Pesto has an irresistible, savory umami-garlic flavor combo that kicks up pasta, pizza, veggies, sandwiches, protein dishes, and more! Read on for how to make an irresistible dairy-free nut-free pesto in minutes, using just a food processor or blender.
It is so hard to find a good pesto recipe that is not only dairy-free but also nut-free. I love how sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds sub so easily in this recipe for nuts. You won’t believe that you don’t miss the Parmesan cheese either! Try this dairy-free nut-free pesto and see for yourself!
It’s so good I am known to sneak spoonfuls now and again when I need a savory snack.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1 large clove of garlic or 3 small cloves of garlic
- 6 tablespoons olive oil (or more if needed). Use virgin for nuttier flavor, or regular for milder flavor.
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (sunflower seeds will also work but have a stronger taste). We use Gerb’s brand pumpkin seeds to avoid cross-contamination of nuts (amazon link, but we don’t earn a profit by putting the link here)
- pinch of salt
Makes a little more than a 1/2 cup of pesto.
Note: If you like thicker pesto, or if your blender struggles with thicker consistencies, I highly recommend using a food processor for making your pesto.
Steps
- Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Blend.
- Stop to scrape down the sides or tap down the cup (if you are lazy like me), and process more.
- If it is not coming together yet, drizzle more olive oil into the pesto a half tablespoon at a time and blend further until smooth. Be careful to not add too much oil, otherwise the consistency will be off.
- Enjoy your fabulous and sophisticated dairy-free nut-free pesto. It’s as good as if not better than the traditional version. Try it on protein dishes, sandwiches, noodles, potatoes, pizza, bread, vegetables or even on its own!