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Easy Dairy Free Pesto

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GFDFW30P

This easy dairy-free pesto recipe uses simple ingredients like fresh basil, pine nuts, and fresh lemon juice to make an amazing vegan pesto sauce.

A bowl of dairy free pesto sitting on a towel with pine nuts and lemons on the sides of the bowl

Classic pesto is filled with parmesan cheese but this homemade pesto has all the delicious flavor of traditional basil pesto but without all the dairy. Store-bought pesto usually is filled with preservatives and dairy and lacks freshness. So, I wanted to make a vegan and Whole30 version that has a super creamy texture fresh flavor.

Every spring I plant a vegetable and herb garden. I love having fresh herbs on hand all the time! Basil plants are always my favorite to plant because they are easy to take care of and grow, and then I have basil on hand to easily make fresh pesto.

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Ingredients

Fresh basil in a glass bowl with avocado oil in a measuring cup, garlic cloves, a lemon, pine nuts in a measuring cup, and salt and pepper in a small bowl sitting next to it

Substitutions

Basil- In my option pesto isn't pesto without basil, but you can use baby spinach if you can't find fresh basil.

Pine nuts- Pine nuts add such a nice nutty flavor to this healthy pesto recipe, but you can use walnuts, pistachios, or almonds.

Avocado oil- You can substitute extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil.

Nutritional yeast- To add a little cheesy flavor, you can add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.

Step by step

a food processor filled with basil, garlic cloves, pine nuts, avocado oil, salt, and pepper
a food processor with blended dairy free pesto inside
  1. Add the basil, fresh garlic, salt, pepper, avocado oil, nutritional yeast, and pine nuts to a large food processor.
  2. Blend until fully combined and creamy.

Frequently asked questions

Does pesto have dairy?

Traditional pesto recipes have cheese in them. This pesto recipe doesn't have any dairy in it and still has that traditional pesto flavor.

Can you buy dairy-free pesto?

There are a few dairy-free pestos that you can buy at grocery stores, but making homemade dairy-free pesto is so easy and once you have fresh pesto you won't want to buy jarred pesto from your local grocery store again.

What to serve with

Here are some great ways to use your pesto.

  • Use it as a pasta sauce (pesto pasta is my favorite way to use this sauce).
  • Salad dressing. Add a little more oil for a thinner sauce that is perfect on salads.
  • On top of a steak
  • Tossed with roasted potatoes
  • Spread on toast or bread
  • Use a dip with pita chips
  • On top of eggs
  • Add it to pizza

Storing

If you have leftover pesto you can store it in an airtight container (wide-mouth pint mason jars are great for storing pesto) in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

If you grow basil and have a bunch to use, you can make a big batch of this pesto and freeze it for up to 3 months for later use. Pesto cubes are the easiest way to freeze pesto. Fill silicone ice cube trays with the pesto and freeze. Once the pesto is frozen, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container and use them when needed.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Your feedback is so important to me.

Recipe

Dairy Free Pesto

Kaleena Martinez
This easy dairy-free pesto recipe uses simple ingredients like fresh basil, pine nuts, and fresh lemon juice to make an amazing vegan pesto sauce.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Sides
Cuisine Italian
Servings 16 tablespoons

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh basil (packed)
  • ½ cup avocado oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till it is a blended and creamy.

Notes

Substitutions
Basil- In my option pesto isn't pesto without basil, but you can use baby spinach if you can't find fresh basil.
Pine nuts- Pine nuts add such a nice nutty flavor to this healthy pesto recipe, but you can use walnuts, pistachios, or almonds.
Avocado oil- You can substitute extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil.
Nutritional yeast- To add a little cheesy flavor, you can add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
Frequently asked questions
Does pesto have dairy?
Traditional pesto recipes have cheese in them. This pesto recipe doesn't have any dairy in it and still has that traditional pesto flavor.
Can you buy dairy-free pesto?
There are a few dairy-free pestos that you can buy at grocery stores, but making homemade dairy-free pesto is so easy and once you have fresh pesto you won't want to buy jarred pesto from your local grocery store again.
What to serve with
Here are some great ways to use your pesto.
  • Use it as a pasta sauce (pesto pasta is my favorite way to use this sauce).
  • Salad dressing. Add a little more oil for a thinner sauce that is perfect on salads.
  • On top of a steak
  • Tossed with roasted potatoes
  • Spread on toast or bread
  • Use a dip with pita chips
  • On top of eggs
  • Add it to pizza
Storing
If you have leftover pesto you can store it in an airtight container (wide-mouth pint mason jars are great for storing pesto) in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
If you grow basil and have a bunch to use, you can make a big batch of this pesto and freeze it for up to 3 months for later use. Pesto cubes are the easiest way to freeze pesto. Fill silicone ice cube trays with the pesto and freeze. Once the pesto is frozen, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container and use them when needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 73mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 159IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.2mg

*nutrition information is an approximate

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Comments

    5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Berke Ball

    5 stars
    Best paleo I’ve found. Nutritional yeast addition is great. I grow lots of basil in my greenhouse; freeze basil cubes; drop one or two in my homemade tomato sauce for a nice kick.

    Reply

    • Kaleena Martinez

      Thank you so much! I am so glad that you love it! xo Kaleena

      Reply

  2. Karen

    5 stars
    I love this basil recipe! I’ve made it several times and it’s delicious as a pizza sauce and as a pasta sauce. When I’m doubling the recipe, I cut the total avocado oil to 3/4 cup. Thank you for a great recipe.

    Reply

    • Kaleena Martinez

      Hi Karen! I am so happy to hear that you love this pesto. I bet it is so amazing on a pizza! xo Kaleena

      Reply

  3. Shari Allen

    Oh my goddess it was so yummy. Being gluten free and dairy free is tough but with recipes like this it makes me feel so good to know I am not alone in this. Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Kaleena Martinez

      Thank you Shari! I'm so happy to hear that you liked it! It totally can be lonely eating GF and DF sometimes but I got you girl! xo Kaleena

      Reply