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Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread

July 8, 2019 (Last Updated: March 31, 2023) by Chris Collins

Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread is the twist on garlic bread you never knew you needed. With an easy homemade pesto, this is THE ultimate finger food.

overhead shot of cheesy garlic bread fresh out the oven garnished with parsley

Pesto Bread

There’s something quite magical about the combination of bread and pesto. I could eat a whole loaf just dipped into fresh basil pesto. So I thought, why not combine the two. This, plus my love for garlic bread, and here we are.

Homemade Basil Pesto

When it comes to what pesto to use, here I use basil pesto. You could also use chive and parsley pesto or sun dried tomato pesto! Secondly, I always use homemade pesto. If you’ve only got store bought this recipe will still work, however fresh is always best. I go into how to make the best pesto into a little more detail. But just as a quick recap:

How to make Pesto in the food processor

  1. Add fresh basil, parmesan, garlic, pine nuts and seasoning to a food processor and turn on motor.
  2. Slowly pour in extra virgin olive oil until evenly combined. Test for seasoning and adjust accordingly
In this pesto recipe I use 3 cloves of garlic (hence pesto GARLIC bread). For regular pesto just use 1 clove.

How to make basil pesto - 2 step by step photos

Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread

Alrighty, we’ve got our garlicky basil pesto, let’s talk bread.

Unlike my roasted garlic bread, I actually don’t use a baguette here. I opt for a regular loaf, slice it in half and spread on the pesto that way. This is mainly for convenience reasons, but also because it allows the cheese to go nice and golden/gooey. I also bake the bread twice. The first round is to ensure the garlic cooks properly and doesn’t end up too pungent. The second round is a short stint with the cheese, just so it goes nice and gooey.

Top Tip – Use a flatfish loaf, no longer than around 12” and 14oz/400g in weight. Try and use a soft loaf or it’ll go too crunchy in the oven. French or Italian bread works great.

How to make Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread (quick summary)

  1. Grab your loaf and gently press down if it’s too circular.
  2. Evenly slice in half.
  3. Spread across pesto.
  4. Wrap in foil and bake.
  5. Unwrap, sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden and gooey.
When you wrap in foil, make a tent like shape so it doesn’t stick to the pesto.

How to make cheesy pesto garlic bread - 5 step by step photos

What cheese to use for Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread?

Mozzarella. Always mozzarella. It’s mellow flavour allows the pesto to shine through, it’s fairly low in fat (so less grease) and it’s awesome for cheese pull. I don’t recommend using any other cheese.

Can I make Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread in advance?

Cheesy pesto garlic bread is best made fresh, but you could bake the whole thing, wrap and store in the fridge until ready to serve (just keep wrapped and heat it through at 180C/350F hot and bubbly again).

When to serve Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread?

This is the perfect finger food or side dish to recipes such as Lasagne, Spaghetti Bolognese and Homemade Meatballs. It’s also great as alfresco dining, perfect to snack on in the sun!

Hey, whilst you’re here, why not check out my other recipes?

Easy Garlic Bread Recipes

Fun Pesto Recipes

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe shall we!?

Pull one slice of garlic bread away from loaf with cheese pulling away

How to make Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread (Full Recipe & Video)

Pull one slice of garlic bread away from loaf with cheese pulling away

Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread

Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread is the twist on garlic bread you never knew you needed. With an easy homemade pesto, this is THE ultimate finger food! Makes 12 pieces.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Servings (click & slide): 6
Course: Appetizer / Side Dish
Cuisine: finger food
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Calories per serving: 470kcal
Cost per serving: £1.50 / $2

Equipment:

  • Food Processor (for pesto)
  • Plastic Spatula (for spreading)
  • Foil (for baking)
  • Oven Tray

Ingredients (check list):

Homemade Garlicky Pesto

  • 2 small bunches of Fresh Basil (60g/2oz total)
  • 4 tbsp Pine Nuts, optionally toasted
  • 1/2 cup / 40g Freshly Grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup / 120ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves of Garlic (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, or to taste

Cheesy Bread

  • 1x 14oz/400g loaf of Bread (see notes)
  • 2.5 cups / 250g shredded Mozzarella

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
  • Pop all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined. You may need to stop and scrape the sides once or twice.
  • Slice the loaf of bread in half and spread the pesto over, ensuring you spread right to the edges. Individually wrap the bread in foil like a tent, making sure the foil isn’t touching the pesto. Bake in the oven for 10mins.
  • Take the bread out, unwrap the foil and sprinkle with mozzarella. Place back in the oven until the cheese goes golden and gooey (another 10mins or so).

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Bread - Here I use a White Bloomer. In general, I recommend using a flatfish loaf, no longer than around 12” and 14oz/400g in weight. Try and use a soft loaf or it’ll go too crunchy in the oven. French or Italian bread works great.
b) Garlic - For pesto GARLIC bread use the 3 cloves of garlic. For just a regular pesto I only use 1 clove.
c) Pesto - Check out my post on making basil pesto for extra tips and tricks on getting the perfect pesto. This recipe could also use chive and parsley pesto and sun-dried tomato pesto!
d) Calories - Shared between 6.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 470 Calories from Fat 239
% Daily Value*
Fat 26.56g41%
Saturated Fat 4.617g23%
Trans Fat 0.082g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.89g
Monounsaturated Fat 15.327g
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 1033mg43%
Potassium 193mg6%
Carbohydrates 37.32g12%
Fiber 2.9g12%
Sugar 1.36g2%
Protein 21.3g43%
Vitamin A 1450IU29%
Vitamin C 2.5mg3%
Calcium 500mg50%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  • Reply
    Mary Ann Melchert
    August 5, 2020 at 11:20 pm

    good recipe, looks like you put butter on the bread before the pesto. good idea, but it was not in the recipe

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 6, 2020 at 6:25 pm

      There’s no butter in the recipe 🙂 I think it just looks like that because I squished the bread down!

  • Reply
    Cookilicious
    July 8, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    I am hosting a house party next weekend..I am definitely going to serve this! Thanks for the recipe.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 8, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Enjoy! 🙂

  • Reply
    Beth Pierce
    July 8, 2019 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    I am loving all the cheesy goodness in this garlic bread! Excited to serve this with dinner tonight! Yum!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 8, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Enjoy!!

  • Reply
    Sandi
    July 8, 2019 at 5:37 pm

    5 stars
    That melty cheese is drawing me in! Looks so good.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 8, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Thanks Sandi 🙂

  • Reply
    Sapana
    July 8, 2019 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    I’m LOVING the addition of pesto in this cheesy bread – what a genius idea!! Thanks for sharing, Chris!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 8, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      You’re so welcome Sapana 🙂

  • Reply
    Jennifer Quisenberry
    July 8, 2019 at 5:03 pm

    5 stars
    I really like your tip about baking the bread twice. That makes so much sense and makes sure the cheese doesn’t make a mess.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 8, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Thank you! Glad you found it useful 🙂

    5 KNOCKOUT

    DINNERS

    YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING!

    A FREE EMAIL SERIES, FROM ONE FOODIE TO ANOTHER