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Creamy Vegan Pesto Without Nuts — Flavorful Plant-Based Sauce

This Vegan Nut-Free Pesto recipe uses hulled hemp seeds instead of nuts, making it an excellent choice for anyone with nut allergies. It’s quick to prepare since everything goes into the food processor. Washing the basil and stripping the leaves from the stems takes the most time, but even that is fast and simple.

Pasta dressed with Pesto

Hemp Seeds/Hearts

Hemp seeds, often called hemp hearts, are legal and non-psychoactive. They have a mild, nutty flavor and a buttery texture similar to pine nuts. This pesto tastes bright and fresh and stands up well to traditional versions. Hemp hearts are also valued for their essential fatty acids and other nutrients, making them a nutritious choice for pesto.

package of Manitoba hemp hearts
Fresh basil plants

I especially enjoy making pesto in summer when basil is abundant in the garden. This photo shows an early patch from last year. Planting basil close together produces lots of young leaves, and when Jamie thins the plants I end up with plenty of fresh basil to use early in the season.

  • Pesto ingredients in food processor
  • Pesto blended in processor
Nut-free dairy-free pesto being blended

Vegan Nut-Free Pesto

A nut-free pesto everyone can enjoy. This recipe yields about 1/2 cup of pesto, enough to dress 12 ounces of pasta.
Course: dressing, main course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: corn-free, gluten-free, nut-free, plant based, soy-free, vegan, wheat-free, yeast-free
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 73kcal
Author: Judy DeLorenzo

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/8 cup hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.
  • Process until you reach the desired consistency, pausing to scrape the sides with a soft spatula as needed.

Notes

A small food processor bowl works best for this quantity of pesto.

Nutrition

Calories: 73kcal |
Carbohydrates: 2g |
Protein: 3g |
Fat: 6g
| Saturated Fat: 1g
| Sodium: 106mg

Optional Omnivore Variation

For a non-vegan version, serve the pesto with grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan.

Ways to Enjoy Pesto

Pesto isn’t just for pasta. Use it as a dip, an alternative pizza sauce, a sandwich spread, a salad dressing, a tomato topping, a soup garnish, and more. Try it in omelets or stirred into roasted vegetables for extra flavor. Share your favorite uses in the comments.

If you enjoy this Vegan Nut-Free Pesto recipe you may also like my Chickpea Pasta with Sautéed Veggies recipe.