There are appetizers that require planning, prep work and a sink full of dishes. And then there is really good bread dipped into really good olive oil. I know which one I'm choosing most nights.

Bread dipping oil is one of those wonderfully simple foods that somehow makes dinner feel a little more special. Put a shallow dish of extra virgin olive oil on the table, add a good blend of herbs and spices, tear apart a loaf of crusty bread and suddenly everyone is standing around the kitchen island dipping pieces before you've even managed to get dinner on the table. At our house, that is usually exactly what happens. Frankly, I don't mind.

At Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, we have four Bread Dipping Spice blends: Herb Delight, Rosemary Garlic, Pesto Parmesan and Tuscan Tomato. They're made with straightforward, premium ingredients and milled and ground locally here in Fort Collins, Colorado. They're wonderful mixed into extra virgin olive oil for bread. But calling them bread dipping spices doesn't really tell the whole story, because they are so dang versatile!  We use them on roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, pasta, focaccia, salad dressings and plenty of other things that have absolutely nothing to do with dipping bread.

So, if you've been wondering what bread dipping spices are, how to make olive oil for dipping bread, which seasoning blend to choose or what else you can make with a bread dipping mix, this is for you.

What Are Bread Dipping Spices?

Bread dipping spices are dry blends of herbs, spices and other savory ingredients designed to be mixed with olive oil and served with bread. A traditional Italian-inspired bread dipping seasoning often includes ingredients such as garlic, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, pepper and salt. Some blends add ingredients such as tomato or Parmesan to create a completely different flavor.

And, let's not forget about the the olive oil. The olive oil matters just as much as the seasoning. If you're starting with a fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil, you aren't simply using the oil as something to carry the spices. The olive oil itself contributes aroma, fruitiness, bitterness and pepperiness to the finished dip.

That's why we recommend making bread dipping oil with a fresh-harvest premium extra virgin olive oil rather than a neutral or old bottle of oil that's been sitting in the pantry forever. A great bread dip should taste like the olive oil and the seasoning.

How Do You Make Bread Dipping Oil?

This may be the easiest appetizer you'll ever make. For a simple restaurant-style bread dipping oil:

1. Combine 2–3 teaspoons bread dipping seasoning with approximately ¼ cup premium extra virgin olive oil.
2. Stir everything together and let it sit for about 10–15 minutes before serving. This gives the dried herbs and spices time to hydrate and release their flavor into the olive oil.
3. Then grab some bread and start dipping.

Ciabatta, sourdough, baguette, focaccia and rustic Italian bread are all excellent choices. Personally, I like bread with enough crust and structure that it doesn't completely disintegrate in the oil. And don't feel like you have to measure everything perfectly. I certainly don't.

Add more seasoning if you like a really herb-heavy dip. Add more olive oil if you want the EVOO to be the star. Grate a little Parmesan over the top. Crack some black pepper into it. Add a splash of balsamic. Make it yours.

Meet Our Four Bread Dipping Spices

All four of our blends can make a great olive oil bread dip, but they are definitely not interchangeable. That's actually the fun part. Put all four on a table with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and plenty of bread and everyone will have an opinion about which one is best.

Herb Delight Olive Oil Dip: The Classic

If someone asks me where to start, I almost always suggest our Herb Delight Dip. 

Shop Herb Delight Olive Oil Dip

Herb Delight is our classic herb-forward bread dipping blend, made with salt, red pepper, black pepper, oregano, rosemary, parsley, garlic and basil. It's savory and aromatic without one ingredient overpowering everything else and it has just a bit of kick. This is the blend I would put out when you're serving a group because it's incredibly easy to like.

Mix it with one of our premium extra virgin olive oils and you have the classic bread-and-olive-oil appetizer most people picture when they think of an Italian restaurant. But don't stop there.

Try Herb Delight:

• Tossed with roasted vegetables and olive oil
• Sprinkled over roasted potatoes
• Mixed into a simple vinaigrette
• Tossed with warm pasta and Parmesan
• Added to a chicken or seafood marinade
• Mixed with softened butter
• Sprinkled over focaccia before baking
• Added to breadcrumbs for chicken or fish

Easy dinner idea: Toss baby potatoes with extra virgin olive oil and Herb Delight, roast until crisp, then finish with a little Parmesan while they're still hot. That is the kind of side dish my family will actually eat straight off the sheet pan while I'm trying to put dinner on the table.

Rosemary Garlic Olive Oil Dip: Savory, Aromatic and Ridiculously Useful

If rosemary and garlic are your love language, this one is easy.

Shop Rosemary Garlic Olive Oil Dip

Our Rosemary Garlic Olive Oil Dip combines garlic, salt, grains of paradise and rosemary. It's a simple blend with a very clear personality: savory, garlicky and herb-forward. Mixed into EVOO, it's fantastic with warm bread. In my kitchen, though, this one has an equally important second job: potatoes. Rosemary + garlic + olive oil + potatoes is one of those combinations that doesn't need improving.

