If you have a tree nut allergy, are fresh out of pine nuts, have a surplus of basil from your garden, or want to try pesto a different way, today I’ll be showing you how to make a tasty vegan nut free pesto recipe.
With a handful of fresh ingredients I’ll show you how to make a delicious nut free sauce that’s also dairy free, top 9 free, top 14 free, and more. That makes it super inclusive, but you won’t miss the allergens. If you’d like to explore the option of vegan and dairy free free Parmesan cheese, check out this article where I list out all of the different brands you can tap into.
Now, let’s get to work!
Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Cruciferous, Latex Cross Reactive Foods (H/M), Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Squash & Gourd, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato
Friendly To: AIP Paleo, EOE, FPIES, Paleo, Vegan
Compatible With: Corn Free, Peppercorn Free, Yeast Free
Corn Free: Select a safe brand of nutritional yeast, or omit.
Peppercorn Free: Omit the black pepper to taste.
Yeast Free: Omit the nutritional yeast. The flavour will change slightly, but you’ll still have a delicious sauce.
Necessary Tools
- Blender OR Food Processor
- Small Baking Tray (for garlic)
Nut Free Pesto Recipe Ingredients
With a small assortment of simple ingredients, we can pull together a delicious nut-free pesto recipe. Today you’ll need:
Part 1 Ingredients
- 115g Organic Fresh Basil Leaves
- 110g Organic Dry Roasted Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
- 1 bulb Organic Roasted Garlic (make this in advance so you can have your sauce ready in under 10 minutes)
- 1 Organic Lemon (juice and zest, this is a great handheld juicer, and this is the zester that I love)
- Organic Black Pepper to Taste
- Optional: 2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast
Part 2 Ingredients
- 335mL Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 – 3 tsp Sea Salt to Taste
- Optional: Parmesan Cheese of Choice (I use this dairy free Parmesan)
Important Ingredient Notes
Oil: It’s important that you use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil or your sauce will taste meh. You can also use other high quality oils such tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut).
Basil: You can make this your own pesto and experiment with basil alternatives. In the Q&A section, there are tips (use the table of contents to jump around).
Sunflower Seeds: You can use other seeds in this recipe. I’d avoid chia and flax seeds. Pumpkin seeds will add an interesting flavour, as will watermelon seeds.
Salt: For extra depth of flavour, use smoked salt. Both Redmond’s and SF Salt Co. sell great quality smoked salts.
Yeast: If you need unfortified nutritional yeast, you can purchase it online these days. It’s helpful for those with less common allergies who need to avoid a wide range of additives.
Nut Free Pesto Recipe Directions
Star by pulling the fresh basil leaves away from the stem. If you want to do this the easy way, use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut several leaves at once.
Add all of the Part 1 Ingredients to your blender. Remove the cap from your blender’s lid so the hole is open. Blend the ingredients together on low-medium speed whilst slowly pouring the olive oil into the hole in your blender’s lid.
Once your sauce starts to form, turn the bender off and add the first teaspoon of sea salt (you can even start with les if you’d like). Blend again and taste. This is where salting to taste comes into play. Add the amount of salt that tastes good to you, but also keep in mind your final application. If you’ll be using your homemade pesto with a bacon pasta, don’t go wild with the salt because the bacon is salty.
If you’d like to add the optional Parmesan, add some now and continue to blend. Now, keep blending whilst pouring in the rest of your olive oil and you’ll really see the pesto form.
That’s it! Hopefully you can see how easy it is to make pesto at home, and you can skip the jarred option at the grocery store and save a little money. Once you’ve made your pesto, if it sits for a long time, you’ll notice oil on top of the pesto. That’s that’s natural separation. Just give it a good mix before using it again and you’re ready to roll.
Food Processor Directions
To make this recipe in your food processor, place the Part 1 Ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and put the lid on. Turn your processor to the on mode, not the pulse mode. As it runs, slowly pour in the olive oil into the chute.
