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A bowl of dairy free pesto sitting on a towel and pine nuts scattered around.

Dairy Free Pesto (Ready in 5 Minutes)

Kaleena Martinez
This 5-minute dairy free pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice for a rich, creamy sauce with no cheese needed. It's naturally vegan, gluten-free, and Whole30-friendly.
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Sides
Cuisine Italian
Servings 16 tablespoons

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

  • food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh basil (packed)
  • ½ cup avocado oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast *optional, for cheesy flavor
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden. (Optional, but recommended.)
  • Add the basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse 5–6 times until coarsely chopped.
  • With the processor running, slowly stream in the avocado oil until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning. Thin with extra oil if needed.

Notes

Substitutions: Swap pine nuts for walnuts, pistachios, or almonds. Swap basil for baby spinach if needed. Stir in 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast for extra cheesy flavor.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 7 days, or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 73mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 159IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.3mg

*nutrition information is an approximate

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