This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Less than 20 minutes to make (and most of that time is just heating olive oil and garlic!). In this easy appetizer, olive oil and balsamic vinegar pair with herbs and garlic for the easiest and most delicious bread dipping oil combo you’ve ever had! Best enjoyed with crusty French bread and a big glass of red wine!
Why you’re going to love this easy olive oil bread dip appetizer:
- It’s simple and easy to throw together. If you need a last minute appetizer that you can make in just minutes – this is it! If you’re like me you’ll probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already which means you have this made in no time!
- Your friends are going to devour it! If you’re having a ladies night and you want to serve something along side those bottles of Merlot, this easy appetizer needs to be on the table! Chances are good your friends will have had something similar to this at a restaurant, but they will be completely blown away by the fresh flavors of THIS dip! It puts all restaurant olive oil bread dips to shame 🙂
- It looks super fancy (but it’s not). Fake it ’til you make it, right?! This dip makes it LOOK like you probably spent a lot of time in the kitchen but in reality you heated a bit of minced garlic with olive oil and then poured it into a serving dish with dried herbs and balsamic vinegar. Accept the compliments graciously when your friends rave about this appetizer – you “worked hard” 😉 and you deserve it!
How to make olive oil & balsamic bread dip:
If you don’t like to cook, you’re going to love this recipe! Even if you do like to cook it’s nice to get a little break once in a while and just enjoy a quality snack that takes only minutes to prepare!
Add olive oil to a small sauce pan over medium low heat.
Add fresh minced garlic. Heat for about 12 minutes.
Add dried spices.
Stir to combine.
Pour the herbaceous olive oil into a serving dish.
And add balsamic vinegar.
Finish this dish with freshly shredded Parmesan.
Serve with sliced French baguette. Pair this dip alongside my favorite One Pot Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese for a hearty dinner your family and friends will love!
What kind of olive oil should I use?
- For an appetizer like this where the ingredient list is short, make sure you use a good olive oil.
- But you don’t need to spend $50 on a bottle. I like to look for olive oil that is cold pressed and organic. This will narrow down the selection giving you the most pure and flavorful olive oil.
- It might take a few tries to find your favorite flavor of olive oil. There is a surprisingly wide range of flavors that olive oil can have depending on where the olives were grown including: peppery, floral, nutty or even spicy! This is my personal fave!
Tips for making the best olive oil bread dip:
- Use fresh garlic. Don’t use a jar of minced garlic. Grab some fresh cloves and mince them yourself. Fresh garlic is usually cheaper and honestly, you have no idea how long those jars of garlic have been sitting on the shelf before you buy them.
- Use quality olive oil. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get good olive oil. Look for something cold pressed, organic and most importantly in your price range!
- Shred your own Parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose so the shreds don’t stick together. Skip the additives and opt for a wedge of Parmesan. There is nothing more delicious than freshly grated cheese!
If you love this dip, you’re sure to enjoy these simple appetizer recipes:
- Burrata Appetizer with Garlic Olive Oil
- The Easiest Spinach & Artichoke Dip
- Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry Tarts
- Roasted Tomatoes with Burrata & Balsamic
- Greek Potato Wedges with Tzatziki
- Easy Baked Jalapeno Poppers
Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar combine with herbs and garlic for the easiest and most delicious appetizer you’ve ever had! Best enjoyed with crusty French bread and a big glass of red wine!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- sliced French baguette for serving
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine olive oil and garlic over medium low heat. Heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, stir in oregano, thyme and a moderate pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour oil mixture into a wide shallow serving dish.
- Pour in balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.
- Serve with sliced French baguette for dipping and enjoy!
Notes
Use fresh garlic. Don’t use a jar of minced garlic. Grab some fresh cloves and mince them yourself. Fresh garlic is usually cheaper and honestly, you have no idea how long those jars of garlic have been sitting on the shelf before you buy them.
Use quality olive oil. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get good olive oil. Look for something cold pressed, organic and most importantly in your price range!
Shred your own Parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in cellulose so the shreds don’t stick together. Skip the additives and opt for a wedge of Parmesan. There is nothing more delicious than freshly grated cheese!
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bread dip, olive oil dip, balsamic dip, oil and vinegar dip, restaurant dip
This post was originally published in September of 2018. It was updated in Feburary 2019 to include process shots and tips for making the perfect olive oil & balsamic bread dip!
cathysfoodinspirations
September 13, 2018 at 1:04 amVery nice
Midwest Foodie
September 13, 2018 at 2:10 pmThank you Cathy!
Midwest Foodie
January 27, 2019 at 6:21 pmOne of my favorite quick and easy appetizer recipes!
★★★★★
Luke
February 24, 2019 at 9:43 pmSo good, so easy, so delicious!!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
February 25, 2019 at 9:43 amYou are SO right!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
March 25, 2019 at 10:02 pmQuick and easy, and so delicious. You can never go wrong with a dip like this! Perfect for a party – who can resist freshly baked bread with balsam!?