From there, follow the rest of the directions, just like the blender method.
How to Roast Garlic
If you’ve never roasted garlic before, it’s pretty easy. Pull out a small bit of foil and add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of organic extra virgin olive oil, or an oil you enjoy. Place an entire head of garlic on the oil, then pull the sides of the foil in an upward direction. Squeeze the foil together to seal.
Place your foil covered garlic on a small baking tray and roast in your oven at 350f/175c for at least 30 minutes. When it’s ready, it will be rather mushy. When I roast garlic, I usually roast at least three heads and have extra to play around with in another meal.
To use your roasted garlic, remove the foil and squeeze. Garlic paste should come right out. If it’s a little stuck, use kitchen scissors to cut the tip of the head off so the paste can come easily.
This is a very hands off process, but you’ll need to remember to do it before making your pesto. You can also freeze extra roasted garlic in an ice cube tray. That allows you to pull out small amounts here and there as you see fit.
How to Alter This Nut Free Pesto Recipe
You can experiment with adding different fresh herbs to this top 14 free pesto sauce. Honestly, there are so many ways you can customize your next batch of pesto. Here are just a few more ideas to get you started:
- Boost the nutritional value of your sauce by swapping half of the basil for fresh organic baby kale. Baby kale is a lot less potent when compared to full sized kale.
- Steam cauliflower, then add some to your sauce (you only need a few large florets). This will add a creamy mouthfeel and thicken the body of the sauce.
- Use a bit of authentic truffle oil in place of some of the olive oil for an interesting layer of flavour. Alternatively, you could add a little shaved truffle to the sauce.
- Swap some of the garlic for black garlic for some funk and flavour depth.
More Awesome Nut Free Recipes
There are a lot of traditional recipes out there that call for nuts. Personally, I love taking a new approach to show people with food allergies and dietary restrictions that whilst their new way of eating may be a little different, they can still have awesome food experiences. Here are a few easy recipes that traditionally contain tree nuts, but they’re all nut free (and very allergy friendly).
- Nutella (a super delicious no nuts recipe, usually made with hazelnuts)
- Lady Fingers Recipe (vegan, gluten free, top 9 free)
- Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Dairy Free Queso (usually made with cashews)
 |
 |
 |
 |
Great Uses for Your Nut Free Pesto Recipe
There are a variety of ways to use your homemade nut free pesto recipe. I’ve used it for hot pasta, cold pasta, as a sauce for potatoes, and much more. My kids’ favorite way for me to use it is when I make them a bacon pesto pasta salad with tomatoes.
Essentially, anywhere you’d use a regular pesto, you can use this nut free version instead. Here are a few fun ways you can use your very versatile sauce:
- Make a salad dressing. It could be a creamy ranch peso fusion, or something closer to a vinaigrette.
- Add a tablespoon of pesto to mayo to make a delicious spread for a sandwich (you can use more if you see fit). This would pair well with a wide range of meat and cheese sandwiches.
- Rather than use mayo for your tuna, make a tuna pesto pasta with bacon bits. You could mix in a little mayo for the creaminess and binding, but let the pesto be the star.
- Mix your pesto with a little cottage cheese and lemon for a very interesting sauce you can add to pasta and potatoes.
- Make a vegan nut free pesto tofu scramble. This would be delicious on a tortilla with caramelized onions.
- Add frozen cubes of pesto to homemade vegetable soups to give them another layer of flavour.
- Make a delicious pesto pizza! You can use the pesto as an alternative to pizza sauce and add toppings that sound good to you. A Parmesan cheese would be excellent in this setting.
- Chop sun-dried tomatoes and cook in a little dairy free butter (or regular butter if you can have it). Add black pepper, a little lemon zest, parmesan, and some of your nut-free vegan pesto. Bring it all together, then toss cooked pasta in this sauce.
- Purchase delicious bread at your local grocery store, get it nice and toasty, then cut into spears. Dip your bread into your homemade vegan pesto for a lovely meal.
