Roasting garlic is one of the most simple, but spectacular things you can learn to do in the kitchen. Roasting garlic transforms the pungent, raw flavour that you are familiar with into something far more mellow and sweet – smooth enough to eat on its own or simply spread over a toasted baguette or cracker. We suggest roasting for about 40 minutes though depending on the size of the garlic you might find it’s soft after just 30 minutes. Cooking for even longer – say up to 75 or 80 minutes will just make the garlic more caramelized. You really can’t go wrong!
We recommend roasting many bulbs of garlic at once because it is so versatile. If you can’t use it all within a few days, remove the soft cloves and mash them; then freeze in small portions to pop into soups, stews, casseroles, sauces, mashed potatoes, and stir-fries later.

Ingredients
- 6 bulbs of garlic
- 2-3 tbsp (30-45 mL) olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Using your fingers, remove any of the papery outer layers on each garlic.
- Using a sharp knife, trim away the top of each garlic bulb, to reveal just the tops of the garlic cloves.
- Place them on a piece of foil, generous enough to wrap them up.
- Drizzle the tops of the garlic with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Wrap up the foil and bake for approx. 40 minutes.
Notes
When tested, the garlic also roasted well when placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet without being wrapped in foil. This was done with other vegetables in a 350° oven.