For those Italian food lovers out there, it can be hard to say goodbye to pasta while on the keto diet. There are some variations of keto-friendly pasta for those on the hunt, but what about the sauces? Traditional marinara, vodka sauce, alfredo sauce and the most beloved, pesto sauce, are all called into question, but today we are going to focus our attention on pesto. Is pesto sauce keto-friendly?
Traditional pesto is considered keto-friendly because it contains low to minimal carbohydrates per serving. As always, brands can still vary so it remains important for those following the keto diet to check food labels thoroughly. Some brands may also include added sugars which could render them not keto-friendly. The best keto alternative to traditional pesto is Primal Kitchen Pesto Mayo.
Let’s take a deeper look at this delightful, green, herby concoction many of us already know and love and some keto-friendly alternatives available.
Contents
What is Pesto?
The sweetheart of Italian sauces, pesto is a versatile mixture of olive oil, cheeses, nuts, and herbs that is often used as a sauce for pastas, chicken or seafood dishes, a condiment on sandwiches, flatbreads, and wraps, as a dipping sauce and much, much more.
This bright green sauce is traditionally made with olive oil, basil, salt, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese crushed together with a mortar and pestle, known as Genovese-style. Although, there are a wide variety of different variations of pesto sauces available for those looking to change things up.
Traditional pesto has a bight, herby flavor profile with a garlicky, savory kick. For those who don’t love basil, pesto comes in varieties made with spinach, arugula, kale, parsley, cilantro, and many other greens. There are also varieties of pesto made with red peppers, sundried tomatoes, and olives.
How to Make Traditional Pesto
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch of basil leaves
- 3 cloves of fresh garlic
- 1 small handful of fresh pine nuts
- ¾ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Chop the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan cheese into a fine mince.
- Once the ingredients are uniform in texture and can be formed into a small cake, add the olive oil on top and use immediately or place in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts (Per ¼ cup):
- Calories 260
- Fat 26g
- Saturated fat 2.5
- Sodium 450mg
- Carbs 3g
- Sugar 2g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 1g
- Protein 3g
Health Benefits of Pesto
It’s no surprise that pesto, a product of Italy, contains ingredients that are in line with the extensively researched Mediterranean diet. This diet outlines fresh herbs, olive oil and nuts. Food on the Mediterranean diet have been shown to exert many positive health benefits including reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and even cancer [1].
Olive oil, pine nuts, basil and garlic, the main components of traditional pesto, have many nutritious qualities. Olive oil and pine nuts contain healthy fats, which have been shown to improve cholesterol levels and reduce chronic disease risk. These foods along with basil and garlic also contain antioxidants, which can fight against free radicals and reduce risk for certain conditions including cancer [2, 3, 4].
The Best Keto-Friendly Pesto Brands
Public Goods Organic Genovese Style Pesto Sauce
This Genovese-style pesto from Public Goods is made with organic ingredients and a mixture of sunflower seed and extra virgin olive oil. You can find this product online at publicgoods.com priced at $4.25 for a 6.35-ounce jar.
Ingredients:
- Organic sunflower seed oil
- Organic basil
- Water
- Organic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Organic milk
- Salt
- Organic rennet
- Organic cashew nuts
- Organic potato flakes
- Organic brown sugar
- Salt
- Organic extra virgin olive oil
- Natural aroma
- Organic pine nuts
- Organic garlic
- Lactic acid
Nutrition Facts (Per ¼ cup):
- Calories 260
- Fat 26g
- Saturated fat 2.5
- Sodium 450mg
- Carbs 3g
- Sugar 2g
- Added sugar 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Protein 3g
Good & Gather Basil Pesto Sauce
For those Target lovers out there, their Good & Gather brand basil pesto sauce is a great, keto-friendly pesto. With only 1 gram of net carbs per ¼ cup serving, you can enjoy this earthy, herbaceous sauce without fear. You can find this product online or in stores at Target, priced at $56.49 for a 7-ounce container.
Ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- Pasteurized sheep’s milk
- Cheese cultures
- Salt
- Enzymes
- Canola oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pine nuts
- Citric acid
- Rosemary extract
- Ascorbic acid
Nutrition Facts (Per ¼ cup):
- Calories 260
- Fat 26g
- Saturated fat 5g
- Sodium 400mg
- Carbs 2g
- Sugar 0g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 1g
- Protein 4g
Cucina & Amore Pesto alla Genovese Basil
Made with fresh, never dried or frozen basil, Cucina & Amore pesto alla Genovese is delightfully bright and fresh while still maintaining a keto-friendly nutrition profile. Although it does contain a small number of added sugars to bring out the mixture of flavors, it is an insignificant amount for most uses of this sauce.
You can find this product online at various retail sites, including Thrivemarket.com, priced at $4.25 for a 7.9-ounce jar.
