This Cashew Pesto recipe is a flavorful alternative to traditional pesto with pine nuts. This bright, fresh, and tasty homemade pesto is made with cashews giving it a rich flavor and color. You'll love that this fast recipe can be ready with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes.
Serve it with Pesto Gnocchi, Pesto Salmon, or Pesto Tortellini Salad.
Cashew Pesto Recipe
This Cashew Pesto Recipe is a bit untraditional, but its creamy, nutty, and rich flavor will win you over. This 5-ingredient, 5-minute recipe makes a rich pesto that will rival any traditional pesto made with pine nuts.
You can enjoy homemade pesto in any season, but it's best when basil is fresh and plentiful in the market and gardens. I grow fresh basil every summer and enjoy using it to make this rich sauce. This might look like a humble little recipe, but it's actually a flavor bomb that you can use to elevate so many dishes. You can serve it with pasta, roasted vegetables, grilled shrimp, or even over fish. Drizzle it on anything to bring it to life. It adds a bright, summer Italian flavor to anything you put it on.
Can I use cashew nuts instead of pine nuts in pesto?
Pine nuts can be a tricky ingredient to add to recipes because they are very pricey and sometimes hard to find. Sometimes small bags can be over $10. Luckily other nuts, like cashews make a great substitution. In fact, I think this gorgeous green pesto is just as delicious as any made with pine nuts. The rich cashews make a nutty flavor and creamy texture you'll love.
Want more pesto without pine nuts? Also, try my Homemade Almond Pesto and Walnut Pesto.
Don't have pine nuts? Try this Healthy & Homemade Cashew Pesto Share on X
Why You'll Love this Cashew Pesto Recipe...
- You'll love this Cashew Pesto recipe because it's more economical than traditional pesto but just as flavorful.
- This is a simple and easy pesto made with just 5 ingredients in 5 minutes.
- It's vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb, keto, and paleo. I included instructions to make this a Dairy-Free or Vegan Cashew Pesto below.
- You can make this ahead OR freeze it for future use. Freezing basil is a great way to preserve your summer basil for use in winter.
- The sauce is super versatile in cooking and can be used in so many recipes.
- You can blend it in your food processor, blender, or go old school with a mortar and pestle.
- This is a basic recipe but you can tweak it and make it your own.
Ingredients:
Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Cashew Pesto Recipe, but keep scrolling for the total recipe amounts.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves are the base of this recipe and is where all the flavor comes from. Use bright green basil leaves that are free of blemishes. The recipe calls for packed leaves which means you push them down into the measuring cup to make sure you get a full two cups. You'll also want to rinse and dry the basil to make sure you aren't making your pesto with dirt. Fresh herbs make all the difference here! You can't substitute dry herbs for fresh basil.
- Cashews: I buy fresh cashews in this recipe. You can use whole or pieces since they are getting chopped up anyway. Pieces of cashews are usually less expensive, so there's no need to buy whole ones. The cashew flavor is nutty and you don't taste much of a difference between them and the traditionally used pine nuts. You can use salted or unsalted, but if you buy salted nuts you will not need to add much salt to the pesto in the end. Cashews are heart-healthy, like other nuts. They are a great source of healthy fats like monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
- Garlic: I like to use a real fresh garlic bulb. You need two garlic cloves (the smaller part inside of the bulb) peeled. You can pop them in the food processor whole and let the machine do the work of chopping them up.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly shaved or grated parmesan cheese for the most flavor. You can also use a blend of pecorino romano. You can make this vegan or dairy-free by substituting nutritional yeast for the parmesan or simply leaving it out.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use good finishing olive oil. This dish is the most flavorful when using nice, high-quality ingredients. I like this one.
- Salt: I salt to taste but don't add pepper to my pesto.
Instructions:
This is an overview of the instructions to make this Cashew Pesto Recipe, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.
