This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.
Roasted Beet Pesto with walnuts is a nutrient-dense take on pesto sauce that will rock your world! Use it anywhere a pesto can go! Pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, wraps, and more, will all benefit from this delicious superfood sauce.
I shared this Roasted Beet Pesto recipe way back in 2013, and it has been a reader favorite ever since!
Because the original post didn’t provide very in-depth information and the photos were in desperate need of updating, I figured I would give it a facelift and bring it to the forefront, leaving the original recipe completely intact.
The concept of beet pesto may sound odd, but it’s actually pretty miraculous.
Full to the brim with vibrant color and nutrients, it can be used in any way regular pesto sauce can be used (think: pasta, pizza, sauce for burgers, sandwiches, and more).
This isn’t the only time I’ve gotten wild and crazy with pesto on this site.
In fact, I’ve posted recipes for Spinach Pesto Sauce, Beet Green Pesto, Carrot Top Pesto, Broccoli Pesto, and more!
Traditional basil pesto sauce is made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
We’re using a roasted beet instead of basil and walnuts instead of pine nuts, but keeping the parmesan cheese and garlic.
A splash of lemon juice adds a lovely counterbalance to the sweetness of the beet.
Let’s talk about the ingredients in detail!
Roasted Beet Pesto Ingredients:
Beets: Infusing the pesto with a powerful antioxidant punch, beets are famous for their cancer-fighting anti-inflammatory properties.
They are also a good source of potassium, Vitamin A and iron. Beets are also a great source of carbohydrate, as they contain a great deal of natural sugars plus the fiber to ensure they are slower burning.
Garlic: A natural antimicrobial and antiviral, garlic is just as huge in health benefits as it is in flavor. Physicians recommend eating a clove or two of raw garlic when you aren’t feeling well to fight pathogens and allow the good bacteria to take hold.
Of course you don’t have to be feeling ill in order to reap benefits from garlic, as it helps promote balance in your gut microbiome and is also a natural anti-inflammatory.
Walnuts: Replacing pine nuts with walnuts adds to the nutrient profile of this beet pesto even further. Walnuts are a good source of iron and magnesium, with a boost of folate, potassium, and calcium.
Parmesan Cheese: Bringing that iconic pesto vibe to the sauce, parmesan cheese adds a great deal of flavor to the sauce.
Olive Oil: Bringing all of the ingredients together into a sauce consistency, we use olive oil to add fat content and delicious texture.
Lemon Juice: For a slight acidic tang, lemon juice brings a needed counterbalance to the otherwise sweet sauce. The acidity is needed to round out the flavor.
Sea Salt: Add sea salt according to your personal taste. It brings out all of the flavors and makes the sauce taste like a dream, so don’t skip it!
Recipe Customizations:
- To make this recipe dairy-free or vegan, omit the parmesan cheese, add ½ cup of additional walnuts, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (to taste).
- If you prefer avocado oil or grapeseed oil, feel free to make the swap!
- Use cider vinegar or rice vinegar in place of lemon juice.
How to Make Roasted Beet Pesto:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the beet well and chop it into ½-inch pieces (you can peel it if you’d like to do as I do and leave the peel on).
Place the chopped beet on a sheet of foil, then fold the foil over the beets, creating a foil packet.
Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the beets are soft when poked with a fork. Allow the beets to cool to room temperature.
Add all of the ingredients for the pesto sauce to a food processor except for the olive oil.
Pulse until everything is well chopped.
Scrape the sides of the food processor and continue processing until a thick paste forms.
Leaving the food processor on, slowly stream the olive oil through the hole in the top until it is completely incorporated. The sauce should be thick and creamy with a little graininess to it.
Use roasted beet pesto in any recipe you would normally use basil pesto!
Store pesto in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Use this tasty sauce on your burgers, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, and more!
Check out my Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale and Goat Cheese for a real good time!
Drop a comment below letting me know what you do with this magical sauce!
Roasted Beet Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized red beet, chopped and roasted (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup walnuts*
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice***
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Wash and scrub the beet and pat it dry. Peel and chop it into ½” cubes and place the pieces on a large sheet of foil. Wrap the chopped beet in foil, making a foil packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until beets are soft and juices are seeping out.
- Allow beets to cool completely.
- Add all of the ingredients except for the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse several times.
- Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick for your blender to process, add a small amount of water until desired consistency is reached.
- Use the beet pesto sauce in pastas, on pizza, sandwiches, burgers, and more!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Im looking forward to making this today. How long does it keep? And, can I freeze it?
Hi Diana! The pesto will last for 7 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Hope you enjoy! xoxo
I tried this recipe as my sauce on a beet, arugula and goat cheese pizza and it was SO DELICIOUS!! I added a bit more garlic than the recipe calls for, because I just love garlic. Don’t be afraid of this recipe if you don’t like beets. These flavors are so zesty, savory and really pop.
Hi Kristina!