Ingredients:
- Basil
- Sunflower oil
- Water
- Brazil nuts
- Grana Padano cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Potato starch
- Salt
- Garlic
- Pine nuts
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- Ascorbic acid
Nutrition Facts (Per 1-ounce):
- Calories 95
- Fat 9g
- Saturated fat 1g
- Sodium 280mg
- Carbs 3g
- Sugar .5g
- Added sugar .5g
- Fiber .5g
- Protein 1g
Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Pesto
Sonoma Gourmet Kale Pesto with White Cheddar
For an unconventional take of traditional pesto sauce, Sonoma Gourmet has created kale and white cheddar pesto. Low in carbs per ¼ cup serving, this rich and creamy sauce can be used in a variety of dishes to replace traditional Genovese-style pesto sauce for a fun swap. You can find this product online at Sonomagourmet.com, priced at $9.99 for a 15.5-ounce jar.
Ingredients:
- Organic vegetable stock
- Water
- Organic vegetable broth concentrate
- Organic carrot
- Organic celery
- Organic onion
- Sea salt
- Organic onion powder
- Cream
- Cultured buttermilk
- Kale
- Sunflower oil
- White cheddar cheese
- Pasteurized milk
- Cheese cultures
- Salt
- Enzymes
- Natural flavor
- Rice starch
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- Dried shallots
- Onion powder
- Citric acid
- Xanthan gum
Nutrition Facts (Per ¼ cup):
- Calories 110
- Fat 10g
- Saturated fat 4g
- Sodium 250mg
- Carbs 4g
- Sugar 1g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 0g
- Protein 2g
Primal Kitchen Pesto Mayo Made with Avocado Oil
For a different take of pesto, consider Primal Kitchen pesto mayo for sandwiches and wraps. Not only is this creamy spread delicious, but it is also 100% keto-friendly with zero carbs per serving. You can find this product online at various retail sites, including Target.com, priced at $8.49 for a 12-ounce jar.
Ingredients:
- Avocado oil
- Organic eggs
- Organic egg yolks
- Organic vinegar
- Sea salt
- Pesto blend
- Water
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Garlic
- Potato flour
- Parsley
- Black pepper
- Basil oil
- Garlic oil
- Organic rosemary extract
Nutrition Facts (Per 1-tablespoon):
- Calories 100
- Fat 11g
- Saturated fat 1.5g
- Sodium 135mg
- Carbs 0g
- Sugar 0g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 0g
- Protein 0g
Fratelli Carli Red Pesto Sauce
Another great alternative to traditional basil pesto is red pesto sauce made with added tomatoes for sweetness. Be careful though, many red pesto sauces contain added sugars or high amounts of carbohydrates.
Fratelli Carli red pesto sauce is keto-friendly with only 1 gram of carbohydrate per 1-tablespoon serving. You can find this product online at oliocarli.us.com, priced at $14.90 for two 4.59-ounce jars.
Ingredients:
- Crushed tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pine nuts
- Dried tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Genoese basil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Milk proteins
- Cheese
- Pasteurized milk
- Rennet
- Salt
- Cream
- Garlic
- Ascorbic acid
- Lactic acid
Nutrition Facts (Per 1-tablespoon):
- Calories 80
- Fat 8g
- Saturated fat 1.5g
- Sodium 160mg
- Carbs 1g
- Sugar <1g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 0g
- Protein 1g
Salca Italia Pesto Chili
For those who like it spicy, Salca Italia has created a spicy chili pesto sauce made with red peppers and tomatoes. With only 3g of net carbs per ¼ cup serving, it is keto-friendly and unconventional. Although it is not the most budget-friendly, it’s worth it for those who loves peppers. You can find this product online at supermarketitaly.com priced at $29.99 for 6.7-ounce jar.
Ingredients:
- Peppers
- Tomato paste
- Sunflower seed oil
- Parsley
- Almonds
- Cheese
- Milk
- Salt
- Microbial rennet
- Garlic
- Dried chili pepper
- Pepper flakes
- Salt
- Rice syrup
- Chili pepper
- Chili pepper
- Salt
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Black pepper
- Thyme
- Aniseed
Nutrition Facts (Per ¼ cup):
- Calories 180
- Fat 17g
- Saturated fat 2g
- Sodium 280mg
- Carbs 5g
- Sugar 2g
- Added sugar 0g
- Fiber 2g
- Protein 2g
Related Questions
Is Pesto Sauce Vegan?
No, most traditional pesto sauces contain cheese. However, there are some vegan-friendly pesto sauces on the market. Always check the food label for ingredients and allergy information if trying to avoid dairy or animal products.
Does Pesto Have Sugar?
Traditional pesto sauce should not contain added sugars but there are many varieties that do. Always check the food label and ingredients list for hidden added sugars.
Does Pesto Need to be Refrigerated?
Fresh and store-bought pesto should be stored in the refrigerator. Unopened cans of pesto sauce purchased off the grocery store shelves can be stored in your cabinets until opened.
Can Pesto be Frozen?
Yes, pesto does well when frozen and will stay good for about 6-months compared to fresh pesto that lasts only about 1-2 weeks after opening. For ease, freeze pesto sauce in ice cube trays to easily portion out as use as needed.