10 Dairy-Free and Nut-Free Pesto Recipes

Pesto is so delicious! Unfortunately, even the vegan versions often contain nuts, which is a bummer for those of us with allergies. Don’t worry! It’s so easy to make pesto sans nuts. Just swap them out for a seed or take them out altogether! That’s it. Need some help getting started? Check out these 10 delicious pesto recipes that are free from dairy and nuts!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Nut-Free Wild Garlic Pesto

Source: Nut-Free Wild Garlic Pesto

Is there anything better slathered on a dairy-free pizza or tossed with noodles than pesto? The problem is that so many of them contain either nuts or dairy (or both). This Nut-Free Wild Garlic Pesto by Bianca Haun is SO GOOD! So, gather all the wild garlic you can get now and prepare the pesto.

2. Five Ingredient Nut-Free Pesto Pasta

Source: Five Ingredient Nut-Free Pesto Pasta

A simple and tasty weeknight meal, this Five Ingredient Nut-Free Pesto Pasta by Carly Paige requires only five ingredients and 15 minutes to make. The simplicity of this dish is no match for the insane flavor explosion every time you take a bite! Get the recipe for this perfectly balanced pasta recipe below.

3. Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Source: Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Pesto is an incredibly versatile sauce that can be enjoyed in countless ways. In addition to mixing it into pasta, noodles, rice, and spiralized vegetables, you can use it as a dip for crackers and crudités, a topping for toast, pizza, salad, and baked potatoes, or a flavor booster for proteins. This Pumpkin Seed Pesto by Tara Sunshine is super easy to make and you can have fun playing around with different nuts/seeds, greens, herbs, and “add-ins. It’s nut-free so everyone can enjoy it!

4. The World’s Healthiest Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Source: The World’s Healthiest Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

This sun-dried tomato pesto is lower fat, oil-free, and ridiculously creamy. Just change out the almond milk for oat or soy milk to make this nut-free. You will love The World’s Healthiest Sun Dried Tomato Pesto by Kelly Morisson!

5. Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Source: Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto

This nut-free, thick, and fragrant Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto by Kibby Miller is a versatile sauce for your repertoire. Try this pesto as a spread on sandwiches, tossed with hot gluten-free pasta, or served over roasted or steamed vegetables. It’s fantastic!

6. Quinoa With Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Source: Quinoa With Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A tasty pesto sauce with some very nutritious secrets, this recipe is a superfood twist on classic Italian cuisine. You have to try Julie Morris‘ Quinoa With Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes!

7. Pumpkin Hemp Pesto

Source: Pumpkin Hemp Pesto

This light and creamy Pumpkin Hemp Pesto by Hallie and Reya Tobias is nut-free. That’s right! Serve it up on pasta the traditional way, use it as a sandwich spread or use it as a dip for chips and veggies.

8. Broccolini Pesto and Ricotta Tarts

Source: Broccolini Pesto and Ricotta Tarts

These easy-to-make Broccolini Pesto and Ricotta Tarts by Sweet, Savory, and Free: Insanely Delicious Plant-Based Recipes without Any of the Top 8 Food Allergens are the perfect crowd-pleasers for parties, brunch, or as quaint little snacks just for yourself. These tarts bring out the best that pesto has to offer. Broccolini is just another term for baby broccoli, and it gives you all the nutritional benefits big mamma broccoli has to offer, including an alphabet’s worth of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, and antioxidants.

9. Parsley Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Source: Parsley Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Pesto comes from the northern part of Italy. It is traditionally made with basil, garlic, lemon, pine nuts, cheese, and olive oil. This Parsley Pumpkin Seed Pesto by Melissa Tedesco is a variation on the classic. Parsley is used instead of basil, pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts, and there is no cheese added. This sauce is so fresh and flavorful and requires no cooking. Whip it up in 5 minutes and use it on pasta, rice, to top soups with, or in salads.

10. Baked Acorn Squash With Nut-Free Spinach Pesto

Source: Baked Acorn Squash With Nut-Free Spinach Pesto

This Baked Acorn Squash With Nut-Free Spinach Pesto by Niki Webster is such a lovely autumnal dish, as there are lots of squashes and pumpkins around at the moment! The roasted little squashes are great on their own, and would be delicious with a big salad or mashed potatoes or cauliflower for a really comforting and warming meal. Plus, because the pesto is nut-free, this is a dish that everyone can enjoy.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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