Honey Free Vegan Walnut Pesto
Pesto is one of those sauces that feels luxurious but comes together in minutes, and this walnut version is no exception. Toasting the walnuts first is the move — it draws out their natural richness and adds a subtle depth that makes the whole sauce taste like you spent way more effort than you did. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy quality without any dairy, while fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon keep things bright and vibrant. Many store-bought pestos sneak in honey or other sweeteners as flavor boosters, so blending your own means you know exactly what's going in the jar. The food processor does the heavy lifting, and streaming in the olive oil at the end gives you that glossy, thick consistency that clings beautifully to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. It's endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating by the spoonful.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Add the walnuts to a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Combine the toasted walnuts, basil, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and roughly uniform.
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