Enjoy fresh, dairy-free pesto sauce without pine nuts in under five minutes. Bursting with flavor, this easy, homemade pesto uses fresh basil and spinach.
It tastes delicious drizzled on top of homemade pizzas, as the base in pasta or even as the base of a wrap or sandwich. With a tasty, earthy flavor it's the perfect summertime addition to your table.
Having fresh homemade pesto sauce on hand or knowing you can whip it up in a pinch makes dinnertime a little less stressful!
It's hacks like this recipe that make my dinnertime meals so simple to make.
With minimal ingredients, this fresh basil pesto recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and actually completely vegan! Plus, it's made without the addition of pine nuts which gives it a unique, earthy flavor.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I love that it's got some sneaky veggies in it which makes it perfect for kiddos (learn more about how to hide veggies in food for toddlers!).
Ingredients You'll Need
Classic pesto is made with both pine nuts and parmesan cheese. However, you'll find none of that here!
This pesto without pine nuts is a bit more unique than the classic recipe with just as much flavor.
Walnuts: a great alternative to pine nuts and most people already have these on hand. This makes the recipe far easier to whip up in a pinch! Plus, the flavor of walnuts is a bit less than that of pine nuts which helps when transitioning kids to a real food diet.
Nutritional Yeast: high in B Vitamins and with a slightly cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast replaces the parmesan cheese in this pesto recipe and gives it much more flavor. All while boosting its nutrient profile.
Spinach: this pesto is made with both basil and spinach! Extra greens with classic taste.
Oil: I like to use avocado oil for this pesto recipe to give it a bit of a high heat point. If you don't plan on heating the pesto though, flax oil works wonderfully. And of course, classic, extra virgin olive oil is a good staple.
Garlic: pesto wouldn't be complete without garlic! Though granules will do in a pinch, for pesto fresh is best.
Fresh basil: the heart of the pesto and what gives it such a unique flavor. The kind of basil you choose will affect the flavor, learn the difference between holy basil vs. Thai basil.
How To Make Pesto Without Pine Nuts
- Gather all of the ingredients and measure them.
- Combine the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
- Scrape into a jar and use as is.
Important Teaching Tips
The kind of basil you choose will affect the flavor. Sweet basil was used for this recipe however Thai basil gives it a wonderful flavor for pasta.
You can also use kale in place of spinach for this recipe (like in this green chickpea hummus).
The oil you choose will also alter the pesto without pine nuts. Flax oil can have a very unique taste so if you don't love it, don't use it. Avocado oil and olive oil work really well.
When it comes to using olive oil, each olive oil will have a different flavor, just like wine. Some of the cheaper varieties will simply taste like oil but most bottles have a flavor to them.
So, when making this pesto recipe with extra virgin olive oil make sure to use olive oil you're acquainted with.
How To Enjoy It
Pesto without pine nuts isn't just for pasta (though this chicken pesto pasta IS a tasty one!). It is also be used for:
- the base of pizzas (you can sub the marinara on this air fryer tortilla pizza and get a whole new flavor!)
- a sauce for a grilled wrap
- Buddha bowls
Healthy Dinners In 30 Minutes Or Less
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Plus get bonus tips on how I food prep as a mom of three, how to make healthy eating simple & pantry staples to stock up on.
Frequently Asked Questions About Basil Pesto
Homemade pesto is easily a better option than store-bought. Not only do you have the option to use healthier ingredients (specifically healthier oils) but for anyone with allergies, it's the only way to go. Plus, you can alter the flavor of the pesto by experimenting with different types of fresh basil.
In place of pine nuts (or in this case walnuts), you can make a nut-free pesto by subbing in sunflower seeds instead. Know that a nut-free pesto is going to have a very different flavor than a classic one.
Your pesto can be as herb-based as you wish! However, too many herbs or too much of one or another can leave your pesto tasting a bit too "grassy". Follow a base pesto recipe and add herbs in lightly and one at a time, tasting in between.
Because homemade pesto is made with fresh ingredients, it needs to be stored in the fridge. It will last in the fridge (in an airtight container) for roughly five days.
Other Recipes You'll Love
- Slow cooker Tuscan chicken
- Tangy lemon noodle bowl
- Slow cooker teriyaki chicken
- Sheet pan sausage and veggies
- Homemade coleslaw
- Dairy-free macaroni salad
- Quinoa veggie wraps
- Grilled veggie and hummus wrap
- Slow cooker balsamic chicken
- 30-minute meals
- Turkey meatballs
- Spicy stuffed peppers
Dairy-free Pesto Sauce
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh basil packed
- ½ cup spinach packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 tbs nutritional yeast
- 5 tbs oil of choice
- ¼ teaspoon seat salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Video
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
If you're looking to step your pasta dishes up a notch then you should most definitely go fresh! This basil pesto without pine nuts is full of nutrient-dense foods as well as flavor. It makes a great homemade staple for pasta and pizzas.
David
Wow this looks great and I have a basil plant the is flourishing. I can't wait to try this basil pesto out! I have had pesto in a few salads and it is very good. It looks a little weird but it has a great flavor.
Cheers
fitasamamabear
It definitely looks a bit weird when you're not used to it haha I personally love this pesto over chickpea pasta or marinated onto chicken- so yummy!
lea
Just yummy. WE always make our own Pesto as we have a basil bush in our garden. We use pretty much the same ingredients but instead of blending it up, someone always has to chop the basil into tiny pieces. We just like when not everything is blended too much together. But yours looks really nice too. I might use the blender next time as it will be so much quicker.
Lea, xx
asnippetoflife.com
fitasamamabear
Yes we have a basil plant too! It's wonderful because the fresh stuff just tastes so much better. Hrm, I actually never thought to chop it- that's a wonderful idea! It would be great with some diced tomatoes in a pasta too... back to my kitchen!lol
Ingrid
Can't wait to try this! It looks incredibly yummy and healthy!
fitasamamabear
Thanks! I LOVE it on chickpea pasta- so simple but so healthy!
arita muhaxheri
So easy to make and sooo tasty <3 I love a good basil pesto xx
Amanda
This looks so yummy and healthy! I don't know how my toddler would like this, but my husband and I love fresh ingredients for our pasta!
fitasamamabear
Perfect! My toddler loves pesto so I think I luck out- it's an easy way to get more veggies into her 😉
Emma
Yummm this look delicious! I would love to put this on my zoodles!!
Emma | Seeking the South
fitasamamabear
Mmm that would be tasty! Also yummy on spiralized carrot!
R.M.
I love Pesto!!! I can't wait to make this!
fitasamamabear
Thanks- I love it too! It works on literally everything
Luci
This looks really good. I am going to have to try and make this tossing it in some pasta and maybe some chicken.
fitasamamabear
Making pesto chicken pasta us one of my FAVORITE ways to use this pesto!
Latasha
Yummy! I absolutely love everything with pesto . Totally want to try this very soon
fitasamamabear
I'm a sucker for pesto too- works on everything!
Emily
This looks delish! I've never made pesto before, but this seems to be something I should save for later to put on some pasta, yum!
fitasamamabear
Thanks Emily! It's really simple to make and much more potent than store bought- perfect for pasta!
Tara
this looks amazingly delicious! cannot wait to try!
Shannon Burlingame
Most pesto recipes always use pine nuts which I can NEVER find where I am. Glad to know I can use walnuts instead. Definitely going to try this one!
fitasamamabear
That was my issue too! That and I won't snack on leftover pine nuts, they taste funny lol walnuts work really well- enjoy!
Allyssa
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
fitasamamabear
Glad you loved them!
Wendy
This is delicious!
fitasamamabear
It's so simple too!