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Quick Pesto Sauce Recipe (Without Pine Nuts)

By Sarah Cook

5 from 5 ratings

Jul 05, 2022, Updated Jul 23, 2025

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This quick homemade pesto sauce recipe without pine nuts comes together with only six simple ingredients. Who needs store-bought when homemade pesto is easy, delicious, and is ready in about 10 minutes.

a white bowl with pine nut free pesto, tomatoes, and bread sticks.

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Pesto can make you feel like a magician. In just a few minutes, you take fresh basil and turn it into an amazing and versatile sauce. Pesto change-o! <—not the least bit sorry.

Homemade pesto sauce without pine nuts can be ready in minutes, and then you’re on your way to tasty recipes like our turkey pesto sandwich or Instant Pot lentil soup (pesto is the secret ingredient in that soupn and a ton of five-star ratings can’t be wrong!).

basil, walnuts, and other ingredients on a grey board.

The garlic in this pesto is pretty apparent, so if you need something more subtle, either dial back the garlic or use roasted garlic. Roasted garlic is more mellow and has a sweet flavor to it.

I always have some air fryer roasted garlic hanging around my freezer.

a Note From Sarah

Sustainability Tip

If you have leftover basil after making your pesto, don’t let it go to waste!

Instead, check out our tutorial on how to dry basil.

Pesto is a sauce that is best served in small quantities. There is a reason that grocery stores sell it in teeny tiny jars – a little goes a long way. And yikes, those jars are pricey!

I like to put my pesto in our Souper Cubes until frozen solid, and then transfer them to a reusable freezer bag.

For larger quantities, I freeze homemade pesto in 4 oz mason jars. You can get more details in our post on how to freeze pesto.

walnuts toasting in a cast iron skillet.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

Make sure you toast the nuts/seeds for a few minutes before chopping them. It really elevates the flavor they bring to the pesto basil sauce.
You’ll have a better overall consistency if you pulse the nuts/seeds in a food processor before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Pesto will oxidize (brown) very quickly after it’s made. Either make it right before you intend to serve it or immediately transfer it to the fridge in an air-tight container.
If you’re putting it out as a dip, an extra layer of olive oil at the top will keep it looking fresh.
Add in a cup or two of spinach or kale as an easy way to sneak in more veggies to dishes.

a hand dipping a cheesy breadstick into a white bowl of homemade pesto.

5 from 5 ratings

Quick Pesto Sauce Recipe (Without Pine Nuts)

By: Sarah CookServings: 4 Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 5 minutes Total: 15 minutes

This quick homemade pesto sauce recipe without pine nuts comes together with only six simple ingredients. Who needs store-bought when homemade pesto is easy, delicious, and is ready in about 10 minutes.

Equipment

Cast Iron Skillet
Food processor
Silicone spatula
Cutting Board
Knife
Souper Cubes

Ingredients 1x2x3x

▢ 1/4 cup nuts walnuts {almonds, cashews, sunflower or pumpkin seeds work too}
▢ 1/4 tsp olive oil
▢ 2 cups fresh basil
▢ 1/3 cup shredded parmesan
▢ 3 cloves garlic
▢ 1/8 tsp kosher salt
▢ 1/3 cup olive oil

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Instructions

In a heavy skillet on medium heat, toast nuts with olive oil until they are warm and fragrant (~5 minutes).1/4 cup nuts walnuts, 1/4 tsp olive oil
In a food processor, pulse the nuts/seeds into small pieces.
Add the basil, cheese, garlic, and salt and process until the mixture is finely chopped. Scrape down the sides as needed.2 cups fresh basil, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan, 3 cloves garlic, 1/8 tsp kosher salt
With the machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the mixture has come together.1/3 cup olive oil

Notes

You’ll have a better overall consistency if you pulse the nuts/seeds in a food processor before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Pesto will oxidize (brown) very quickly after it’s made. Either make it right before you intend to serve it or immediately transfer it to the fridge in an air-tight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 5gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 208mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 700IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side DishCuisine: Italian Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah Cook

I'm here to help you make easy, seasonal, and no-fuss recipes for yourself and your family.

