Dairy-Free Basil Pesto
This easy dairy-free basil pesto uses nuts (like cashews, walnuts, or pine nuts), olive oil and garlic, and is the perfect way to use and preserve fresh basil from your garden. Freeze the pesto for later!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 10
Calories: 90kcal
- 2 cloves garlic Use more if desired
- ⅓ cup nuts (pine nuts, cashews, or walnuts)
- 2 cups basil, removed from stems, tightly packed
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more if freezing pesto
- 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice, optional (to preserve color) or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional Use more if desired
Yield: About 5oz pesto. Nutrition information assumes 1 tablespoon serving size, and does not include nutritional yeast.
Troubleshooting:
- My pesto is brown. If your pesto immediately turns brown after blending, your food processor might have a dull blade, which can cause the basil to bruise. (I speak from experience.)
- My pesto is too garlicky. As written, this recipe should be mildly garlicky, but if your cloves are extra-large, the garlic could be more pungent. Let the pesto sit for a day (in the fridge), and see if the flavors mellow. If not, use the pesto to season garlic bread.
Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg