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Home » Bread Recipes

Copycat Italian Cheese Bread

Published: Jan 17, 2022 by Mindee · This post contains affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Pinnable image 5 for italian cheese bread.
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Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread is one of our favorites! This is my copycat version of it! Made from scratch and ready in under an hour! This cheesy garlic bread will have you ditching the take out and making it yourself!

A plate of hot sticks of Copycat Italian Cheese Bread
Hot, cheesy bread just like you get at Little Caesar's!
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
  • Copycat Italian Cheese Bread Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Less expensive and more servings than Little Caesars pizza sells!
  • If you love those pizza kit fundraisers from little Caesars you'll love this easy recipe!
  • Compliments any Italian dish like Pizza Rolls or Three Cheese Manicotti!
  • Better than Crazy Bread!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Olive Oil - vegetable, canola or coconut oils work great too!
  • Butter - Either salted or unsalted butter is fine.
  • Flour - All purpose, not self rising
  • Italian Cheese Blend - This blend of cheese comes in most brands and is available in most grocery stores. It usually contains shredded Romano, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and provolone cheeses.
  • Italian Seasoning - is a blend of italian spices like basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
Ingredients for italian cheese bread.
The simple ingredients you need for this cheesy italian bread!

Step by Step Instructions

  • Measure the yeast, sugar and warm water into the base of stand mixer, or a regular mixing bowl to start the pizza dough for the cheese bread base.
  • Let it stand for a 3-5 minutes and allow to get foamy.
Yeast, sugar, warm water poured into a mixing bowl to get foamy.
Active the yeast with the sugar!
  • Add the salt, olive oil and flour to the foamy yeast.
  • Mix until a very sticky dough comes together.
  • Add enough additional flour for the dough while kneading to make a very soft ball of dough that it still sticky to the touch after being kneaded.
  • Kneading in the additional flour should only take a minute or so.
  • Cover dough with a clean dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes.
Salt, olive oil, and flour mixed into a sticky dough.
Add salt, olive oil and flour to make the pizza dough!
  • Press risen dough into a 9x13 baking dish that has been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Lining with foil allows you to lift the cheese bread out of the pan to cut it into sticks.
  • NOTE- I find that a cookie sheet is not quite deep enough.
  • YES! This is enough dough to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Once pressed out it will only be ¼ to ½ inch thick. About the same as when you roll out cookie dough.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and let the dough rise while your oven preheats.
  • Once the oven is preheated sprinkle 2 cups of an Italian blend of pre-shredded cheese over the top of the dough.
Risen dough pressed into a baking dish and sprinkled with italian cheese blend.
Press into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the package of cheese.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  The top of the cheese should be golden brown especially on the edges of the crust.
  • Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a microwave safe container.
  • Pour the melted butter over the top of the cheese bread while brushing it around with a pastry brush. 
  • Sprinkle garlic salt and Italian seasoning blend over the top of the cheese bread.
Melted butter brushed over hot baked cheese bread then sprinkled with italian seasoning and garlic salt.
Brush the hot Italian Cheese bread with the buttery sauce and seasonings!
  • Lift the hot Italian cheese bread out of the baking dish and set it on a cutting board.
  • Cut into 12 cheese sticks with a pizza cutter.  Serve!
Hot cheese bread cut into sticks.
Cut into pieces and serve!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

Can this recipe be done without a stand mixer?

Yes, absolutely! I use a stand mixer because I'm a bit on the un-muscular side but you can make this recipe by hand too!

This doesn't look like enough dough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan!!!

Yes, trust me, there is enough dough. When pressed out into the bottom of the baking dish it's only ¼-1/2 inch thick. About the same as when you roll out cookie dough.

What goes well with this cheese bread?

We like to eat these breadsticks with some homemade Pizza Sauce or, fresh Alfredo Sauce or some Lasagna cooked in my crockpot.  If you want to go for a bit lighter meal try this Layered Green Salad or this Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad.

How long is it good for?

