Easy Vegan Hemp Seed Pesto

This vegan hemp seed pesto is one of my favourite recipes to make! It’s nut, dairy, and gluten-free. Modifications, storage instructions, and recipe pairing ideas included.

Looking to bring any dish from average to AMAZING?! One of the best ways to elevate your salads, grain bowls, toasts, pastas, and even snacks is to add a delicious sauce, just like this vegan hemp seed pesto.

This homemade pesto is nut and dairy-free, using hemp seeds instead of pine nuts and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.

This recipe is great to add to your weekly meal prep routine. It stores for 4-5 days in the fridge, and can be added to so many different meals, as mentioned above.

I’ve been making it at least once a month for YEARS. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Want more sauce recipes? Check out my roundup of healthy homemade sauces + dressings for more ideas!

How To Make Pesto From Scratch

This easy homemade pesto takes about 5 minutes to make. All you’ll need is a food processor or high-speed blender and a few ingredients.

To make the pesto, simply add the following ingredients into your food processor or blender:

• fresh basil
• hemp seeds
• nutritional yeast
• olive oil
• garlic
• salt
• pepper

Blend and pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste, being generous with the salt + pepper!

If you like the pesto a little bit runnier, simply add a splash more olive oil or water. Blend until it meets your desired consistency. That’s it!

Recipe Modifications

While I love this base recipe, one great thing about homemade pesto is how easily modifiable it is. You can switch the hemp seeds and basil with a number of ingredients, depending on what you have on hand.

1. Hemp seeds can be swapped with any nut or seed. For example, try this pesto with pumpkin seeds, pistachios, walnuts, or almonds.
2. Basil can be swapped with another leafy green, such as spinach, kale, or arugula. You can even do a mixture of different greens if you’d like!
3. If you don’t have nutritional yeast, feel free to do this with traditional parmesan (if you aren’t vegan or dairy-free, of course).

How To Store Pesto

Homemade pesto can be kept in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for 4-5 days.

To further extend the shelf-life of pesto, you can freeze it for up to 4 months. Pesto can be frozen in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.

One great way to freeze pesto is to pour it into silicone ice cube trays. Once frozen, you can pop the pesto out and place in a freezer bag. This way, you have easy portions of pesto that you can reheat!

What To Pair With Pesto

Pesto tastes amazing with so many different dishes. For some ideas, check out my favourite recipes using pesto below:

• Easy Baked Pesto Pasta
• Pesto Quinoa Bowl With Broccoli & Sweet Potato
• 25-Minute Baked Salmon With Pistachio Pesto
• Basil Walnut Pesto Linguine With Shrimp
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Hemp Seed Pesto
• Roasted Broccoli Pesto Pizza

Recipe Nutrition Notes

Hemp Seed Nutrition:

• one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids
• rich in plant-based protein, with just 3 tablespoons providing 10 grams
• a good source of vitamin E and minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium

Nutritional Yeast Nutrition:

• an excellent source of B-vitamins, like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and B12
• a source of trace minerals like zinc, selenium, and manganese

Olive Oil Nutrition:

• rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids
• a source of vitamins E and K
• high in antioxidants

Basil Nutrition:

• a source of antioxidants
• a source of vitamins like C, A, K, and B6
• a source of minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron

More Easy Vegan Sauce Recipes

• Vegan Red Pesto
• Creamy Vegan Zucchini Pesto
• 5-Minute Miso Tahini Sauce
• Cashew Cream Tomato Sauce
• Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream
• Mushroom Cashew Cream
• Vegan Green Goddess Sauce With Avocado

Did you give this Easy Vegan Hemp Seed Pesto Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

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