Christine @ Good & PlatedThis dairy free basil pesto recipe is a vegan twist on the classic Italian sauce. Only five ingredients and full of bright, summery flavor.
Basil pesto is one of those recipes that every home cook should have in their arsenal. It’s super quick to make, boosts the flavor of whatever dish you add it to, and is easy to freeze and keep on hand for a quick pasta dinner on those “I just can’t think of cooking” nights.
This particular dairy free basil pesto recipe is in regular rotation in my house, mostly due to my three year old daughter’s love for “green pasta” – her adorable name for what adults might call “pesto pasta.” In addition to pasta dishes, I love adding basil pesto to frittatas, on pizza and as a condiment for sandwiches.
While you can certainly buy prepared, jarred pesto at the store, nothing compares to the flavor of freshly made pesto. I find that the premade version lacks the bright, garlic bite that you get when you make yourself.
Traditional basil pesto uses both pine nuts and adds parmesan cheese, but they are not necessary for a great pesto. For one, pine nuts are expensive! Last time I checked they were about four times the price of other nuts like walnuts or almonds, which is what this recipe uses. Also, I don’t have many other dishes in my repertoire that use them so I don’t care to keep them on hand.
It’s also recommended that you omit parmesan from a pesto recipe if you plan to freeze it. Since I usually make a double batch just for that reason, I started making pesto without the parm years ago and never missed it so this dairy free version is my go-to.
Alright, grab yourself a big bunch of basil and let’s make some dairy free basil pesto!
Basil Pesto Ingredients
- Basil: The star of pesto, you’ll want a large bunch of fresh basil. Be sure to only use the leaves, not the stems! Fresh basil is abundant in the summer, but most grocery stores also carry it year round.
- Walnuts: I love using walnuts in this recipe because they mimic the softness of traditional pine nuts, but are more affordable. I’ve also made it with almonds and even cashews with great success.
- Garlic: To me, it’s the fresh, raw garlic that really makes the homemade version of basil pesto pop. This recipe uses three cloves, but feel free to adjust it more or less to your personal garlic palate.
- Olive Oil: If you can afford it, use a high quality extra virgin olive oil. It adds an additional, herbaceous flavor.
- Salt: You’ll want to use a generous pinch of salt to help bring out all the flavors in this dish.
Recipe FAQs
The most important tool is a food processor. You could also use a blender, but I find that it’s hard to get the sauce out from under the tiny blades. I also recommend having a rubber spatula to help scrape down the sides of your food processor bowl and to help with getting out every last bit of the delicious sauce when you are done making it.
Absolutely! You can replace the walnuts with 2 tablespoons of pine nuts if you prefer.
Yep! If you decide you want to try this recipe with the traditional parmesan, you can add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese after you have finished adding the olive oil. Just give it a quick blend to combine.
You can freeze it in any freezer safe container, but my favorite way to freeze it is in ice cube trays. I add about 3 tablespoons of pesto to each section of the tray and freeze for several hours. Once it’s hardened, I remove each cube from the tray and save it in a freezer safe storage bag. Since I know that each cube is about 3 tbsp I can defrost only what I need for the recipe I want to make.
Related Recipes
Looking for a new recipe to use this delicious Dairy Free Basil Pesto in? Why don’t you give my Pesto Pasta with White Beans and Kale a try!
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Dairy Free Basil Pesto
This basil pesto recipe is a dairy free twist on the classic Italian sauce.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup pesto 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups (approximately 60 grams) fresh basil leaves, stems removed
- 3 tablespoons walnuts or almonds
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Process ingredients: Combine basil, nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor and chop until finely minced, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl as needed.
- Add olive oil: While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is smooth.
Notes
This pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days or if frozen, stored in the freezer for up to six months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauces
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 142
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 73.3 mg
- Fat: 15.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg