Easy Walnut Basil Pesto Without Pine Nuts Recipe

Reasons to Love This Homemade Pesto Recipe!

• Fresh pesto is easy to make homemade, especially when you have an abundance of fresh basil from your basil plant or the farmers market.
• Simple and few ingredients.
• Tastes just like traditional basil pesto.
• Vegan and dairy-free pesto is made without parmesan cheese.
• Naturally gluten-free, paleo, and is Whole30 approved.
• Homemade pesto is cheaper than store-bought pesto.
• Versatile sauce that uses walnuts - much less expensive than pine nuts.
• Quick to make in just 5 minutes.
• Freezes well!
• Great way to add flavor to many dinners like pesto-crusted salmon, pesto orzo salad, or cold pesto tortellini salad.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.

• Fresh basil is the best part of this recipe! Other leafy greens such as baby spinach, kale, arugula, or fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, or mint are excellent substitutes.
• Nutritional yeast is a great option that gives a cheesy flavor without adding dairy. Use parmesan cheese if you don't need it to be dairy-free, or use asiago or pecorino romano cheese to make it without parmesan.
• Extra virgin olive oil provides the liquid base to turn the dairy-free pesto into a sauce.  Use another neutral oil like avocado or grapeseed oil as a substitute.
• Walnuts give it a nutty flavor and make dairy-free pesto less expensive than using pine nuts. Cashews and pistachios are great substitutes or use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds for nut allergies.
• Fresh Garlic cloves add flavor and aroma.
• Fresh lemon juice adds acidity, fresh flavor, and balance to this healthy pesto recipe.
• Kosher salt and black pepper add simple seasonings to elevate this delicious pesto.

How to Make This Delicious Homemade Pesto

Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe with the best results. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.

Step 1

Using a food processor, pulse basil leaves until chopped into small pieces.

Step 2

Add nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, and walnuts.

Step 3

Pulse pesto until it is well incorporated.

Step 4

Add olive oil in a constant stream until the basil pesto has a super creamy texture. This recipe makes about a cup of pesto.

What Do You Eat Homemade Pesto Sauce With?

Serving fresh basil walnut pesto is so easy with all of these options!

• Use as a salad dressing in pasta salads like pesto tortellini pasta salad or orzo pesto salad.
• Leftover pesto is delicious to mix into chicken sausage pasta or red potatoes to use as a sauce.
• Delicious walnut pesto adds flavor to pesto-crusted salmon and pesto chicken wraps.
• Adds so much flavor to your favorite pasta as a pasta sauce or as a sandwich spread.
• Use as a pizza sauce in place of tomato sauce.
• Add a thin layer of olive oil to the top and serve as a dip with vegetables or bread.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

Make Ahead: Dairy-free pesto can be made up to one week in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Storage: Store in an airtight container like a wide-mouth pint mason jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.

How to Freeze Dairy-Free Basil Pesto

Freezing pesto is easy and the best way to enjoy this great recipe in small portions all year round.

1. Once the dairy-free pesto is made, carefully pour or spoon the pesto into silicone ice cube trays.
2. Place the trays into the freezer for about one hour to harden. Once frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the trays and place them into a freezer-proof container like a freezer bag.
3. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. The pesto cubes make easy portioning a breeze.

Expert Tips

• Use a food processor or high-speed blender to ensure the best texture for walnut basil pesto.
• Toast walnuts in a pan on the stove or in the oven at 350F for 6-8 minutes for a deeper flavor.
• Add a bit of lemon zest to the top of the pesto for some color and added flavor.
• Revive wilting basil leaves by running them under cold water and drying them before processing.

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