Spinach Basil Pesto {Nut-Free}

By Maria Lichty

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Spinach Basil Pesto – A great flavor booster, we keep a jar of this Basil Pesto in our fridge at all times. Learn how to make pesto in 5 minutes! Basil Pesto goes well with just about everything – pasta, salads, vegetables, chicken, fish, potatoes, soups, pasta, even sandwiches.

Homemade Basil pesto in jar

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Today, we are sharing a super simple recipe for Spinach Basil Pesto. This nut-free pesto recipe is a summer favorite when the garden basil is out of control. You all need to add it to your must make list. This pesto can be made in 5 minutes and goes well with just about everything-pasta, salads, vegetables, chicken, fish, potatoes, soups, gnocchi, and it’s so good on sandwiches. This easy pesto recipe is our all-time favorite!

Embrace the Spinach in this Basil Pesto

And if you are hesitant about the spinach, don’t be. Embrace the spinach. You really can’t taste it and it gives the pesto a vibrant green color, which makes me very happy. I love green! Plus, spinach is so good for you. I mean, you’ve seen Popeye flex his guns, right? Don’t you want arms like that? Gotta eat your spinach! Why not in pesto form?

Our boys don’t even know this basil pesto is made with spinach and they love it! Plus, spinach is cheaper than buying a ton of basil, so this is a budget friendly pesto too!

How to make pesto

How to Make Pesto

Making homemade pesto is easy. Place the ingredients in a food processor or blender, let the machine work its magic and voila-you have a smooth and flavorful basil pesto! The ingredients to this spinach basil pesto couldn’t be any simpler:

  • spinach
  • basil
  • garlic
  • Parmesan cheese
  • lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

I didn’t forget the nuts, Josh is allergic to all nuts so we make nut-free pesto. I promise it’s just as tasty! So if you are concerned with nut allergies, this is the pesto for you! Omitting the nuts also keeps the calories and fat down, if you are watching those things:)

If you need the pesto to be vegan or dairy-free you can leave out the Parmesan cheese, it is still good without it!

Nut free pesto with basil and spinach

Basil Pesto is Versatile!

We keep a jar of Spinach Basil Pesto in our fridge at all times. Again, it has so many uses. It is such a great flavor booster and our family loves it!

In the summer, when our basil is growing like weeds, we make a huge batch and put it in the freezer. It comes in handy during the winter months. Pro tip, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays! A little pesto goes a long way and the little ice cubes of pesto are perfect.

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Easy Spinach Basil Pesto in jar
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Basil pesto in jar made at home

Spinach Basil Pesto {Nut-Free}

This nut-free spinach basil pesto is bright green and full of flavor! It is great with pasta, veggies, chicken, fish, or as a spread on sandwiches.
4.75 from 113 votes

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Place the olive oil, spinach, basil, garlic, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Turn on the machine and blend for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape with a spatula and blend again until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
  • Serve with pasta, veggies, chicken, fish, as a spread, etc. Store the pesto in a jar or container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. This pesto also freezes well. Enjoy!

Notes

If you like a thinner pesto you can add a little more olive oil. The pesto will keep in the fridge for up to one week and in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 207mg, Potassium: 101mg, Vitamin A: 1750IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 0.7mg

Have you tried this recipe?

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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Vegetarian Summer Spring Kid Friendly Gluten-Free

4.75 from 113 votes (64 ratings without comment)

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Comments

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  1. I love the idea of a nut free version! I totally want to give this a go. I wonder if sunflower seeds could be a good nut fill in too?

  2. I’m allergic to nuts and this looks awesome! I will have to try this. Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe!

  3. I love pesto! Your photos are beautiful! I love the color of the pesto!!

  4. I love that bright green color and anything with loads of basil and cheese you can count me in on!

  5. We have loads of spinach and basil for our customers right now. I can’t wait to share this recipe with them!

    Thanks 😀

  6. Love the color and disguising spinach with basil and parm sounds pretty wonderful to me!

  7. we always have spinach on hand so this is perfect! would love it as a sandwich spread!

  8. Love love love this idea! Makes it a little lighter too. Feel like I can almost smell the basil in that photo!

  9. This recipe would taste great with Pesto Straws! They are so good!!! Try making them!

  10. My mom and I just made spinach basil pesto on Saturday! Ours was nut-free today, but we added in cannellini beans for fiber & protein.

    Sometimes when I want my pesto more saucy, I add in a bit of reserved pasta water. Love how versatile pesto is!

