Cooking With Ayeh

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Easy Dinners
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Easy Dinners
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Breads

Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto

Ayeh author bio picture
BY Ayeh Manfre · UPDATED: Nov 14, 24 · PUBLISHED: Aug 30, 24 · Leave a Comment
JUMP TO RECIPE

This crusty Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto is the easiest party appetizer. It's made with only 3 ingredients and is crazy delicious, everyone will be coming back for more!

Piece of bread being pull out

This pull apart bread is always the biggest hit whenever I've served it to my family and friends. I'm not kidding when I say it's devoured in minutes as soon as it hits the table! I mean who wouldn't love crusty bread that's been layered with pesto and oozing with melted cheese 😀. It's also a fun sharing plate, as everyone comes to 'pull apart' a piece of the bread. 

True story, it's actually a recipe that has saved me on a few occasions as a last minute dish. I absolutely love pesto and always have some in my freezer. Whenever my basil plant is growing like crazy, I make a batch of my homemade pesto and store it for future. Then all you need is bread and cheese and you're done! Easy peasy right? 

It's crazy to think you only need 3 ingredients to make such a show stopping dish. You can also use store bought pesto if that's what you have on hand. Another popular bread to serve for gatherings is my no knead focaccia with bread dipping oil.

Whilst I traditionally serve this cheesy pull apart bread as an appetizer, it's also a great side dish for many meals. I love it with a bowl of soup where you can dip that crunchy bread like a cheesy crouton. It works great with my Italian pastina soup,  Tuscan white bean soup and of course the classic minestrone soup…mmmm yum! 

Table of Contents
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • How to make Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Storage Instructions
  • FAQs
  • More Easy Appetizers
  • More Bread Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Comments
Bread cut in half to show the inside of melted cheese and pesto

Why you'll love this recipe

  • Quick and Easy: Made with 3 ingredients and easy steps anyone can make
  • Crazy Delicious: The combination of pesto, mozzarella cheese and crusty bread makes the perfect dish
  • Perfect for Sharing: This pull apart bread is ideal for sharing with friends and family, great for any party over the holidays, and even for football season
  • Customizable: Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese or other flavors, such as my Sicilian or sundried tomato pesto or even a herb garlic butter mixture instead
Ingredients of bread loaf, mozzarella and pesto

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Bread loaf, a sturdy and thick crusty bread loaf is key for the perfect pull apart bread. You can either use a round bread loaf like I have or an oval long shape works great too. Sourdough bread is my personal favorite. Feel free to use gluten-free bread as needed
  • Mozzarella cheese works great as it gets all creamy, stretchy and cheesy once melted. Ensure to choose a low moisture cheese which doesn't have excess water. I always buy a block of mozzarella cheese and grate it myself rather than using pre-shredded mozzarella. Provolone or cheddar cheese works great too
  • Basil pesto is the secret ingredient to make this show stopping pull apart bread. You can use store bought but my homemade recipe will give it that extra yummy touch. It's super easy to make, with basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and a touch of lemon juice
Bread stuffed with cheese and pesto before being baked

How to make Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto

This is an appetizer to remember! With only 3 ingredients it packs a punch of flavor and will be a crowd favorite. Follow my simple steps below.

Homemade pesto in a bowl

Make your own pesto or skip this step if using store bought. Here is my easy authentic recipe

Cutting slits into big loaf of crusty bread

With a serrated knife make slits lengthways along one side (1.5 inches / 3 cms apart). Cut as deep as you can without cutting all the way through

Showing slits made to bread

Turn the bread and cut slits the other way to make a criss cross pattern

Pesto being placed into gaps in bread with a knife

Preheat oven to 375℉ / 180°C. Spread the pesto evenly in between all the sides using a knife or spatula

mozzarella being grated into a bowl

Grate the mozzarella cheese with a box grater

Shredded mozzarella being stuffed into bread

With your fingers, stuff the mozzarella inside all the cracks

Bread loaf wrapped in foil ready to bake

Wrap the bread with aluminum foil and place on a baking pan. Put in the oven for 20 minutes

Oil being sprayed onto bread half way during cook

Remove from oven and carefully open the aluminum foil to uncover the bread. Spray or brush with a drizzle of olive oil and put back in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes. Its ready!

Piece of cheesy bread being pulled out of the loaf

Tips and Tricks

  1. When cutting into the bread, cut as deep as you can without going all the way through. This will make it easier to pull apart
  2. When stuffing the bread with pesto and cheese ensure to spread evenly into all the gaps so that each piece is the perfect bite
  3. Low moisture mozzarella cheese is important. Fresh mozzarella stored in water has too much liquid and will make the bread soggy
  4. To make the bread even more indulgent, top it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese before baking
  5. Keep an eye on the bread for the second cooking time so it doesn't burn. You should see melty cheese and a golden bread crust
  6. Prepare in advance as this pull apart bread is best served hot so that cheese is still oozing. Feel free to prep ahead and then bake when your guests have arrived

Storage Instructions

  • Store leftover pull apart bread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
  • To reheat, wrap the bread in aluminum foil and put in the oven or air fryer for 5 - 10 minutes until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave, however the bread will be soft and will lose its crunch
  • Freeze any leftover bread by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, then store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
Baked cheesy pesto pull apart bread

FAQs

How do you know when pull apart bread is done?

