Avocado Basil Pesto Recipe
Avocado Basil Pesto is a lightened-up variation of the classic pesto where avocado is added to the recipe. Make it using essential ingredients in 5 minutes.
Here are some more homemade sauce recipes you can try at home: Bechamel Sauce, Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce, Garlic Parmesan Sauce, and Basil Walnut Pesto.
A Quick Look At This Basil Avocado Pesto Recipe
- Flavor: Creamy, nutty, and fresh with a hint of garlicky zest
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 4 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
- Cooking Level: Easy
- Equipment: Food processor or blender
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Wholesome & Nutritious: Packed with avocado, fresh basil, and nuts for a dose of good fats and antioxidants.
- Quick & Easy: Ready in under 5 minutes with a food processor—no cooking needed!
- Versatile: Works beautifully as a pasta sauce, sandwich spread, dip, or salad dressing.
- Unique Twist: Creamier than traditional pesto thanks to avocado, with less cheese and oil.
- Family Favorite: Kid-approved and perfect for weeknight meals or entertaining.
About 2-3 years ago, avocados were extremely expensive in India. I remember buying 1 piece for as much as 500 Rs. Bhavye loved them, and so we indulged in them occasionally, but my heart ached every time I paid that amount. Now that India is growing its own high-quality avocados, we eat them almost every day.
We eat them over toast, or I make Cucumber Avocado Salad, Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, or this Avocado Basil Pesto.
This pesto, made with avocado and basil, has become one of my favorite dips to make when I have guests at home. Avocado pesto is super versatile. I serve it with nachos, breadsticks, and chips for snacks. You can use it to toss cooked pasta, slather it on sandwiches, rolls, or burritos, or use it as a salad dressing.
Ingredients
Avocado – Use a good-quality ripe avocado to make the pesto. If it’s not fully ripe, the pesto will have a bitter taste.
Basil – Fresh Italian basil leaves add authentic pesto flavor to this recipe. I have used basil, but you can also use other greens, such as spinach, kale, or arugula.
Walnuts add a nutty taste to this pesto. You can replace walnuts with pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, or cashew nuts.
Garlic adds a flavor that no ingredient can match.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Use the highest quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Parmesan Cheese – It gives a pleasant umami taste to the avocado pesto. I suggest grating the Parmesan cheese freshly for use in this recipe. If not, then use finely grated cheese. Do not use shredded cheese from a bag, as it sometimes contains anti-caking agents such as cellulose, which can make the pesto gritty.
To create a vegan avocado pesto recipe, substitute nutritional yeast for Parmesan cheese.
Salt & Pepper – Spice it with pepper and salt for added taste. You can also add lemon juice and zest for a tangy kick to the pesto.
Add some red pepper flakes or chopped Thai red chilies for a spicy kick.
How To Make Basil Avocado Pesto Recipe – Step By Step
Start by cleaning the Italian basil. Remove the leaves from the stems and discard them. You will need one packed cup of basil leaves. Rinse the leaves with water and drain well.
You can use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
Cut one avocado in half and discard the seed. Using a spoon, remove the flesh and add it to a medium-sized blender jar. Discard the skin.
Step 1: Add the following ingredients to a food processor or a blender jar.
- 1 cup Italian basil leaves
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2-3 peeled cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Step 2: Blend to make a slightly coarse paste. Scrap the sides of the jar once while blending.
Step 3: Transfer the avocado basil pesto to an airtight container and drizzle a layer of olive oil over it to prevent oxidation and discoloration.
Secure the lid and refrigerate. Use as required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people face the challenge of selecting the perfect avocado and often end up with raw avocados that are not suitable for eating.
To check if the avocado is ripe and ready to eat, gently squeeze it in the palm of your hand. A ripe avocado should yield slightly to gentle pressure. Be careful not to squeeze too hard, which can bruise the fruit.
For most avocado varieties, a ripe avocado should be dark, almost black. However, the exact color can vary depending on the type of avocado. Hass avocados, for example, will turn dark purple or black when ripe.
Place the unripe avocado in a paper bag with a banana or apple. These fruits produce ethylene gas, a natural ripening agent. The paper bag traps the gas, accelerating the ripening process, which can take anywhere from 24 hours to a couple of days. Check the avocado regularly to monitor its ripeness.
You can use roasted sunflower seeds as a substitute for nuts to make a nut-free pesto.
You can store this avocado basil pesto in an airtight container for about a week. To prevent it from turning black, pour a thin layer of water or olive oil over it. Drain the water before serving.
To increase the shelf life of homemade pesto, freeze it in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag.
The best way to freeze it is in an ice cube tray, and then you can store the pesto cubes in plastic freezer bags for about 6 months.
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Avocado Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 cup fresh Italian basil (packed, rinsed, and drained well)
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut the avocado in half and discard the seed. Take out the flesh using a spoon and add it to a medium-sized blender jar. Discard the skin.
- Add basil leaves, walnuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and parmesan cheese to a food processor or a blender jar.
- Blend to make a slightly coarse paste. Scrap the sides of the jar once while blending.
- Transfer the pesto to an airtight container and drizzle a layer of olive oil over it to prevent it from turning black from oxidation. Secure the lid and refrigerate. Use as required.
Please keep posting! I love your delicious postings and recipes. Thank you, Very Much! John