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    Home » Sauces & Dressings

    5-Minute Vegan Pesto

    Updated: Aug 28, 2021 by Verna Rindler · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

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    vegan pesto in a bowl ready to serve

    This easy and herbaceous 5-Minute Vegan Pesto is the absolute best! The fresh, tangy, and savory ingredients blend together in no time and can be frozen for months on end. Use it as a flavor-enhancer on pizza, sandwiches, salad, and more!

    vegan pesto in a bowl with a spoon ready to serve

    I can’t get enough of this 5-Minute Vegan Pesto! It’s delightfully herby, savory, and delicious on almost everything. It’s a staple sauce I always keep in my fridge or freezer to add heaps of flavor to anything from Mashed Potatoes to Pasta Salad to Spinach Mushroom Pasta!

    This simple and herby Italian sauce is made from easy ingredients, like cheesy nutritional yeast, olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Instead of pine nuts, try using walnuts or sunflower seeds for a more nutrient-dense sauce that still packs in rich and nutty flavors. Made in a blender or food processor, the easy vegan pesto is ready to enjoy in just 5 minutes (if not sooner!).

    Jump to:
    • What is pesto?
    • Is pesto sauce vegan?
    • Easy vegan pesto ingredients:
    • How to make vegan pesto sauce
    • Tips for success:
    • How to use vegan pesto
    • Frequently asked questions:
    • More savory vegan sauces to try:
    • 5-Minute Vegan Pesto

    What is pesto?

    Pesto is an Italian sauce traditionally made of basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese. This sauce, originating from Genoa, Italy, is used as a spread, dip, and sauce on sandwiches, pasta, pizza, burgers, and more.

    Is pesto sauce vegan?

    One of the key ingredients in traditional pesto sauce is parmesan cheese; therefore, traditional pesto is not vegan. However, it can easily be made vegan by swapping out the parmesan cheese for a vegan alternative. This can either be a dairy free parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

    Easy vegan pesto ingredients:

    • Fresh basil - If you’ve been growing a basil plant all summer, now is your time to shine! You’ll use two cups of fresh basil as the base of this herbaceous sauce.
    • Walnuts or sunflower seeds - Since pine nuts tend to be expensive and hard to find, I recommend using walnuts or sunflower seeds in vegan basil pesto. Both of these substitutions will add a nice nutty richness.
    • Nutritional yeast - So cheesy and delicious, nutritional yeast is the perfect substitute for the traditionally used parmesan cheese. 
    • Extra virgin olive oil - This acts as a rich binding agent and also helps the pesto last longer.
    • Balsamic vinegar - I love how the tangy sweetness of a good balsamic vinegar cuts through the herby richness of the basil, nuts, and nutritional yeast in this pesto. 
    vegan pesto ingredients mixed together and served in a bowl with spoon

    How to make vegan pesto sauce

    All you need to make this super simple vegan pesto is a food processor or a high powered blender. The rest is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

    1. Place your basil, nuts or seeds, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oil, salt, and water into your food processor. 
    2. Blend your ingredients together until a smooth sauce forms. Add more water or oil as necessary to reach your desired consistency. 
    3. Spread your finished vegan pesto onto your favorite sandwich or stir it into cooked pasta noodles and enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below
    vegan pesto ingredients in a food processor
    vegan pesto blended in a food processor

    Tips for success:

    • If you prefer pesto on the thinner side, you can blend in a little extra water or oil.
    • Are you running out of basil? Feel free to substitute half of the basil with fresh spinach.
    • If walnuts or sunflower seeds aren’t your thing, try using cashews, pecans, pepitas, or pine nuts instead.
    • For a less tangy pesto, replace the balsamic vinegar with fresh or bottled lemon juice.

