East Coasters, these Homemade Garlic Fingers and Donair Sauce are for you! And for any friends you want to convert to lovers of the most delicious appetizer around.
Whether you need party food for adults, OR kids, easy snacks for tailgating or Super Bowl, or cheap recipes for entertaining, THIS is your recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Okay, if you’re from the east coast, or have spent any real time here, maybe you’re excited right now. If not, you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about. Stay with me, though.
Garlic fingers…. are amazing. They just are.
They aren’t the same thing as cheesy bread, or bread sticks, or garlic bread or any of the other things that people try to pass off as being “just the same” as garlic fingers.
Nope. Ask anyone.
Garlic fingers are swoon-worthy. They are the perfect easy party food and the biggest crowd pleaser of all.
I love pizza so much, but I have to be honest: If someone puts down a pizza and a pan of garlic fingers, I’m all over the garlic fingers. And I bet you most people would agree.
You might have left over pizza after a party, but I doubt you’ll have many left over garlic fingers.
Okay. That’s my ode to garlic fingers in a nutshell, at least when we’re talking taste.
Let’s talk cost for a minute.
Garlic fingers are cheap to make. I love a budget-friendly snack, especially if I’m making something for a crowd. To make garlic fingers you need pizza dough (super cheap, especially if it’s homemade), a little butter, a whole lotta garlic, some cheese, and a small amount of bacon (although you can make them vegetarian too!).
Related:
How to Stock up on Bacon | Save Money on Groceries
How to Freeze Cheese – an Easy Way to Save Money on Groceries
Whether you’re cooking for a potluck, entertaining for a foot ball game (or Super Bowl), trying to please both adults and kids, or just looking for easy, cheap snacks and appetizers you can make ahead of a party, this is the answer.
Yes, you could make these ahead and keep them in the fridge so your dough doesn’t over-rise. Then bake them when you’re ready to eat them. I probably wouldn’t make them days ahead or anything, but a few hours should be fine.
On the topic of donair sauce: this sauce is a litttttle different that what you might expect. Mainly because it’s kind of sweet. But it is *brilliant* with the garlic fingers, so give it a go.
Some people, like Laurier, don’t love it. He eats his garlic fingers with sriracha. I alternate between donair sauce and sriracha. Some people don’t do any sauce at all.
However you top ’em, these are delicious.
How to Make Garlic Fingers:
Homemade Garlic Fingers and Donair Sauce – Step-by-Step Instructions
Ingredients for Homemade Garlic Fingers and Donair Sauce
You’ll need some pizza dough. We have two awesome recipes for pizza dough on our site – one for thick and fluffy crust and one for a thin, no-rise crust. (And if you find yourself in a pinch, try our No Yeast Pizza Dough – 5 minute recipe!)
Try one of them or pick up some pizza dough at your grocery store (but just so you know, making it at home is almost as easy!).
Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees F.
Then cook up 1/2 package of bacon, however you like. I pretty much always use the microwave for this step, because it’s so easy, hands-off and doesn’t make any mess. Once it’s cooked, drain it on some paper towel and then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
If you want to make vegetarian garlic fingers you can skip the bacon, but I think you should add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the melted butter (in a few steps).
Shred some mozzarella cheese. This is 1/2 of a full-sized (450g) block – so around 225g or 8oz).
Crush or chop some garlic. I used 5 cloves but you could always use more. I don’t think you can go overboard with garlic in this recipe. The heat from the oven really mellows it out.
Then melt 1/4 cup of butter and stir the garlic into it (not shown). (If you’re making vegetarian garlic fingers you can add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the butter too.)
Oil your pizza pans and then spread your dough out on them. If you’re using one of our recipes, they both make enough for two pizza pans or one large cookie sheet.
Spoon or brush garlic butter onto the dough and spread it around so there are no uncovered spots.
Sprinkle with chopped bacon and shredded cheese. Pop the pans in your preheated oven.
If you’re doing two pizza pans, I would try about 12-14 minutes, and rotate them from top to bottom half way through (the time will vary a bit depending on the thickness of your dough). Start checking the crust a little early so it doesn’t burn.
If you’re doing a cookie sheet I would put it in the centre of the oven and start checking it after 12 minutes (thinner crust) to 14 minutes (thicker crust).
To check it just use a knife or a pair of tongs to pick up the crust and look underneath. It should be lightly browned when it’s ready.