Try Rosemary Garlic:

• On roasted baby potatoes
• With roasted carrots and root vegetables
• As a seasoning for chicken, pork, steak or lamb
• Mixed into olive oil for a marinade
• Stirred into softened butter for garlic bread
• Sprinkled over focaccia
• Added to breadcrumbs
• Mixed into a homemade vinaigrette
• Tossed with vegetables before grilling

For an even bigger rosemary flavor, pair it with our Rosemary Fused Olive Oil. If you'd rather keep the seasoning front and center, use one of our fresh Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

Pesto Parmesan Olive Oil Dip: The Crowd Favorite

There are certain flavor combinations you really don't have to explain. Basil. Parmesan. Garlic. Olive oil.

Shop Pesto Parmesan Olive Oil Dip

Our Pesto Parmesan Olive Oil Dip combines Parmesan cheese, basil, roasted garlic, onion and Italian herbs. When it's mixed into good EVOO, you get a rich, cheesy, pesto-inspired dipping oil without having to pull out a food processor or buy a refrigerator full of ingredients. This is an especially good one for families and entertaining because the flavor is familiar. It's also dangerously easy to find other things to put it on.

Try Pesto Parmesan:

• Tossed with hot pasta and olive oil
• On roasted cauliflower
• Over roasted potatoes
• On grilled chicken
• With shrimp or salmon
• Mixed into breadcrumbs
• Sprinkled onto pizza
• Mixed with cream cheese for an easy appetizer
• Stirred into softened butter
• Sprinkled over focaccia before baking

Easy Pesto Parmesan Pasta

1. Cook your favorite pasta according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve a little pasta water.
2. Toss the hot pasta with premium extra virgin olive oil, Pesto Parmesan Olive Oil Dip and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Add freshly grated Parmesan and toss again. That's dinner.
3. Add roasted vegetables, grilled chicken or shrimp if you want to turn it into something bigger.

This is exactly the kind of meal I appreciate on nights when everyone in my family seems to be coming home at a different time and I have absolutely no interest in making six different dinners.

Tuscan Tomato Olive Oil Dip: Tomato-Rich and Savory

Our Tuscan Tomato Olive Oil Dip heads in a different direction from the other three.

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It brings savory tomato and balsamic-inspired flavor to olive oil, making it especially good when you want something with a little more depth than a traditional herb dip. Naturally, you can mix it into EVOO and tear into a loaf of warm bread. But this one practically begs to go near tomatoes, pasta and pizza.

Try Tuscan Tomato:

• Sprinkled over fresh tomato bruschetta
• Tossed into warm pasta
• Mixed into an olive oil pasta salad
• Added to a chicken or seafood marinade
• Mixed into breadcrumbs
• Sprinkled over pizza
• Used to season roasted vegetables
• Mixed into cream cheese for a quick appetizer spread
• Added to softened butter for savory toast
• Sprinkled over focaccia before baking

Ridiculously Easy Tuscan Tomato Bruschetta

1. Dice ripe tomatoes and toss them with a little premium extra virgin olive oil and Tuscan Tomato Olive Oil Dip. Let the mixture sit for 10 or 15 minutes.
2. Spoon it over toasted slices of crusty bread and finish with fresh basil if you have it.
3. You can also add a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

No complicated recipe required.

Which Bread Dipping Spice Should I Choose?

Here's the simplest answer:

Choose Herb Delight if you want a traditional Italian-style herb bread dip.

Choose Rosemary Garlic if you love savory rosemary and plenty of garlic.

Choose Pesto Parmesan if you want a richer, cheesy, basil-forward dip.

Choose Tuscan Tomato if you want a savory tomato-forward flavor that also works beautifully for bruschetta, pasta and pizza.

Or do what we do and keep more than one around.

What Is the Best Olive Oil for Bread Dipping?

Use an olive oil you actually want to taste. That sounds obvious, but bread dipping is one of the simplest ways to eat olive oil. There isn't a sauce, cooking process or pile of other ingredients hiding what's in the bowl. That makes quality important.

We recommend using a fresh Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil for bread dipping. Depending on the olive variety and harvest, a great EVOO can bring fruity, grassy, herbaceous, bitter and peppery characteristics to the dip. You can also completely change the experience with flavored olive oil.

Some combinations we love include:

• Herb Delight + Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil
• Rosemary Garlic + Rosemary Fused Olive Oil
• Pesto Parmesan + Basil Infused Olive Oil
• Pesto Parmesan + Garlic Infused Olive Oil
• Tuscan Tomato + Basil Infused Olive Oil
• Rosemary Garlic + Garlic Infused Olive Oil

There isn't one mandatory combination. Experiment. That's half the fun of having an olive oil shop.

Can You Add Balsamic Vinegar to Bread Dipping Oil?

Absolutely. A small drizzle of balsamic vinegar adds sweetness, acidity and depth to an olive oil bread dip. Our Traditional 18-Year Dark Balsamic is an easy place to start because it works beautifully with herbaceous and savory flavors. You don't need much.

Pour your olive oil into a shallow dish, add the bread dipping seasoning and let it bloom. Then drizzle a small amount of balsamic through the oil right before serving. Don't stir it completely together. I like getting some bites that are mostly herby olive oil and others that pick up a little more balsamic.

