This nut-free pesto sauce is made completely without pine nuts - or any nuts at all. Using fresh basil, baby spinach, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil, it comes together in about 5 minutes in a food processor. At only 155 calories per ¼-cup serving, it's lighter than traditional pesto yet still packed with bold, garlicky basil flavor.
A Quick Look At This Nut-Free Pesto
- ✅ Recipe Name: Nut-Free Pesto Sauce (Without Pine Nuts!)
- 🕒 Ready In: 5 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 4 (¼ cup per serving)
- 🍽 Calories: ~155 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Fresh basil, baby spinach, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil
- 📖 Dietary Info: Nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This is a completely nut-free pesto that doesn't just swap almonds for pine nuts - it skips nuts entirely. Baby spinach adds volume and nutrition, and nobody can tell the difference. I make it weekly and use it on everything.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I created this pesto recipe without pine nuts after getting tired of every "no pine nut" recipe just swapping in walnuts or almonds. That doesn't help when you're nut-free or don't keep nuts stocked.
So I tested batch after batch until I landed on this version - the secret is adding baby spinach alongside the basil. It gives the pesto body, a beautiful deep green color, and a boost of vitamin A, all without changing the classic flavor. My family genuinely can't tell there are no nuts in it.
I use this as my base pesto for everything - stirred into pasta, spread on sandwiches, drizzled over roasted salmon, or tossed into my orzo pesto salad and tuna pesto pasta salad. It's the kind of recipe I make almost weekly, and it's been the most-requested one from friends who've tried it at my house.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At This Nut-Free Pesto
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Is this Pesto Healthy?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Easy Ingredient Substitutions
- How to Make Pesto without Pine Nuts (Step-by-Step)
- Tips for Making the Best Nut-Free Pesto
- What to Serve with Homemade Pesto
- How to Store and Freeze Pesto
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Easy Nut-Free Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Actually nut-free. No almonds, no walnuts - zero nuts. Safe for tree nut allergies and way cheaper than buying pine nuts.
- Spinach is the secret. Baby spinach adds volume and a deeper green color - without any detectable spinach flavor. Picky eaters won't notice.
- 5 minutes, one food processor. No toasting, no blanching. Pulse, stream in olive oil, done.
- Works in everything. Pasta, sandwiches, marinades, and dips. I use it as the base for my orzo pesto salad and to dip my homemade air fryer pizza rolls.
Is this Pesto Healthy?
Short answer - yes, and here's why:
- 155 calories per serving - significantly lighter than traditional pesto made with pine nuts or walnuts (300+ calories).
- Packed with vitamin A - the baby spinach adds over 2,000 IU per serving, plus iron and folate you won't get from basil-only pesto.
- No junk - no added sugar, no preservatives, no seed oils. Naturally nut-free and gluten-free, with an easy vegan swap.
Ingredients You'll Need
This nut-free pesto comes together with just 6 simple ingredients. Here's what you need and why each one matters:
- Fresh basil - The backbone of any pesto. Use packed cups and remove large stems. Dried basil won't work here.
- Baby spinach - This is what replaces the nuts. It adds volume, a deep green color, and a boost of vitamin A. I tested regular spinach too - baby spinach blends smoother and has a milder flavor.
- Parmesan cheese - This provides the savory, almost nutty depth that pine nuts would normally add. Freshly grated is best - pre-shredded bags have anti-caking agents that can make the pesto gritty.
- Garlic - Fresh cloves only. I've tested jarred minced garlic, and it tastes flat in a raw sauce like this.
- Extra-virgin olive oil - You'll taste it in this recipe, so use good-quality oil. I stream it in slowly while the processor runs - this emulsifies it for a creamier texture, the same technique I use in my crispy salmon with pesto.
- Salt and black pepper - Start with ½ teaspoon each and adjust after tasting.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Easy Ingredient Substitutions
- Make it vegan - Swap the Parmesan for 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. It gives you the same savory depth without any dairy - making this a pesto without pine nuts or cheese, and fully plant-based.
- Want to add nuts? If tree nuts aren't a concern, toss in ¼ cup of walnuts, almonds, or cashews. Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds work for a seed-based option.
- Try different greens - Swap half the basil for arugula (peppery), kale (earthy), or parsley (brighter and more herbaceous). All work great with the spinach base.
- Add a squeeze of lemon - A tablespoon of fresh lemon juice brightens everything, especially if you're using this as a dip or dressing base.
- Use Pecorino Romano - If you want a sharper, tangier flavor than Parmesan, Pecorino is a great swap at the same amount.