Kylie Lato
March 26, 2019 at 11:59 amThis is definitely a crowd-pleaser!
Sherri
March 26, 2019 at 7:23 amWe love the olive oil and herb dips served at restaurants so this is a great idea to make one at home! The addition of the balsamic vinegar is fantastic! Definitely a must try…especially with the big glass of red wine! 😉
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 26, 2019 at 11:54 amAnd the best part is you can enjoy it in your pajamas!
Jacquelyn Hastert
March 26, 2019 at 9:01 amThis is one of my most favorite dips to order at restaurants. I can’t wait to serve it with a big dish of pasta next week.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 26, 2019 at 11:53 amA big bowl of pasta sounds SO good. What time is dinner? I’ll bring the wine!
Rachel
March 26, 2019 at 1:06 pmThat garlic flavor is AMAZING! That combined with the other flavors + crusty bread + red wine = pure food love! My husband is obsessed with this recipe. He’s had it the past two nights and I feel like he’s going to make it again tonight! ?
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 26, 2019 at 9:07 pmBest. Review. Ever. Thanks Rachel!! So glad your family is enjoying this recipe 🙂
Jenni LeBaron
March 26, 2019 at 6:17 pmYum! I used to work in the banquet department of a hotel in the summers between college and the hotel made something very similar that we used to lap up with warm rolls when we were on shift. I can’t wait to eat some of this!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 26, 2019 at 9:08 pmMmmm – this would be THE BEST with warm rolls!
Colleen
March 29, 2019 at 1:12 pmWe usually just swirl the balsamic and olive oil on a plate together, but I have to try it with garlic, herbs, and Parmesan now. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 29, 2019 at 1:45 pmNothing wrong with that!! Garlic and herbs will definitely bump up the flavor though 🙂
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life
March 29, 2019 at 9:05 pmEvery month or so the book club I’m in meets and this month its my turn to host. And how perfect to stumble across this recipe since I’m planning on serving a simple Italian themed dinner! I’ll definitely have to make this for one of the appetizers!
Kylie Lato
March 29, 2019 at 9:27 pmYour book club is going to LOVE this recipe!!! It’s the perfect starter for an Italian dinner 🙂
Deseree
March 30, 2019 at 7:42 amThis is such a simple appetizer that packs so much flavor. Everyone will love this and it steps up your dinner game.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 30, 2019 at 8:27 amTotally agree!
Sharon
March 31, 2019 at 4:09 pmSlice up a loaf of crusty bread and this would be a great snack with some wine. Can’t wait to make this soon.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
March 31, 2019 at 7:06 pmI couldn’t agree more!
Daniela
March 31, 2019 at 10:57 pmWhat a great dip to serve as an appetizer! Def has crowd pleasing written all over it! Thanks so much for sharing :).
Kylie Lato
April 1, 2019 at 8:01 amYou’ve got that right!!
Alisha Rodrigues
April 1, 2019 at 5:19 amoh man !! This is easy and so tempting. I’ve got all the ingredients to make it besides the french bread. Picking it up on my way right away. Simple recipes are always a treat
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
April 1, 2019 at 8:00 amDefinitely a great snack to throw together with pantry staples!
Michelle
May 29, 2019 at 10:29 pmCan I make this dip the day before I serve it?
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
May 30, 2019 at 9:31 amGood question…because of the fresh garlic I would think you’d need to refrigerate the olive oil (as opposed to leaving it out on the counter) and when you refrigerate olive oil it solidifies. One option would be to make it ahead, refrigerate the olive oil mixture and then let that sit out on the counter for 1-2 hours before serving so it becomes liquid again. If you do try this – I’d love to know how it goes!
Supriya Kutty
June 14, 2019 at 5:47 amamazing picture representation which helps to get how to do exactly and the recipe is simple and sweet
thanks you so much for sharing and keep posting we love you and your recipes
Sara
November 14, 2019 at 10:30 amHi! I am wondering if this could be put in a jar! I am wanting to give it as a gift with a loaf of homemade French bread. Thanks!
Kylie Lato
November 15, 2019 at 10:50 amWhat a perfect gift idea Sarah! My rule of thumb is usually that if my dip/dressing has fresh garlic or herbs, it needs to be refrigerated (or it could possibly go rancid). Because of the olive oil, this dip would not do well refrigerated (the oil will turn solid). However, you could use GARLIC POWDER and DRIED herbs and THEN I think it would do just fine in a jar at room temperature! Great question!!
Staci Schroeder
January 23, 2020 at 7:50 amLooking forward to trying this! Quick question: you mention French bread, but would homemade sour dough bread work with the flavor combination? Thanks
Kylie Lato
January 23, 2020 at 8:47 amSourdough would be great!! I think the flavors of this dip would work well with any kind of crusty bread for sure!! Great question 🙂
Catherine
February 1, 2020 at 6:05 amWill be making this again and again! So delicious, thank you!!
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
February 1, 2020 at 9:54 amI just made this last night and called it dinner! Such a quick and easy appetizer 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review Catherine!