While the garlic fingers are cooking, use a hand mixer to whip a very cold can of evaporated milk until it’s fluffy.
As you’re whipping the milk, gradually add 1.5 cup of sugar.
Add 6 teaspoons of vinegar and 1.5 teaspoons of garlic powder.
Whip it until the sugar is dissolved (it doesn’t feel grainy between your fingers) and it’s nice and fluffy.
This makes a really large batch, so you can either half the recipe (or quarter it), or you can freeze the leftovers in small ziptop baggies for next time you make garlic fingers (this is what I do). 🙂
Enjoy! 🙂
Homemade Garlic Fingers and Donair Sauce
East Coasters, these Homemade Garlic Fingers and Donair Sauce are for you! And for any friends you want to convert to lovers of the most delicious appetizer around. Whether you need party food for adults, OR kids, easy snacks for tailgating or Super Bowl, or cheap recipes for entertaining, THIS is your recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
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Servings: 8 people
Calories: 325kcal
Ingredients
For Garlic Fingers
- pizza dough*
- 1/2 pkg bacon (it's rarely a one pound package any more, but even a little smaller is fine)
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese (225 grams, or half a large package)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup butter (melted)
For Donair Sauce
- 1 can evaporated milk VERY cold
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 6 tsp vinegar
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
For Garlic Fingers
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. If you're using a single sheet pan make sure your rack is in the centre of the oven. If you're using two pizza pans, make sure there isn't a rack too close to the bottom of the oven - that both racks are in the middle.
- Cook bacon using whatever method you prefer. I like to use the microwave because it's very hands-off and not messy, and I can do the other steps while it's cooking. Once it's cooked, drain on paper towel and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Shred mozzarella cheese.
- Mince garlic and mix into melted butter.
- Spread pizza dough onto 2 oiled pizza pans or one oiled sheet pan. Brush with garlic butter. Sprinkle with chopped bacon. Cover with shredded cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven, until bottom of dough is lightly browned. For a single pan this will probably take 12-14 minutes depending on the thickness of your crust. For two pizza pans, rotate them half way through so each spends some time on the bottom, and bake for 12-14 minutes (again, depending on thickness of crust).
For Donair Sauce**
- While garlic fingers are cooking, make the donair sauce. Use a hand mixer to whip evaporated milk until it's light and fluffy.
- While whipping the milk, gradually add sugar, vinegar and garlic powder. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and the sauce isn't grainy - probably 2-3 minutes in total.
- When garlic fingers are cooked, cut them into long fingers, and serve hot with donair sauce. Enjoy! 🙂
Notes
* You can use one of our pizza dough recipes (recommended) and each recipe makes two 12-inch pizza, or one sheet pan pizza. If you use your own dough or store bought dough, either buy enough dough for two pizzas or cut the rest of the recipe in half.
Thin Crust Pizza Dough (no rise!)
Simple Pizza Dough (thick and fluffy crust)
**This recipe make a LOT of sauce, so you could either cut the recipe in half, or freeze the leftover sauce in little ziptop bags for next time!
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 29mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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I love this recipe! Garlic fingers with donair have always been my fav – even more so than pizza! I don’t think there’s anything more nostalgic and comforting! Since going vegan I’ve made them dairy-free and they’re still just as good! I also love adding simulated bacon bits to them, just like Pizza Twice! Here’s my healthy-ish vegan version if you want to check it out! https://chickpeaexpress.com/vegan-recipes/garlic-fingers/
Sounds like a great recipe for people who are vegan or dairy free! I agree that pizza often gets overlooked when there are garlic fingers on the table too 🙂 Love them!
Hi. This is a great recipe. I ended up having a lot of extra sauce though. Can it be frozen?
Hi! So glad you liked it! Yes, it makes a big batch of sauce. I do freeze my leftover sauce. I divide it into small baggies and put them all in a big freezer bag. When you take it out it will be thinner. If you whip it with a mixer it would probably thicken up again, but I always just stir it up and eat it as it is – it’s more like store-bought donair sauce. It saves you from having to make the sauce every time, which is great. 🙂
Quick and easy Friday night “supper”. They hit the spot!
They’re pretty addictive, aren’t they? 🙂
This looks SO GOOD! I’ve been missing home lately so I’ll have to attempt these! 🙂
Awwww. I know the feeling, from when I was away. I hope they bring a little piece of home to you! 🙂