knead. Just thaw, fill, let the dough rise and bake! The individual layers pull apart easily, with plenty of melted cheese and garlic butter tucked inside.

Quick Look at This Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe

Ready In: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Serves: 8
Main Flavors: Garlic butter, herbs and plenty of melted cheese
Equipment: Sheet pan, rolling pin, small mixing bowl and 8×4-inch loaf pan
Great For: Pasta night, family dinners or a game day spread

Ingredient Notes

Frozen dinner rolls – Frozen roll dough is the shortcut that makes this recipe so easy. I like Rhodes dinner rolls, but another similar frozen yeast dinner roll dough should also work.
Unsalted butter – Forms the base of the garlic butter filling. Unsalted works best since the cheeses add plenty of salt.
Fresh parsley – Adds fresh flavor and a little color to the garlic butter. Fresh parsley works especially well here, but dried parsley can be used in a pinch. Use only 2 tsp. if using dried.
Minced garlic – I measure by the teaspoon vs. cloves because I always have this kind in my fridge. A huge time saver!
Mozzarella cheese – A mild flavored cheese that gives the bread that melts beautifully and gives those signature cheese pulls.
Sharp cheddar cheese – A more robust cheese that can stand up to the garlic flavor and also adds some color.
Parmesan cheese – Because 2 cheeses wasn’t quite enough. Grated parmesan is sprinkled on the top of the freshly baked bread that’s brushed with melted butter. The stuff in the green capped jar is perfect.

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Thaw roll dough – Place 12 frozen rolls in a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave space so they aren’t touching. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour until thawed They shouldn’t start to rise.

Make the filling – While the rolls thaw combine butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl. In a separate bowl combine the mozzarella and cheddar cheese together.

Minced garlic and chopped parsley in a bowl with softened butter.

White bowl of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

Roll out the dough – Lightly flour countertop and use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball into a 4 inch disc.

Add the garlic butter & cheese – Evenly divide the garlic butter between the 12 rolls, about 2 teaspoons per roll and spread out evenly. Evenly divide cheese mixture between the 12 rolls, about 2 tablespoons per roll, and sprinkle evenly over garlic butter

Small metal spatula spreading herby garlic butter on top of dough circle.

Numerous discs of dough spread with garlic butter and shredded cheese. A few of the discs are folded in half.

Fold & stack – Fold each dough disc in half. Stack the halved dough into 2 equal stacks. This just makes them easier to move into the pan. Place stacks round side up in a greased loaf pan.

Let the bread rise – Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to double in size, about 2-2 1/2 hours.

Filled dough discs folded in half and stacked round side up in a greased loaf pan.

Proofed dough in loaf pan ready for the oven.

Bake – Remove plastic and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown

Finish with butter and Parmesan – Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing it from pan. Brush the warm loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve warm and pull apart the layers to enjoy!

Tips for the Best Pull Apart Bread

Don’t let the rolls rise before rolling them out. They only need to thaw enough that they’re soft and easy to work with. The main rise happens after the bread is assembled.
Grate your own cheese if you can. Freshly shredded mozzarella and cheddar melt more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
Give the dough enough time to rise. A warm kitchen will help the bread rise faster, while a cooler room may take a little longer. If your house is cold, place the pan in the oven with only the oven light on. It creates just enough warmth.
Let it get golden brown. Because the dough is stacked in layers, you want the top to be a nice deep golden brown so the center has enough time to bake through.
Serve it warm. This bread is at its best shortly after baking when the garlic butter is warm and the cheese is still gooey.

Make-Ahead Tips

You can assemble this cheesy garlic pull apart bread the night before and let it slowly rise in the refrigerator. Thaw and assemble the rolls as directed, cover the loaf pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-16 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, remove the bread from the refrigerator and let it sit in a warm spot until the dough has finished doubling in size, about 60-90 minutes depending on how much it rose overnight.

This is a great option when serving the bread with dinner. You can do most of the prep ahead of time and simply let it finish rising while you work on the rest of the meal.

Overhead view of pulling a piece of bread off the loaf and melted cheese.

Serving & Storage

Serve this pull apart bread warm with your favorite pasta dish like Alfredo Meatballs or Pasta with Pesto Alfredo. As you pull each layer apart, you’ll see the cheesy goodness inside.

It’s also great alongside a game day spread of appetizers like chicken wings, meatballs or pizza.

Store leftover pull apart bread in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. For the best texture, reheat it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through and the cheese has melted again. Individual pieces can also be microwaved, although the bread will be softer.

To freeze, let the baked bread cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

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Featured image of close up of melted cheese instead pull apart bread.

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