This delicious kids pesto sauce is healthy, easy to make and delicious. It's deliciously mild and made with basil, spinach, and cashews.
Pesto for Kids
My kids love this easy pesto sauce! This pesto is quick to make, healthy and delicious.
I think of this recipe as a kids pesto. But in our daily life, it works perfect for a quick weeknight family meal. We all enjoy eating this pesto.
This kids pesto recipe makes a milder pesto than traditional recipes and store bought jarred pesto. It's not as garlicky or salty. In addition, it isn't as herby or earthy. I think it's a perfect balance of flavors and makes a delicious sauce.
Compared to traditional pesto, this kids pesto recipe uses:
- less salt
- less garlic
- a mix of basil and baby spinach
- cashews instead of pine nuts
Is Pesto Good For Children?
Yes! Pesto contains many healthy ingredients so it is a good choice for children. When kids eat pesto, they consume healthy greens, nuts and oils.
Basil is a leafy green that is full of antioxidants. This kid pesto recipe also uses spinach, a super food rich in iron, antioxidants and vitamins.
In addition, the cashews in the pesto contain heart-healthy fats and are a great source of protein. Cashews also have more protein than pine nuts, which are traditionally used in pesto sauces.
Lastly, pesto is also rich in olive oil, a healthy fat with many health benefits.
Does pesto have too much salt for kids?
The great thing about making this kid pesto recipe is that you can control how much salt you add. This pesto recipe is written so it is naturally low in salt.
- Use dry roasted unsalted cashews
- Parmesan is high in salt, so I omit it completely in the recipe.
We sometimes serve this kid pesto sauce topped with parmesan cheese, but it's not necessary.
Jarred or canned pesto often has a lot of added salt. In addition, parmesan cheese is also high in salt. That's why I first started making this recipe over 8 years ago.
Can Toddlers Have Pesto?
Yes, toddlers and babies can have pesto. Pesto can be introduced as soon as a baby starts weaning, around 6 months old. All of the ingredients are fine for babies if there are no allergies to them.
In addition, because pesto is well blended, it's easy for babies and toddlers to eat. You can even pulse the pesto extra long to make it more of a puree texture.
How To Adjust This Recipe for Babies
I started making this pesto recipe eight years ago, when my oldest child started weaning. When he was very young, I omitted the salt completely, made smaller batches, used more olive oil and pulsed the pesto in the food processor until it was nearly a puree.
This pesto can also be used as a dipping sauce for little ones. Pesto does get a bit messy, so another idea is to spread it on toast fingers.
Ingredients for Kids Pesto
6 simple ingredients needed to make this kids pesto:
- Basil
- Spinach
- Cashews
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Lemon Juice
How to Make Kids Pesto
It's really easy to make this recipe! Simply add everything into a food processor and pulse it all together until it's almost smooth.
Every so often, stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary. I like the touch of texture that the cashew pieces give to the pesto, so I blitz everything together at once.
If you are after a very smooth pesto, you can pulse the cashews first to break them into small pieces. Then, add in the basil, spinach, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Continue pulsing until the pesto is smooth, adding more olive oil as needed.
You don't need a fancy food processor to make this kids pesto. This is my trusty small 3.5 cup food chopper. I love the compact size, and it does a great job making pesto. It's also cordless and easy to wash and clean.
What to Serve With Pesto
Since this pesto is on the mild side, you can top it with parmesan cheese to give it a flavor boost. We add parmesan about half the times we make this. This pesto recipe is delicious with and without parmesan!
Most frequently, we serve this pesto with pasta. Our favorite healthy pastas are Good Wheat High Fiber Pasta and Veggie Craft Lentil Pasta. Good Wheat tastes and looks just like regular pasta (it's what you see in the photos). Veggie Craft Lentil Pasta is high in protein and we like the taste. You can see it used in my Steak Pasta recipe.
This pesto also works smeared on toast fingers for little toddlers. It's an easy and tasty way to add a bit of veggie into a picky eaters diet.
Kids Pesto
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups baby spinach washed, dried and firmly packed into the measuring cup
- 1 cup basil washed, dried and firmly packed into the measuring cup
- ½ cup dry roasted & unsalted cashews see notes
- ½ small clove garlic roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice (about the juice from ½ a small lemon)
- 6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste, about ⅛-1/4 teaspoon
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
To Serve (recommended)
- 6-8 ounces small pasta shapes to serve
- shredded parmesan cheese if desired, to taste
Instructions
- Add the spinach, basil, cashews, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice into a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until everything is blended together and nearly smooth. Drizzle in more olive oil and continue to pulse, for a thinner pesto consistency.
- Add in salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for a few days.
To Serve
- Cook the pasta until tender, then drain. In a large bowl, toss the pasta together with the pesto sauce. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
More Family Friendly Meals
Love this quick family meal idea? Here are a few of our other favorites:
Do you have a favorite last minute family meal? Please share below. I'd love to add more to our rotation.
Julia says
I used dry roasted salted cashews and didn't add any additional salt. Great recipe for kids. Thanks!
Darcy says
I brought this to a potluck with a lot of little kids. They all loved it!