This homemade Pesto Olive Oil is sure to be your new favorite flavored olive oil. This recipe features fresh herbs and a touch of garlic for a bold flavor that will level up any dish.
I have recently gotten really into flavored oils because they add amazing flavors to any dish. However, store-bought flavored oils contain natural flavors and/or artificial flavors and are quite expensive. After much research, I decided to add a Levo Oil Infuser to my kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This recipe features several affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission if you purchase through these links.
Jump to:
- Pesto Olive Oil Ingredients:
- How To Make This Pesto-Infused Olive Oil:
- Substitutions:
- Pesto Infused Olive Oil Variations:
- What You Will Need To Make This Pesto Olive Oil:
- How To Store This Homemade Pesto-Infused Olive Oil:
- Top Tip:
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Recipes To Use Pesto Olive Oil:
- Pesto Infused Olive Oil
- More Recipes Using Fresh Herbs:
- Reviews
Pesto Olive Oil Ingredients:
This Pesto Olive Oil is fantastic because it uses all fresh herbs and raw garlic for the perfect fresh flavor.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - It's important to choose high-quality olive oil because not all are created the same. Many "extra-virgin olive oil" is actually a mix of olive oil and canola or soybean oil. I always use Carapelli. I have worked with them in the past, and their transparency with their olive oil is the best.
- Raw Garlic - Using raw garlic allows for a spicier and bolder flavor. Garlic is one of my favorite things about pesto. However, it's very easy to overdo it, so if you're not a fan of the spiciness of garlic, you can use roasted cloves.
- Fresh Basil Leaves - Basil pesto is a match made in heaven. Basil is the key ingredient in this olive oil, and I recommend using the freshest basil possible to achieve the perfect flavor.
- Fresh Oregano - One of the underrated flavors of pesto is oregano. There are a couple of different types of oregano; in my opinion, they all taste about the same. Therefore, whatever you can find will work perfectly.
- Fresh Rosemary - Rosemary is another essential ingredient in this pesto recipe that is packed full of health benefits.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make This Pesto-Infused Olive Oil:
Making homemade infused oils is so easy thanks to the LEVO Oil infuser. I have quickly become obsessed with this machine. It easily infuses herbs, spices, and botanicals into oil or butter completely mess-free.
1. Begin by assembling the fresh herbs and chopping them into small pieces.
2. Crush the garlic and mince.
3. Add the garlic and fresh herbs to the herb pot. Place the herb pot in the machine and fill with extra-virgin olive oil.
4. Set the machine to infuse at 85 degrees (you can set it at a higher temperature, but I like to keep it at a low temperature to keep it cold-pressed and preserve the nutrients) for 5 hours.
5. Once the oil is done infusing, press the dispense button and enjoy it with fresh bread, homemade pizza, or your favorite pasta dish!
Hint: You can adjust the total time the oil infuses. If you want a stronger flavor, infuse the oil for longer.
Substitutions:
If you need to substitute a particular ingredient in this pesto-infused extra virgin olive oil, there are a handful of easy substitutions you can make.
- Oil - Using the best olive oil is recommended; however, any oil will work. Avocado oil is a great substitute. Walnut oil is also great. If you like pesto with pine nuts, using walnut oil may be a great option for you.
- Herbs - Any fresh herbs will work. This pesto olive oil recipe is great because you can use whatever herbs you like. I always recommend using sweet basil as the base of the flavor before adding any additional ingredients.
Pesto Infused Olive Oil Variations:
If you're looking for fun and delicious variations to this pesto olive oil recipe, there are plenty of fun ways to add additional flavors.
- Parmesan Cheese - Since the LEVO oil-infused can infuse butter, you can actually add parmesan cheese, or in my case, vegan parmesan cheese, to the herb pot for additional pesto flavor.
- Lemon - If you like your pesto with a more acidic flavor, you can add a touch of lemon juice to the finished pesto olive oil to make a pesto sauce. You can also use balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
I love adding this pesto olive oil to my Pesto Buddha Bowl or Pine Nut Pesto Salad to maximize the flavor.
What You Will Need To Make This Pesto Olive Oil:
This recipe is great because the only equipment you will need is the LEVO oil infuser and a knife, and a cutting board. This is great because there is minimal mess, and it's not super hands-on.
How To Store This Homemade Pesto-Infused Olive Oil:
There are a couple of ways to store this pesto olive oil. If you only expect to keep this oil for a couple of weeks, you can simply store it in a tight glass bottle.
If you want to store this oil for an extended period of time, you can pour it into an ice cube tray (with a cover) and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Top Tip:
I recommended infusing oils at a low temperature for a longer period of time to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions:
It's important to use high-quality extra virgin olive oil when making this recipe. I recommend looking for a cold-pressed oil. It has more flavor and retains more nutrients than other olive oils.
Infusing oils is a great way to add more nutrients to your everyday life. Combining herbs and healthy fats helps their bioavailability and makes it super easy to incorporate more nutrients into your diet.
Recipes To Use Pesto Olive Oil:
Looking for recipes to use this pesto-infused olive oil in? Try it with these:
If you try this Pesto Olive Oil recipe, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
Pesto Infused Olive Oil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups olive oil look for cold pressed
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Instructions
- . Begin by assembling the fresh herbs and chopping them into small pieces.
- Crush the garlic and mince.
- Add the garlic and fresh herbs to the herb pot. Place the herb pot in the machine and fill with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Set the machine to infuse at 85 degrees (you can set it at a higher temperature, but I like to keep it at a low temperature to keep it cold-pressed and preserve the nutrients) for 5 hours.
- Once the oil is done infusing, press the dispense button and enjoy it with fresh bread, homemade pizza, or your favorite pasta dish!
Video
@theallnaturalvegan NEW! 🌟Pesto Olive Oil 🌟 Happy Thursday friends! I've got the ultimate flavored olive oil recipe for you guys! This recipe is incredibly easy thanks to my @levo_oil infuser! I have quickly become obsessed with this little machine. You can infuse soooo many things into oils, butter, syrups, the list goes on! This pesto oil is my favorite at the moment because it is bursting with flavor, and it's an easy way to add additional nutrients to any meal. This recipe is: vegan, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, and it remains cold pressed thanks to Levo's custom temperature abilities! You can find the full recipe and a Levo discount code on my website: theallnaturalvegan.con! Enjoy 💕 #infusedoil #oilinfusion #pestooliveoil #pesto #oliveoil #oliveoillovers #oilrecipes #healthyrecipes #coldpressedoils #healthyoil #healthyfood #levo #easyrecipes #easyfood @LĒVO
♬ style - swiftie🤍
More Recipes Using Fresh Herbs:
These are my favorite dishes that feature fresh basil and other herbs:
Jacqui says
Flavored oils are one of my favorite way to enhance and play with flavor with my vegan cooking. This oil is perfect for salads, pasta and gnocchi dishes and also great on roasted veggies!