  11. I can’t get enough of pesto this time of year! Just made 2 different varieties last night! This is absolutely gorgeous – that color!

  12. Pesto is always a must-have in the kitchen! I am growing oodles of spinach and basil in my little apartment garden this year! I put it into little mini-muffin tins and freeze it to make sure I can have it even in the winter 🙂

  13. I need to action this pesto immediately! It would spruce up any weeknight meal in 2.2 seconds!

  14. My husband isn’t really into nuts much so the pesto nut taste has always been off putting to him. But this recipe might just do the trick. Thanks!

  15. Apparently this is Food Allergy Awareness Week, so this is perfect timing!! It’s gorgeous — love the pretty green color 🙂

    1. 4 stars
      The basil was too strong. Added more spinach, doubled the oil, lemon juice, parmesan, and salt and pepper. But it was super delicious!

  16. What a fabulous nut-free version! I can’t get over that bright green color. I love the addition of spinach for an extra veggie punch!

  17. Pesto is one of my favorite things on the planet. This is a great way to get extra vitamins, too!

  18. I pretty much never use pesto because I have nut allergies. I don’t even really know HOW to use pesto – but I’m excited to see what you’re doing with it this week. Thanks!!!

  19. Woo finally! Thanks so much for a nut free version, I’ve wanted to try pesto for ages, but I haven’t been able to as I’m allergic to nuts!

  20. I have a teen with a tree nut allergy, but I love pesto. This sounds like a great alternative for all of us. Thanks for sharing!

  21. Maria,
    This pesto looks so divine! My CSA farm share frequently floods my kitchen with spinach, and I thought I’d become talented at all the different places I can stuff spinach into (my favorites are pizza dough and smoothies), but I’ve never considered making a spinach pesto. I bet a spinach pizza crust, topped with spinach pesto sauce, would be an excellent combo.

    Thanks!

  22. I’m going to have to make this. I’ve always shied away from making my own pesto because the pine nuts are so expensive. I never even thought about making pesto with it!

  23. How awesome that this is nut-free! I can see myself slathering it all over grilled meats and mixing it into salads as a dressing. Love it!

  24. I use sunflower seeds in my pesto because my nephews have nut allergies. They work great…if you as me! No one has figured it out so far!

  25. Gorgeous green color! I think I need this recipe for the upcoming bathing suit season. 😉

  26. Super smart!! We love pesto around here and should have some baby spinach coming up in the garden soon. Thanks,Maria!

  27. How fab is this! My sister can not eat nuts or seeds so this is perfect for her. I swear this would go great with some blue cheese too.

  28. I like the vibrant color and the texture it has, it look samazing! I am sure it goes well with a grilled chicken breast.

  29. I love spinach pesto even better then the original. I’ll be making this along with your spinach artichoke pesto pizza! I love using seasonal ingredients.

  30. This was so yummy! My 2 yr old helper and I made this for dinner tonight and also tossed in some spring onions and a few sliced almonds we had kicking around. So delicious!

  31. I made this pesto last night – so easy, and fantastic flavor! Can’t wait to use it on dinner tonight! Thanks, Maria. Looking forward to meeting you at BlogHer next week!

  32. I made this recipe and it is FABULOUS. I used a high quality olive oil and OMG it is so good.

    We also made the artichoke pizza and it rivals the product any gourmet pizza shop. It may have been the best pizza I have ever made so far. Seriously good. I will make this pesto recipe again and again.

  33. This pesto is as good as one made with pine nuts. We spread it on slivers of steak. Out of this world.

  34. Is there any non dairy substitute for the parmasean cheese? Would it be okay to leave it out? I can’t eat any dairy but this presto recipe sounds delicious!

  35. Made this the other night and it’s SO GREAT! I added a dollop of Greek yogurt which I definitely don’t regret! Been using this on everything for days, I love it so much!

  36. Ok, so here’s my story. A woman I met at my kiddos swim lessons gives me a ton of basil from her garden. I politely thank her (not knowing what in the world to do with it). She said she makes pesto with it. Ok, so I then go home and google nut-free pesto recipes and up pops your website. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you! My husband said it was the best he has ever tasted, my seven year old son ate it and LOVED it (and he doesn’t like anything green), and I loved it and felt SO accomplished! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I can’t wait to check out your other recipes! God bless you!! 🙂

  37. Thank you for this recipe. I substituted the parmesan for goats cheese, my little one is dairy intolerant, and realised I didn’t have enough spinach, but still turned out perfectly! Do you use the stalks of the basil as well as the leaves?
    Looking forward to trying your zucchini chocolate cupcakes.

