Go Back
–+ servings
A close-up of a glass jar filled with vibrant green pesto sauce, showing a textured mixture of basil, oil, and other ingredients.

Dairy-Free Pesto

No ratings yet
A simple, dairy-free version of classic basil pesto using nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan. Full of flavor, easy to make, and endlessly versatile.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 12 tablespoons
Course: Dressing/Condiment
Cuisine: Modern American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup basil leaves fresh
  • 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ¼-½ cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt to taste

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender
  • Airtight container for storage
  • Spatula or spoon

Method
 

  1. Add basil, garlic, and pine nuts to a food processor. Pulse several times to finely chop.
  2. With the machine running, slowly stream in olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
  3. Add nutritional yeast and pulse just to combine.
  4. Season with kosher salt to taste and pulse once or twice more.
  5. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

Storage: Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. No cheese means it browns a little faster than a classic pesto, so keep it pressed flat under a thin layer of oil and give it a stir before using.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!