This vegan avocado and basil pesto recipe is super flavorful, creamy, quick, and easy to make. With the addition of ripe avocados, this creamy pesto is a fresh and flavorful alternative to traditional pesto recipes. It's loaded with fresh herbs and ready in just 5 minutes!
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One of the best things about summer is having an abundance of fresh herbs in my garden just outside my door. I still remember the first time I experimented with avocados in pesto.
Combining creamy avocados with fresh basil, garlic cloves, and nutritional yeast was so good! Now, it’s my favorite way to enjoy a fresh, vibrant sauce that pairs beautifully with so many dishes.
I love adding a dollop of this creamy nut-free avocado pesto to grilled vegetables, vegan pasta recipes, white bean vegetable soup, white fish tacos, chickpea pasta, pizza, or chicken muffins.
With just a few simple steps, pesto transforms any dish into a delicious, flavorful meal, like this vegan avocado pesto pasta, even on days when you just don't feel like cooking.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This avocado pesto recipe uses pantry staples like fresh basil, ripe avocados, and nutritional yeast to create a flavorful, vegan creamy sauce.
- Versatile: Pair it with zucchini noodles, your favorite pasta, or use this avocado pesto sauce as a dip for fresh vegetables.
- Quick to Make: In just minutes, you’ll have a vibrant, fresh pesto ready to enjoy!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make creamy avocado pesto recipe:
Ingredient Notes:
- Ripe Avocados: Brings a creamy consistency and mild flavor that elevates a traditional pesto recipe.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: The star of any pesto, adding fragrant, bright herbaceous flavor. Substitute with your favorite herbs like cilantro or mint.
- Fresh Spinach or Baby Kale: Spinach has a sightly sweet taste, and kale offers a mild, slightly peppery taste. Swap with more herbs or arugula, or leave it out completely.
- Hemp Seeds: A nut-free, fun way to add texture and nuttiness, traditionally achieved with pine nuts.
- Nutritional Yeast: Adds a nutty, cheesy flavor without using parmesan cheese.
- Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: Adds a little tang and balances the richness of the avocado. I've also used lime juice and zest if that's what I've had on hand.
- Fresh Garlic: Provides a bold, savory kick to the pesto. Fresh garlic provides the best flavor, but garlic powder can work in a pinch.
- Olive Oil: Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Avocado oil will also work well.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
How to Pick The Perfect Avocado
- Skin hue: depending on the level of ripeness, the skin will take on a different hue. Look for a forest green color. If the avocado is vibrant green, it needs more time to ripen. If it's completely brown, it may be overripe.
- Squeeze test: gently squeeze the avocado. It should be slightly soft to indicate ripeness. An underripe avocado will be hard, and an overripe one will be mushy.
How to Make Vegan Basil Avocado Pesto
- I recommend using a food processor or high speed blender.
- Step 1: Add Ingredients: Add ripe avocados, fresh basil, spinach, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, and sea salt to a food processor or high-speed blender.
- Step 2: Adjust Consistency: Blend until the pesto is smooth and creamy. If too thick, slowly add water 1 tablespoon at a time while blending until the pesto reaches your desired creamy consistency.
Expert Tips
- Enjoy immediately: it’s best to eat fresh homemade avocado pesto sauce the day you make it since avocados tend to brown from air exposure.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: For the best flavor, use fresh basil leaves and a perfectly ripe avocado.
- Adjust to Your Taste: Feel free to add a touch of salt and pepper or extra lemon juice for a brighter flavor.
Common Questions
If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can use vegan parmesan or skip it altogether for a simpler flavor.
Yes, a high-speed blender works well for this recipe. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to ensure everything blends smoothly.
Serving Suggestions
- With Pasta: Toss this creamy avocado pesto with your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles for a quick, flavorful meal, like this vegan pesto pasta recipe.
- As a Topping: Spread it over chickpea veggie burgers or stuffed portobello mushrooms to brighten up the flavors.
- As a Dip: Pair with fresh vegetables or whole-grain crackers for an easy appetizer.
- With Fish: Add a dollop to this lemon garlic salmon dish.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: It's best eaten fresh since pesto oxidizes quickly when exposed to air. To keep it vibrant green, transfer it to an airtight container, top with a thin layer of olive oil, or press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Seal with the lid and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze avocado basil pesto in portion-sized jars or ice-cube trays with a thin layer of olive oil on top. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
More Recipes To Top With Pesto
Recipe
Nut Free Vegan Avocado Basil Pesto Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small food processor or high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and flesh scooped out
- 1 cup (tightly packed) fresh basil (or large handful)
- 1 cup (tightly packed) fresh baby kale
- ½ cup (42 grams) hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon, zested
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons water to thin (only if needed)
Instructions
- Add ripe avocados, fresh basil, spinach, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, and sea salt to a food processor or high-speed blender.
- Blend until the pesto forms a smooth, creamy consistency. If too thick slowly add water 1 tablespoon at a time while blending until the pesto reaches your desired creamy consistency.
Liz
I love pesto this time of year and this recipe was so good! Love that it's dairy free, too!
Jacqui Wilson
Glad you enjoyed it!