5-Minute Dairy Free Pesto
This 5-ingredient, 5-minute dairy free pesto recipe is the most delicious homemade version of a beloved Italian staple! A freezer-friendly vegan pesto sauce that the whole family will love. Serve with pasta, sandwiches, salads, and more.
Servings: 1 .25 cups
Calories: 175
Ingredients
- 2 packed cups basil leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil may need 1 to 2 tablespoons more to reach consistency you desire
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted pine nuts (or pecans, almonds or walnuts!)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt. Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Add in the olive oil, and blend until combined. If needed, add in more olive oil until desired consistency.
- To prevent the top of the pesto sauce from turning brown as it sits in the fridge (oxidizing), pour on enough olive oil to cover the whole top. This will prevent oxygen reaching the pesto sauce, and will keep it green. Not necessary, for looks only.
- Will keep in a wide mouth pint mason jar in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. I store my dairy free pesto in wide mouth pint mason jars since they're freezer friendly!
Notes
Storage: This pesto will keep in a wide-mouth pint mason jar in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. I store my pesto in wide-mouth pint mason jars since they're freezer friendly!
Browning: To prevent the top of the pesto sauce from turning brown as it sits in the fridge (oxidizing), pour on enough olive oil to cover the whole top. This will prevent oxygen from reaching the pesto sauce and will keep it green. Not necessary, for looks only.
Freezing: This vegan pesto sauce freezes beautifully. I use wide-mouth pint mason jars to store them because they are freezer friendly. I thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and I can enjoy fresh pesto even in the middle of winter!
Ice Cube Trays: You can also freeze pesto in silicone ice cube trays to have a perfect portion of sauce whenever you need it!
Batches: I highly recommend you make a bunch of batches in the summer because that is when basil is at its peak freshness. For this reason, I plant lots of basil in my garden and also buy it in bulk at the farmer's market.
Roasted Nuts: If your pine nuts are raw, roast them in a 350ºF oven for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown.
Lemon Juice: Some recipes call for lemon juice to add brightness, but I did not use it in this recipe. If preferred, add 1-2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.
Nutritional Yeast: If you are really craving that “cheesy” taste without the dairy, add 3-4 tbsp of nutritional yeast. This will add a yummy, cheesy flavor, but it’s totally optional.
Nutrition
Calories: 175 | Total Carbs: 1.9g | Protein: 1.8g | Fat: 19g | Fiber: 0.5g | Net Carbs: 1g