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Home » Snacks » Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

By Erin · November 16, 2018 · Updated June 18, 2020 · 26 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

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pesto with text overlay
Gluten Free Vegetarian

The only thing better than regular sun-dried tomato pesto is homemade sun-dried tomato pesto! It’s made with 6 ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes, and all you need is a food processor. 

jar of sun dried tomato pesto topped with parmesan cheese

Let’s all agree from here on out that pesto makes everything better. As much as I love traditional or even kale pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto is my true love language. If I have to choose between basil or sun-dried tomatoes, the tomatoes will always win.

I wish I could remember the first time I tried sun-dried tomatoes, but alas, I cannot. What I do know is that I was immediately hooked because I have plenty of tomato-based recipes on this site. The best part about pesto is that it makes a lot of servings and can be used in a variety of ways (see the end of this post!).

Why you’ll love this sun-dried tomato pesto

  • It uses the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, aka sun-dried tomato oil, instead of olive oil for extra flavor
  • Cashews are used as a base to help thicken it up
  • It uses canned diced tomatoes to create a sun-dried tomato pesto sauce with actual tomatoes

Ingredient notes:

ingredients to make pesto with text overlay

Sun-dried tomatoes – preferably in a jar. This recipe uses both the sun-dried tomatoes, and the oil that’s in the jar. If you can’t find them in a jar, use olive oil in place of the sun-dried tomato oil.

Cashews – raw, unsalted

Diced tomatoes – I almost always recommend fire-roasted, but in this recipe, plain canned diced tomatoes are best

How to make pesto

Step 1: Place all ingredients EXCEPT the oil into your food processor, then pulse for 20 seconds.

pesto ingredients in a food processor

Step 2: With the processor still running, pour the oil through the top and keep pulsing until the pesto is smooth. Note: You may have to turn the processor off and scrape down the sides 1-2 times. If mixture is still stuck, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.

blended pesto in a food processor

Tips and FAQs

  • Use raw cashews: For most recipes, you’re going to want to opt for raw cashews instead of salted to eliminate unnecessary salt.
  • Use fresh basil: Fresh basil is a must for pesto!
  • Regular diced tomatoes are best: This is one of the only times I’ll recommend using regular canned diced tomatoes over fire roasted ones. Normally, I’m all about the fire roasted, but they’re not necessary for this pesto and may make the pesto spicy, which isn’t what we’re going for
  • Cheese is optional: If you consume cheese, I recommend adding it because I think it gives the pesto a little extra flavor. However, if you want to keep this dairy free, simply omit the cheese.

What can I use this pesto for?

Honestly? Anything and everything, including but not limited to: pasta, pizza, toast, in a salad in place of or in addition to salad dressing, in a grain bowl, as a sandwich spread, with roasted veggies, etc. Seriously, the possibilities are endless!

jar of sun dried tomato pesto topped with fresh basil leaves

More sun-dried tomato recipes

  • Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon Skillet
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

jar of sun dried tomato pesto topped with parmesan cheese

Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Delicious homemade sun-dried tomato pesto that's made with 6 ingredients and ready in 5 minutes. All you need is a food processor and you'll have yourself the BEST pesto recipe.
4.67 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 7 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 12 basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato oil from jar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp parmesan cheese shredded, optional
  • 1 tbsp water optional

Instructions

  • Place sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cashews, basil, salt, and parmesan (if using it) in your food processor and pulse for 20 seconds.
  • With the food processor still running, pour the sun-dried tomato oil (which you get rom the jar of sun-dried tomatoes) through the top and continue pulsing until the mixture is smooth. If you don't have sun-dried tomato oil, use olive oil. If mixture is stuck, add 1 tbsp water and/or stop it and scrape down the sides and try again.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

-Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks
-If you buy sun-dried tomatoes that do not come in oil, simply use olive oil instead
-Always use raw cashews, not salted

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in 2016. It was updated with new text in June 2020.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Mediterranean Diet, Sides, Snacks, Vegetarian

Erin

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

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