Bread Dipping Spices Aren't Just for Bread

This may be the most important part of this entire post. Please don't buy a bread dipping spice and then sentence it to a life of waiting in the pantry until you happen to buy a baguette. These are seasoning blends. Use them like seasoning blends. Once you start thinking about them that way, the possibilities get much bigger.

Use them for roasted vegetables, potatoes, marinades, salad dressings, pasta, grilled meats, seafood, homemade focaccia, pizza, compound butter, breadcrumbs and quick appetizer spreads. One of my favorite ways to cook is to start with a really good olive oil and a really good seasoning and build dinner from there. It doesn't need to be complicated.

A Simple Bread Dipping Board for Entertaining

If you're having people over, make all four dips. Seriously. Make it a charcuterie of bread dipping! Put Herb Delight, Rosemary Garlic, Pesto Parmesan and Tuscan Tomato into four little bowls. Add premium EVOO and let each sit for 10–15 minutes. Then put the bowls on a board or right on the table with torn baguette, focaccia and sourdough.

You can add Parmesan, olives, fresh mozzarella and a small dish of balsamic if you want, but you don't need to turn it into a giant Pinterest production. People are remarkably happy when you hand them good bread and good olive oil. And everyone will inevitably start debating which dip is their favorite.

That's part of the entertainment.

Why Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Bread Dipping Spices?

There are plenty of bread dipping seasonings available online. What matters to us is what goes into ours - and what you pair them with. Our Bread Dipping Spices are made with simple, premium ingredients and are milled and ground locally in Fort Collins, Colorado. We created four distinct flavor profiles instead of one catch-all bread seasoning so you can choose the blend that fits what you're cooking. More importantly, they're sold by an olive oil company. Bread dipping seasoning and olive oil shouldn't be treated as two unrelated products.

We make sure our olive oil is fresh and pure. We know a lot about our extra virgin olive oils - where they were grown, when the olives were harvested, how the oil tastes, how fresh it is, what foods pair best with it and what it's quality assessment numbers are. Our Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oils are sourced from fresh harvests around the world so we can offer fresh EVOO throughout the year. When you combine that olive oil with a locally prepared seasoning blend, the dip isn't an afterthought before dinner. Sometimes it's the thing everyone remembers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bread Dipping Spices

What spices are good for dipping bread in olive oil?

Garlic, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, black pepper and red pepper are all popular ingredients in Italian-inspired bread dipping spices. Tomato and Parmesan can also be added to create richer flavor profiles.

How much bread dipping seasoning should I add to olive oil?

A good starting point is approximately 2–3 teaspoons of bread dipping seasoning per ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Adjust the amount according to your taste.

Should bread dipping spices sit in the olive oil before serving?

Yes. Letting dried herbs and spices sit in olive oil for about 10–15 minutes helps hydrate them and allows their flavors to develop throughout the oil.

What is the best olive oil for dipping bread?

A fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil is the best choice for bread dipping because the olive oil is one of the main flavors in the dish. Fresh EVOO contributes its own fruity, herbaceous, bitter and peppery characteristics.

Can I use infused olive oil with bread dipping spices?

Yes. Infused and fused olive oils are an easy way to create different flavor combinations. Try Garlic Infused Olive Oil with Rosemary Garlic, Basil Infused Olive Oil with Pesto Parmesan or Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil with Herb Delight.

Can bread dipping spices be used for cooking?

Absolutely. Bread dipping seasoning can also be used for roasted vegetables, potatoes, pasta, marinades, chicken, meat, seafood, salad dressing, focaccia, pizza, breadcrumbs, compound butter and appetizer spreads.

What bread is best for olive oil dipping?

Crusty breads that can absorb olive oil without immediately falling apart work especially well. Try ciabatta, focaccia, sourdough, baguette or rustic Italian bread.

Where are Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Bread Dipping Spices made?

Our Bread Dipping Spices are milled and ground locally in Fort Collins, Colorado and are selected to pair with Rocky Mountain Olive Oil's premium extra virgin, fused and infused olive oils.

Four Little Jars, A Lot of Dinner Possibilities

I love beautiful food. I love trying new recipes. I love finding interesting ingredients. But I also live in a real house with a real family, and sometimes dinner needs to happen without becoming an event. That's one of the reasons these little jars earn their pantry space.

Bread + EVOO + seasoning = appetizer.

Potatoes + EVOO + Rosemary Garlic = side dish.

Pasta + EVOO + Pesto Parmesan = dinner.

Tomatoes + EVOO + Tuscan Tomato = bruschetta.

Vegetables + EVOO + Herb Delight = something everyone might actually eat.

Simple ingredients should make cooking easier, not more complicated.

And if everyone eats half the loaf of bread while standing around the kitchen before dinner is ready?

Around here, I consider that a successful appetizer.

Shop the Four Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Bread Dipping Spices

Herb Delight Olive Oil Dip

Rosemary Garlic Olive Oil Dip

Pesto Parmesan Olive Oil Dip

Tuscan Tomato Olive Oil Dip