• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simple Vegan Blog
  • Vegan Spring
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Spring
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Spring
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > How-Tos

    Vegan Pesto

    Published: Jul 19, 2022 · Modified: Oct 10, 2022 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Photo of some vegan pesto spread onto some slices of bread with a heading
    Photo of a glass jar of vegan pesto with a heading

    Vegan pesto, a delicious Italian sauce, made in 5 minutes with only 8 ingredients. It's tasty, healthy, and so easy to prepare!

    Photo of a glass jar of vegan pesto

    This vegan pesto is one of those things you can eat with pretty much everything: on toast, sandwiches, as a salad dressing, with pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables, legumes... It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and so delicious it actually goes well with lots of dishes!

    You can customize it with ingredients like ground black pepper and lemon juice. Some people add lemon zest too, but I like it better without it. This easy vegan pesto is ready in 5 minutes and only requires 8 simple ingredients. To make it you need a food processor, a regular blender, or an immersion blender. It is so tasty!

    Contents hide
    1. Ingredient notes
    2. Pro tips
    3. How to make vegan pesto
    4. How to store
    5. Is pesto vegan?
    6. Serving suggestions
    7. Looking for more simple vegan recipes?
    8. Did you make this vegan pesto recipe?
    9. Vegan Pesto
    Photo of the ingredients needed to make this recipe

    Ingredient notes

    • Fresh basil leaves: basil is the best option, but if you can’t find it in your area, use spinach instead. I haven't tried making it with other fresh herbs.
    • Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier. 
    • Nutritional yeast: it gives this recipe the cheesy flavor, so it’s an important ingredient. If you can’t find it, you could also use brewer’s yeast. However, nutritional yeast is the best choice.
    • Pine nuts: traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but if you can’t find them, use walnuts instead.

    Pro tips

    • I used an immersion blender because it's easier to clean, although you can also make your vegan pesto with a regular blender or a food processor.
    • You can substitute basil for spinach or any other leafy green you have on hand.
    • Feel free to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.
    • You could make this recipe with vegan Parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast.
    Step-by-step photos of how to make this recipe

    How to make vegan pesto

    • Add all the ingredients into a bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
    • Serve your vegan pesto immediately.

    How to store

    • Fridge: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
    • Freezer: freeze in ice cube trays and then store the frozen pesto cubes in plastic freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months. It can also be frozen in small jars or airtight containers for 9-12 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. 

    Is pesto vegan?

    The classic pesto recipe is made with regular Parmesan cheese, so it is in fact not vegan.

    Serving suggestions

    Vegan pesto goes really well with plenty of different dishes. You could simply use it as a spread over some slices of vegan bread, veggies, or pasta.

    I also like to use it in recipes like roasted potatoes, vegan pizza, or even roasted red peppers.

    Looking for more simple vegan recipes?

    • Vegan Butter
    • Vegan Caesar Dressing
    • Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
    • Marinara Sauce
    • Vegan Gravy
    Photo of some vegan pesto spread onto some slices of bread

    Did you make this vegan pesto recipe?

    Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!

    This post contains affiliate links so you can easily find some of the products that we used to make this recipe. If you buy any of them through the links provided (without any extra cost for you), we'll get a commission. We're so grateful for your support!

    Square photo of a glass jar of vegan pesto

    Vegan Pesto

    Vegan pesto, a delicious Italian sauce, made in 5 minutes with only 8 ingredients. It's tasty, healthy, and so easy to prepare!
    5 from 5 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: How to, Sauce
    Cuisine: Italian
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 tablespoon
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 cup (0.7 oz) fresh basil leaves, large stems removed
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • 2 tablespoon pine nuts, raw or toasted
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
    • 1 clove of garlic
    • Dash of salt
    • Dash of ground black pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients into a bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also use a food processor or a regular blender, although I prefer to use an immersion blender because it's easier to clean.
    • Serve your vegan pesto immediately spread over some slices of vegan bread, veggies, or pasta. I also like to use it in recipes like roasted potatoes, vegan pizza, or even roasted red peppers.
    • Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Freeze in ice cube trays and then store the frozen pesto cubes in plastic freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months. It can also be frozen in small jars or airtight containers for 9-12 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

    Notes

    • I used an immersion blender because it's easier to clean, although you can also make your vegan pesto with a regular blender or a food processor.
    • If basil and pine nuts are too expensive or hard to find in your area, you could also use spinach or any other leafy green you have on hand, and any other kind of nuts, such as walnuts or almonds.
    • Feel free to replace garlic powder with fresh garlic.
    • Add salt to taste.
    • If you don't have or don't want to use nutritional yeast, you could make this recipe with vegan Parmesan cheese instead.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2.2g | Fat: 8.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 0.6g

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in March of 2019, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in July of 2022.

    More How-To Recipes

    • How Many Tablespoons in a Cup (tbsp to cup)
    • How Many Ounces in a Gallon (gal to oz)
    • How Many Grams in an Ounce (oz to g)
    • Vegan Aioli

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kumat says

      September 18, 2022 at 8:16 pm

      5 stars
      This has been amazing. I make it with cashews instead and absolutely love it in tortillas.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        September 19, 2022 at 8:49 am

        Hi Kumat! So glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    2. Kimmy says

      July 24, 2020 at 5:17 am

      5 stars
      So simple yet delicious. I top it off with some vegan parmesan cheese.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        July 24, 2020 at 12:01 pm

        Hi Kimmy! That sounds so good 🙂 I'm glad you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Lili says

      July 19, 2020 at 7:59 pm

      Can I make this without oil?.. or what would be a healthy substitute for it being oil-free?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        July 20, 2020 at 12:05 pm

        Hi Lili! I haven't tried it myself but I think it would work 🙂 But, let me tell you that olive oil is not unhealthy 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    4. Carlos says

      February 29, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      Hola Iosune,
      I have been making your amazing and delicious recipes for a few years now but never left a comment/review before and I feel that I've done your hard work a disservice. As my apology here is my contribution.
      I did not have access to fresh Basil leaves so I used dried leaves and added 3/4 to 1 cup of water to re-hydrate them and it turned out amazingly delicious. My wife, who has always hated Pesto of any kind, could not get enough of it and now this will be a permanent dish for our family. Thank you so much again for all that you do and keep up the amazing work.
      Con mucho amor, respeto, y apreciación de nuestra familia, a la suya.
      Gracias \(=^.^=)/

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        March 09, 2020 at 3:52 pm

        Hola Carlos! Gracias a ti 🙂 Un abrazo!

        Reply
    5. petey says

      November 30, 2019 at 10:39 pm

      MY apologies, I hit “jump to recipe” , and found the proportions

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        December 05, 2019 at 11:32 am

        Hi Petey! Yes, you have all the ingredients in the recipe box 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    6. Leonie says

      March 25, 2019 at 11:15 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and fast recipe; I used almond slivers to substitute the pine nuts, an economical and delicious way to make this.

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        March 28, 2019 at 4:47 am

        Hi Leonie! So glad you liked it 🙂 Sounds great!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Iosune! Welcome to Simple Vegan Blog. Here you’ll find nutritious and delicious vegan recipes that will help you stay healthy and happy.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Tofu Scramble
    • General Tso's Tofu
    • Easy Tofu Stir Fry
    • Vegan Jambalaya

    Vegan Spring

    • Vegan Chicken Salad
    • Tofu Salad
    • Fruit Infused Water
    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins

    As seen in

    Footer

    ↑ Back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Copyright © 2022 Simple Vegan Blog