Copycat Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks Recipe

My obsession with homemade Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks began in college when my best friend and I would pool our meager funds for a Friday night feast. While they fought over pizza slices, I strategically volunteered to “just have the cheese sticks,” knowing I was getting the superior item—that first bite, with the perfect balance of chewy dough, garlicky butter, and stretchy cheese.

Years later, after countless disappointing store-bought alternatives, I set out to recreate that distinctive Pizza Hut magic at home. This recipe is the result of numerous flour-dusted attempts and cheese-pull tests until I finally captured that unmistakable Pizza Hut taste and texture. Now I make these whenever nostalgia strikes or when gathering friends around the TV for game day, no delivery required.

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These are cheese sticks in the Pizza Hut sense: a thick pan-style pizza dough, brushed with garlic butter, blanketed with mozzarella and Parmesan, baked, then cut into strips and served with marinara for dipping. You may see them called cheese bread, which is the same thing.

The dough is a straightforward yeast dough made with bread flour, water, olive oil, and salt, plus a tablespoon of semolina. It rises once for about half an hour, gets pressed into a rectangle on a sheet pan, and goes straight into the oven.

The whole batch makes six servings and takes a little over an hour from start to finish, most of which is spent letting the dough rise while you do something else.

What Makes Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks So Good? 

Everyone knows that the most delicious part of a pizza is the crust! That’s why Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks are such a hit. They combine the great taste of Pizza Hut’s thick-crust pizza with garlic and two types of cheese! Think of this copycat Cheese Sticks recipe as the best cheesy garlic bread ever. 

Why You Should Try This Copycat Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks Recipe

The secret to authentic Pizza Hut cheese sticks lies in specific ingredients and techniques. Bread flour’s higher protein content creates that distinctive chew, while semolina adds the characteristic slight crispness. Baking at a moderate 350°F allows the cheese to melt perfectly without burning. The two-layer application of garlic butter (before and after baking) creates a depth of flavor, while the Parmesan and mozzarella combination delivers both a sharp taste and that irresistible cheese pulls that make these sticks so crave-able.

Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks Ingredients

For the Dough:

• Warm water – Activates the yeast at optimal temperature
• Active dry yeast – Creates rise and develops flavor through fermentation
• Room temperature water – Moderates dough temperature for proper development
• Olive oil – Adds richness and helps create tender texture
• Bread flour – Provides higher protein content for proper chewiness
• Salt – Enhances flavor and controls yeast development
• Semolina flour – Creates authentic texture and prevents sticking

For the Topping:

• Butter – Forms the base of the garlic spread
• Garlic powder – Infuses butter with aromatic flavor
• Grated Parmesan cheese – Adds savory, nutty flavor notes
• Shredded mozzarella cheese – Creates that signature stretchy, melty texture

You can use instant yeast if you want, but the rise time will be shorter, and you won’t have to hydrate the yeast before using it.  

Ingredient Notes

• Shred your own mozzarella from a block if you can. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch or cellulose to prevent it from clumping in the bag, and that coating also keeps it from melting into a smooth sheet.
• Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh mozzarella packed in water. Fresh mozzarella releases liquid as it bakes, leaving wet patches on the dough.
• Cornmeal substitutes for semolina in a pinch, though it brings a slightly sweeter flavor and a coarser grit.
• An egg wash brushed on the exposed edges before baking gives them a deeper golden color. It is optional and not part of the original.

How to Make Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks 

To prepare the pizza dough for the cheesy breadsticks:

1. Hydrate the active dry yeast by adding it to warm water. After a few minutes, it should start to foam. If it doesn’t foam after ten minutes, replace the yeast and try again. 
2. Add room-temperature water and olive oil to the bowl with the activated yeast—reserve for later.

3. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir or whisk to combine them.
4. Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl and mix by hand or with an electric mixer until the dough is no longer sticky. You want to end up with a bread dough that’s smooth, shiny, and elastic. 
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
6. Place the bowl in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. The exact time will depend on your flour, yeast, and room temperature, but it should take less than an hour. 

To shape and bake Cheese Sticks Pizza Hut style:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet or pizza pan and set it aside for later. 
3. Sprinkle some semolina flour on the counter. Semolina flour will keep the dough from sticking without combining with it, which would dry out your cheesy breadsticks. 
4. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape about the same size as the baking pan you are using. Roll the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll it onto the baking tray. 
5. Melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 30 seconds. 
6. Stir the garlic powder into the melted butter.

7. Brush the butter onto the dough with a pastry brush.
8. Sprinkle the Parmesan and shredded mozzarella on top, covering the dough all the way to the edge.
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

10. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the bread into strips and serve hot.

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Copycat Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks Recipe

Recreate the irresistible taste of Pizza Hut's famous cheese sticks at home with this copycat recipe. Featuring a chewy, flavorful crust topped with garlic butter and a perfect blend of cheeses.

Author: Stephanie Manley

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5 from 6 votes

Servings : 6

Prep Time40 minutes minutes

Cook Time25 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Ingredients

 

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• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast or 1 package of yeast
• 1 1/4 cups water at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups bread flour 22 ounces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon semolina flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• pizza or marinara sauce to serve

Instructions

1. Place the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and briefly whisk together. Allow the yeast a few minutes to bubble up and become active. If the yeast is inactive, you may need to replace the yeast and try again. Add the water and oil to the activated yeast and stir to combine.
2. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the yeast mixture and process until the dough forms a ball and becomes smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. This should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
4. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Also sprinkle semolina flour on the work surface, if desired. Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape and transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder and melted butter. Brush the garlic butter onto the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with shredded mozzarella.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into slices and serve with your favorite pizza or marinara sauce.

Video

Notes

Chef’s Notes

The rest before cutting is not a suggestion. Cheese straight from the oven is liquid, and a pizza cutter dragged through it pulls the whole layer sideways off the dough. Three to five minutes lets it set enough to cut cleanly.

Cut with a pizza cutter in one continuous motion rather than sawing. A single firm pass gives clean edges; sawing tears the dough and drags the cheese.

Bake on the middle rack. Too low and the bottom scorches before the cheese melts; too high and the cheese browns while the dough stays pale.

If the cheese is browning faster than the dough is cooking, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last five minutes. That happens most often with ovens that run hot or with a thinner-than-intended layer of dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg

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Course: Appetizer, Breads, dinner, Snack

Cuisine: American, Italian

What to Serve With Them 

Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks are great sides for salads, pasta, and soups, but they’re also delicious on their own. Try Cheese Sticks with your favorite pizza sauce or dipping sauce. Here are a few easy recipes you may want to make:

• Marinara Sauce
• Garlic-Butter Sauce
• Creamy Pepper Sauce

Storage and Reheating

• Quick microwave method – Heat for 15-20 seconds, though the texture will be softer than oven-reheated
• Room temperature – Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days
• Refrigerator storage – Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days
• Freezer option – Wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bags for up to 3 months
• Thawing method – Thaw frozen cheese sticks overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
• Best reheating method – Preheat oven to 350°F, spritz with water, wrap in foil, and heat for 7-8 minutes

Favorite Bread Recipes

• Cheesy Pull Apart Bread
• Domino’s Breadsticks
• Fogo de Chao Cheese Bread
• Little Caesars Breadsticks
• Olive Garden Breadsticks
• Parmesan Garlic Bread
• Pizza Monkey Bread
• Rosati’s Dough Nuggets
• Texas Roadhouse Bread
• Texas Toast Garlic Bread

Popular Italian and Pizza Recipes

• Pizza Hut Cavatini
• Margherita Pizza
• Uno Deep Dish Pizza

Check out my easy bread recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!