Name: How to Roast Garlic Cloves and Freeze Them
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 Garlic Head; 2 teaspoons olive oil; Salt

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Learn how to roast garlic cloves, store them in the freezer, and enjoy them. Easy 5-step process to add flavor to your dinner tonight.

Roasted garlic cloves on parchment paper with a garlic head and garlic keeper behind them.

If ever there was a secret for easily enhancing the flavor of a dish without adding a lot of extra calories, it's roasting garlic cloves in the oven.

Once you know how to do it (and have some stashed in your freezer,) you'll never eat another boring dish again.

It's perfect for a low-carb, South Beach phase 1 or ketogenic diet because you get all the benefits of garlic without adding calories or carbs.

And it's simple to do... so let's get started.

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Directions with Pictures
Storage
How to Freeze Roasted Garlic Cloves
Recipe Ideas and Ways to Eat Roasted Garlic
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Directions with Pictures

You're going to want to roast several garlic bulbs at one time, so there is plenty to freeze!

Step 1 - Remove loose, papery skin and cut the top off.

Head of garlic with papery skin removed and top cut off.

Leave the skin of the individual cloves in place. Slice a layer from the top of the head of garlic so that the tips of the cloves are nipped off and exposed. The cloves a little lower on the side of the garlic head can be hard to get. A ½-inch cut will generally get them all.

Step 2 - Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Oiled and salted garlic head with layer sliced from the top on aluminum foil.

Place the garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. The oil will permeate the head of garlic and run down the sides, and that's a good thing. You want the entire head to be coated.

Alternative method: Place the garlic head in a cupcake tin and cover it with aluminum foil.

Step 3 - Enclose in aluminum foil.

Prepped head of garlic in aluminum foil packet with sliced top outside the packet.

Fold the aluminum foil into a packet... or just pull up the sides and scrunch them closed at the top.

Step 4 - Roast the garlic head.

Bake the packet in a 400°F oven for about 45 minutes. The same process is used to cook the garlic head on the grill or in a toaster oven. The cloves will be fork-tender when they are done. Allow the head of garlic to cool for about 10 minutes before working further with it.

Roasted head of garlic on aluminum foil.

Step 5 - Squeeze out the cloves.

Hand squeezing garlic of garlic with a clove coming out.

Grab the head of garlic by the closed bottom and squeeze out the cloves. Use a fork to tease out any that don't fall out easily.

Storage

Roasted garlic will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store whole cloves or mashed cloves in an airtight container and lift out as needed.

How to Freeze Roasted Garlic Cloves

Freeze whole roasted garlic cloves or mashed cloves. Spread whole cloves in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow them to freeze before transferring them to an airtight bag or container.

For mashed garlic cloves, freeze in small portions, such as 1 teaspoon, in an ice cube tray.

For the best results, use within 2-3 months.

Defrost in the microwave in 30-second bursts at 50% power to use immediately. Defrost for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator or add directly to dishes that will be cooked, such as soups or baked dishes.

Two very small freezer containers with roasted garlic cloves inside. Red lids are leaning against the container.

Recipe Ideas and Ways to Eat Roasted Garlic

Most people don't enjoy raw, uncooked garlic. But that's not the case once it has been roasted. Caramelized garlic has a sweetish, mellow flavor and a buttery feel and can be eaten all by itself.

Or, try one of these ideas:

Stir cloves into crock-pot mashed potatoes.
Spread mashed cloves on microwave corn on the cob or into vegetables like cauliflower or green beans.
Mix them with softened butter (and herbs, if desired.) This mixture will liven up vegetables, pan-fried chicken or fish, and shrimp scampi.
Add whole cloves as a pizza topping, or spread mashed garlic on the base and crust.
Add whole or mashed cloves to spaghetti or pasta dishes.
Add whole or mashed cloves to soup.
Toss whole cloves into a salad.
Rub garlic like a paste on meat before roasting.
Use it in hummus, guacamole, or other dips that call for garlic.
Spread it on a slice of crusty bread, crackers, or toast.

You'll find more creative ideas in 25 Things to Do with Roasted Garlic by The Wicked Noodle.

Roasted garlic spread on two slices of bread.

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