Have you tried those glossy, golden, flower-shaped buns oozing with garlicky cream cheese? Korea’s famous cream cheese garlic bread is breaking the internet again. It’s the perfect mix of cosy comfort food and over-the-top indulgence. But what makes it different from regular garlic bread? Well, everything! The garlic butter is more like custard, thanks to the addition of eggs and milk, which gives the bread a melty interior while keeping it crunchy on the outside. And then there’s the cream cheese filling, which offers a sweet and tangy taste. So, if you’ve been itching to recreate the viral version you’ve seen online, here’s an easy Korean cream cheese garlic bread recipe to try.

Korean cream cheese garlic bread recipe

Ingredients:

6 soft brioche buns (unsliced)

For cream cheese filling:

250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature

3-4 tablespoons icing sugar (powdered sugar works best)

For the garlic butter custard:

100g unsalted butter, melted

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 large egg

2 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream

2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional, for richness)

Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

Method:

Begin by preparing the cream cheese filling. Place the softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl along with the icing sugar, and beat until the mixture is completely smooth and fluffy. This is much easier if the cream cheese is at room temperature, so avoid using it straight from the fridge. Once the mixture is well blended, spoon it into a piping bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off) and keep it aside for later.

Now, move on to the garlic butter custard. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, heavy cream, egg, minced garlic, and chopped parsley until everything is evenly combined. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mayonnaise if you’re using them. The mixture should stay loose and pourable; if it begins to thicken as it cools, simply heat it in the microwave for a few seconds to bring it back to the right consistency.

Take each bun and, using a serrated knife, slice it into six sections without cutting all the way through. You want the base to stay intact so the bun opens like a flower.

Once the buns are cut, pipe the cream cheese mixture generously into each section, making sure the filling reaches deep into the cuts so the wedges gently separate. Add a little extra in the centre.

Preheat your oven to 160°C. Dip each filled bun into the garlic custard mixture so the whole surface is coated, then place them on a lined baking tray. Add grated Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for around 15 minutes. Leave the buns to cool slightly, for about 10 minutes, before serving.

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