Whether it's a quick one-pot dinner or if I am teaching you how to can and preserve local produce, you can consider me your elder millennial grandma

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19 Comments

I had a recipe to make turkey pesto burgers that sounded REALLY good the other night but had no pesto on hand. What I did have was lots of fresh basil in my garden (NBD), all the other ingredients in my kitchen, and a favorite food blogger who has LITERALLY NEVER LET ME DOWN.

I actually had pine nuts on hand so I used those in the recipe and used garlic oil instead of the garlic cloves and olive oil to make it work for our family (husband is low FODMAP). I added extra salt because we are a particularly salty bunch and it is so, so good. Like, spreading it on everything good. Turkey burgers, yum. Rotisserie chicken sandwich, absolutely. Eggs in the morning, of course!

This is incredibly versatile and I only wish I had stocked up on the smaller souper cubes so I could load up my freezer with little squares of heaven. Thank you, Sarah!
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1. Awww, thank you Allison! You always leave such kind and thoughtful comments and ratings.
  
  And I hear you on being a salty bunch. Recipe testing is rough for me because I definitely like things saltier. So I toe the line of what “normal” person would think is enough seasoning. 🙂
  Reply
That is way interesting! Why have I never thought to make it with walnuts….. I’m totally making this! Thanks!
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1. You’re so welcome, April! I hope you love it.
  Reply
I think I could easily live on pesto!
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I use walnuts in my pesto. I have a butt load
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1. Delicious!
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I have pretty much the same recipe but with pine nuts, which usually require consideration of organ donation when purchasing…. Definitely going to have a go with almonds. Just curious, how long do you store the pesto? I normally make and cook at the same time. Thanks heaps!
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1. Pine nuts are delicious, but oh yeah super expensive. Walnuts and cashews are delicious as well almonds. I have even done sunflower seeds in a pinch.
  
  I freeze it for months at a time. It will oxidize (turn brown) eventually, but it tastes delicious even if it is browned.
  Reply
  1. I do it with sunflower seeds because all nuts are crazy expensive where I’m am! Since a friend pointed out that pesto with basil is a regional thing (Genoa) and you can use any green you fancy, I vary it depending on what I have available, I really like kale and rocket (arugula)
    Reply
    1. I seem to remember you had a carrot top pesto at one point? Or am I misremembering?
      
      Sunflower seeds are a great sub here, but I would still recommend toasting them if you have the time.
I ran an experiment last year and I made two batches of pesto. They were identical -and carefully measured!!- except for one ingredient. One used pine nuts and the other was made with walnuts. Nobody could tell the difference between the two! And walnuts are so much cheaper than pine nuts! A friend gave me a butt-load of basil yesterday, so you post had amazing timing! And I will be using walnuts. 🙂
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1. Isn’t it lovely to find an inexpensive alternative to something? Makes me so happy. I have even done sunflower seeds in a pinch and it was fine.
  Reply
The Garden Betty blog has a recipe for Basil Puree that can be frozen. The post includes great suggestions for how to use it, I\\\’ll definitely be making it this year as well as your pesto recipe. Here\\\’s the link in case anybody is interested. https://www.gardenbetty.com/simple-preserves-making-and-freezing-basil-puree/ I love your blog! Jennifer
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1. It’s so easy to freeze and such a fun treat to pull out in the middle of January. 🙂
  Reply
I *highly* recommend trying this with roasted walnuts. The flavor is spectacular and (at least where I am) walnuts are so much cheaper than almonds.
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I love making my own basil and freezing it. We use pine nuts, but I may switch to almonds. Our store doesn’t carry bulk pine nuts anymore. THanks for joining the Frugal Tuesday Tip.
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Your pictures are so much prettier than mine. 🙂 I can’t get over how expensive pesto is in the store! My husband laughs because I will look at something and say “Do you know I can make twice that amount for $x.xx!” You will have to post your recipes for using it. I love new recipes!
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You’re so sweet. A food blog I sometimes read has a series on how to take better food photos, and it’s been SO helpful for me! Here is the site: https://www.fannetasticfood.com/

I like pesto on pizza with chicken and artichoke hearts. Also, on crusty bread with grilled chicken and melted mozzarella!
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