Caffeine Free Vegan Basil Pesto with Lemon Zest
Bright, herby, and packed with garden-fresh flavor, this vegan basil pesto is the kind of sauce that makes everything it touches taste better. Toasted pine nuts bring a warm, buttery depth, while nutritional yeast steps in for parmesan — delivering that savory, umami richness without any dairy. A hit of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice lifts the whole thing, keeping it vibrant rather than heavy. The food processor does most of the work, and streaming in good olive oil at the end gives you that glossy, spoonable texture you want clinging to pasta, flatbread, or roasted vegetables. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of stimulants, so there's nothing to second-guess — just clean, whole-food flavor from start to finish. Make a batch, taste as you go, and adjust the lemon or seasoning until it's exactly yours.
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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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