It's best to consume this cheese bread within 2 days.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

Yes, please refrigerate any leftovers.  Reheat carefully in the microwave.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

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Sticks of Italian Cheese Bread

Copycat Italian Cheese Bread Recipe

★★★★★ 4.9 from 25 reviews
  • Author: Mindee
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes (includes rising time)
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 pieces 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe
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Description

Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread is one of our favorites! This is my copycat version of it!  Made from scratch and ready in under an hour! This cheesy garlic bread will have you ditching the take out and making it yourself!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 package (2 ¼ tsp) Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 cup Warm Water
  • 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 cups of pre-shredded Italian Blend Cheese
  • 3 Tbs. Butter
  • Garlic Salt
  • Italian Seasoning blend

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the yeast with the warm water and sugar in your mixing bowl.   Let stand to activate for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of flour.
  3. Mix together and knead until a sticky dough forms.  It will be a softer dough and won't come together in a firm ball.  Add more flour if you need.
  4. Cover the dough and let rise until doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
  5. Line a 9x13 baking dish with tin foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  6. Lightly press the risen dough into the prepared baking dish and cover to let rise for 10-15 minutes while your oven preheats.
  7. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  8. Once your oven is preheated sprinkle the 2 cups of italian cheese blend evenly over the dough.
  9. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.  The cheese will be mostly golden brown.
  10. Melt the butter and brush it across the top of the hot cheese bread.
  11. Sprinkle garlic salt across the top.  We like a generous amount.
  12. Sprinkle the italian seasoning across the top.
  13. Lift the hot cheese bread out of the baking dish and place it on a cutting board.
  14. Slice into 12 pieces with a pizza cutter.
  15. Serve.

Notes

  • You might think there isn't enough dough to cover the bottom of the pan but yes, trust me, there is enough dough. When pressed out into the bottom of the baking dish it's only ¼-1/2 inch thick. About the same as when you roll out cookie dough.

Keywords: Copycat Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread, Italian Cheese Bread, Cheese Bread, Breadsticks

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram @mindeescooking and hashtag it #mindeescookingobsession

Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, be sure to check out a few of my most popular recipes!

  • Easy Lemon Bundt Cake
  • The Best Clam Chowder
  • Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Cheesecake
  • Black Tie Mousse Cake
  • Mini German Pancakes

ANY NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS ON THIS SITE IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE, CALCULATED BY NURTIFOX PLUGIN (OR OTHER THIRD-PARTY SOURCE) FROM THE INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS IN EACH RECIPE. VARIATIONS MAY OCCUR FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING PRODUCT AVAILABILITY AND FOOD PREPARATION. WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION.  

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeff

    November 26, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    Very good

    Reply
  2. Sharon

    November 18, 2022 at 8:07 am

    Can you use the bread machine for the dough? Will that work?

    Reply
    • Mindee

      November 18, 2022 at 11:30 am

      No, I don't believe a bread machine would work.

      Reply
  3. Jessica

    July 29, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    My dough on the bottom stayed soft. I extended the time, but then the cheese started to brown too much. How do I avoid that? It is still cheesy and garlicky good! Just with a soft bottom.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Mindee

      July 29, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      I would lightly cover the cheese with tin foil once it's brown enough to stop the browning but allow the bottom to cook more.

      Reply
    • Julie Clapp

      September 17, 2022 at 9:15 pm

      My husband and I are big fans of Little Caesars pepperoni bread, but with the restaurant industry's labor shortage our Little Caesars is not offering it right now. We added pepperoni before baking, but followed all of the other steps and this recipe is BETTER than the original. You are going to save us so much money

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Mindee

        September 19, 2022 at 6:08 am

        That's so awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
  4. Landon

    February 14, 2022 at 3:11 pm

    What if I just used regular ingredients instead of the italian kind? Would it change the taste a lot?

    Reply
    • Mindee

      February 14, 2022 at 3:19 pm

      Which ingredients are you referring to?

      Reply
  5. Hannah

    December 21, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    Love this recipe! Been making it for several years since I first discovered it. How do you get your cheese so brown??

