Make delicious homemade Almond Pesto using toasted almonds, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil that you can use on pizza, pasta, a dipping sauce, and more! Almonds give this pesto a unique texture that works with everything.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Making pesto at home is easier than you think, and this Almond Pesto recipe is no exception. You only need a handful of ingredients and a food processor or blender to get the most delicious and healthy sauce.
Pesto is such a versatile condiment and can be used in many different dishes. If you love pesto, you will love my Carrot Greens Pesto recipe as well!
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
- Toasted Almonds: toasted almonds provide a nutty and slightly crunchy texture to the pesto. You can purchase toasted almonds or toast your own, see the instructions below.
- Garlic: Garlic brings a pungent and aromatic flavor to the pesto. It adds depth and intensity to the overall taste, complementing the other ingredients.
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil leaves are the star ingredient of pesto, providing a fresh and herbaceous taste. They contribute a bright green color and a distinctive aroma.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a rich, salty, and savory element to the pesto. It provides a creamy texture and enhances the overall flavor.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil serves as the base of the pesto, providing a smooth and luscious consistency. It adds a fruity and aromatic note, as well as healthy fats, to the dish.
*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Toast Almonds
If your almonds are not toasted yet, you can quickly toast them on the stove or in the oven. For the stovetop, place the nuts in a dry skillet and heat over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
For the oven method, preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and bake the nuts on a baking sheet for 7 to 8 minutes. Make sure you remove the nuts from the pan right away, they burn easily. You can also use raw almonds and the pesto will still taste great!
How to Make Almond Pesto
Place the garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, almonds, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Pulse/process until everything is combined and starts to look like a paste.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you continue to process. You can also add the olive oil in batches to combine. Check for taste and add more salt if needed.
Recipe FAQs
This is a small batch recipe and will yield about 6 oz. of pesto. You can easily double or triple this recipe to make more. With this recipe, you will be able to almost fill a half-pint canning jar.
Store homemade pesto in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Yes! Store the pesto in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Make sure to leave some room at the top of your container so the pesto can expand.
What to Make with Almond Pesto
Pesto is such an amazing sauce and it can be used for so many things. Here are a few ideas:
- Use it as a pizza sauce like on my Veggie Garden Pesto Pizza!
- Make some Air Fryer Zucchini Pesto Bites.
- Pesto makes a great pasta sauce.
- Use as a dipping sauce for bread, crackers, or vegetables.
- Pesto is also a great sauce for meats, like in my Pesto Chicken w/ Bruschetta or Pesto Chicken and Roasted Vegetable recipes.
- Use pesto as a sandwich spread for both hot and cold sandwiches.
Tools to Make Homemade Pesto
A few of my favorite gadgets I use for making pesto and many other things in my kitchen. I use this mini food processor from KitchenAid and I love it! It's. a little small, but the perfect size for small batch pesto, salsas, purees, and more!
I've also recently discovered a silicone blender spatula and I use it for everything! It's long and thin and gets all of those delicious bits you couldn't reach before.
And to store your pesto, check out these sealable half-pint canning jars in a set of 6. You can use these babies for anything from storing food to drinking beverages, and, of course, canning!
If you get a chance to make this Almond Pesto Recipe, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.
Almond Pesto
Equipment
- spatula or spoon for scraping
- sealable container for storage
Ingredients
- ¼ cup toasted almonds
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If your almonds are not toasted yet, you can quickly toast them on the stove or in the oven. For the stovetop, place the nuts in a dry skillet and heat over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. For the oven method, preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and bake the nuts on a baking sheet for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Place the garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, almonds, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Pulse/process until everything is combined and starts to look like a paste. Scrape down the sides if needed to get everything together.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you continue to process. You can also add the olive oil in batches to combine. Check for taste and add more salt if needed.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for later. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store this pesto in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.
- You can freeze this pesto in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Make sure to leave some room at the top of your container so the pesto can expand.
- You can sub raw almonds for toasted almonds.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Halyna says
Great recipe! I added some more garlic for extra flavor. Came out amazing.
Emily says
Great choice! I LOVE garlic, but not everyone does. You and I would get along, LOL. Enjoy!
Meryl says
Love this pesto recipe, such a great variation from expensive pine nuts!
Emily says
Exactly! Thanks, Meryl!
Swathi says
This Almond Pesto looks delicious
Julia says
This almond pesto was delicious... Will you think badly of me if I tell you that I used it to cover slices of baquette and sanwiched the whole loaf back togeher with mozarella and baked it in the oven for a few minutes.... it was truly wonderful. Thank you for this.
Emily says
You are so funny...and I think that is a brilliant idea!! This pesto and mozzarella were made for each other! I'm so glad you put it to good use!😁
Chef Dennis says
This Almond Pesto is perfect! My wife loved this.
Emily says
Happy wife, happy life, right? 😂 Thanks for trying my recipe!