My homemade nut-free pesto sauce is a recipe you will want to save so you can use it repeatedly. It will go well with many of your other dishes, and it tastes phenomenal. I even give you tips on how to make it dairy-free, too!
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Not going to lie; I think I might be addicted to this nut-free pesto recipe because it’s so good and super EASY to throw together. You can top your favorite steak recipe, dip it in these Gluten Free Breadsticks, or toss it with pasta. No matter how you serve it, every drop gets eaten in the Fearless Dining household.
One reason I love this nut-free pesto sauce recipe is that I enjoy growing my own herbs. There is just something rewarding about using food that you have grown yourself. Try growing basil in your kitchen window!
Why This Nut Free Pesto Is Great:
- If you have been looking for a pesto recipe without pine nuts, this is your recipe!!
- This is truly the best nut-free pesto sauce recipe.
- Making a pesto without pine nuts is easier than you may think! You can even use this pesto sauce to top this gluten free sourdough pizza crust!
- Many of my readers love to make it and freeze it in ice cube trays so they can enjoy this pesto all year long!
Loved the idea of sunflower seeds instead, I even had a bag handy I’ve been trying to get rid of. Freezing some for future use. Tastes fantastic!”
shannon G., pinterest comment
Allergen Information:
This homemade pesto is gluten-free, nut-free, oat-free, egg-free, and soy-free
Tips For Success
1. Use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds. Their texture grinds nicely, and raw sunflower seeds have a more creamy flavor.
2. To make this nut-free pesto dairy-free, use a dairy-free parmesan cheese. VioLife makes the BEST dairy-free parmesan that I have found to date.
3. Freeze this pesto in an ice cube tray so you always have it on hand!
If you love this basil pesto without nuts recipe, check out some of my other delicious sauces.
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Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Sunflower Seeds – Be sure to use unsalted raw sunflower seeds! The hero of this no nut pesto recipe is the sunflower seeds. They add the “texture” and nuttiness this pesto recipe needs. It is so easy to make a delicious pesto without pine nuts!!
- Basil – Use fresh basil. Basil is one of the most versatile herbs to use, and it is delicious in recipes like this Grilled Steak with Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce.
- Garlic—I find this recipe tastes better when you use fresh garlic cloves instead of jarred minced garlic. Do not use garlic powder in this recipe.
- Oil – Use extra virgin olive oil. You can also read is your olive oil is gluten free.
- Lemon Juice – This recipe can use fresh or jarred lemon juice.
- Parmesan Cheese – You can use any brand; just ensure it is grated and not shredded.
Substitutions:
- As I mentioned above, substitute VioLife Dairy-Free Parmesan in place of parmesan cheese if you are dairy-free.
- I like to use extra virgin olive oil, but you can use regular olive oil if that is what you have on hand.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
This is a simple one-step recipe! Add the fresh basil, sunflower seeds, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan to a food processor and blend until the seeds and basil are creamy and sauce-like. That is it. It is super easy!
If you love using fresh herbs as I do, you will want to check out this article on How to Use Fresh Herbs in Your Cooking. I can’t say enough about using fresh herbs; they greatly affect freshness and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, pesto can go bad. This homemade pesto recipe will last around 1 week in the fridge. You shouldn’t let the pesto sit on the counter, or it will go bad quickly.
If you notice that the pesto has begun turning brown, it’s time to toss it. At that point, it won’t taste good, either, so you won’t even want to eat it.
Yes, you can freeze pesto without pine nuts. Put it in freezer-safe bags or an airtight container, or freeze it in ice cubes. If you go the ice cube route, you can pop them out of the container and place them in freezer bags. Then grab what you need.
Set it on the counter for a few minutes to defrost it. Then, use it as you normally would. In the freezer, it will last around 6 months.
Yes, you can eat this nut-free pesto on a vegetarian diet. See the Substitutions List above for my recommendations on making this recipe vegan.
If you run into too thick of pesto, you can easily fix this issue by adding a little olive oil. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you are looking for. Add some more basil or sunflower seeds if you notice it’s too thin.
While you shouldn’t normally have a problem with bitter pesto, it happens occasionally. If this happens to you, it is probably due to the basil. The best way to combat that is to add some fresh spinach leaves to the nut-free pesto. It will take away the bitterness and allow it to be still edible.
Ways To Use Pesto:
- Add it to this Roasted Red Pepper Italian Panini.
- Layer it in this dreamy Low Carb Lasagna.
- Top this Grilled Halibut Steak with pesto.
- Add a dollop to this yummy White Bean Hummus.
- Use this pesto in my Gluten Free Pizza Rolls recipe.
- My homemade Gluten Free Ravioli is perfect with pesto.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
The Best Nut-Free Pesto Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- sea salt to taste
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Instructions
- Add 2 cups fresh basil leaves, 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, 3 tablespoons grated parmesan, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and sea salt to taste to a food processor and blend until mostly smooth.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend using a food processor to grind up this pesto.
- This pesto will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer. (Tip: Freeze it in an ice cube tray so you have single-serve portions anytime you need it.)
- If you are vegan or dairy-free, you can make this pesto without pine nuts using VioLife Vegan Parmesan Cheese. It is the best vegan parmesan cheese I have found, and it tastes wonderful in this recipe.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older August 2019 post with more information and photos.
Hi,
I’m thinking of making this. Is sounds delicious! I have 2 questions: Should the sunflower seeds be raw or roasted? When measuring the basil, is it packed into the cups or lightly filled?
Thanks!
Hi Jo, the sunflower seeds I used were raw. I did a medium pack into the grinder. I hope this helps.
This is very good however next time I will use a bit less lemon or perhaps fresh squeezed as the bottled lemon juice seems a little overpowering.
I am glad you liked it. Definitely use less lemon if you like it less lemony :-).