Wondering how to make pesto without pine nuts? This nut-free pesto recipe is perfect for you! Make this sauce in just 5-minutes with a handful of ingredients. Perfect with pasta, pizza, and for dipping!
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If you have nut allergies, you're well aware how hard it is to avoid nuts in so many grocery store products. Store-bought pesto is no exception. The good news is it's very easy to make a delicious homemade pesto without any tree nuts at all.
Jump to:
- Recipe Testing Notes
- Ingredients for Nut-Free Pesto Sauce
- Other Pine Nut Substitutes
- Pesto Variations
- Equipment
- How to Make Pesto Without Pine Nuts
- How to Freeze Pesto
- How Long Does Pesto Last?
- What to Serve With Nut-Free Pesto
- Top Recipe Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Sauce Recipes
- Stay In Touch!
- Recipe
- Comments and Ratings
Recipe Testing Notes
Traditional basil pesto is a simple sauce that only requires a few ingredients. That said, each ingredient plays a key role. Pine nuts typically bring a uniquely nutty taste to pesto sauce and without them you would lose that depth of flavor.
When thinking about how to make an easy homemade pesto recipe without pine nuts I thought, sure you can take the easy route and just omit the pine nuts, but then you'd be missing out on that nutty flavor.
So I got to thinking about what I could swap the nuts with to keep that familiar taste. I considered a few options and ultimately decided that sunflower seeds would be the closest swap to maintain that delicious, nutty depth!
Ingredients for Nut-Free Pesto Sauce
- Fresh Basil: This recipe is perfect if you've got surplus of basil growing in your garden.
- Fresh Parmesan Cheese: I like to get the real parmigiano reggiano from Costco, along with many more gluten-free finds! You can also use Pecorino Romano.
- Sunflower Seeds: Use unsalted seeds. If your seeds are salted, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves: Use fresh cloves of garlic rather than powder as it has more flavor.
- Lemon Juice: Use a squeeze of lemon juice from a real lemon! While it's not a traditional pesto ingredient, adding a bit of lemon juice adds nice acidity and helps preserve the bright green color of the pesto. Add a bit of lemon zest to brighten up the flavor even more.
- Olive Oil: Use good quality extra-virgin olive oil since you'll really be able to taste it in the sauce.
*Refer to the recipe card for full ingredient information.
Other Pine Nut Substitutes
- Pumpkin Seeds: These add a mild, nutty taste and work well for a nut-free version.
- Hemp Seeds: With a slightly earthy flavor, they make a great substitute while offering a similar texture.
- Sesame Seeds: Toasted sesame seeds can add a deep, nutty richness to your pesto.
Pesto Variations
- Spinach Pesto: Swap half the basil for fresh baby spinach to make a mild, nutrient-packed version. Great for kids and picky eaters!
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto: Reduce the basil to 1 cup and blend in a jar of sun-dried tomatoes for a rich, slightly sweet flavor.
- Arugula Pesto: Use arugula in place of basil for a peppery kick!
- Kale Pesto: Replace basil with kale for a more hearty pesto recipe.
- Vegan Pesto: Substitute nutritional yeast for the parmesan cheese.
Equipment
A food processor or high-powered blender— like a vitamix, is so helpful when making fresh basil pesto. It helps to blend the sauce into a cohesive mixture. My Cuisinart food processor isn't fancy, but it's a powerhouse perfect for pesto! It will leave the pesto a bit more textured as compared to the Vitamix.
How to Make Pesto Without Pine Nuts
Place the fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop the ingredients.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Continue to blend another few seconds until the mixture is combined.
How to Freeze Pesto
To freeze the pesto, spoon it into ice cube trays, like these handy silicone freezer trays, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Once frozen, transfer the pesto cubes to a freezer bag or airtight container. It will last for at least 3 months.
Keep some stocked for the winter months so you can have a taste of summer when you need it!
How Long Does Pesto Last?
Nut-free pesto typically lasts about 4 to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. To help keep leftover pesto fresh longer, drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on top to help prevent oxidation.
What to Serve With Nut-Free Pesto
Wondering how to use your freshly made pesto? Try making this creamy pesto pasta sauce or pesto pasta salad! Use fresh pesto as a homemade pizza sauce on your gluten-free pizza or as a dipping sauce for fresh bread.
Top Recipe Tips
- Sunflower Seeds: Use roasted seeds for the best flavor in your pesto. Also, save yourself a lot of trouble and buy seeds that have already been removed from their shell!
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh basil is key for a vibrant green pesto. Avoid wilted or browned basil leaves.
- Adjust Consistency: If your pesto is too thick, add a little more olive oil to thin it out to your liking.
- Store it Right: Keep your pesto in an airtight container and add a layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning. It will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge, or freeze in portions for later use.
Recipe FAQs
Pine nuts add a signature nutty richness to traditional pesto, but they aren’t essential to make a delicious sauce. Their creamy texture and mild flavor help balance the sharpness of the garlic and basil, but you can easily substitute them with alternatives like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or even skip them altogether. The key flavors in pesto also come from the basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan, so pine nuts are important but not irreplaceable!
The best basil for pesto is Genovese basil, known for its large, sweet leaves and mild flavor. This variety gives pesto its classic, vibrant taste without being too overpowering. If you can't find Genovese basil, any fresh sweet basil will work well, but avoid varieties like Thai basil, which has a more licorice-like flavor and can alter the taste of traditional pesto.
The most common factor causing pesto to taste bitter is using rancid oil or seeds. Additionally, old or sprouted garlic can contribute to bitterness. Over-blending the pesto may also release bitter flavors from the basil or garlic. Finally, improper storage can lead to oxidation, further causing the pesto to develop an undesirable bitter taste.
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Recipe
Basil Pesto Sauce without Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, the juice from one lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, omit if using salted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pulse the basil leaves, parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor until finely chopped.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
- Continue processing for a few more seconds until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
Notes
Store unused pesto sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Add a thin layer of olive oil on top to help prevent oxidation.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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