  38. We had this for dinner tonight. Amazing! I have two kids with nut allergies
    So this is perfect! We had it with pasta and chicken. Super Yummy! It’s definitely going
    To become a monthly meal staple. I loved putting all that
    spinach in for extra veggie punch.

  39. Superb article. I’m checking out constantly this site for inspired! Useful information and facts precisely one more aspect 🙂 I deal with such info considerably. I used to be trying to find that info for any pretty lengthy moment. Thank you and with good fortune.

  40. Love the use of lemon– basil pesto can turn brown fast …. look forward to making it with spinach too. And allergies to nuts …. pine nuts are not really nuts so people may not be allergic to them as they are regular nuts.

  41. Thanks for sharing this! I made it today and it was a huge hit with my family, even my picky mom! My little sister is allergic to all nuts, so it was great to have a homemade pesto that tastes just like the ones I’ve had at restaurants.

  42. i substituted nutritional yeast for the parm cheese for a vegan version and it is awesome, thanks !

  43. Delicious! We have dairy allergies in our house as well as nut, so we substitute nutritional yeast (such as Bragg) for the pram cheese, and you seriously cannot tell the difference!

  44. So good! I can’t eat normal pesto due to a nut allergy so this was amazing…I finally get to eat pesto all I want! 🙂

  45. I made this and used for a pizza sauce. I used vegan parmesan and vegan cheese on the pizza and it was delicious! Thanks for this great recipe.

  46. This is so good! My daughter and I absolutely love it! Thank you! She has a tree nut allergy so your recipe is so helpful!!!

  47. thanks for this great recipe, I’ve always wanted to try pesto but have a nut allergy. Onto my second batch and I think this will be a staple in my fridge now! thanks again for the recipe!

  48. This was AMAZINGLY delicious! Even my kids loved. I’m making it again tonight to share with our church small group.

  49. Great recipe! Loved on the pizza. And the pesto freezes perfectly! Have some in stock in our freezer now!

  50. Thanks for this recipe! My daughter has nut allergies so I was looking for a nut-free pesto. Our whole family loves this. Thanks for brightening up our lunchbox & dinner menus 🙂

  51. I am so glad I found this! I love pesto. I miss pesto! My child is severely allergic to tree nuts (and peanuts). I am making pesto this weekend! Thank you!

  52. What a fantastic “Pesto.” We have a nut-free home due to allergies and Pesto was something I thought I would never taste again. This recipe hit the mark and I much prefer it over pine nut or walnut versions. We had it as a spread for a chicken/tomato/mozz/bacon/avocado sandwich. It was the star of the meal. Those e is a keeper.

  53. This pesto recipe is amazing!! I made it once with pine nuts and without. I even added some fresh mint that I have growing! Thank you for sharing 🙂

  54. Omg thank you!! I’m allergic to all nuts and always looking for but free recipes but haven’t found a pesto one yet. Thank you again!! X

  55. Any tips for freezing?  do you add oil to the top?  Does the pesto turn brownish in the freezer?  Thanks in advance!

    1. I don’t add oil to the top. It turns a little brownish, but not much. It freezes great!

  56. This recipe looks delicious! I’ve always been allergic to nuts, so I’ve never been able to try pesto before (and my best friend is obsessed with it, so she talks about it all the time ) I’m also allergic to dairy, so I was wondering if there was anything I could use to substitute the Parmesan? Thanks!

  57. Great recipe! FYI I used frozen chopped spinach and it seemed to work out fine -I think the texture was thicker but was not an issue (and I added a little extra oil). I really enjoy your recipes so far 🙂 

  58. I made this tonight to enjoy with my daughter who has a nut allergy. It was delicious and beautiful… and it was great to have a pesto we knew was completely nut free.

  59. Wow! Delicious! I bought a basil plant for another recipe and thought I’d try making pesto with the leftovers but nut-free because I am allergic. This turned out great! I think I may add a little more olive oil upon serving but for now the pesto is in the fridge, flavors melding, and getting even better! I taste tested it with some bread and wow, delish! Thank you!

  60. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe. My daughter is allergic to nuts so I was searching around for alternatives and tried this and it was so so good – winning us all over. Tangy and delicious. YUM!

  61. What do you put the pesto in to freeze? I think I might need to get some small freezer containers. I am at least going to make a small batch.

  62. Hey Maria, first of all, I love the name of your blog – Two peas and their pod 🙂 really make sense. And I love this pesto sauce recipe, as mostly I make pesto sauce with basil and never added spinach and at times it becomes bitter. so I will give a try to this recipe.