Once the cheese is all melty and the bread is golden brown it's done. Don't overcook it as you don't want burnt bread or rubbery cheese

How do you eat pull apart bread?

It's a fun finger food, as the name suggests, simply pull apart the piece that you want

What can I serve pull apart bread with?

This bread is versatile and fun to serve as an appetizer for a party. You can also serve it as a side dish with soup or salads

What if I don't like pesto?

You can make it a cheesy garlic pull apart bread with melted butter, minced garlic cloves, salt and herbs, such as fresh parsley or rosemary

Close up of piece of bread pulled away from loaf

More Easy Appetizers

  • Bread being dipped into a bread dipping oil
    Bread Dipping Oil
  • Honey Glaze Halloumi served on a plate with lemon
    Honey Glazed Halloumi
  • Spinach puffs pieces filled with feta and ricotta
    Spinach Puffs
  • Bread dipping into whipped ricotta with basil oil, pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes
    Whipped Ricotta

More Bread Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

  • Easy no knead focaccia topped with rosemary and salt on an oven tray
    No Knead Focaccia
  • Yogurt flatbread served with olives, tomatoes and feta cheese
    Yogurt Flatbread
  • Barbari Bread Persian Flatbread with cucumber, feta and mint on the side
    Barbari Bread (Persian Flatbread)
  • Focaccia pizza on a cutting board with a one piece cut
    Focaccia Pizza

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

Recipe

Cheesy pull apart bread with pesto with a piece being pulled out

Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto (Easy 3 Ingredients)

No ratings yet
This crusty cheesy pull apart bread with pesto is the easiest party appetizer. It's made with only 3 ingredients and is crazy delicious, everyone will be coming back for more!
Author: Ayeh Manfre
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 278kcal
Print
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins

Ingredients 

  • 1 large crusty bread loaf - mine was 8 inches in diameter
  • ½ cup pesto store bought or homemade
  • 6oz / 170g mozzarella cheese (low moisture)

Instructions

  • If making your own pesto, proceed to make this first. You can use my easy authentic recipe
  • Using a sharp bread knife cut slits lengthways along one side of the bread loaf (1.5 inches / 3 cms apart). Cut as deep as you can, however don't cut all the way through
  • Turn the bread and cut slits the other way, to make a criss cross pattern. Once again, without cutting all the way through
  • Preheat oven to 375℉ / 180°C. Carefully open the bread slits with your fingers and spread the pesto in between all the sides using a knife or spatula if easier. Make sure all sides of the bread have been spread evenly
  • Grate the mozzarella cheese with a box grater. Using your fingers, stuff all the cracks with cheese, opening the bread carefully to be able to fill in all the edges
  • Wrap the bread loaf with aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
  • Remove from oven and carefully open the aluminum foil to uncover the bread. Spray the top with olive oil spray as a light glaze, and bake for a further 5 - 8 minutes until the cheese is all melty and the bread is golden brown
  • Serve your delicious cheesy pull apart bread with pesto while hot and fresh to family and friends and dig in!!
⭐️ Final Step! Would love if you left a rating and comment to let me know how it went. Your feedback helps inspire others and means alot ❤️

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 456IU | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords: cheese bread, crusty bread, pesto bread, pull apart bread

More Breads

  • Baked pita chips on a plate served with red pepper hummus
    Pita Chips
  • Mini focaccia topped with rosemary and flakey salt
    Mini Focaccia
  • Cottage Cheese Bagels with different toppings
    Cottage Cheese Bagels
  • Lemon blueberry bread with lemon glaze
    Lemon Blueberry Bread

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Comment & Rating! Cancel reply

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

Rate this recipe!




Ayeh about me picture

Hi, I'm Ayeh!

Hey everyone! I love creating easy everyday recipes with a healthy twist that anyone can make. I will show you that you can eat delicious food, using wholesome ingredients that make you feel good from the inside out!

About Me →

Popular

  • Rice paper dumplings topped with shallots and sesame seeds
    Rice Paper Dumplings
  • Fried Oyster Mushrooms Vegan Fried Chicken with piece cut open and dipping sauces
    Fried Oyster Mushrooms (Vegan Fried Chicken)
  • Easy no knead focaccia topped with rosemary and salt on an oven tray
    No Knead Focaccia
  • Kani Salad in a bowl topped with avocado, sesame seeds and panko bread crumbs
    Kani Salad

Footer

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms

Copyright © 2025 Cooking With Ayeh

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




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

​

10 Summer Salads

FREE eBook

​

    I'd like to receive more recipes from Cooking with Ayeh