Bright, herby, and easy to customize, this simple Vegan Pesto recipe is the best weeknight dinner staple. Swirl it with cooked pasta, dollop it on pizza, or use it as a savory bread dip. It freezes like a dream, too!
I love pesto and use it in all kinds of recipes, like this Creamy Pesto Gnocchi, this Pesto Pasta Salad, and this Asparagus Puff Pastry with Pesto.
If there’s one sauce I can’t live without, it’s this easy Vegan Pesto. Simple to make with fresh summer basil, it’s vibrant, herbaceous, and the #1 sauce I reach for when I want to amp up our pasta dinners and vegan pizza nights.
Traditionally, Italian basil pesto (pesto Genovese) is a no-cook sauce made with expensive pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. My vegan version uses buttery cashews and nutritional yeast for a rich, “cheesy” flavor. Plus, you can even lighten up the taste with water, blend in spinach or arugula, or swap the nuts for seeds. There are so many ways to customize it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is my go to pesto recipe. I made it all summer long, and then made a lot that I froze for winter with basil from my garden. I just take it out of the freezer the day before I plan to make pasta with it and it makes cooking that night so easy!” – Cassan
Why you’ll love this homemade vegan pesto
- Hands down the best sauce – I can’t think of a better way to use fresh basil than in homemade vegan pesto. I seriously can’t get enough of this herbaceous, savory, cheesy sauce!
- So versatile! Toss it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches and wraps, swirl it into grain bowls, drizzle it over roasted veggies, or dip fresh bread into it.
- Easy to make your own – I already swapped the expensive pine nuts for cashews, but you can easily adapt my recipe to be nut-free and oil-free, load it with extra leafy greens, omit the nutritional yeast, and more.
How to make vegan pesto
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Add the cashews, garlic, fresh basil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt to a food processor. Process until the mixture is crumbly.
Process the basil leaves last
According to Bon Appetit, this will help maintain the herbs’ green color and aromatic, herbal flavor.
With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until the pesto is emulsified.
Serve it right away or store it in the fridge/freezer for later.
Getting the right consistency
The pesto should be pretty thick by the time it’s done blending. If it’s not quite there yet, you can blend in more nuts or basil leaves. Or, if you want to thin it out, either add more olive oil or ¼ cup water.
Frequently asked questions
Just like in my Spinach Pesto recipe, you can replace all or some of the basil with fresh baby spinach leaves. Kale and arugula work, too. The pesto won’t taste quite as herby, but it’ll still be delicious.
Pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds are all great substitutes.
Yes, but carefully. Blenders tend to turn pesto into a completely smooth puree instead of a textured sauce. For the best results, pulse on low speed and stop to scrape down the sides as often as needed.
Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 6 days.
To freeze, pour the pesto into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Thaw as many cubes as you need before serving or just drop them into the warm pot of pasta, soup, stew, etc.
Once it’s in the container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pesto, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top, or add a light drizzle of lemon juice before sealing.
Vegan Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 cups fresh basil loosely packed
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast or omit if you don’t enjoy it
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup water or more olive oil
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the cashews, garlic, fresh basil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Process until a thick, crumbly mixture forms.
- With the motor running on the food processor, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Process until fairly smooth, scraping the sides a few times as needed. The pesto will be very thick at this point. If you want to thin it out more, add either more olive oil, or ¼ cup water. Process until smooth and creamy.
- Store in the refrigerator for 5-6 days in a covered container. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. I freeze pesto in an ice cube tray, then pop the cubes out and place in a freezer-safe container.
Video
Notes
- Oil-Free Pesto: For oil-free pesto, substitute water for the olive oil, starting with 1/4 cup of water and adding a little more as needed. It won’t be quite the same but it’s pretty good if you need to omit oil!
- Nut/Seed Options: I love using buttery cashews in pesto, and they are less expensive than pine nuts. You may also use pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds.
- Instead of Basil: Switch up your pesto by using kale, spinach, or arugula instead of basil.
- This vegan pesto goes great with any kind of pasta, on pizza, as a dip with vegetables or pita chips, as a salad dressing (thinned out with water), or spread on a sandwich.
- The pesto will thicken up in the refrigerator. Simply thin it out with water or olive oil each time you use it, as needed.
Nutrition
I pinned the recipe and I guess I left my review under the pin, but this is the recipe I return to every single year, so I’m reviewing it here for Google. I use walnuts and leave out the oil, and we absolutely love it. I leave it a tad bit course bc of the texture and the mottled color. I put it on pizzas and it’s usually gone within a day…. Fantastic.