  63. 5 stars
    This recipe is a life saver! Put it on anything, pasta, sandwich, potato … and you’ll have a delicious dinner in no time. Thanks.

  64. 5 stars
    My family said it was the best pesto they’ve ever had. I’ve never used spinach before. I made it exactly as written.

  65. 4 stars
    This is my fav recipe for pesto! Thank you 🙂 
    The only tweek I mad was to decrease the salt bcz spinach and Parmesan tends to be salty m. 

  66. 5 stars
    I’ve never left comments for recipes before but I think you deserve it. Making this for the 20th time because my kids love it and ask for it. But the reason why it’s so special is because they are allergic to nuts and also don’t love spinach but this somehow works.  
    Thank you

  67. 5 stars
    I tried the Spinach Basil Pesto recipe and my family absolutely LOVED it, it was definitely a WINNER in my house!!!!
    Thanks you

  68. Do you ever use nutritional yeast? We have a nut and dairy allergy in our family and I am just wondering if subbing nutritional yeast for the parmesan would be a one for one sub or less?

  69. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe probably at least 6 times. I’ve used it on everything from tortellini to chicken and everyone always loves it. They don’t even realize how much spinach is in it XD

  70. 5 stars
    Such an easy recipe to follow. My son is allergic to nuts so this recipe was just perfect for us to make so many different things such as pasta and pesto tarts.

  71. 5 stars
    I work in a daycare making food for about sixty kids. Nuts are banned from the daycare so finding a great pesto was kind of difficult. every time I make this recipe with pasta, they devour it. it is one of their favourites.
    I omit the parm from the recipe to put on the side so the kids who are lactose intolerant can enjoy it . I am very fortunate to come across this wonderful pesto. Thank you

  72. 5 stars
    Just made this this morning with the copious amount of basil my wee container garden is producing. So easy! And really good. I chose this recipe because it didn’t require me to go on a hunt for pine nuts, but think it might become my go-to.

  73. I just made pesto the other week and froze into ice cube trays! Love using garden-fresh basil…can’t wait to try this recipe too! 🙂

  74. I love the recipe. I tried it tonight and it was a big hit.  I would definitely make this again. 

  75. 5 stars
    I like pesto but I haven’t been a big fan. This recipe completely changed it. The pesto tastes very fresh and I love the color and consistency. We always have it in the fridge and our family -incl. teenage kids- often make themselves a toast/sandwich with it, or we have it on pasta for a quick dinner. Whichever way – it tastes fabulous!

    I only blend mine briefly so I get a rougher consistency and a tiny bit of crunch to it. But that’s just my preference.

  76. 5 stars
    This was my first time ever making pesto and it was absolutely incredible. I ate it over lentil spaghetti with tomatoes and grilled chicken. The only thing missing was some fresh mozzarella!

  77. Hi! I was wondering if I could use frozen spinach for this? If so how much should I use for this recipe? Thanks!

  78. There’s also a vegan parmesan cheese that you could use if you don’t want to leave the cheese out of the recipe. Sounds delicious.

  79. 5 stars
    This was fantastic! I made it without the parmesan, and the only other thing I changed is that I only used 1/4 teaspoon of salt, since I watch my sodium. I’m going to eat pasta every day with this pesto. I need to watch my calorie intake so I appreciate no nuts too.

  80. 5 stars
    I just tried this recipe tonight and with a few substitutions like dairy free cheese instead of the Parmesan, and dried garlic instead of fresh because of allergies. This recipe was amazing. The taste was delicious. I’m so happy that I found your recipe. I haven’t been able to use the traditional tomato sauce when making spaghetti for myself because I have problems with heartburn so this was just perfect. Thank you for posting it. I love all the spinach.

  81. Hi! I’m looking to make this recipe. What is the serving size for the nutrition facts you have posted under the recipe?

  82. 5 stars
    May daughter enjoys this pesto! There is no other way she would consume basil and spinach. Plus she can take it to her nut-free school Thank you for sharing, Maria!

  83. 5 stars
    This recipe is absolutely amazing! We have 7 children ages 29-10. I make a lot of pasta for my family and love the flavor of my homemade alfredo sauce with pesto drizzled on top. We have adult twin sons with nut allergies, and this solved my pesto dilemma! So fresh and easy to make. My family begs me to make it! It doesn’t last a week!

  84. 5 stars
    Great for a household with a nut allergy! I added more garlic, lemon, and salt but that may just be my taste preference.