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mindee

      December 27, 2021 at 5:49 am

      I'm not sure. My cheese always just browns well. I usually use the walmart brand italian cheese blend.

      Reply
      • Melinda Sue Thu

        July 29, 2022 at 2:11 pm

        OH MY GOD! This bread is amazing! So fluffy and Cheesy. I doubled the butter to top it with, used a ton of real garlic and real freshly chopped herbs. Oh my gosh. Thank you thank you and thank you again for this recipe.

        Reply
        • Mindee

          July 29, 2022 at 7:46 pm

          You're so very welcome!!!

          Reply
    • Kyra Robertson

      January 23, 2022 at 3:27 pm

      I always add a little too much salt.... any recommendations to help me out

      Reply
      • Mindee

        January 24, 2022 at 12:24 pm

        Cut down the amount of salt by half 🙂

        Reply
  6. Adil

    October 27, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    Do you think you could leave this to ferment for a couple days for when you have to rise it?

    Reply
    • Mindee

      October 27, 2021 at 8:30 pm

      No, I don't recommend doing that.

      Reply
      • John

        October 30, 2021 at 3:42 pm

        May I ask why?

        Reply
        • Mindee

          October 30, 2021 at 4:02 pm

          Of course! Just to clarify... I found the above question a little confusing. I took the question to mean allowing the the unrisen dough to sit in the fridge for a couple days until being ready to use. In that case, I don't recommend doing so because in that time the yeast would over inflate and the dough would over-rise, collapse and not rise again when baked. If that's not how you understood the question feel free to re-state the question you have and I'd be happy to answer it!

          Reply
    • Barbara A Mason

      December 01, 2021 at 1:17 pm

      I loved this recipe! It was exactly like Lite Caesar's!! The only thing I did was put too much cheese. It will take away from the taste. That was totally on me.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  7. judith judge

    September 06, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    how does this freeze

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mindee

      September 07, 2021 at 7:03 am

      I haven't tried freezing it because I don't think the cheese would thaw out well.

      Reply
  8. Trish

    August 07, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe! The closest copycat italian cheese bread that I found. A lot of recipes show skimpy skinny breadsticks, but this one is VERY similar to Little Caesars and also easy to make. I did cut the dough in half and used a square baking dish instead, and turned the other half into crazy bread and both came out wonderful. I also used a combination of mozzerella and colby jack cheese since that was what I had on hand. Great job!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mindee

      August 07, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      Thank You!!!

      Reply
      • Luis Alonso

        December 03, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        Hi, I'm assuming you are using Farenheit and not Celsius, right?

        Reply
        • Mindee

          December 03, 2021 at 1:49 pm

          Yes, Fahrenheit.

          Reply
        • Crystal

          September 08, 2022 at 7:23 pm

          Made twice now, using the suggestion of another commenter of 2:1 mozzarella & muenster cheeses. A small sprinkle of Parm on top also goes a long way. The ONLY thing is I have found its easier to skip the foil and just grease the pan, it makes the bottom more crisp. Otherwise, FANTASTIC recipe!

          ★★★★★

          Reply
  9. FIsh

    July 31, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    Just so you know, Little Caesars uses a 1 part muenster and 2 part mozzarella mix. While your mix is good, its not at all little caesars. Worked there for 7 years.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Karis

      August 09, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      Great recipe! I made balls from the dough and stuffed em with mozzarella and pepperoni! Let it rise for over an hour, I didn’t like how the first batch came out after the short rise time.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  10. Deborah Hook

    May 27, 2021 at 5:31 pm

    will this dough work for pizza also?

    Reply
    • Mindee

      May 28, 2021 at 2:08 pm

      It should 🙂

      Reply
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Hi! I'm Mindee! Not only do I love to try and create all kinds of recipes, I LOVE to share them! Teaching others how to be successful in cooking in their own kitchens is one of my favorite things to do! Learn more about me or jump right in and check out my recipes!

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