Low Sugar Vegan Basil Pesto with Lemon Zest
This bright, herby sauce comes together in minutes and delivers the kind of bold, fresh flavor that makes you want to put it on everything. Toasted pine nuts add a warm, nutty depth, while nutritional yeast steps in for the parmesan you'd find in a traditional version — giving it that savory, umami-rich quality without any dairy. The lemon zest and fresh lemon juice are the real secret weapons here, lifting the whole sauce with a citrusy brightness that makes the basil pop. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of added sugar, so there's no label-reading required and no sneaky sweeteners hiding in the mix. A slow drizzle of good olive oil while the processor runs is what gives the pesto that silky, spoonable texture that clings beautifully to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. You can thin it out with a splash of water to get exactly the consistency you want, which makes it just as useful as a dipping sauce or a spread. Make a batch, keep it in the fridge, and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp water, as needed
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer immediately to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Combine the toasted pine nuts, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the ingredients are evenly broken down.
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