I love summer. Not only because of the warm sunny days, but mostly because of all the yummy, fresh produce coming straight from the garden. Which brings me to my next point… I LOVE basil. Fresh, fragrant basil. And what better way to use basil than in this sunflower seed pesto??
Almost all pesto recipes use nuts, which do not work for my husband. So I decided to create my own recipe using sunflower seeds. The result? Absolutely dreamy. The sunflower seeds have a mild, nutty flavor, and add a creamy texture to this pesto. I also added two tablespoons of hemp seeds for an extra boost of protein.
I prefer to use a food processor when making my pesto, although you could also use a blender. In addition, I found it works best to process all ingredients except basil until smooth, then add basil at the very end to keep it from bruising as much.
This pesto keeps well in the fridge for a few days, but it does brown quickly – so you’ll want to eat it soon after making it. It also freezes well, so make a double or triple batch to freeze and enjoy later during the winter! For easy storage, freeze the pesto in ice-cube trays, then store the cubes in a freezer safe ziplock. Simply throw in a few of the cubes when cooking!
This sunflower seed pesto is creamy, garlicky, savory, and bursting with flavor. It whizzes up in minutes, and is the perfect addition to your favorite pasta or bread. Make a batch today, and enjoy one of my favorite flavors of summer! 🙂
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups fresh basil (packed into cup)
- Add all ingredients (except basil) into food processor or blender.
- Process until smooth and creamy.
- Add basil, and process until smooth.
- Enjoy! Store in the fridge for about 3 days, or freeze for 3-4 months.
This looks amazing! Will try it for dinner tonight~ 🙂
Yay! Let me know what you think! 🙂