• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Amazon
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

  • The Food
    • All Manner of Sweet Things
      • Cake
      • Chocolate
      • Cookies
      • Ice Cream Recipes
      • Squares
      • Everything Else
    • Veggie
      • Salad
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
    • Carbohydrates
      • Bread
      • Pasta
      • Potato
      • Gluten Free
      • Rice
      • Pastry
    • Soup
    • Hoof & Feather
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lamb
      • Pork
    • Fin & Shell
      • Scallop Recipes
    • Breakfast
  • The Adventures
    • Shetland
      • Hike Shetland
    • Belgium
    • England
    • France
    • Italy
    • Latvia
    • Norway
    • Scotland
    • Spain
    • The Caribbean
    • USA
  • About Elizabeth
  • Brands I’ve worked with
  • PR & Disclosure
  • Contact Me

East Coast Garlic Fingers & Donair Sauce

Published on November 28, 2012 • Last updated January 8, 2024 by Elizabeth
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Garlic fingers (French: Doigts à l’ail), also known as garlic cheese fingers, are an iconic Atlantic Canadian dish. This recipe tastes as good as you’ll get from Pizza Corner in Halifax.

Prep Time: 1.5 hours

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

garlic-fingers
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • What are garlic fingers?
  • Ingredients for East Coast garlic fingers
  • How to make homemade East Coast garlic fingers
  • How to make homemade donair sauce
  • East Coast Garlic Fingers Recipe
  • Other Eastern Canadian recipes you might like

One of the biggest things I miss from my time living on the East Coast of Canada is the garlic fingers.

You could order these at any pizza shop (the best, I recall, being available at Pizza Corner in Halifax, Nova Scotia!) with donair sauce to dip.

Alas, such a delectable morsel has not made its way across the pond, so I have to make my own.

I found this fabulous recipe (modified slightly) from ChowTown, which, in my opinion, tastes just as good as I remember!

What are garlic fingers?

Garlic fingers (French: Doigts à l’ail) known also as garlic cheese fingers are an iconic Atlantic Canadian dish. They are similar to a pizza in shape and size and made with the same type of dough, infused with plenty of garlic. It’s basically a garlic pizza, but instead of being cut in triangular slices, garlic fingers are cut into thin strips, or “fingers”.

Ingredients for East Coast garlic fingers

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tbsp fast-action yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder or granules
  • 2 1/2 cups strong bread flour
  • 2 heads of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

How to make homemade East Coast garlic fingers

Mix flour, yeast, salt, pepper, sugar and garlic together in a bowl with a whisk. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm water. Stir with a spoon until just combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and leave, covered, in a warm place, for half an hour to rise.

Meanwhile, finely chop your garlic and grate your cheeses. Preheat oven to 220 C/ 425 F.

Punch down dough, knead briefly and press into a large baking tray. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with the garlic, the mozzarella, the Parmesan, and finish with a light sprinkling of parsley.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top. Cut into fingers and serve with plenty of donair sauce to dip.

How to make homemade donair sauce

1 can evaporated milk
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/3 cup white vinegar

To prepare the donair sauce, stir the milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Leave to sit for a few minutes, and then give it another whisk. Stir in the garlic granules. Get a good movement on with the liquid and pour in the vinegar all at once. Stir once or twice (that’s it!) so it thickens, and then put it in the fridge until you need it. Stir before serving. Do not over stir it, or it’ll separate!

garlic-fingers-3

Recipe Difficulty Levels

Easy

Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

Moderate

Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.

Challenging

Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.

East Coast Garlic Fingers Recipe

Garlic fingers, also known as garlic cheese fingers, are an iconic Atlantic Canadian dish, and they're easy to make at home.
Enjoyed the recipe? Leave a rating!
Print Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Canadian
Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 544kcal
Author: Elizabeth

Ingredients

for the base

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp garlic granules or garlic powder
  • 2.5 cups strong white bread flour

for the garlic fingers topping

  • 2 bulbs garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese grated
  • 0.25 cups Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp dried parsley

for the donair sauce

  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 0.5 tsp garlic granules
  • 0.3 cups white vinegar

Affiliate Links

This recipe card may contain affiliate ingredient and equipment links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Mix2.5 cups strong white bread flour, 1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp garlic granules together in a bowl with a whisk.
  • Make a well in the centre and pour in 1 cup warm water. Stir with a spoon until just combined.
  • Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
  • Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and leave, covered, in a warm place, for half an hour to rise.
  • Meanwhile, finely chop 2 bulbs garlic and grate 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese and 0.25 cups Parmesan cheese. Preheat oven to 220 C/ 425 F.
  • To prepare the donair sauce, stir 1 can evaporated milk and 1 cup caster sugar together until the sugar dissolved. Leave to sit for a few minutes and then give it another whisk.
  • Stir in 0.5 tsp garlic granules. Get a good movement on with the liquid and pour in 0.3 cups white vinegar all at once. Stir once or twice (that’s it!) just so it thickens, and then put it in the fridge until you need it. Stir before serving. Do not overstir it or it’ll separate!
  • Punch down dough, knead briefly and press into a large baking tray. Brush with 2 tbsp butter, melted.
  • Sprinkle with the garlic, the mozzarella, the Parmesan, and finish with 1 tsp dried parsley.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top. Cut into fingers and serve with plenty of donair sauce to dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 726mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 360mg | Iron: 1mg

Other Eastern Canadian recipes you might like

Cape Breton Oatcakes #capebreton #oatcakes #capebretonoatcakes

A Traditional Cape Breton Oatcakes Recipe

Cape Breton Fruit Scones - serve warm with butter and honey/jam

Cape Breton Fruit Scones

Camp Aite Breagh Chocolate Chip Cookies

Category: Bread, Recipe

About Elizabeth

Solivagant. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

Previous Post:Kransekake: a Norwegian Celebration Cake
Next Post:Gouda & Cashew Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maya Russell

    March 26, 2015 at 8:30 am

    The donair sauce must be good with it. Heaven food.

    Reply
  2. RuneRider

    July 21, 2014 at 4:39 am

    Thanks for sharing!
    Glad you like the recipe.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 21, 2014 at 8:24 am

      It certainly is a fantastic recipe. I haven’t made it in quite some time though – I think I should remedy that!

      Reply
  3. Tracy Nixon

    June 27, 2014 at 4:23 am

    I’ve gone into Dream Land! OMG Have to try this one! Thanks!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you enjoy the recipe? We'd love your feedback! Please leave a star rating.




Sidebar

Cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

Image of Elizabeth Atia making a cake in the Aald Harbour Hoose, Shetland. Photograph by Misa Hay from Shetland Wool Adventures.

Welcome to Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, Scotland’s most northerly award-winning food blog.

I’m based in the wild and remote Shetland Islands, where I’ve been sharing my adventure-fuelling recipes since 2011.

As seen on Shetland: Scotland’s Wondrous Isles on Channel 5.

“Never underestimate the power of your own story. Life may have taken unexpected turns, but it’s never too late to weave new threads of adventure into your tapestry. Keep spinning those yarns, my friend.

Recent Posts

Image of turkey Wellington with a slice out of it showing the layers of roast turkey, stuffing and crisp pastry.

Copyright © 2011–2025 EKD Services Ltd · Privacy Policy · All Rights Reserved · Website by Callia Web

Company Number: SC643807 · Registered Business Address:  36 Angusfield Avenue, Aberdeen, AB15 6AQ 

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required