Loaded Cheddar Pesto Zucchini Bread with Bacon

This savory Pesto Zucchini Bread with Bacon and Cheddar is a new and delicious spin on classic summer quick bread for lunch, brunch or snacks.

If you love zucchini bread and bacon, this savory, cheesy loaf is for you. It's fully loaded with cheddar cheese, pesto sauce, bacon and zucchini for a dense, moist and ultra-flavorful snack or side dish. This is zucchini bread like you've never seen, or tasted before.

How to Make Savory Pesto Zucchini Bread

Ingredient Notes

Here's what you need to make cheesy zucchini bread:

• Artisan bread flour. This is from King Arthur Flour. But you can also use all-purpose.
• Baking powder. To lighten your loaf as it bakes.
• Savory seasonings. Flavor your zucchini bread with garlic powder, oregano, parsley, thyme, and paprika.
• Almond milk. Feel free to use any unsweetened dairy-free (or regular) milk.
• Egg. Make sure your egg is at room temperature for easy blending.
• Unsalted butter. This makes the most tender and soft bread loaf.
• Zucchini. Squeeze your zucchini to remove as much water as possible.
• Cheddar cheese. I like to use organic cheese when I eat dairy.
• Bacon. You can omit the bacon for a vegetarian loaf.

Pesto Sauce

You can use store-bought pesto for convenience. Or use this recipe to make your own simple basil pesto.

How to Serve Savory Zucchini Bread

You can slice this loaf up and serve it all on its own for a morning or afternoon snack. Or serve it alongside summer dishes like Vegan Tomato Avocado Bruschetta, Jerk Turkey Burgers with Candied Bacon and a Strawberry Basil Pineapple Mocktail. I like to bring a loaf to a cookout as a surprisingly savory baked good--everyone loves it!

Storage

You can make this loaf ahead of time. Wrap it tightly in foil or keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also keep it frozen for up to 6 months.

More Quick Bread Recipes

• Vegan Chocolate Bourbon Banana Bread
• Easy Pumpkin Pecan Pie Monkey Bread
• Easy Fluffy Vegan Brioche Bread

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If you make this Loaded Pesto Zucchini Bread with Bacon or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love, rate, comment below, + share!

Loaded Cheddar Pesto Zucchini Bread with Bacon

August 17, 2021 •

By Shanika

5 from 9 votes

This savory Loaded Cheddar Pesto Zucchini Bread with Bacon is full of cheesy, herby and smoky bacon flavor. It's the perfect summer baking project.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Serves: 10 servings

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

BREAD:

• 3 cups Artisan bread flour (You can also use All-purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon ground dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 large egg, room temp.
• 3 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup finely grated zucchini, squeezed dry (That's about 1 medium-size!)
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, organic
• ¼ cup Homemade pesto (See Notes!)
• 2 cups chopped cooked bacon (See Notes!)

Instructions

TO MAKE THE BREAD:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper, leaving some paper overhanging the sides.
• In a large-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, thyme, paprika, and salt.
• Add in the egg, milk, melted butter, grated zucchini, pesto, and cheese, mixing everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, just until fully combined. The batter should be thick and easy to mix.
• Fold in the copped bacon.
• Scrape the batter from the bowl into the prepared loaf pan and evenly spread it out.
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out "mostly clean" when inserted in the center.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes before lifting the bread out from the pan. Once cooled, remove the bread from the pan and serve by slicing.
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: Store any leftover bread tightly wrapped in foil paper or an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 5-6 months.
• BACON: Place the bacon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes or so, flipping the bacon and brushing the opposite side to crisp up evenly. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until it is completely crispy. Remove from oven and carefully roughly chop bacon into medium-size pieces.
• PESTO: To make homemade pesto, follow my recipe here. 

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 930mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 1mg

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