With a rich, nutty twist on classic basil pesto, this summery 6-ingredient, 5-minute walnut pesto is quick, easy, and irresistible with pasta, sandwiches, and more!
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Why You’ll Love Pesto Made With Walnuts
When you love homemade pesto so much that there’s basically always a batch stashed in your freezer, it’s time to get creative – not just with flavor, but keeping costs low. A basil plant certainly helps, but learning how to make delicious pesto without pine nuts has been even better, and while I’ve tried a few alternatives, making pesto with walnuts has become my go-to.
Walnuts are more budget-friendly (especially when bought in bulk - great for snacking, garnishing, and making chickpea and walnut meat tacos), easy to find, and still rich and 'buttery', without breaking the bank. Made in minutes with only a handful of simple yet high-quality ingredients, this walnut pesto is summery, vibrant, bold, and great over pasta (or lesser-known pesto rice), sandwiches (like this vegan reuben sandwich), veggies—you name it!
The Ingredients
Recipe Variations
- Lemon juice: (Or white/red wine vinegar) Fresh works best. Add lemon zest for more flavor.
- Black pepper: For subtle spicy depth in the basil and walnut pesto.
- More spice, i.e., red pepper flakes, cayenne powder, or chili, added to taste.
- Avocado: For a creamier walnut basil pesto.
How To Make Walnut Pesto
Step 1: First, peel and mince the garlic and rinse and dry the basil. Blend all the ingredients in a blender/food processor until smooth and creamy (or a little chunky). Pause to scrape the sides of the jug as needed. Taste and adjust salt, nutritional yeast, and garlic. Enjoy!
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Tip: Don’t over-blend—too much heat can make oil bitter and basil murky.
FAQs for Easy Walnut Pesto
Yes. Try pecans, almonds, or cashews. For nut-free pesto, use pine nuts or sunflower seeds. Flavor may vary.
This step is entirely optional, but toasting walnuts brings out their oils and enhances toasty, nutty flavor.
Basil can turn murky if overheated or oxidized. To avoid this, blanch the basil for 10-15 seconds, add the basil to the blender last, and/or store it beneath a thin layer of olive oil.
Sure – To use ‘just the right amount’, slowly drizzle it into the chute while blending the pesto, to your desired consistency. For oil-free pesto, use water or vegetable broth.
Top Recipe Tips
- Use high-quality ingredients: I highly recommend fresh, bright green basil, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, good walnuts, etc.
- For deeper flavor: Toast the walnuts until fragrant.
- To adjust the texture: Pulse the walnut pesto until chunky, smooth-ish, or completely smooth. Also, adjust the oil (or water) for a thicker/thinner pesto.
- Don’t over-blend: Otherwise, the basil and walnut pesto may become overly runny, bitter, or murky.
- No blender? Finely chop the walnuts, then grind the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. It will be chunkier.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this versatile walnut and basil pesto as a dip, spread, drizzle, dressing, and more, with:
- Pasta/grains: Enjoy basil and walnut pesto pasta with pasta, orzo, or couscous. Gnocchi works too, as do grains like quinoa, pesto rice, bulgur, etc.
- Bread: To dip or spread with this easy garlic herb focaccia, over sandwiches (like vegan tea sandwiches or this vegan smashed chickpea salad sandwich), wraps (like this easy vegan hummus wrap), vegan grilled cheese, plant-based burgers, bagels, etc.
- Pizza/vegetables: To drizzle over the top.
- Add to sauces: Like a dressing or creamy sauce, in hummus, and more.
- Salads: Add a little to vegan potato salad, vegan egg salad, etc.
- To drizzle: Over veggies (like these garlic herb oven roasted vegetables), potatoes (like this instant pot garlic mashed potatoes), vegan pizza, soup, and more.
Storage Information
Store: Pesto using walnuts will store in an airtight container for 5-7 days in the fridge, optionally topped with a thin layer of olive oil to keep it from oxidizing.
Freeze: In 1-2 tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray or a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.
Then, thaw at room temp or pop frozen pesto cubes directly into a saucepan to heat (be careful – ice pops/sizzles in oil!).
Other Vegan Sauce Recipes to Consider
If you tried this easy walnut pesto recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
Easy Walnut Pesto
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 small cloves)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and salt.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Notes
- Use high-quality ingredients: I highly recommend fresh, bright green basil, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, good walnuts, etc.
- For deeper flavor: Toast the walnuts until fragrant.
- To adjust the texture: Pulse the walnut pesto until chunky, smooth-ish, or completely smooth. Also, adjust the oil (or water) for a thicker/thinner pesto.
- Don’t over-blend: Otherwise, the basil and walnut pesto may become overly runny, bitter, or murky.
Andrea says
love how easy this walnut pesto is to make!