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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
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

Instructions
 

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

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

  • food processor

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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