This easy cashew pesto takes only 5 minutes to make and can be used in so many ways. Toss it with pasta, add it to a soup, spread it on a sandwich – the possibilities are endless. Made with fresh basil, cashews, garlic and parmesan, this pesto adds amazing fresh flavour to any meal!
Prep time: PT5M
Total time: PT5M
Rating
4.89 stars (17 reviews)
Keywords
easy cashew pesto
Ingredients
2 cups packed fresh basil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil
water (optional)
Categories
Sauce
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
Add the basil, parmesan cheese, cashews, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to the food processor, and blend until a paste starts to form.
While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until ingredients are well combined. Scrape down the sides as you go, if necessary.
Adjust seasoning and consistency, if desired (see notes below). Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within a week. See post for freezing instructions.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Calories: 60 kcal
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 121 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Anne on 2025-09-01 (5 stars): This is my first time using cashews in a pesto recipe. I love it! It's a lot more economical than using pine nuts, and gives a great texture and delicious flavour. I am wondering about the measurement of the nuts though. The cashews I used are large. Measured whole, very few would be included in the recipe. I roughly chopped mine, and probably used more than twice as many as 1/3 cup whole nuts. Can I suggest that a weight measurement, in grams, would be more accurate?
Skierchick70 on 2025-08-17 (5 stars): Best pesto! I’m not a fan of the bitter flavor I get from pine nuts. This cashew recipe nails it best for my taste buds! Highly recommend!
Natalia on 2025-08-09 (5 stars): This pesto is soooo good! I recommend it so much all of you should try it !
Andrea on 2025-08-04 (5 stars): It came together really easy and tasted great!
Cat K on 2025-07-19 (5 stars): This is the 2nd time that I’ve harvested my basil and used this recipe. I use raw cashews and it’s just a great recipe! Thanks.
Gary braun on 2025-07-14 (3 stars): To salty I would add half the amount
The cashews are great replacement
Shafieka McRae on 2025-06-16 (5 stars): Amazing 👏 I made it twice now and love the taste of the cashew nuts. It's so simple to make and so delicious 😋
Jane on 2025-05-31 (5 stars): This was wonderful! I've made a lot of variations on pesto and this one is my new favorite!
Pauline on 2025-03-22 (5 stars): Easy to make and great taste
Melissa on 2024-09-27 (5 stars): Very tasty! I think the lemon jiuce makes flavors pop. Plus, it doesn't discolor when stored, as other fresh pesto does.
