Name: Nut-Free Homemade Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cup

Shares 2K

This easy Homemade Pesto is also nut free! It only takes 5 minutes and tastes amazing. Freshly made pesto is like summer in a jar!

Does anything taste like summer more than fresh, homemade pesto? I can’t think of anything that does. Basil is the quintessential summer herb, and just one whiff makes me think of hot, sunny days, cold drinks and effortless summer dinners. Of course, even store bought pesto is usually pretty good – but nothing tastes better than homemade pesto!

Jump to Recipe

I have been making this recipe for pesto since I was in college. I decided not to put nuts in it because at the time I didn’t like nuts (weird, I know), and I was also a poor college student and nuts are expensive! Traditionally pesto has pine nuts, or sometimes walnuts. I actually prefer my version without the nuts. The bonus is that it makes this pesto lower in fat, cheaper to make and safe for people with nut allergies!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase the items I recommend through the links I provide, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, please see my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Fox and Briar!

This easy homemade pesto is super simple to make, but it does require a food processor. THIS one is similar to the one I use, and it is one of my most used kitchen tools. If you have a high powered blender, that may work for this recipe, but I have tried to make pesto in a regular blender and it did not work. In addition to blending all the ingredients into a paste, using a food processor allows you to emulsify the oil by slowly streaming it into the mixture while the food processor is running. This is key for great pesto!

The lemon juice in this gives it just a little something extra and also allows the pesto to maintain its bright green color – without the lemon juice the basil sometimes starts to turn brownish. Use this easy homemade pesto on pasta or zoodles for a quick weeknight dinner – it is also great as a pizza topping, salad dressing or scrambled into your eggs in the morning.

What is your #1 summer food?

Nut-Free Homemade Pesto

Prep 5 mins

Total 5 mins

Author Meghan | Fox and Briar

Yield 1 cup

Ingredients

3 cups (packed) fresh basil

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup (2 ounces) fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

pepper to taste

Instructions

Add everything except the olive oil to a food processor.

While the processor is running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until smooth.

If needed, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pulse a few times until everything is incorporated.

Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

I used a 4 ounce package of basil from the grocery store and removed the stems, which left me with 3 packed cups of basil.

If you make this recipe don’t forget to tag it @foxandbriar and #foxandbriar on instagram and facebook! I really love to see what you make and you may be featured in our weekly Reader Feature!