Copycat Olive Garden Breadstick Recipe - Big Bear's Wife (2024)

FAQs

Does Olive Garden use butter or margarine? ›

Do your breadsticks contain dairy? There is no dairy in our breadsticks or in the breadstick topping. The garlic topping is made from margarine.

According to another former staff member at Olive Garden, the garlic salt used to season the breadsticks is not a storebought brand, but instead a special blend concocted by the restaurant itself. This results in a buttery, well-seasoned masterpiece that many consider the highlight of the Olive Garden experience.

It's no longer a secret that Olive Garden's breadsticks aren't made in-house, but where the restaurant actually gets them from isn't common knowledge. According to Darden Restaurants — the company that owns Olive Garden and a number of other chains — Turano Baking Company is the longtime supplier of its breadsticks.

The famous Olive Garden breadsticks are once again sesame-free. The popular chain restaurant recently switched suppliers, so the customer favorite is made with flour – with no added sesame. Olive Garden was among several national eateries with bread products that suddenly contained sesame as of the end of 2022.

Our supporter found her Olive Garden server to be “courteous and helpful.” She was surprised that, even without asking for it, her server volunteered the information that “the breadsticks have butter but can be ordered without it.”

In baking, melted margarine could work in recipes that call for melted butter, but in recipes that call for softened butter, swapping in tub margarine may change the texture; for example, cakes will be less tender, and cookies will generally spread out more and be less crisp.

With the initial order, servers are instructed to provide one breadstick per guest at the table, along with a single bonus breadstick. For all subsequent orders, the table will receive one breadstick per person.

Although it's had plenty of opportunities to clamp down on its free breadstick policy over the years, Olive Garden is still sticking fast to its guns today. As long as you order an entrée from the menu, fresh breadsticks are guaranteed with no questions asked.

While Olive Garden does make a real effort to serve freshly prepared foods whenever possible, some menu items are indeed frozen.

Instead, Darden Restaurants, Inc. — the parent company of Olive Garden — outsources the bread from Turano Baking Company. The baking company sells 8-inch long par-baked breadsticks, meaning they're partially baked before being frozen and shipped to Olive Garden locations.

Does Olive Garden salt their pasta water? ›

Olive Garden, an Italian-inspired restaurant, doesn't salt their pasta water. The restaurant overlooks this fundamental pasta-cooking rule because of salts impact on pots. According to the Wall Street Journal, putting salt in boiling water could compromise the warranties on the pots.

But they do offer olive oil and vinegar for dressing your salad. And yes, those Olive Garden breadsticks are dairy free! They use a vegan margarine for the coating, not butter!

Toast — If you're feeling adventurous, make garlic toast with the leftover breadsticks. Cut them in half lengthwise, spread olive oil and minced garlic on top, and bake them in the oven until crispy and golden brown. You can also sprinkle some vegan parmesan cheese on top for an extra kick of flavor.

We use highly refined canola oil or highly refined soy oil in our fryers. Based on information from our suppliers, these oils are highly refined and do not include any soy protein.

Any regular viewer of the Food Channel can testify that not a single professional cook uses margarine instead of butter. Dietitians and other food professionals suggest using butter sparingly, while culinary experts are reaffirming that in cooking and baking, there is no substitute for butter.

While margarine has the same texture as vegan butter, it has a slightly more salty or tangy taste. Margarine leaves a greasy aftertaste that vegan butter doesn't. Nutrition-wise, plant-based butter is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat.

Bottom line: Olive, canola and safflower oils are healthier choices overall than butter and most margarines. Use them as replacements for butter and margarine in most of your cooking, but watch the amounts – those fat calories can add up fast.