So good! Was able to make it in my vitamix as I don’t have a food processor.
I’m really glad this worked in your food processor and that you loved it! Thanks for your great feedback and review!
Simply perfect pesto recipe! Made exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks Nora!
Thank you for your fabulous feedback and review, Kim!
This is my go to pesto recipe. I made it all summer long, and then made a lot that I froze for winter with basil from my garden. I just take it out of the freezer the day before I plan to make pasta with it and it makes cooking that night so easy!
How wonderful that you are loving the pesto recipe! Thanks for your great feedback and review!
Delicious! I increased the amount of lemon and this pesto just popped!
It’s great that you loved the pesto, Jae! Thank you for sharing your fantastic feedback!
This recipe is absolutely perfect! I threw everything in the food processor and it tastes amazing!! Thank you, Nora!
You are welcome! I’m really glad you enjoyed the pesto! Thanks for you fantastic feedback!
I could eat this with a spoon! I wanted to make this exact before I decided to mess with it. I almost succeeded. I only had a cup of basil so I made half the recipe. I had to add more oil and ‘veggie broth’ to get the food processor to process. That was the first slight change. Second change I added 1 Tbls vegan cheese. It did not need it. I will leave it out next time for health purposes. Thank you…I can count on your recipes to be very tasty!
Hi Paulette. Thank you for sharing your experience and wonderful feedback! I’m happy to learn that you loved the pesto! I appreciate you using my recipes, and am glad you love them! Happy cooking!
Thank you Nora, This is the number one recipe for vegan pesto. I grow an abundance of basil every year and make double batches of pesto. It freezes very well in silicone cupcake molds. This year I added 1 teaspoon of white miso and a heaping quarter cup of nutritional yeast. Fantastic!
Hi Margaret. How clever that you grow your basil! I’m so thrilled you love the pesto! Thanks for sharing your amazing feedback and ideas!
Excellent!!
I made this pesto over the weekend with basil from my garden and it was so, so delicious! It was rich and flavorful, yet still fresh feeing. I did not miss the parmesan cheese at all.
Hi Bethany. I love that you were able to use basil from your garden! It makes me happy that you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Another winner!
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your positive feedback and review!
Amazing!! I made this pesto to try on some penne with Roasted Veggies and it was delicioussss!! Next day I watered down some of the leftover pesto as a salad dressing. This is a 12/10!!
Thanks for your wonderful feedback and great idea! I’m so glad you loved the pesto!
Good flavor, but very liquidy consistency. Fine as written for pesto pasta, but for other uses, I would recommend omitting the 1/4 cup water.
Do I soak cashews?
No need to soak the cashews in this recipe!
In one word…..”YUUMMMMMY”!!! Another winner! I thought I was cooking enough for leftovers tomorrow but my kids kept asking for more of the ‘green stuff’. THANK YOU NORA!
I’m so glad the pesto was a hit! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and fun comments!
Very good. Will make again.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you liked the pesto!
Followed the recipe and it’s so delicious! However mine is not as green as your pictures for some reason, but still awesome and easy
Thanks for sharing your review! Glad you love the pesto!
This was fantastic
I used half basil from garden and half kale. Used tiny amount of oil and rest
Delish! Thanks for sharing! .
I’m glad you found the pesto delicious! Thanks for sharing your review and comments!
Absolutely delicious—I used half cashews and half walnuts as well as veggie broth instead of water. YUM!!! THX for the great recipe!
Thank you for sharing your great review and comments!
Think you could freeze this? Would love to use when I have some extra basil around.
Yes, it freezes well. It’s one of the things I frozen several years ago in preparation for my son being born. 🙂
This sounds great. What is the serving size?
There are about 6 servings, depending on appetites of course. I think one serving is about 1/2 cup, but you’d have to divide it and measure it to make sure.
This is delicious! I was so happy to find an oil free pesto! Will be making again soon!
Thank you, Jessi! Happy cooking!
Simple and fantastic. Love that there are so few ingredients and I always have these ingredients. TY so much.
Hi Rachel. I’m glad you love the recipe! Thank you!
Not enough stars to rate this recipe! It’s easy and delicious. I did add a few toasted pine nuts and just a dab of evoo to it. I served over brown rice pasta with charred cherry tomatoes, calamata olives and roasted red peppers. We loved it. Thanks Nora!!!
Hi Brooke. Thank you for sharing your comments! I can see a visual of the beautiful dish you described in my mind! I’m glad you love the recipe!