I totally know it sounds weird.

Garlic, olive oil, mozzarella, and, yes. Brown sugar. On breadsticks. With garlic and cheese.

Brown sugar garlic mozzarella bread sticks | Kitchen Treaty

I totally know. But you’ve gotta trust me on this one.

Actually, first trust a local pizza chain ’round these parts called The Rock. Their schtick is classic rock ‘n’ roll, wood-fired pizza, some pretty great craft beer, too. They also make these super cheesy, deliciously greasy, oh-so-wrong-but-oh-so-right brown sugar garlic bread sticks that are so, so sinfully good.

It’s kind of one of those shrugger menu items. You think, huh. That’s just so weird it just might work. It’ll either be amazing or disgusting. Let’s give it a whirl, you say with a shrug.

Yeah, they’re amazing.

So naturally, I had to work on duplicating them at home.

Brown sugar garlic mozzarella bread sticks | Kitchen Treaty

It took a couple of tries, and ultimately, I didn’t end up with an exact copycat of The Rock’s recipe, but it’s pretty darn close. My version is less greasy and a bit less of a cheese overload, but the flavor is there. Oh, is it there.

Glazed garlicky goodness on a cheese-covered, chewy pizza crust.

These are a yes. Just shrug with me and give it a go. You’ll be glad you did.

Brown sugar garlic mozzarella bread sticks | Kitchen Treaty

I like my very favorite pizza crust for grilling for this one (the dough works great in the oven, too) :: I’m also a fan of the ready-made dough that you find in the refrigerated section at Trader Joe’s for a super quick and easy homemade pizza solution (plus, it’s only $1.29!) :: Another relatively fast option for quick pizza dough is this wonderful One-Hour Rosemary Beer Pizza Dough from The Beeroness. We tried this recipe a few days ago and adored it, but if I was using it for these bread sticks, I’d leave out the fresh rosemary.

Brown sugar garlic mozzarella bread sticks | Kitchen Treaty
5 from 5 votes

Brown Sugar Garlic Mozzarella Breadsticks

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Author: Kare
Brown sugar on cheesy bread sticks sounds strange, but it's a sublime combo you'll whip up again & again. Plus, only five ingredients and 20 minutes to make!
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 4 medium cloves)
  • 1 pound pizza crust dough (16 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (dark, light or golden all work)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and garlic.
  • Brush a cookie sheet with a little of the olive oil and garlic mixture.
  • Flatten/stretch pizza dough into an approximately 12-inch by 16-inch rectangle and lay carefully on the cookie sheet.
  • With a pastry brush, brush the remaining garlic and olive oil mixture onto the crust.
  • Top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
  • Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the cheese.
  • Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
  • Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then cut into bread stick shapes with a pizza cutter.

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