Immersion Blender Pesto Recipe – Low Histamine and Vegan Options

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This immersion blender pesto recipe is easy, low histamine and vegan. It has a bold yet fresh flavor with hints of garlic. The homemade pesto recipe can be made without parmesan cheese for a low histamine pesto that has hemp seeds and sesame seeds instead for a delicious nutty texture.

The addition of parmesan cheese gives this hemp and sesame basil pesto the authentic flavor of traditional pesto. While I love parmesan cheese it is a high histamine food that can aggravate symptoms of histamine intolerance. To make a low histamine pesto recipe omit the parmesan cheese. Thankfully hemp and sesame seeds is a perfect alternative to use instead of parmesan cheese.

My favorite way to use this easy immersion blender pesto recipe is with gluten-free pasta,  zucchini noodles, or as a spread on nutrient-dense crackers. Below is a low histamine pesto without the parmesan cheese or lemon juice which are both high histamine foods.

Low histamine pesto recipe

1 cup packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

How to make low histamine pesto

Making homemade pesto is super easy! Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend. Yup, it’s that easy.

Immersion blender pesto

If you don’t have a food processor to make the homemade basil pesto, then no worries. Instead, you can place all the ingredients into a large mason jar or blending jug, then use an immersion blender to make this healthy pesto recipe.

I prefer to use an immersion blender due to less cleanup of parts and because an immersion blender takes up less space in my kitchen cupboards. An immersion blender is perfect for making pesto when you don’t have a ton of liquid, as you can manually move the immersion blender up and down to blend basil into a homemade pesto.

Is pesto good for weight loss?

Store-bought commercial pesto often contains unhealthy fats such as refined vegetable oils like canola oil. Making a homemade basil pesto with cold-pressed olive oil is so much better and tastier!

Unhealthy fats that have oxidized, such as refined vegetable oils are inflammatory to the system and thus, can contribute to weight gain. If your wondering, is pesto good for weight loss? It depends on what kind of pesto you are making.

This homemade basil pesto recipe is good for weight loss as it contains healthy fats in fresh ground whole food form found in the hemp and sesame seeds. Cold-pressed olive oil is used instead of inflammatory refined canola oil. 

Both hemp and chia seeds are excellent sources of plant-based protein and anti-inflammatory omega-three fats.

It is best to omit the parmesan cheese for anyone who has histamine intolerance or food intolerance to dairy. Food sensitivities promote inflammation in the body that can lead to weight gain. 

This homemade basil pesto will still taste delicious if you decide to omit the parmesan and make a vegan basil pesto instead to serve over zucchini noodles or freshly sauteed zucchini slices.