Hazelnut Pesto (Easy, Creamy, Homemade Pesto)

A versatile and extremely flavoursome Basil & Hazelnut Pesto recipe that comes together in 10 minutes. Use pesto in pasta dishes, sandwiches, or as a filling for tear-and-share bread or a pizza topping! If you've been buying pesto up until now, I am sure you will appreciate the difference in both flavour and texture that you get in just 10 minutes of effort! And how amazing is it that you can make pesto without pinenuts?!

Jump to:

• Can You Really Make Pesto Without Pine Nuts?
• Different Pesto Recipes To Try
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Equipment Needed
• How to Blanch Hazelnuts? 
• Reader Review
• Method: How To Make Hazelnut Pesto?
• What To Use Pesto For?
• Storage
• Hazelnut Pesto

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Can You Really Make Pesto Without Pine Nuts?

Absolutely! 100%! Yes! We have been making pesto for years, and very rarely do we use pine nuts. Various other nuts, like walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and macadamia nuts work just as well in pesto and don't have such a high price tag attached to them. 

Whilst buttery nuts, like pecans and walnuts, make smoother traditional pesto, I find that hazelnuts add a more earthy flavour to the pesto.

To ensure the smooth texture of your hazelnut pesto, you simply need to grind the nuts into finer crumbs than you would pine nuts. However, don't over-blend or your hazelnuts risk turning into nut butter!

Different Pesto Recipes To Try

Traditional pine nut pesto is great, but sometimes we just fancy a little twist. If you don't have ingredients for this hazelnut pesto recipe, maybe you'd like to try our Walnut & Cheddar Pesto instead! Alternatively, try something new and exciting - make our 10-minute Pea Shoot Pesto!

Ingredients and Substitutes

• hazelnuts: use blanched (skinless) hazelnuts for pesto for the most vibrant colour and better texture. If you wish, you can use toasted hazelnuts by toasting the nuts in a dry large skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until golden brown, but this step isn't necessary for a classic pesto sauce.  
• garlic cloves
• lemons: juice only. We used 2 small lemons in this recipe, but adjust the amount used based on the size of your lemons, the zinginess of them and your own personal tastebuds. You may use a small quantity of lemon zest too if you don't mind bitter undertones. 
• olive oil: extra virgin. 
• fresh basil: leaves only, stalks discarded. 
• parmesan cheese: can be replaced with Padana Grano cheese. 
• salt: we used Malden Sea Salt flakes. 

Equipment Needed

Most pestos can be made with a pestle and mortar. However, since we are making pesto with hazelnuts, it is very difficult to get them ground up manually, as hazelnuts are relatively hard nuts.

That's why we employed one of our favourite kitchen tools - Kenwood Food Processor to make this Basil & Hazelnut Pesto. 

How to Blanch Hazelnuts? 

Boil water in a medium pan and add 2 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda (not baking powder). Drop the hazelnuts in and boil for approximately 5 minutes. Drain the hazelnuts and place them into a bowl of ice-cold water immediately. Remove the skins using your fingers. 

If the skins aren't coming off easily, leave the hazelnuts to soak for a few more minutes. Place the blanched almonds in between two clean tea towels and rub them dry. Leave them to air-dry for a couple of hours, then store them in an airtight container!

Use these blanched nuts to make hazelnut pesto or in baking!

Method: How To Make Hazelnut Pesto?

To make the pesto, all you need to do is place the blanched hazelnuts into a bowl of a food processor and blend until they look like coarse breadcrumbs. Then add peeled garlic cloves and blitz for another 10 seconds.

Add the basil leaves, grated parmesan, half the olive oil and half of the lemon juice and blend into a thick paste. Pour in the rest of the oil and season with salt to taste. 

Using a spatula, scoop the pesto out into a jar or airtight container. Adjust the taste by adding more lemon juice if needed and loosening with oil for the right consistency. That's it! You have your own delicious homemade pesto! 

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What To Use Pesto For?

Looking for recipes to use your homemade hazelnut pesto in? Of course, pesto makes a delicious pasta sauce, but what else?

• Spread the pesto on the slices of bread, top with cheese and make delicious toasties.
• Mix your pesto with ground almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or breadcrumbs and spread on white fish before cooking in the oven.
• A great way to use leftover pesto with hazelnuts is to drizzle it over chicken or vegetable pizza!
• Serve this hazelnut pesto with boiled new potatoes - it's delicious. 
• Loosen it with a little oil or mayo and make a delicious salad dressing! We love it in our Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad.

Here are some of our favourite recipes for using hazelnut pesto in:

• Basil Pesto & Cheese Sourdough Pull-Apart Bread
• Tuna and Pesto Pasta Bake with Cherry Tomatoes & Mozzarella
• Quick & Easy Veggie Pesto Pasta

Storage

You may store any leftover pesto in an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

Freeze your hazelnut pesto in portions for long-term storage. Thawed pesto is great to add to sauces or baking, but won't be great used fresh as a dip.