- The first thing you'll need to do to make the homemade pesto is to get out your food processor. Add the fresh basil, peeled garlic cloves, cashews, parmesan cheese, and olive oil to the food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you could also use a high-speed blender. You can also go old school and blend it with a mortar and pestle.
- Begin with a few pulses and then process the basil pesto mixture for several minutes until the pesto is well combined to the desired consistency. A few times scrape the sides down to make sure it's all mixed in. Watch it until you get the right pesto consistency, but don't over-blend because it could turn bitter.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge until ready to use.
Variations
I love this Cashew Pesto Recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.
- Make it a Vegan Cashew Pesto: To make this a vegan or dairy-free pesto use nutritional yeast for parmesan. You can also use leave the cheese out of the recipe.
- Make it Citrus: Brighten the recipe by adding some lemon juice or lemon zest.
- Mix in Greens: Short on fresh basil? Use fresh baby spinach, kale, or arugula leaves for up to half of the basil.
FAQ
Storage & Leftovers
Cashew pesto stores well for making ahead. Leftover pesto can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. If desired, you can put a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to help prevent oxidizing and turning brown.
Freezing
You can also easily freeze cashew pesto. Freezing homemade pesto is a great way to preserve fresh basil. After making the pesto, put it in ice cube trays and freeze. Once the pesto is frozen, remove the cubes from the trays and store them in a freezer bag or airtight container. You'll have cool pesto cubes to use when you want them. When you need pesto, just pop out one cube and use it. You can keep frozen pesto for up to three months.
Is pesto unhealthy or healthy?
Pesto can be a healthy way to add lots of flavor to protein, vegetables, and more. It's made with healthy ingredients like basil, nuts, garlic, and olive oil. The only concern is it can be higher in fat and calories because of the oil. Because of that, this is a sauce that should be used in moderation. Keep the portion size small to make this a healthy condiment to use.
What is the best nut for pesto?
Pine nuts are traditionally used in making homemade pesto, but they can be expensive and sometimes hard to find. Cashews, like in this recipe are a fabulous substitute. You can also make Homemade Almond Pesto and Walnut Pesto. Other nuts to substitute include pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, or even sunflower seeds.
Why is pesto sauce not vegan?
Pesto sauce is not traditionally vegan because it is made with parmesan cheese. Unless the pesto is noted as dairy-free or vegan, it will probably have cheese in it. To make a dairy-free or vegan pesto substitute nutritional yeast for parmesan.
Cashew Pesto Recipe is a Flavor Bomb!
This Cashew Pesto Recipe is truly a summer flavor bomb with fresh basil and garlic. It's so tasty and the homemade pesto is much more vibrant and flavorful than packed pesto. Add this to pasta, put it on a sandwich, add it to an egg, serve it as a dip, or even pizza. It tastes delightful anywhere you'd want to add basil flavor to a dish.
To make Cashew Pesto Pasta add one recipe of this to a box of cooked pasta. You can add tofu, shrimp, chicken, or more to round out your meal.
And if you'd like to add it to a recipe, here are some ideas.
Serve it With:
- Pesto Gnocchi
- Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
- Easy Lemon Pesto Salmon
- 4 Ingredient Caprese Pasta Salad
- Pesto Tortellini Salad with Asparagus
- Healthy Creamy Pesto Pasta
- Pesto Zoodles (zucchini noodles)
- Pesto Quinoa with Shrimp
Don't have pine nuts? Try this Healthy & Homemade Cashew Pesto Share on X
More Pesto Recipes to Try:
If you make this Cashew Pesto Recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!
Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ⅓ cup cashews
- ½ cup grated paremsan
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Get out your food processor. Add the basil, peeled garlic cloves, cashews, parmesan cheese, and olive oil to the food processor.
- Blend for several minutes until the pesto is well combined. Occasionally stop the processor and scrape the sides down to make sure it's all mixed in.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
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Gloria says
Homemade pesto is the best. Love the switch from pine nuts. Easy to make and great on pasta and more.