If you don’t eat dairy or you’re hosting a guest who is dairy-free or vegan, don’t despair! This dairy-free pesto is as good as – dare I say even better? – than traditional.

This packed-full-of-flavor dairy free pesto is full of basil and garlic flavor and tastes like classic pesto, but without the Parmesan.

A jar of pesto is on a marble counter with basil in the background. A spoonful of the pesto is perched on top of the jar.

Table of Contents

All About Pesto

Garlicky, glorious, herby pesto. It’s such a wonderful, versatile sauce that elevates everything from pizza to pasta to sandwiches. And at a glance, pesto looks like it must be vegan. I mean, it’s so green, am I right? But nope! Traditional pesto has Parmesan, so it’s not dairy-free or vegan – but I have the solution right here: Dairy-Free Pesto!

Traditional pesto contains the following ingredients:

  1. Basil
  2. Garlic
  3. Pine nuts
  4. Parmesan and
  5. Olive oil

So you see your vegan/dairy “gotcha” ingredient right there – PARMESAN! No bueno for vegans – and sometimes a no bueno for vegetarians, too, if rennet source matters to you (this can depend on the brand of Parm, too.) 

I’m sure there are quite a few people out there who think pesto needs parmesan cheese, and I suppose I used to be one of them. But you know what? It just ain’t so! Yes, back before my dairy-free days, even my own pesto recipes had a heavy hand with the cheese. And I’ll admit, it took me awhile to land on a cheese-free pesto recipe that I liked just as well. So you might be wondering … 

What Can I Use Instead of Parmesan in Pesto?

Instead of Parmesan, we’ve got a combo of that glorious vegan wonderfood, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. TRUST ME – this combo works swimmingly and officially elevates this vegan basil pesto to my very favorite in the world. 

So what else is in this one?

Readers say …

“Love this recipe! My husband said he liked this more than regular pesto and my son gobbled it up. I tossed it with rotini pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes. Delicious! Thank you!”

– Courtney
Ingredients for vegan pesto on a marble countertop.

Ingredients

We’ve got some nice, traditional ingredients going on:

  • Basil – a LOT of fresh basil
  • Pine nuts – I love the flavor this traditional ingredient adds, but you can sub with cashews or toasted walnuts.
  • Good olive oil
  • Garlic – gotta have fresh garlic!

And then, we have a few less traditional ingredients for loads of flavor:

  • Lemon juice – for zip
  • Nutritional yeast – for that nutty umami effect that parmesan used to bring to the table
  • Thyme – just because it’s oh-so good. The thyme is optional, but I gotta enthusiastically recommend it. (The addition is inspired by Isa and it’s so good in there.)

Adaptations/Variations

  • Parsley pesto: Swap the basil for parsley. It’s so good!
  • Basil & toasted walnut pesto: Toast up some walnuts and add them to the mix instead of pine nuts. I love this variation!

How to Make Dairy Free Pesto

Some people use a mortar and pestle for their pesto – that’s the old-fashioned (and some might argue superior) way to do it. If you’d like to do the same, go for it!

But me, I use my Vitamix. Call me lazy or call me efficient – either way, call my very favorite vegan pesto recipe delicious. 😉 Because it’s still plenty tasty straight out of the blender, and it’s super easy to make that way too.

Vibrant green pesto is blended in a Vitamin.
A close-up of a spoonful of dairy free pesto sauce.

Can You Freeze Pesto?

Yes, pesto freezes beautifully! You can freeze it in a zipper bag or airtight container, or even freeze it individually in muffin cups or silicone molds, then pop them out and place the pesto pucks in an airtight bag. Pull one out and add it to pasta for a quick and easy meal.

How to Serve Dairy-Free Pesto

Oh, and some ideas for enjoying your vegan basil pesto? I, Ms. Pesto Obsessed, have a few of those!

  • Pizza: How about as a base on some pizza along with a thin layer of heirloom tomatoes and some cashew parmesan sprinkled on top before baking? Vegan pizza nirvana.
  • Pesto potatoes: Toss with just-out-of-the-oven roasted baby potatoes.
  • Soup topper: Drizzle it over your favorite minestrone.
  • Sandwiches: Try it slathered on a grilled vegetable sandwich.
  • Pasta or gnocchi: Serve it with either, or stir it into pesto pasta topped with cherry tomatoes.

Pesto, baby. Is there anything it can’t do?

Make some dairy-free pesto for now, make some for later, either way, just make it!

You’ll be glad you did.

More Dairy-Free & Vegan Sauce Recipes

5 from 1 vote

Dairy-Free Pesto

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 6
Think pesto needs parmesan in order to have flavor? Think again! This versatile, vibrant pesto proves that pesto doesn't need dairy to be delicious.
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Ingredients

  • 6 cups loosely packed fresh basil
  • 2/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 4 medium cloves garlic (roughly minced)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt + more to taste
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Place basil, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, thyme (if using), salt, and 1/2 cup olive oil in your high-speed blender (I use and recommend a Vitamix). Blend until a bit of a paste forms, drizzling in more olive oil as necessary until your pesto reaches the consistency you like. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to several months.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 48mg, Fiber: 1g

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