How to Make Pesto without Pine Nuts (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1: Add the basil leaves and baby spinach to a food processor. Pulse a few times until roughly chopped.
- Step 2: Add the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few more times, then scrape down the sides with a spatula.
- Step 3: Set the food processor to low and slowly stream in the olive oil. This emulsifies it into the pesto for a smoother, creamier texture. Then add the Parmesan and pulse to combine.
- Step 4: Taste and adjust salt or pepper as needed. Serve immediately or store for later.
Tips for Making the Best Nut-Free Pesto
- Dry your basil completely before blending. Any water on the leaves will cause the pesto to brown faster. I pat mine dry with a paper towel after washing - it keeps the color vibrant for days longer in the fridge.
- Stream the olive oil, don't dump it. Pouring it in slowly while the processor runs on low emulsifies the oil into the pesto. The result is noticeably creamier than just tossing everything in at once. I tested both ways - the difference is real.
- Fresh garlic only. I know jarred minced garlic is easier, but in a raw sauce like pesto, you can taste the difference immediately. Fresh cloves give it that sharp, bright kick that jarred garlic just can't match.
- Taste before you store. Pesto flavors mellow in the fridge, so season it slightly more than you think it needs while it's fresh. A pinch more salt or an extra clove of garlic now saves a bland pesto tomorrow.
- Use baby spinach, not regular. I've tested both. Regular spinach has tougher stems and a stronger flavor that competes with the basil. Baby spinach blends silky smooth and disappears completely into the sauce.
What to Serve with Homemade Pesto
This pesto works as a sauce, spread, marinade, or dip - here are my favorite ways to use it:
- Toss it with pasta - Stir a few spoonfuls into hot pasta with a splash of pasta water for a quick weeknight dinner. It's the base of my tuna pesto pasta.
- Make a cold salad - Toss it with orzo, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella, like in my orzo pesto salad.
- Use it as a marinade - Spread it over salmon or chicken before roasting.
- Make pesto pizza - Swap marinara for pesto as the base. I do this with my healthy pizza recipe and my air fryer tortilla pizza; it's a total game-changer.
- Use it as a dip - Try it with my air fryer smashed potatoes or cauliflower pizza bites instead of a traditional dipping sauce.
- Spread it on sandwiches - Use it instead of mayo or mustard for an instant flavor upgrade on wraps, paninis, or toast.
How to Store and Freeze Pesto
- In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on top before sealing - this keeps air off the basil and prevents browning.
- In the freezer: Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Pop the cubes out and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use it, thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Why I love the ice cube method: Each cube is roughly 2 tablespoons, so you can pull out exactly what you need - two cubes for pasta, one for a sandwich, a few for a marinade. No waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. I make this recipe weekly, and nobody ever misses the pine nuts. The combination of Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil gives you all the richness you need - and the baby spinach adds body so the texture doesn't feel thin.
Honestly, you don't even need one. Most recipes swap in walnuts or almonds, but this recipe proves you can skip nuts entirely. If you do want nuts, though, walnuts, cashews, blanched almonds, or sunflower seeds all work as a 1:1 swap.
Homemade pesto lasts up to 7 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Add a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning. Frozen in ice cube trays, it keeps for up to 3 months.
A blender works - just pulse on low and scrape down the sides often so everything blends evenly. A mortar and pestle works too if you want a more rustic, chunky texture. Just avoid blending on high for too long, which heats the basil and turns the pesto brown.
Really good, actually. The flavor in pesto comes from basil, garlic, Parmesan, and good olive oil - not the nuts. I've served this to people who eat traditional pine nut pesto regularly, and they couldn't tell the difference.
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Did you make this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Nut-Free Pesto Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, packed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about ½ a lemon
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pulse the greens. Add the basil leaves and baby spinach to a food processor and pulse several times until roughly chopped.
- Add the aromatics. Add the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few more times, then use a spatula to scrape down the sides.
- Stream in the olive oil. Set the food processor to low and gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream. This emulsifies the oil into the pesto for a smoother texture.
- Add the cheese. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse to combine.
- Taste and serve. Adjust salt or pepper to your liking. Serve with tuna pesto pasta or orzo pesto salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie - where classic comfort foods get a wholesome, everyday twist. A former collegiate athlete and recipe developer, Tati is known for turning classic recipes into balanced, feel-good favorites.
Jenny says
Delicious recipe!
Christine says
LOVED!!!! So good. Taste like the same thing