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This Easy Vegan Pesto is bright, herby, and perfectly creamy with a rich, cheesy flavor thanks to nutritional yeast. It comes together in just minutes and is perfect for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, grain bowls, and so much more.
Why you’ll love this creamy vegan pesto sauce
I’ve been asked several times recently “is pesto vegan”? The answer is a simple NO since traditional pesto has parmesan cheese in it. BUMMER I know. I’ve always LOVED pesto and figured it was time to make a vegan version of it!
During the summer, I find myself making homemade pesto on a REGULAR basis. THIS HERE is my vegan version that I kept as simple as possible. I like to make it in bog batches and then freeze some in ice cube trays so we can enjoy it year round!
Why this is the best vegan pesto:
- Tastes like the real thing – vegan parm gets you closer to classic pesto flavor than nooch alone
- Comes together in one processor – no separate toasting or soaking steps required
- Freezes in individual portions – always have a batch ready for a fast dinner
- Budget flex built in – swap pine nuts for walnuts or cashews if pine nuts are pricey this week
Ingredients needed
The simple ingredients for this easy vegan pesto recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Fresh basil – use it lightly packed; too tightly packed and you’ll end up with more pesto than oil can properly coat. I love using fresh basil leaves from my garden during the summer but store bought works well too!
- Garlic – fresh garlic gets sharp fast, so 2 cloves is the ceiling unless you’re roasting it first
- Pine nuts – the traditional choice; walnuts or cashews are a solid, cheaper swap with a slightly different but still good flavor
- Olive oil – this is what emulsifies everything into a sauce, not just a garnish, so use a good quality extra virgin olive oil you’d be happy drizzling on its own
- Vegan parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast) – this is doing the flavor work nutritional yeast usually does in other vegan pesto recipes; nutritional yeast works as a sub if that’s what you have on hand
- Optional – A good squeeze of lemon juice to add acidity and birghtness.
How to Make Vegan Basil Pesto
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- Chop the basics. Basil, garlic, and pine nuts go in the food processor first and get pulsed until finely chopped – this gives the oil something to grab onto later.
- Stream in the oil. With the processor still running, pour the olive oil in slowly. This is the step that turns a pile of chopped herbs into an actual sauce.
- Add the cheese. Pulse in the vegan parmesan just until combined – over processing here can make it gummy instead of creamy. Store any leftover pesto in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t dump the oil in all at once – streaming it in slowly is what actually emulsifies the sauce instead of leaving it separated
- Taste your vegan parm before you commit – brands vary wildly in saltiness, so you may need less or more than the recipe calls for
- Pulse, don’t puree, the cheese in – a few short pulses keeps the texture right; over-blending can turn it gummy
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegan parmesan is designed to mimic the texture and saltiness of real parmesan, so it gets you closer to classic pesto flavor. Nutritional yeast has a good cheesy taste too, but it’s flatter and thinner – it works fine as a swap, just don’t expect an identical result.
Walnuts and cashews are the most common substitutes and both work well. They’ll shift the flavor slightly – walnuts add a bit of bitterness, raw cashews lean sweeter and creamier – but neither will ruin the recipe. Almonds also work well!
Yes – sunflower seeds or pepitas are the standard swap for pine nuts in nut-free pesto and hold up well here.
Vegan Pesto
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil lightly packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 heaping tablespoons pine nuts
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup vegan parmesan cheese, see notes above for recommendations of brands and homemade recipe
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Process until finely chopped (see video for reference).
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the processor running until full combined. Add in the cheese alternative and processor a few times until mixed together completely. Store in the fridge and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
