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Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread

★★★★★★★★★★
4.3 stars, average of 53 ratings

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Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb BreadPin itFollow us 148.4k

This low-carb pesto pull apart bread is perfect for your dinner table this party season, or you can freeze and it makes a great keto snack for work lunches.

No need to play tug of war over this one though, there’s plenty for everyone! It’s so seriously good it’d fool any carb loving bread monster into thinking it’s the real deal! The pesto makes it absolutely delicious. Served as is or stuff with your favourite keto filling. Simple Mediterranean flavours like avocado and tomato work really well with it.

Tips & Substitutions

  • Lukewarm water in this recipe will slow down the raising effect of baking soda. I tried both boiling water and lukewarm and although it made no difference for baguettes, some people have been experiencing air bubbles / hollow insides when making a loaf. More tips on the perfect loaf are listed here.
  • For a paleo, dairy-free option, try this coconut milk kefir recipe instead of the buttermilk: Use half of the coconut milk kefir and half water. Alternatively, you can use the dough for Ultimate Keto Buns or Nut-Free Keto Buns (both recipes are dairy-free).
  • Make sure you use a kitchen scale for measuring all the dry ingredients. Using just cups may not be enough to achieve best results, especially in baked goods. Weights per cups and tablespoons may vary depending on the product/ brand or if you make you own ingredients (like flaxmeal from flaxseeds). Psyllium absorbs lots of water. When baking with psyllium, you must remember to drink enough water throughout the day to prevent constipation!
  • You can use any other pesto recipes, including dairy-free and nut-free options.

Hands-on Overall

Serving size bun

Allergy information for Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Nut free
✔  Nightshade free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Pescatarian
Vegetarian

Nutritional values (per bun)

Net carbs3.6 grams
Protein9.9 grams
Fat21.1 grams
Calories254 kcal
Calories from carbs 6%, protein 16%, fat 78%
Total carbs10.2 gramsFiber6.6 gramsSugars2.2 gramsSaturated fat3.7 gramsSodium590 mg(26% RDA)Magnesium76 mg(19% RDA)Potassium281 mg(14% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

Keto Bread:
Basil & Arugula Pesto:
  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
  • 1 bunch fresh basil (28 g/ 1 oz)
  • 2 cups arugula (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 ml)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C/ 325 °F (conventional oven), or 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted oven).
  2. To make pesto, place all of the ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth. You'll need just 2/3 cup of the pesto (or use more or less to taste). Any leftover pesto can be stored in the fridge and used in zucchini noodles and other keto recipes. Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread
  3. Prepare the bread dough by following this recipe. Form the dough into rolls (I made 12) but you could easily make 9 bigger ones if you prefer.
  4. Spoon roughly 1 tbsp of pesto into the centre of each bread roll and work it into the dough with your hands. Roll back into balls. Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread
  5. Grease an oven proof skillet with a little coconut oil or butter to prevent sticking.
  6. Arrange the rolls in a circular pattern to roughly cover the base of the pan. They will expand on cooking.
  7. Sprinkle with Parmesan. I didn’t include the Parmesan in the pesto as I wanted more on top.
    Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread
  8. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden and cooked through. When done, remove from the oven and let the bread cool down for 5 minutes.
    Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread
  9. To prevent the bread from getting moist transfer from the skillet to a cooling wrack. Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread
  10. Tastes best when served warm. Once cooled can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
    Pesto Pull-Apart Low Carb Bread

Pesto Pull-Apart Bread
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★
4.3 stars, average of 53 ratings
Pesto Pull-Apart Bread
This pull apart bread is perfect for a game day, holiday parties, or even family dinner! It's filled with homemade pesto and topped with parmesan cheese.
Hands on20m
Overall1h 10m
Servings12
Calories254 kcal
Pin it

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C/ 325 °F (conventional oven), or 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted oven).
  2. To make pesto, place all of the ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth. You'll need just 2/3 cup of the pesto (or use more or less to taste). Any leftover pesto can be stored in the fridge and used in zucchini noodles and other keto recipes.
  3. Prepare the bread dough by following this recipe. Form the dough into rolls (I made 12) but you could easily make 9 bigger ones if you prefer.
  4. Spoon roughly 1 tbsp of pesto into the centre of each bread roll and work it into the dough with your hands. Roll back into balls.
  5. Grease an oven proof skillet with a little coconut oil or butter to prevent sticking.
  6. Arrange the rolls in a circular pattern to roughly cover the base of the pan. They will expand on cooking.
  7. Sprinkle with Parmesan. I didn’t include the Parmesan in the pesto as I wanted more on top.
  8. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden and cooked through. When done, remove from the oven and let the bread cool down for 5 minutes.
  9. To prevent the bread from getting moist transfer from the skillet to a cooling wrack.
  10. Tastes best when served warm. Once cooled can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per bun)

Calories254kcal
Net Carbs3.6g
Carbohydrates10.2g
Protein9.9g
Fat21.1g
Saturated Fat3.7g
Fiber6.6g
Sugar2.2g
Sodium590mg
Magnesium76mg
Potassium281mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per bun)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Total per bun
3.6 g9.9 g21.1 g254 kcal
Sourdough Keto Baguettes (KetoDiet blog)
2.9 g8.1 g10.9 g155 kcal
Parmesan cheese
0.1 g1.3 g1 g15 kcal
Basil & Macadamia Pesto (KetoDiet blog)
0.5 g0.4 g9.2 g85 kcal

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Jo Harding
Creator of ModernFoodStories.com

Jo Harding

Food is one of life’s most powerful medicines. I’m a true testament that once you find the right approach for you, you can overcome poor health through the healing power of food.

I believe the secret to radiant health starts and ends with a healthy gut so my recipes are all grain, gluten and refined sugar free. Most are also dairy-free.

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Comments (6)

Made these for dinner tonight. They tasted awesome but were very wet. Outside was cooked to perfection so I'm not sure that baking them longer would be the answer. Could I cut back on the water?
Thanks.

Hi Cathy, these shouldn't be too wet (not more than most keto breads) but they do get moist if kept in the skillet. What would help is placing these in the oven and dehydrating at 100 C for 20-30 minutes (after you remove them from the skillet).

What size cast iron pan are you using. I only have a 10 inch. Thanks!

This should be an 8-inch skillet but you can use an 10-inch skillet too. Start from the middle and even if you have space left it will be on the edges so it won't matter.

Just made these in muffin trays, awesome thank you, the whole family loved them.

Thank you Ruth, I'm glad you enjoyed!