How to make homemade dairy-free pesto that is vegan, gluten-free and, grain-free! Just a few ingredients to make this amazing pesto sauce! Freezer option!
Dairy-Free Pesto:
I love fresh pesto, especially during the summer months when fresh basil is available so abundantly. Homemade pesto is so much more delicious than store-bought dairy-free pesto if you can even find it since most are traditional recipes.
Is there dairy in pesto? Traditional pesto recipes contain parmesan cheese. This recipe tastes just as tasty but omits the cheese.
How Do I Make Vegan Pesto?
I probably should have called this four-ingredient pesto! My favorite recipes are the ones with just a few ingredients.
- Pine nuts
- Garlic
- Basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt to taste
My favorite recipes, the ones I turn to the most often, have just a few ingredients.
Tip: Make sure the pine nuts are fresh and not stale because you could contract “pine nut mouth“. This actually happened to me! Everything you eat starts to taste strange with a bitter, metal flavor. Not appetizing! There is also a theory that raw pine nuts are the culprit, so I have updated this recipe to include toasted pine nuts.
Related: For a dairy-free pesto with walnuts, check out the Whole30 Pesto recipe.
Since I had pine nut mouth, now I am careful about the pine nuts I buy. They just have to be fresh. I must have used nuts that I had for a while. I mark all my spices with the dates I buy them and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do the same with nuts, or maybe everything, but then that might get a little tedious. 🙂
Dairy-Free Pesto Would Be Fantastic With:
- Grain-Free Focaccia Bread
- Tomato Basil Egg Scramble
- Gluten-Free Fritatta Recipe
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- On a Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (Vegan too!)
Can a vegan eat pesto? As long as the ingredients to a recipe are vegan, it should not be a problem, which is the case for this recipe.
Freezer Option: It would be great to make this with all the fresh basil this summer and then freeze (in ice cube containers) so you will still have some a few months from now into the Fall.
Tip: I sometimes make this recipe substituting a few (about 5 whole) roasted, lightly salted almonds in place of the pine nuts. It came out great, so if you happen to be out of pine nuts, you might want to try almonds. The other bit of advice I have with this recipe is that I prefer making this a day in advance. I believe it tastes better, maybe because the flavors have a chance to come together better. Anyway, I thought I would provide those updates. This is such a favorite summer recipe of mine.
Dairy-Free Pesto Sauce - How to make homemade dairy-free pesto that is vegan, gluten-free and, grain-free! Just a few ingredients to make this amazing pesto sauce! Freezer option!
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 clove medium garlic
- 1 cups and 1/2 basil leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
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Place the pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for ten minutes at 350 degrees F. Watch so they do not burn.
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Place the pine nuts, garlic and, basil in the food processor. Pulse several times to chop. Add the extra virgin olive oil and combine until it is the consistency you desire.
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Add a pinch of salt and pulse a few more times.
This dairy-free simple pesto can be paired with your favorite zoodles.
Recipe adapted from Goop.
Grain, gluten, and dairy-free? Welcome to your place for easy, delicious recipes that everyone will love and request over and over!
This pesto sounds so tasty — I love that there’s no cheese! I recently tried Panera’s vegetarian garden veggie soup and they put a dollop of pesto on top (fantastic idea!) so I’ve been looking for a pesto I could throw on my soups to fancy `em up at home. Simple = perfect.
Hi Kelly,
I thought I might miss the cheese, but I don’t!
Great simple pesto recipe, I am always looking for a go-to pesto!
Hi Natalie,
I love trying different pestos, but this will be my go-to also!
A simple yet so flavorful pasta dish! After reading about your pine nut mouth and a case of pantry moths, my nuts live in the fridge now.
Hi Paula,
I like your idea about storing nuts in the fridge!
What a fresh and summery recipe! Looks so delicious. I’m so sorry about your pine nut mouth! I had never heard of that before, how crazy!
Hi Cate,
I agree! I thought I would give a warning about pine nut mouth in case it happens to anyone.
Hi Christine, we both love fresh Pesto and so glad to found one without cheese!
Cheers,
J+C
Hi Judit and Corina,
Thanks for stopping by! This pesto is really good. I hope you like it if you try it.
I love me some pesto so glad to see this back to basics recipe here!
Hi Pamela,
Pesto is awesome. I love how your garden is coming along this summer. Gorgeous!
just mouthwatering….looks delicious!
Thank you!!
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A very good Pesto recipe!
Thank you!