    How to use vegan pesto

    You can pair pesto with pretty much any savory dish or salad. It’s an extremely versatile sauce that goes well with Italian food, breakfast, side dishes, and more! Add a dollop on top of fettuccini alfredo, home fries or tofu scramble for breakfast, mix with tofu ricotta cheese, or meatballs,or use it as an herbaceous dip for pizza, roasted veggies, or fresh bread.

    Frequently asked questions:

    How long does vegan pesto last?

    Leftover vegan pesto stays fresh in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Can I freeze vegan pesto?

    Absolutely! Pour the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once the pesto cubes are completely frozen, pop them into a ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re craving something rich and herby, simply toss a frozen pesto cube into your simmering soup or pasta sauce!

    More savory vegan sauces to try:

    • Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
    • Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
    • Nacho Cheese Sauce
    • The Best Burger Sauce
    • Bolognese Sauce

    Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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    vegan pesto in a bowl with a spoon ready to serve

    5-Minute Vegan Pesto


    ★★★★★

    5 from 5 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This easy and herbaceous 5-Minute Vegan Pesto is the absolute best! The fresh, tangy, and savory ingredients blend together in no time and can be frozen for months on end. Use it as a flavor-enhancer on pizza, sandwiches, salad, and more!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For pesto:

    • 2 cups fresh basil, packed*
    • 2/3 cups walnuts or sunflower seeds (cashews, pecans, pepitas or pine nuts delicious also)
    • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
    • 1/4 cup oil ( olive oil, grapeseed, avocado, etc,..)
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar*
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 4-6 tablespoons water

    Instructions

    1. Place your basil, nuts or seeds, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oil, salt, and water into your food processor. 
    2. Blend your ingredients together until a smooth sauce forms. Add more water or oil as necessary to reach your desired consistency.
    3. Spread your finished vegan pesto onto your favorite sandwich or stir it into cooked pasta noodles and enjoy! For step by step photos, FAQ, tips and serving suggestions see above post.

    Notes

    • For oil free pesto: omit the oil and add more water or vegetable stock as needed.
    • Nut free pesto: use sunflower seeds or pepitas
    • pesto will thicken in fridge add water or oil to thin
    • Could sub lemon juice but I much prefer the balsamic vinegar.
    • To store and freeze: stays fresh in an air tight container in fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze pesto in in cube trays. Once frozen pop then out into a freezer bag or sealed container and store in freezer for up to 3 months or longer!
    • If you have a limited supply of basil swap 1 cup with fresh spinach!
    • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
    • Category: Sauces & Dressings, gluten free
    • Method: Food processor
    • Cuisine: Italian

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

    More Sauces & Dressings

    • Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy
    • Miso Gravy
    • Vegan Ricotta Cheese
    • Vegan Tofu Mayonnaise
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Greg

      July 11, 2022 at 6:45 am

      I made your pesto using walnuts and it was fantastic!  

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        July 11, 2022 at 8:54 am

        So glad to hear! Thanks for your awesome review.

        Reply
    2. Suzanne

      August 30, 2021 at 4:55 am

      Thanks Verna for an excellent recipe!
      I have been making veganized pesto for years, usually subbing miso for the parmesan, and recently subbing sunflower seeds for pine nuts (which have become very expensive). I was just harvesting a bunch of basil and saw Verna's recipe, thought it sounded good so decided to try it. I used half sunflower, half pumpkin seed, and balsamic. The finaĺ result is delicious and hearty (it uses about 3x more seeds than I typucally would). All of us loved it!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        August 30, 2021 at 7:55 am

        Yay!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it Suzanne and I so appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback, thank you!!

        Reply
    3. Rita

      August 29, 2021 at 10:18 am

      I really like your pesto recipe ! So good with local Russian garlic!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        August 29, 2021 at 11:04 am

        Thank you! Can't beat local fresh garlic yum!

        Reply
    4. Rita

      August 29, 2021 at 10:18 am

      I really like your pesto recipe !

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Winona

      August 27, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      I can’t wait to make this! All your other recipes have been amazing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        August 27, 2021 at 3:33 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Verna! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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