The Best Homemade Basil Pesto (Video)

The best homemade basil pesto is made with a ton of fresh basil and garlic from the garden, includes some healthy nuts and oil and finishes with a bit of cheese. This basil pesto recipe is one of our favorite things to make every summer when the basil is ready to harvest in the garden. The mild flavor of the garlic combined with the basil is one of our absolute favorite things to eat every summer, and I like to freeze some for wintertime too.
While traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, I often use walnuts or cashews. I usually have walnuts and cashews on hand, and pine nuts are expensive and sometimes difficult to source. Basil is a culinary herb that is a superfood loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting agents especially when eaten raw, like in pesto. Basil has a very pungent aroma, as well. If something can smell green, basil can. It’s astonishingly vibrant and fresh. I like to keep fresh basil in a vase on my countertop during the summer for decoration and to add to lots of dishes.
Learn more about how to grow basil from seed to harvest here.
Health Benefits Of Basil
- Basil contains many vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Many of its health benefits come from these antioxidants, as well as its essential oils. These compounds mostly disappear during the drying process, so opt for fresh basil when possible to gain the most benefits. More info on the health benefits of basil here.
Tips For Making Fresh Basil Pesto
- Add spinach, garlic scapes or other greens to the pesto if you have them available.
- Be sure not to add the oil until all the other ingredients are added. Then slowly drizzle it in while the food processor is running. This helps to thicken the pesto as the oil emulsifies with the other ingredients.
- Basil pesto can be preserved by freezing it in a small glass jar or ice cube trays for use in the winter time.
- To make vegan basil pesto, just use a non-dairy cheese in this delicious pesto, or add ¼ cup of nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon juice to give it a cheesy flavor
- Basil pesto will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.
How To Enjoy This Classic Basil Pesto Recipe
- Fresh pesto is great on crackers or with chips as a dip
- Homemade pesto sauce tastes great on fresh sourdough pasta. It’s best if the pesto is stirred into warm pasta, because it really soaks into the noodles. This is good leftover as well.
- On toast, with or without a fried egg.
- Make pesto pizza by using the pesto as pizza sauce and topping it with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. This is really good on our favorite sourdough pizza.
- On scrambled eggs or in omelettes.
- As a sandwich spread with fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here
Fresh Ingredients For The Best Basil Pesto

Tools
Want to save this post?
How To Make The Best Homemade Basil Pesto
Add basil, garlic, nuts, salt, pepper and cheese to the bowl of a food processor with a chopper blade.

Process until fairly fine.
Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor while it is running. Process until pesto is smooth and is the consistency that you like.

Remove from the food processor using a rubber spatula. Store in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.
Pesto can be served immediately, or placed in an airtight container to keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
It can also be frozen in ice cube trays and then placed in an airtight freezer bag for up to one year. I like to keep some frozen for a fresh treat in the middle of winter.
I hope you enjoy this classic pesto recipe as much as we do. If you do, please let us know in the comments below and give the recipe a 5 star rating. Thanks for following along as we teach you how to grow a simple, sustainable life.

The Best Homemade Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 cups basil
- 1/3 cup walnuts or other nuts
- 4-5 raw garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add basil, garlic, nuts, salt, pepper and cheese to the bowl of a food processor with a chopper blade.
- Process until fairly fine.
- Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor while it is running. Process until pesto is smooth and is the consistency that you like.
- Remove from the food processor using a rubber spatula and store in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.
- Pesto can be served immediately, or placed in an airtight container to keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- It can also be frozen in ice cube trays and then placed in an airtight freezer bag for up to one year. I like to keep some frozen for a fresh treat in the middle of winter.
Notes
Tips For Making Fresh Basil Pesto
- Add spinach, garlic scapes or other greens to the pesto if you have them available.
- Be sure not to add the oil until all the other ingredients are added. Then slowly drizzle it in while the food processor is running. This helps to thicken the pesto as the oil emulsifies with the other ingredients.
- Basil pesto can be preserved by freezing it in a small glass jar or ice cube trays for use in the winter time.
- To make vegan basil pesto, just use a non-dairy cheese in this delicious pesto, or add ¼ cup of nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon juice to give it a cheesy flavor
- Basil pesto will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.