Almond Pesto Dip (or Sauce)
23
Published Dec 17, 2018, Updated Jul 05, 2023
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
A copycat recipe for Pesto Bitchin’ Sauce. This creamy almond pesto dip (or sauce) is made with just seven delicious ingredients. Trust me, you’ll want to dip everything in it! Vegan, gluten-free, low-carb and high in protein.
First things first, have you ever seen or tried Bitchin’ Sauce?!? If you have no clue what I’m referring to, Bitchin’ Sauce is a brand out of California that makes an array of vegan, almond-based dips/sauces. The first time I tried it was when we had a friend coming into town who is vegan. I sent Isaac to the store to pick up some snacks for our guest. He came home with a variety of vegan goodies, including two tubs of Bitchin’ Sauce: the heat (which is spicy) and the pesto. We devoured the dips over the course of the evening and I instantly became obsessed with creating a homemade version.
After a few test batches, I finally came up with a copycat recipe for the pesto Bitchin’ Sauce that I’m pretty darn pumped about. I’ve already made it a handful of times and I know it’s not really basil season at the moment, but I couldn’t wait to share the recipe. It’s that good.
I’m mostly excited for my version of this sauce because I was able to make it with just 7 simple ingredients . . . and without any added oil (a total win!).
Ingredients Needed:
Here’s what you’ll need to make this amazing pesto dip/sauce:
- almonds
- lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- fresh basil
- garlic
- nutritional yeast
- Bragg’s liquid aminos
This recipe is perfect for incorporating into your weekly meal prep because there’s so much you can do with it. The options are endless! Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- As a dip for veggies. <– This is how we use it most!
- As a dip or spread with crackers – I’ve been loving it with Simple Mills crackers lately. Almonds on almonds! 🙂
- As an upgraded pesto sauce for pasta… it’s so creamy.
- As a spread on toast . . . avocado + pesto toast anyone?!
I had this conversation around Thanksgiving recipes with Isaac – I feel like people expect you to bring a traditional holiday dish to parties, but lately, I’ve been inspired to bring a new creation. Because of the pretty green color and ridiculously delicious taste, this dip would make the perfect addition to a holiday spread. This year, I’m being bold and plan to bring a veggie + cracker tray with this almond pesto dip to at least one holiday party. Fingers crossed people love me for bringing a healthy instead of traditional dish?!
More Dip Recipes to Try
- Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean Dip
- Healthy Mexican Layer Dip
- 4-Ingredient Smoked Salmon Dip
- Healthy S’mores Dip
- Easy Guacamole
- Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Creamy Vegan Queso
- Sweet Potato Hummus
- Whipped Feta Dip
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Be sure to check out all of the appetizers here on EBF as well as my collection of healthy game day recipes!
Almond Pesto Sauce or Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor and process/blend until smooth.
- Note that almonds are a hard nut so it takes a around 1-2 minutes of blending for the mixture to thin out and become the consistency of a dip/sauce.
- For a thinner sauce, just add more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until the consistency is how you like it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Question: roasted almonds, or raw?
I used raw!
Yum!! I remember trying Bitchin’ Sauce at the natural products expo a few years ago and then I was bummed that I couldn’t find it here in Richmond! I can’t wait to make this!
How long will this keep for?
It should keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Hey, is there any way I can use almond flour instead of whole almonds?
hmmm… maybe but I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how much you would need to use or how it would turn out. Let me know if you try it.
Can I substitute the aminos liquid with soya or tamari?
Yes! Either of those should work fine! 🙂
Can I soak the almonds first, rinse and use wet or should I use dry almonds?
If you want to soak the almonds first that’s totally fine! And I think you can use them wet after soaking.
If we cannot consume nutritional yeast is it ok to omit or is there a good replacement option?
Thank you
I would try grated parmesan cheese
This is the bomb! I’ve been using it as a sauce on my spaghetti squash (thanks for that idea too!). I’ve also used it on my veggies. It keeps well in the fridge too!
I just made this and all I could taste was lemon. It tastes nothing like pesto. I tried to balance the lemon by adding olive oil and sea salt, which are not in this recipe, but it didn’t help. I added another 1/3 cup basil and it still didn’t improve the flavor. Will not make again.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you change anything about the recipe?
I really liked this pesto! I made a couple of minor changes. I reduced the amount of lemon juice to about 1.5 TB based on another reviewer’s comment and omitted the nutritional yeast. It came out creamy and delicious! Love that this is oil fee too! Can’t wait to try it on your spaghetti squash with shrimp for dinner tonight!
Woo! So pumped this almond pesto dip was a hit even with your modifications. Thanks so much for the review, Emma. I really appreciate it!
Hi, I am keen to try this. Can you tell me if the Braggs aminos is the coconut based one or the soy protein one?
Hi Barb! Bragg’s aminos are soy based, but gluten-free. Hope this helps. If you need to avoid soy you can use use coconut aminos.
This dip is simply AMAZING!!! Thanks do much for sharing. I used the Bragg brand Coconut Aminos, soy-free seasoning.
Thank you for another great recipe, made exactly as written! I’m wondering how best to store the leftover and how long will it keep in the fridge?
Of course! So glad you are loving this recipe, Kerri. I recommend storing it in an airtight container and it should keep for up to a week in the fridge. Thank you for your review & star rating, I appreciate it!