This flavorful Dairy-Free Pesto recipe tastes just like the traditional version! Use it on pasta, bread, pizza, roasted vegetables, and more. This vegan pesto is better than the jarred versions and incredibly easy, with only 5 ingredients and 15 minutes.
Dairy-Free Pesto is the perfect easy lunch or dinner recipe, dinner party recipe, and traditional New Year's Eve recipe. We make it frequently for easy weeknight dinners and to share with guests.
It'ss excellent on pasta or potatoes, or served with crusty bread like our Gluten-Free Baguette, Simple Gluten-Free Artisan Bread, or No Knead Gluten-Free Bread! It can be used with a main dish or appetizer. We also love to eat this pesto with Dairy Free Shrimp Scampi.
For more quick and easy pasta recipes without dairy, check out my Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta, Vegan Alfredo Pasta, One Pot Lentil Pasta, Pea Pesto Pasta, Tahini Pasta Salad, Dairy-Free Vodka Pasta.
What is Pesto?
Pesto is a paste made from fresh basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts. The basil, garlic, and pine nuts are finely ground and then topped with olive oil and mixed with a grated hard cheese like Parmesan or Romano.
Traditionally, the ingredients are ground with a mortar and pestle. Many Italians continue with this traditional method of pesto making. However, many modern recipes adopt the use of a food processor to make the recipe quicker and more hands-free.
In this dairy-free pesto recipe, we use a food processor. To make a dairy-free pesto recipe, I replaced the traditional parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast, a popular dairy-free and vegan cheese replacement.
How to make it (with photos)
Ingredient Notes
You need pine nuts, garlic, fresh basil leaves, olive oil, salt, and nutritional yeast to make this dairy-free pesto recipe!
Fresh Basil Leaves
Fresh basil is available in the produce section at most regular grocery stores. Sometimes it is sold in a bundle, and sometimes as a plant with roots, either potted or unpotted.
Alway store fresh basil at room temperature, and do not put it in the fridge or attempt to freeze the leaves. In response to cold temperatures, the leaves turn black, become limp, and the flavor is altered as well.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional Yeast is the same strain of yeast used for baking and brewing. However, while brewer's and bakers yeast is active, nutritional yeast flakes are fermented and dried to make a seasoning.
These dried yellow flakes have a cheesy, umami-rich flavor and make an excellent dairy-free and vegan flavor replacement for cheese.
Nutritional Yeast can be purchased from natural food stores like Whole Foods or online. I've used several brands of nutritional yeast including Anthony's, Bob's Red Mill, and Bragg's. They all work great and I haven't noticed a difference in quality.
For more dairy-free recipes that use nutritional yeast, try my Dairy-Free Parmesan Cheese, Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes, Dairy-Free Scalloped Potatoes, Dairy-Free Alfredo Pasta, Vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese, and Tuscan Salad with chicken.
Pine Nuts
My favorite place to buy pine nuts is Trader Joe's, and I often stock up when I visit. Trader Joe's pine nuts are generally gluten-free and celiac-friendly as well.
You also need fresh garlic, salt, and olive oil to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
For an Italian twist and more flavor, you can also add a pinch of Italian Seasoning.
Step-by-Step Instructions
It takes only four easy steps to make the very best homemade Dairy-Free Pesto!
- Pine nuts: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toss constantly so they don't burn. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until they look golden brown and release their nutty aroma.
- Garlic: Add the toasted pine nuts and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until they make a medium fine crumb.
- Seasonings: Add the basil, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend together until you get a well-mixed and textured paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Olive Oil: Add the olive oil and mix until just combined. Taste the pesto and add any additional salt or nutritional yeast if you like.
Best ways to use it
There are so many delicious ways to enjoy dairy-free pesto! Here are some of my favorites:
- Pasta, Gnocchi and Tortellini - Use pesto as a sauce for pasta and pasta salad, gnocchi, and tortellini. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Then toss with pesto before serving.
- Potatoes - Drizzle pesto over roasted potato wedges or use as a dressing for potato dishes like roasted or boiled fingerling potatoes.
- Crusty Bread - Serve on Italian bread or baguettes as a spread or a dip. Check out our gluten-free baguette recipe!
- Pizza - Use pesto as a pizza sauce or add dollops on top after baking.
- Meat and Seafood - Toss shrimp or cut cooked meat in pesto. Or add dollops of pesto to garnish a finished dish.
- Sandwiches and Wraps - Use pesto as a spread in place of mayonnaise or mustard.
- Roasted Vegetables - Toss pesto with roasted vegetables just like you would with pasta.
Expert Tips
Make and serve this dairy-free pesto like a true Italian with these simple expert tips!
Use quality ingredients.
Just like any good authentic Italian recipe, the ingredients and the process are just as important as the amounts. A good extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and toasted pine nuts will make a noticeable difference.
Don't cook the pesto before serving.
Because fresh basil is sensitive to temperature changes, homemade pesto tastes best when added to the dish after it is cooked. Some recipes do call for pesto before baking, but this is neither traditional nor recommended for best flavor and texture.
Store fresh basil properly.
As mentioned in the ingredients notes above, fresh basil should be stored at room temperature. See the "Ingredients Notes" section for more detail.
Recipe FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about dairy-free pesto. If you don't see your question, leave it in the recipe notes and we'll answer within two business days.
This dairy-free pesto is best stored in a sealed jar at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days. While you can place it in the refrigerator, the color and flavor will be altered slightly by the cold, since fresh basil leaves are very sensitive to cool temperatures.
Barilla Vegan Pesto Basilico, Amore Vegan Pesto Paste, and Sprout's Vegan Pesto are popular store-bought dairy-free pesto brands.
Walnuts and toasted almonds are the best substitutes for pine nuts in pesto. Preferably, the almonds would be blanched. For a nut-free pesto, sunflower or pumpkin seeds can be used in place of pine nuts.
Homemade pesto has a brighter, more authentic flavor than store-bought brands. Most jarred pesto is pasteurized, meaning the pesto is heated, which is generally not recommended for best taste.
More quick pasta recipes to consider...
Looking for more quick pasta recipes like this dairy-free pesto? Check these out:
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📖 Recipe
Dairy Free Pesto
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves large stems removed
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pine nuts: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toss constantly so they don't burn. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until they look golden brown and release their nutty aroma.
- Garlic: Add the toasted pine nuts and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until they make a medium fine crumb.
- Seasonings: Add the basil, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend together until you get a well-mixed and textured paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Olive Oil: Add the olive oil and mix until just combined. Taste the pesto and add any additional salt or nutritional yeast if you like.
Gina says
This is delicious and so easy. We served it on the gluten-free free baguette one night and with pasta another night! plus sneaking bites here and there, crackers etc. I’ll be making it again!