Wahoooo!! I’m so happy you like it! Love the idea of adding more garlic 🙂 xoxoxo
I LOVE this recipe!! It’s been a staple in my kitchen for at least a year. I’ve made it with golden beets, depending on what’s handy, but the red beet pesto is very visually appealing. My favorite use for it is on avocado toast as a spread beneath the avocado. Such a delicious way to get a good helping of potassium every morning! ❤️❤️❤️
Oh, and: I usually use aged gouda (yum!) and sometimes pine nuts instead of walnuts, and I always roast the beets in a cast iron skillet with a slightly vented lid. They come out perfectly every time. ? Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world!
I’m so happy to hear it, Erin! Love the idea of aged gouda and pine nuts..I’ll have to try that as well! 😀 xo
Delicious! I used toasted pecans – so fabulous. I over processed in the Vitamix so it’s the consistency of pudding, but I’m going to enjoy every bite! Great recipe!
Wow! just ran across your site googling around for interesting pizza ideas. I’ve made plenty of pestos before but never Beet Pesto. I will definitely try this. However, I will change the way you do the roasting. My view is that if you wrap things in foil they won’t actually roast, they will steam. For more flavor I always roast veggies uncovered, tossed with a little oil spread out on a baking sheet til they get some browning, flipping or stirring as needed. I often add fresh garlic, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. So yummy.
But this Beet Pesto will get made soon in my kitchen. Great idea! I also will try your Kale & Goat Cheese Pizza. Thanks..
I’m so thrilled to hear you’ll be trying the pesto and the pizza! Love your roasting idea! Hope you enjoy, Ann! xo
Loved this! Made it with golden beets to deceive my “beet-hating” bf, who is actually is just weary of the bright red colour and is fine with candy cane beets and golden beets. Made a double batch, didn’t peel the beets as they were farm fresh and the skin was very thin and soft, used pecorino romano instead of parmesan since I’m a fan of use-what-you-have, omitted the salt due to saltiness of the pecorino, only used 3 garlic cloves since they were all I had left but then replaced 1/4 of the overall olive oil with garlic infused evoo. So delicious! Used it as a base on our homemade pizza and topped with black olives, chevre goat cheese, and zucchini rounds. Plan on using it as a dip with celery in lunches this week, and also as a sauce in my Buddha bowls.
Ooooh all of that sounds so tasty! Now I’m inspired to make it with golden beets! Thanks for the sweet note, Minnie! xo
Since the beet is steamed inside the foil packet rather than being roasted open (where it would caramelize) could you get a similar result steaming a beet in an instant pot rather than the oven?
Way too much garlic, no sexy vampires are coming round to mine for Valentine’s Day this year !
Otherwise delicious, I would reduce the amount of garlic and maybe sauté it until golden.
Thanks
This is sooo good! Thank you so much!
Being a vegan, had to make an adjustment to this recipe. Firstly I didn’t have any walnuts so I used pecans, unroasted. Instead of Parmesan cheese, which is terribly bad for you anyway and some of the cheaper brands use a percentage of wood filler, I used a couple of tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast Flakes. Spooned the pesto over some cooked tri-color veggie noodles and went to town. My wife said it was a ten-star dish.
Can this recipe be frozen for future use? I would love to have this on hand during the winter months 🙂 Love beets!
Hi Kat,
I’ve never frozen hummus so I can’t say how well it turns out when it’s thawed, but I would think it would work out okay. I don’t think the flavor will be super optimal after thawing, but it’s certainly worth a try! Let me know if you do it, and how it turns out 🙂
Oh my GAWD! So good I wish I made double cause I’m just eating it with a spoon. I used pine nuts instead of walnuts cause I had them. Going to put it on a cauliflower pizza crust and add feta and spinach. Should be so pretty and YUM!
Waaaadeehooooo! I’m so happy you like the recipe, Courtney! It definitely is addicting. Cheers! xo
That beet pesto has totally rocked my week so far! I made a huuuuge jar and I’m already halfway through. With my pasta, on a sandwich, this glorious smooth pink deliciousness has been practically on everything I ate. And I love it. This will be a staple in my fall and winter kitchen!!! THANK YOU SOO MUCH for sharing the recipe with the world.
P.S. even my 17-yo roommate is digging through his pasta right now and loves it as well. And you can probably imagine 17-year-olds are not particularly fond of beets 😉
I’m so happy to hear you and your roommate are enjoying the pesto!! It’s one of my all-time favorite condiments. Thanks for stopping in and for your kind feedback! xo
Totally new to beets, this might be a dumb question but it doesn’t say to peel the beets first…should I not? I’m assuming I should peel them before chopping/roasting?
Hi Kuki, not a dumb question at all!! I peel the beet before chopping it. I’ll make that note in the recipe. Hope you enojoy!
Hi Julia,
I can’t wait to make this for my husband and I. Im just wondering, how long does it last in the fridge do you think? 🙂
I tried this recipe out tonight and it was delicious.