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Honey Pesto Recipe with Walnuts

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This honey pesto with walnuts recipe is a bright and fresh sauce made with basil, honey, walnuts, garlic, and olive oil.  It’s fantastic tossed with fresh pasta, spread on toast, or stirred into risotto! 

A fantastic sweet & savory addition to any meal. This easy no cook pesto sauce is ready in just 10 minutes in your blender or food processor!

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I love bright and herby sauces, and this honey walnut pesto brings the flavor! As a beekeeper, I’m always looking for fun new ways to use our honey… and it adds the perfect hint of sweetness to pesto sauce.
 
I love making big batches of pesto with any fresh herbs or greens we have on hand: basil, spinach, kale, mustard greens, etc. This pesto was absolutely delicious tossed with fresh cooked pasta, and with garlic bread on the side.  Everyone will absolutely buzz over this sauce.

This Honey Pesto Recipe Is

  • Bright
  • Herby
  • Fresh
  • Subtly Sweet
  • Loaded with Flavor
  • Versatile
  • Hearty
  • Vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free!
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Savory Honey Recipes for Meal Prep

You can easily meal prep this walnut and honey pesto recipe by following the below recipe and dividing it into a few equal portions to enjoy throughout the week. I love having an easy homemade meal ready in my fridge during the busy weekdays.

By meal prepping this recipe, you can cook once and have perfectly portioned meals ready to go. I rely heavily on meal prepping and created a whole section of the site to recipes you can meal prep, batch cook, or make ahead.  Heat + eat, you’re all set!

Ingredients Savory and Sweet Pesto Sauce with Honey

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

  • Raw Honey: We use our own honey, straight out of the beehives for us!  As beekeepers, we have plenty of raw honey so I try to use it in all my recipes instead of sugar.  I’d recommend trying a local farmers market to find the best raw honey in your area. Or else, this raw organic honey online here is the next best thing.
  • Walnuts: because I love adding walnuts to my pesto sauces.
  • Fresh Basil
  • Fresh Parsley
  • Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
  • Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! if you don’t like spice, you can absolutely skip them in this recipe.
  • Lemon Juice – fresh if possible!
  • Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color.
  • Salt & Pepper
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Easy Weeknight Pesto with Honey!

This walnut and honey pesto recipe is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal – which is on your table in about 30 minutes.  These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those nights when you want a homecooked meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.

I have a whole section of The Herbeevore dedicated to Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a tasty meal can be on your table in no time.  Even faster than ordering takeout!

How Do I Make Pesto with Honey?

  1. Toast the walnuts over low heat in a sauce pan – the nuts should be fully toasted after about 3 to 4 minutes, so make sure to watch and stir with a wooden spoon so they don’t burn.
  2. In a food processor or blender, add basil, parsley, toasted walnuts, honey, garlic, pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times to break down the greens.
  3. Mix on low and pour in the olive oil until the pesto is a smooth consistency. Add salt and pepper, taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.  Toss pesto with freshly cooked pasta, smash pesto with cooked chickpeas, or stir into risotto, enjoy!

 

Is There a Plant-Based Alternative to Honey?

Yes, you can substitute out the honey in this recipe for agave nectar or maple syrup. I prefer agave nectar, it’s my go-to kitchen sweetener because it’s absolutely delicious, and buying organic agave is inexpensive online (compared to other organic sweeteners).  It also bakes well, so I like to add it to my baked goods.

More Savory Honey Recipes You’ll Love!

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Bites Recipe

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Noodles Recipe (Vegetarian)

Honey Mustard Coleslaw (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

Raw Honey Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe

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Share This Honey Pesto Recipe

As always, if you make this easy honey pesto recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you.  I love seeing all your photos of my recipes!

Let’s keep in touch – make sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get free recipe inspiration. 

And don’t forget to follow over on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok – I’d love to connect with you there! 

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Honey Pesto with Walnuts

Kelly Jensen
This honey pesto recipe is a bright and fresh sauce made with basil, honey, walnuts, garlic, and olive oil.  Great for pastas, toast, or risotto!  A fantastic flavorful addition to any meal – this sweet no cook pesto sauce is ready in just 10 minutes in your blender or food processor!
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Dip, Dressing, Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian, Vegan
Servings 8 servings
Calories 206 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 2 cups basil
  • 1 cup fresh parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Toast the walnuts over low heat in a sauce pan – the nuts should be fully toasted after about 3 to 4 minutes, so make sure to watch and stir with a wooden spoon so they don’t burn.
  • In a food processor or blender, add basil, parsley, toasted walnuts, honey, garlic, pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times to break down the greens.
  • Mix on low and pour in the olive oil until the pesto is a smooth consistency. Add salt and pepper, taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.  Toss pesto with freshly cooked pasta, smash pesto with cooked chickpeas, or stir into risotto, mangia!

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 2gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 960IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Herbeevore and our beehives!

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Posted in American, Dairy Free, Fall Recipes, Gluten Free, Italian, Sauces, The Herbeevore Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

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