Savory, cheesy, and garlicky with a touch of sweet – these Cheesy Brown Sugar Garlic Breadsticks are everything.

I know, I know, I totally know it sounds weird. Garlic, olive oil, mozzarella, and, yes. Brown sugar. On breadsticks. With garlic and cheese. But you’ve gotta trust me on this one!

A brown sugar garlic mozzarella breadstick is pulled away from the stack and ready to be devoured

The Story Behind the Recipe

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. Note: I originally wrote this back in 2013, and The Rock is no longer in business. Boo.

Anyway, 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.

cheesy brown sugar breadsticks on a wood board with marinara for dipping

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

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.

Cheesy Garlic Brown Sugar Breadsticks Ingredients

Cheesy Brown Sugar Garlic Breadstick Recipe Ingredients

  • Olive oil – Use your fave kind
  • Garlic – Fresh. You want around four cloves of garlic, or about a tablespoon minced garlic. Lots of garlic = yes.
  • Pizza dough – Homemade or store-bought. While I love to make pizza dough at home, I have to admit that 90% of the time these days, I buy mine at Trader Joe’s. It’s less than $2 a dough ball and delicious!
  • Mozzarella – I like to go full-fat for maximum cheesy goodness.
  • Brown sugar – Either light or dark, whatever you have/prefer, they all work.

How to Make Them

This is easy.

  1. First, mix together the olive oil and garlic.
  2. Stretch out your pizza dough, brush the pan with a bit of the oil and garlic mixture, then brush the rest of the oil on top.
  3. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.
  4. And then the brown sugar.
  5. Bake until golden brown and bubbly.
  6. Slice into strips and devour.
brush the pizza dough with the olive oil garlic mixture
sprinkle the cheese and brown sugar over the top
bake until golden and perfect
slice into breadsticks
stack of cheesy garlic brown sugar breadsticks

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.

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 breadsticks being lifted up
5 from 6 votes

Cheesy Brown Sugar Garlic Mozzarella Breadsticks

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 12 breadsticks
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!
Print Pin Rate

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.

Video

Notes

Originally published June 10, 2013. Photos updated and video added 10/9/2026.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2breadsticks, Calories: 199kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 363mg, Potassium: 21mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 95IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 1mg

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