Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto with Parsley and Basil

Toasty roasted pumpkin seeds replace pine nuts in this bright, cheese-free basil and parsley pesto, so it’s naturally nut-free and dairy-free. One food processor, seven ingredients, and about 5 minutes.

This vegan pumpkin seed pesto swaps pine nuts for roasted pumpkin seeds and skips the cheese entirely, so it’s both nut-free and dairy-free, with a toasty, nutty flavor all its own. Fresh basil and parsley keep it bright, lemon juice keeps it lively, and it all blends up in about 5 minutes.

I first made it the summer I moved into a house and planted my herbs outdoors. After years of apartment herb pots that never got enough sun (or enough water, honestly), the basil and parsley took off, and I needed a fast way to use them. It’s been one of my favorite easy homemade sauces ever since, and I use it in my cold vegan pesto pasta salad.

Recipe at a Glance

• What it is: A 5-minute vegan pesto made with roasted pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts, plus fresh basil, parsley, lemon, garlic, and olive oil. It’s nut-free and dairy-free.
• Why it works: Roasted pumpkin seeds give it a toasty, nutty flavor, and two herbs instead of one add even more fresh flavor. With no cheese, a good pinch of salt is what makes it taste finished.
• Time: 5 minutes, no cooking, one food processor. Serves 4.
• Make-ahead: Make it up to 2 days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it from oxidizing.
• Serve with: My cold vegan pesto pasta salad, green salads as a dressing, grilled or roasted vegetables, grilled proteins, or as a dip.
• Swaps: Sunflower seeds keep it nut-free. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans work too, but then it’s no longer nut-free. All basil works if you’re out of parsley, and cilantro, chives, or scallions can join the basil.

Why Pumpkin Seeds Work in Pesto

Pine nuts are the classic choice, but roasted pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) give this pesto a toasty, nutty flavor. They’re also easier to find and keep in the pantry, which one reader pointed out after making this recipe. You can taste the pumpkin seeds, so adjust the amount to your liking if you want them more or less pronounced.

Pumpkin seeds are seeds, not tree nuts, so this pesto is nut-free as well as dairy-free. That makes it an easy pesto to share when you’re cooking for friends who avoid nuts or dairy. If you’re cooking for a nut allergy, check the seed package for cross-contact warnings.

Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of magnesium, iron, potassium, fiber, and plant-based protein.

Ingredients in Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto

• Roasted pumpkin seeds: the base of the pesto and source of nutty flavor.
• Fresh basil and parsley: two herbs instead of one for even more fresh flavor.
• Fresh lemon juice: brightens the sauce.
• Garlic: 2 cloves for a noticeable bite.
• Extra virgin olive oil: streamed in while blending to make the sauce smooth.
• Salt: more than you might expect, since there’s no cheese adding salt.

See the recipe card below for exact amounts.

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1. Load the food processor. Add the roasted pumpkin seeds, garlic, basil, parsley, and lemon juice to the food processor bowl. Add everything except the oil so the seeds and herbs start breaking down together.

2. Stream in the olive oil. Start the processor and slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube while it runs. Adding the oil gradually helps it blend into a smooth sauce.

3. Scrape and blend until smooth. Stop a few times to scrape down the sides so every bit of herb and seed gets blended, then keep processing until the sauce is smooth.

4. Season with salt. Add a good pinch of salt, then taste and add more as needed. With no cheese in the recipe, it needs more salt than traditional pesto to taste finished.

5. Use or store. Use it right away, or transfer it to an airtight container, drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the top to keep it from oxidizing, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Substitutions and Variations

• Other seeds or nuts: sunflower seeds keep it nut-free. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans also work, but then the pesto is no longer nut-free.
• Other herbs: cilantro, chives, or scallions work alongside the basil.
• All basil: no parsley? Readers have made it with all basil and loved it.
• Garlic powder: a reader used garlic powder when she was out of fresh garlic.

How to Use Pumpkin Seed Pesto

• Pasta salad: use it as the dressing in my cold vegan pesto pasta salad.
• Salad dressing: thin it into a dressing for green salads.
• Grilled or roasted vegetables: spoon it over vegetables, or try it on healthy grilled Mexican street corn.
• Proteins: drizzle it over grilled or roasted proteins.
• Marinade: use it to marinate vegetables before grilling.
• Dip: readers serve it as a dip, alongside spreads like my cilantro jalapeño hemp seed hummus on a snack board.
• Noodles: readers toss it through noodles and rice pasta.

Storage

Keep leftover pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the top before sealing so the surface doesn’t oxidize.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make this pumpkin seed pesto, I’d love to hear how you used it. Leave a star rating and a comment below, and tell me which herbs or seeds you went with. Your swaps help other readers too.

Thanks so much for stopping by!