  85. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe! I’m a gardener but have never made pesto in my life. This is now my go-to recipe! I used frozen spinach that I had frozen from fresh, and it was delicious and came together fine.

  86. 5 stars
    This recipe really surprised me. I’ve never made pest with mix of spinach and basil, so i played it safe and used 2 cups spinach and 4 cups basil. When i was done blending, it looked like it had to much liquid. I put it in the fridge to chill for an hour and that changed the consistency completely! It was thick and rich and the flavor was excellent.

  87. 5 stars
    Delicious! Easy! I tossed it with zoodles and cherry tomatoes for a perfect addition to a summer meal. Thank you!

  88. 5 stars
    Made this today with spinach and basil I needed to use up. So good! I don’t miss the nuts at all. Perfect for summer pastas! This is a keeper!!

  89. 5 stars
    This was fabulous. I grow my own Genovese basil, which is heavenly, but I don’t have that big of a crop, so the spinach was a great addition. I am now growing my own spinach, coincidentally.

  90. 5 stars
    Universally (within the small family) appreciated, using what in Barbados is called spinach which I think is more acidic than your spinach. And obviously open to many variations.

  91. 5 stars
    How long is the shelf-life on this in the fridge? I made a batch and have it in an air-tight container in the fridge now – it tastes amazing, thank you for sharing.

  92. Amazing pesto!! It definitely takes more basil than you think good thing I got the big pack of it!! I used nutritional yeast instead of the parmesan to keep it dairy free and it turned out super good. Very easy to make too I just threw it all in my portable blender so I’ll definitely be making it again!

  93. 5 stars
    Made this as we had a guest with a nut allergy. My son prefers it to my normal recipe using pine nuts or hemp seeds – says it’s less cloying and rich. Thank you!

  94. This is super good. I used a power greens mix and thought it needed some sweetness, so I added a tablespoon or two of coconut sugar. It’s amazing!

  95. 5 stars
    I love pesto. Was looking for a nut free version.. This is delicious! It’s easy to make and tastes great!
    Definitely a keeper.

  96. I don’t have access to fresh basil but I want to make this pesto as a healthier base coatingfor zucchini fries I need to keep the same flavor profile will some kind spinach and parsley garlic edamame pistachio marinade work

  97. This looks great! do you know how many ounces of spinach and basil are used to make the 4 and 2 cups, respectively?

  98. 5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe . . . and you will not miss those nuts at all. My daughter always loved pesto when we were stationed in Italy. When pregnant she developed a nut allergy and finally i have found a recipe that tastes like pesto served in Italy.

  99. Made your pesto today with my first harvest from my plants this year. So yummy and I also freeze it for winter months to add to spaghetti n pasta salads. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  100. 5 stars
    This is so delicious! I halved the recipe as it was just for my husband and I. I also used nutritional yeast instead of parmesan to reduce the fat and add more protein & fiber. This was the perfect recipe, which I’ve made twice now! Thanks!

  101. 5 stars
    This recipe is very flavourful. My husband and I both loved it. We never missed the nuts. Thank you for sharing

  102. 5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe my husband has developed a nut sensitivity & my son loves his pesto I only added extra garlic & cheese bc those are extreme staples to our bellies . My picky eater can’t wait for dinner after a quick taste test. Again great recipe thanks

  103. 5 stars
    Really tasty! I ended up adding more basil and garlic and a touch more oil. I think I should have added a pinch more salt but forgot. Yum and a crowd pleaser!

  104. 5 stars
    Ive been using this recipe for several years now and LOVE IT!! I love the spinach addition because my family wont eat a lot of greens but they LOVE this pesto.
    Our fav way to use it is in turkey burgers. Keeps them moist and full of flavor!

  105. 5 stars
    Wow! Just made this – it absolutely delicious! I love that it has so much spinach in it too yet you can’t tell it’s there. Thank you for sharing such a yummy nut-free pesto!

  106. 5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe! I never thought I would be able to have pesto (since I have a severe nut allergy). After finding this recipe, I’ve added it to my regular meal rotation. I use it as a sauce for pizza (I also can’t have tomato), pasta, chicken; I’m sure I’ll find even more uses for it as time goes on.
    Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!

  107. 5 stars
    This is my son’s favorite! He is allergic to peanuts and all tree nuts. We can finally all enjoy pesto again without any worries. Thank you for the delicious recipe.

  108. Does this keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or 2? It says 2 weeks in the instructions section, but says 1 week in the notes.