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Cheesy Vegan Pesto

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★★★★★★★★★★
4.2 stars, average of 32 ratings
By Dearna Bond, updated October 9 20234
This post may contain affiliate links, see our disclaimer.
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe

Cheesy Vegan PestoPin itFollow us 148.4k

Pesto is such a versatile condiment to have on hand. It can be slathered on keto bread or low-carb crackers as a snack, tossed through zoodles to make a tasty vegan pasta dish, slathered on meat or fish as a delicious marinade.

This recipe is both nut free, dairy free and vegan, and uses a mixture of sunflower and pumpkin seeds along with nutritional yeast instead of the more traditional pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Rest assured though that flavour isn’t compromised here — this pesto is just as delicious as it’s traditional counterpart!

0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes

Hands-on 5 minutes Overall 5 minutes

Serving size 1 tbsp, 15 g/ 0.5 oz

Allergy information for Cheesy Vegan Pesto

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Egg free
✔  Nut free
✔  Nightshade free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Coconut free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Pescatarian
Vegetarian
Vegan

Nutritional values (per 1 tbsp, 15 g/ 0.5 oz)

Net carbs0.9 grams
Protein1.7 grams
Fat5.8 grams
Calories62 kcal
Calories from carbs 6%, protein 11%, fat 83%
Total carbs1.6 gramsFiber0.7 gramsSugars0.1 gramsSaturated fat0.8 gramsSodium146 mg(6% RDA)Magnesium14 mg(4% RDA)Potassium67 mg(3% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 1 cup/ 240 ml/ 8 fl oz)

  • 1 bunch basil (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 ml)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (80 ml)

Instructions

  1. Wash and pat dry the basil.
    Cheesy Vegan Pesto
  2. Add all of the ingredients except for the lemon juice and olive oil to a food processor, and process until the seeds and basil are finely chopped.
    Cheesy Vegan Pesto
  3. Add the lemon juice and pulse to combine. Scoop out the basil mix and place in a small bowl or jar. Stir through the olive oil until combined.
    Cheesy Vegan Pesto
  4. Store in a sealed contained in the fridge 2 – 3 weeks.
    Cheesy Vegan Pesto
    Make sure when storing that there is a layer of olive oil covering the pesto — this will keep the ingredients fresher for longer.
    Cheesy Vegan Pesto

Cheesy Vegan Pesto
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★
4.2 stars, average of 32 ratings
Cheesy Vegan Pesto
This 5-minute pesto is allergy-free! There are no nuts, no dairy and no nightshades.
Hands on5m
Overall5m
Servings16
Calories62 kcal
Pin it

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch basil (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (20 g/ 0.7 oz)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 ml)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (80 ml)

Instructions

  1. Wash and pat dry the basil.
  2. Add all of the ingredients except for the lemon juice and olive oil to a food processor, and process until the seeds and basil are finely chopped.
  3. Add the lemon juice and pulse to combine. Scoop out the basil mix and place in a small bowl or jar. Stir through the olive oil until combined.
  4. Store in a sealed contained in the fridge 2 – 3 weeks.

    Make sure when storing that there is a layer of olive oil covering the pesto — this will keep the ingredients fresher for longer.

Nutrition (per serving, 1 tbsp, 15 g/ 0.5 oz)

Calories62kcal
Net Carbs0.9g
Carbohydrates1.6g
Protein1.7g
Fat5.8g
Saturated Fat0.8g
Fiber0.7g
Sugar0.1g
Sodium146mg
Magnesium14mg
Potassium67mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 1 tbsp, 15 g/ 0.5 oz)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Total per 1 tbsp, 15 g/ 0.5 oz
0.9 g1.7 g5.8 g62 kcal
Basil, fresh
0 g0.1 g0 g1 kcal
Sunflower seeds, hulled
0.1 g0.2 g0.6 g6 kcal
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
0.1 g0.4 g0.6 g7 kcal
Garlic, fresh
0.2 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Yeast, nutritional yeast, dried
0.3 g0.9 g0.1 g7 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Lemon juice, fresh
0.1 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g4.5 g40 kcal

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Dearna Bond
Creator of ToHerCore.com

Dearna Bond

Dearna is a passionate foodie and food photographer, and loves sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for both via her food blog and online photography courses.

More posts by Dearna Bond
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Comments (4)

★★★★★★★★★★
Sarah 8 months ago # Reply
8/27/2024 12:16:52 PM

What a clever twist on traditional pesto! Using sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead of nuts keeps it allergy-friendly. Definitely excited to try it on some low-carb crackers or zoodles! 😊

Martina @ KetoDiet 8 months ago # Reply
8/28/2024 7:13:45 PM

Thank you! Enjoy! 😊

Sophia 8 months ago # Reply
8/27/2024 2:32:32 AM

This vegan pesto looks so darn tasty! Can’t wait to try it, especially slathered on some keto bread. Just wondering though, can you freeze it for later or should I stick to the fridge? Thanks!

Martina @ KetoDiet 8 months ago # Reply
8/28/2024 7:16:03 PM

All my pesto recipes are freezer-friendly! I actually keep most of the pesto I make in my freezer. Just spoon in an ice tray and then pop the cubes out. Whenever you want to use it, either throw directly in a hot dish, or let it defrost for using in salads.

Martina Slajerova

Looking for healthy low-carb and keto recipes? We've got you covered!

I'm Martina, a x10 cookbook author, top rated keto diet app creator, recipe developer, food photographer, writer, and a firm believer in low-carb living.

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