Beautiful and oh-so-delicious, this flavorful olive oil bread dip spice blend makes a beautiful gift. Nobody will blame you if you keep it all to yourself though – it’s just that good!
This dry herb mix is perfect to serve with warm crusty bread for a delicious and elegant appetizer. Quick and easy to make, it’s also perfect for a thoughtful holiday gift.
One of my greatest weaknesses is bread and truly, there’s not much better to me than bread dipped in oil, with dipping spices. It’s my favorite accompaniment to any American or Italian meal and makes the easiest last minute appetizer for those gatherings with wine surrounded around the kitchen island.
We’ll occasionally even enjoy it as a little snack or in lieu of dinner paired with wine for a casual evening at home.
I keep a jar of this blend of bread dipping spices in our spice cabinet and sometimes add it to spaghetti for an effortless last minute meal as well. This year I decided it would make a great holiday gift idea for family and friends. A joy shared is a joy doubled.
Why You’ll Love this Olive Oil Bread Dip and Dipping Spices
- So Easy
- Great for Neighbor Gifts
- Long Lasting
- Fragrant
- Easy to Customize
- Feels Homemade, but no Oven Required!
“The whole family loved this dipping spice. It was so good. Now I’m gifting friends with it.”
– Zoya
This dry herb spice just needs to be added to a little olive oil for a fragrant and delicious bite. It’s perfect to serve with my homemade bread.
This dip is made with a combination of dried herbs and seasonings that come to life when mixed with a little olive oil.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Garlic Powder
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Basil
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil – Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil rather than olive oil. It is much richer in flavor and intended for dipping!
Variations
- Minced Garlic – I sometimes like to add a teaspoon of minced garlic when I serve for an extra hit of flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese – Finely grated parmesan is a delicious addition.
How to Make this Bread Dip Mix
- Combine – Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Store – Store the spice mix in an airtight container in a cupboard.
- Use – Spoon the mix over olive oil, stir to combine and dip!
Tips
- To make this a gift basket: Simply add a small jar of the dry herb mix in a basket with a plate and a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Add a bottle of balsamic vinegar if you’d like, too. Perfect, elegant and effortless!
- Want to add something extra special? Provide this homemade artisan bread in the basket, or even some fresh homemade crostini.
- Make Sure Your Herbs Aren’t Stale: Herbs don’t ‘go stale’ as such, but they can lose their aromas and potency as time goes on. Rub a little of the herbs between your fingers, if the aroma is weak or not obvious then they should be discarded.
Make More (or Less!)
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Frequently Asked Questions
Olive oil has unsaturated fats (which are healthier than butter’s saturated fats). So while you should enjoy everything in moderation, olive oil is the healthier way to dip your bread, when compared to butter!
Italians don’t dip their olive oil like we do in the states, and they don’t use butter either. They drizzle their bread with olive oil, or enjoy it just as it is.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian inspired seasoning mix is perfect for dipping with olive oil, but it’s also great to use in lots of main dishes too.
- stir into pasta sauce
- stir into soup or stew
- use as a rub onto chicken
- coat fish before grilling or baking
- toss with warm olive oil and pasta
- toss veggies in olive oil and seasoning before grilling, sautéing or roasting
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Dried herbs can keep well for up to a year, so this is the ultimate make ahead food gift! Once you have made your mix, prolong it’s life by storing in a cool dark cupboard and out of direct sunlight in an airtight container.
Sources to Make this a Gift Basket
2.5 Ounce Jars
These are cute glass jars with fitted bamboo lids.
1.7 Ounce Weck Jars
These make gifting and storage so easy!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Choose your favorite, but a pretty bottle and label will present beautifully!
Balsamic Vinegar
Another fabulous and flavorful addition to this gift basket!
Small Wicker Baskets for Gifts
Grab two of these for $25.
There is so much flavor in every bite. Just add a teaspoon or two to a small plate of olive oil and enjoy! It’s hard not to!
You can find all of my homemade holiday gift ideas here and my Thoughtful Hostess Gifts here.
Bread Dipping Spices
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a glass jar or small dish.
- Store in an airtight container.
Tips
Tips:
- Use dried whole or cracked herbs, vs ground herbs. Ground herbs are more potent and won’t package as beautifully.
Optional Add Ins
- Minced Garlic – I sometimes like to add a teaspoon of minced garlic when I serve for an extra hit of flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese – Finely grated parmesan is a delicious addition.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Dried herbs can keep well for up to a year, so this is the ultimate make ahead food gift! Once you have made your mix, prolong it’s life by storing in a cool dark cupboard and out of direct sunlight in an airtight container.
Serving Suggestions
- spoon over olive oil and serve with bread
- add balsamic vinegar if you’d like
- stir into pasta sauce
- stir into soup or stew
- use as a rub onto chicken
- coat fish before grilling or baking
- toss with warm olive oil and pasta
- toss veggies with olive oil and seasoning before grilling, sautéing or baking
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Can you use ground rosemary or ground oregano for any of this Merry Christmas!
Hi Karen,
This recipe is intended for the traditional versions of those spices, so the amounts will be a little off if you choose ground versions instead! It’s prettier when you use crushed herbs, too.
I hope you enjoy- have a wonderful weekend,
Julie
What do you mean by traditional?
Hi Carole,
I meant traditional, as in the flakes of dried herbs used in traditional Italian restaurants. Ground herbs will always be much more potent, so I would recommend whole or cracked dried herbs for this spice blend! Plus, they are prettier in a package.
I hope that helps- enjoy!
Julie
How much dry mix does this recipe make? Trying to buy ingredients to make several gifts. Thanks.
Hello,
This recipe makes about 5 tablespoons in total, so it just depends how much you’d like to gift. You can easily make more by using the yield button on the printable recipe card.
I hope that helps – enjoy!
Julie
This is totally alsome ! We thank you so much. I’ll send you my brisket rube. Got from an elderly man. My kids don’t cook in crock pot meat without it. They are going to want this one too! I recently had a stroke and cooking is part of my therapy
Enjoy!
How much olive oil do you use? I really want to try this! Sounds amazing!
Hi Brooke!
That’s a totally personal preference, you’ll want to just play with it a little until you get a great ratio.
I would start with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and 1-2 teaspoons of herbs.
Enjoy,
Julie
Hello, you mentioned a brisket rube recipe that you might share in this comment; Would you share it with me? TIA.
The whole family loved this dipping spice. It was so good. Now I’m gifting friends with it.
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing!
YUM. This looks delicious.
Meghan