- During summer season, purchase large, ripe, amazing peaches and/or nectarines. Grill them (I use this indoor grill pan) with a little brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Make a salad with your peaches, dairy free feta, a little of this tasty vegan nut free pesto, and a few slices of red onion. *Chef’s Kiss*
Be sure to look up more ways that traditional basil pesto is used, then put a little spin on it.
Storing Your Nut Free Pesto Recipe
Once you’ve made your delicious pesto, there are a few different ways you can store the leftovers.
Refrigerator Method
You can store leftovers in the fridge. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container (I like to use a glass jar) and use this Italian sauce within a week. However, this recipe isn’t for a large amount of pesto, and you may not have a lot leftover, unless you’ve made a double or triple batch. Just know that you can’t store your leftovers at room temperature, as this is a perishable recipe.
Freezer Method
You can also store leftover pesto in the freezer which is super handy if you ask me. One of my favorite things to do is to make a big batch of this top 14 free basil pesto, then use the ice cube tray method for freezing.
To do this, grab ice cube trays (these are the silicone ice trays that I like) and put pesto into each cavity. Leave a little space for expansion. Once the cubes are frozen solid, transfer the pesto ice cubes to a Zip-lock bag and label it. Be sure to remove all of the air from the bag. Now, when you’d like a little pesto for a future meal, you can grab several of your pesto cubes from the freezer bag and leave them to thaw in a container/bowl at room temperature. As soon as they’re thawed, use them, or pop them in your fridge for later.
Answering Your Questions About This Nut Free Pesto Recipe
Does this taste like a traditional pesto?
Whilst this is a play on a classic pesto recipe, it’s missing key components such as Parmesan and pine nuts. However, here’s the cool thing about living in our modern times. Creative chefs all over the world are putting their spin on a fresh basil pesto. I’ve seen pesto made with carrot tops, spinach pesto, vegan pesto, kale pesto, and so many more delicious homemade pesto creations. We don’t have to do things the traditional way for them to be delicious and inclusive.
If your goal is to get close to a traditional, by the book, Italian Nonna pesto, but you’re also nut free, be sure to use the dairy free cheese (or dairy cheese if you can have it) I mentioned in the recipe notes.
Could I make this recipe with a Pecorino Romano instead of the dairy free cheese?
Yes! You could totally use grated pecorino cheeses in this nut free pesto recipe. You could also use Parmesan-style sheep cheeses from other countries including France and Spain. I’ve heard a lot of good things about high quality Manchego cheeses, so be sure to look into that as well.
What can I use in my pesto if I have seed and nut allergies?
When it comes time for you to make this easy pesto recipe, you have a few choices. First, there’s tiger nuts. They are tubers, not tree nuts, and have a natural nutty flavor. Second to that, you can use crunchy chickpeas. I’d avoid using regular chickpeas because of the water content, as well as the overwhelming flavour. By using something that’s dried, it won’t have as much flavor, and the basil can still shine thru.
Also know that you don’t *need* to have a nut or seed in a pesto to make it work. You can look up recipes that rely solely on herbs, a lot of basil, and additional flavours such as lemon and garlic. Whilst the body of the sauce won’t be the same, you’ll still have something that’s delicious that you can use in a range of different recipes including pasta dishes, meat dishes, and so on.
Could I make this recipe in a mini food processor?
Yes, you can. A mini food processor is a great way to combine the ingredients, however, depending on how mini your processor is, you may need to make this recipe in batches. If that’s the case for you, after each batch, transfer it to a large bowl. When all of the batches are in, mix well and combine them to ensure your flavours are well distributed.
Would pesto purists enjoy this recipe, or is it too different from a traditional homemade pesto recipe?
Honestly, I don’t think pesto purists would eat this recipe and sing its praises, and that’s because they have a specific expectation already in their mind. I think they could appreciate the recipe, especially when looking at the inclusive nature. The thing about food to remember is this: it should connect people, and fuel our bodies. That’s really the primary function.
