How To Make Awesome Dairy-Free Pesto!

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.

1.  Pine nuts
2.  Garlic
3.  Basil
4.  Extra virgin olive oil
5. 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. 

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How To Make Awesome Dairy-Free Pesto!

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

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!

Course: dressing/sauce, Pesto, Sauce

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2

Calories: 310 kcal

Author: Christine Galvani

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. 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.

2. 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.
   

3. Add a pinch of salt and pulse a few more times.
   

Recipe Notes

This dairy-free simple pesto can be paired with your favorite zoodles. 

Nutrition Facts

How To Make Awesome Dairy-Free Pesto!

Amount Per Serving

Calories 310 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Fat 33g51%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Sodium 1mg0%

Potassium 95mg3%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 635IU13%

Vitamin C 2.6mg3%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe adapted from Goop.