If you get super caught up in the tiny details, I think you’re missing the point a bit. I’ll tell you this though… if a pesto purist found themselves with a child with tree nut allergies, recipes like these would suddenly get their praises because they would really, truly understand what it means to manage a dietary restriction.
From where I’m standing, I don’t care if a purist is in or out. I care if it’s safe, delicious, and able to create a space at the table for someone who is usually excluded. If you plan on serving this to a pesto purist, call it something else. If you say it’s a “fresh herb green sauce” instead of “pesto”, they’ll be a lot more likely to enjoy it because you helped manage their expectations.
Could this recipe be made with pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds?
You can make this delicious pesto recipe with pumpkin seeds instead. Know that you’ll shift the flavour profile and you’re making a different recipe at that point. When compared to sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds have a “louder” taste that can also read as dark and bitter to some.
Make sure you taste your pesto before taking it out of the blender. If it’s feeling on the darker or less pleasant side, add more of the other ingredients to help balance it out.
Can I use this pesto recipe on pasta dishes?
Pesto is a traditional ingredient that’s called for in a lot of pasta recipes. The good news is that you can use this nut free pesto recipe in place of a standard pesto at a 1:1 ratio. Wherever pesto is called for, just use this instead and you’re good to go.
Could I use any leafy green in place of the basil?
The great thing about making fresh pesto at home is that you can play fast and loose with the greens in the recipe. You can absolutely use other leafy green vegetables, including beet greens. However, know that each type of leafy green is going to have its own flavour profile.
If you want to avoid using an abundance of basil, but are open to having some in the recipe, I’d do a 40/60 blend of basil to leafy greens. If you’re allergic to basil, I’d suggest a combination of a mellow green such as fresh spinach and a dark leafy green. That will ensure that your taste buds aren’t overwhelmed.
Can I swap the sunflower seeds for hemp seeds?
Honestly, when making this vegan pesto sauce, I don’t recommend it. Or at least, not a 100% swap. Hemp seeds are pretty powerful in taste, and not everyone will enjoy them. If this is only for you, and you LOVE hemp seeds, I say go for it, but be sure to manage your expectations.
Will the nutritional yeast really add a cheesy flavor?
According to some, yes, the addition of nutritional yeast really does add a cheesy flavour. To others, including plenty of vegans, no, it won’t add a cheesy flavour. If you’ve never had nutritional yeast in a homemade pasta sauce, it may not be all that exciting for you and you can skip it. To test a little, take a spoon of your vegan nut free pesto and sprinkle a little nutritional yeast on it. Taste it and see what you think before committing all the way.
Can I use sunflower oil in place of the olive oil in this recipe?
Yes, you can. It will be a 1:1 swap for sunflower oil.
Do I have to use fresh garlic, or can it be from a jar?
For the best fresh flavor, you’ll want to use the fresh garlic, and don’t skip the oven roasting step. This draws out so much amazing flavor, even though it’s a humble ingredient. If you use garlic from a jar, you’ll have a good recipe on your hands. If you use the recipe as-is, you’ll have a great recipe on your hands.
Does this vegan version of pesto taste as good as store-bought options?
I couldn’t honestly tell you because it’s not something I’ve ever purchased for my kids. Most jarred sauces at stores contain ingredients such as citric acid and ascorbic acid, both of which are corn derived. I know. They sounds like Vitamin C, but if you’re allergic to corn like me, you know what’s up.
I say that to say this: I have to be very careful with what I purchase to cook with due to my severe allergies. What I can tell you is that this easy vegan pesto recipe is modeled after traditional pesto recipes to get you as close as possible to an authentic Italian sauce experience.
Can I use a few garlic cloves rather than 1 bulb?
Yes, you can use several garlic cloves instead. You’ll still want to roast them to draw out the extra flavor. For ease, I suggest roasting whole bulbs/heads of garlic, then when you squeeze it into the sauce, just use less. Squeeze the rest into a small container and freeze it for future use.
