Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto | Vanilla And Bean (2024)

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4.9 stars (from 16 ratings)

By Traci York — Updated April 6, 2023 — 59 Comments / Jump to Recipe

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Year round pesto awaits in this easy, Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe. Find garlic scapes at local co-ops, CSAs or farmer’s markets. Use it on your favorite pasta, pizza, sandwich or soup. For a cheesy version see my original Garlic Scape Pesto recipe.

Table of Contents

Discovering Garlic Scapes

Prairie Bottom Farm is the farm Rob and I purchased this year’s Community Supported Agriculture Share (CSA) from. Wepurchased a partial, or 3/4 share, because last summer, we found a full share was just a bit too much for the two of us. We purchased our share early where we saved about 10% on what a share would cost if we had waited to buy it now.

Even if we missed this window of savings, the benefits of purchasing from local farms exceeds any monetary savings of sourcing food elsewhere. The benefits of supporting local farms, CSAs and farmers markets is huge! I share these benefits on my Creamy Pesto Farro with Asparagus and Peas recipe.

Until then, lets talk about these gorgeous scapes, direct from the farm!

Garlic Scape Vegan Pesto

Scapes may be challenging to find, although I have seen them at co-ops, farmers markets and through CSAs. They have a short season in the Spring, so if you see them, buy them up! They have a delicate yet pungent, spicy, garlicky flavor.

This recipe is so easy to whip up. It is vegan, however, if you’d like to try a cheesyversion, try my Garlic Scape Pesto.

I typically make multiple jars of pesto, in small batches, and freeze it to enjoy throughout the many months scapes are no longer in season. It can be used like any other pesto but my personal favorites include using it on pizza, crostini, stirred into soups, on pasta or in creamy farro.

Do you know where to find your most local farm or farmer’s market? If not, check out Local Harvest. It’s an excellent resource to find local food!

Expert Tips

How to Choose Garlic Scapes: Look for garlic scapes at farmer’s markets or local Co-Ops. They should be bright green with a firm stem and no yellowing parts. Make sure they’re fresh by looking for the curl towards the end of the bulbil (towards the top of the scape). If the scape is straight, it’s past its prime which can produce a tough texture and bitter taste.
Freezer friendly?Yes please! They freeze beautifully in glass jars for up to a year. Spring through early summer is a good time to stock up.
The price of pine nuts have gone through the roof! Lately, I’ve been subbing toasted walnuts or almonds for the pine nuts.
Use Garlic Scape Pesto anywhere you would use pesto. I’ve listed some of my favorites below.

Recipes to Enjoy Your Vegan Pesto With

Walnut Marinara Sauce
Gluten Free Pizza Crust
Sourdough Pizza Crust
Gluten Free Sourdough Pizza

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Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes minutes
Total Time:15 minutes minutes
Author:Traci York
Year round pesto awaits in this easy, vegan, pesto recipe. Find garlic scapes at local co-ops, CSAs or farmer's markets. Use it on your favorite pasta, pizza, sandwich or soup.
Ingredients
▢ 10 Garlic Scapes 154g
▢ 1/3 C Walnuts 30g
▢ 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast 12g
▢ 1/2 Lemon juiced
▢ 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
▢ 1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
▢ 1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 73g
Instructions
Trim the garlic scapes by cutting just below the bulb. Discard the bulb/tip and cut the scapes in about 1" pieces.
In a food processor, add the scapes, walnuts, yeast, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process by pulsing until the mixture begins to break down. Scrape the bowl down.
With the processor running, slowly add all the olive oil. Continue to process until all the ingredients are incorporated and broken down, about 30-45 seconds, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Store in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within a week. Also, you can freeze the pesto in a jar or in an ice-cube tray. Once frozen, in the ice-cube tray, remove and place in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my vegetarian, pecorino Garlic Scape Pesto.
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59 comments

4.88 from 16 votes

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Darlene
June 22, 2024 at 9:46 am

This is so tasty! Thank you for a delicious recipe. Have made 3 batches so far.
Reply
- Traci York
  June 23, 2024 at 2:22 pm
  
  Hooray for three batches, Darlene! I’m making my first today! Thank you for your note and giving the pesto a go!
  Reply
Stefanie
June 4, 2024 at 5:28 pm

So delicious. A little “spicy” for my 2 year old but the adults loved it
Reply
- Traci York
  June 6, 2024 at 1:18 pm
  
  Yay! SO glad y’all are enjoying the pesto, Stefanie!
  Reply
Carol
July 15, 2023 at 7:15 pm

Thank you for this recipe. I made this without the oil and it was still delicious! I just used 2 TB of plant milk to give it a bit of liquid. Delicious!
Reply
- Traci York
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  July 17, 2023 at 2:50 pm
  
  Hi Carol! Thank you for your note and tip about no oil. So glad you enjoyed the pesto 👏🏻.
  Reply
  - Carol
    July 18, 2023 at 5:10 am
    
    You’re welcome. I just realized that I forgot to rate it so I am doing it now.
    Reply
Molly
June 27, 2023 at 5:44 pm

So good. Love this recipe! Thank you.
Reply
- Traci York
  July 3, 2023 at 9:36 am
  
  Hi Molly! SO happy you enjoyed it. Thank youuu for your note and rating!
  Reply
EILEEN J PEW
June 14, 2023 at 9:33 am

I make garlic scape pesto every year (& all year long with frozen scapes). My recipe is simple: scapes, oil, parmesan cheese & shelled pistachio nuts. So good. I plan to try your recipe & compare. I love nutritional yeast, so I’m intrigued!
Reply
- Traci York
  June 14, 2023 at 11:12 am
  
  Love your pistachio tip, Eileen, and that you make it every year too! It’s a freezer staple here. I hope you love the nutritional yeast version too :D
  Reply
Mandi
May 27, 2023 at 12:22 pm

My first time growing my own garlic. Thank you for a great recipe!
Reply
- Traci York
  May 30, 2023 at 11:23 am
  
  Hooray! How amazing is home grown garlic! Thank you for your note, Mandi, and giving the recipe a go!
  Reply
Sarah
July 4, 2022 at 4:29 pm

A lot more delicious than I expected! I was worried the nutritional yeast flavour would take over (as it sometimes does in vegan recipes) but the balance between the ingredients was just right and I couldn’t stop eating this.
Reply
- Traci York
  July 4, 2023 at 2:15 pm
  
  Hii Sarah! Thank you for your note and giving the pesto a go! Hooray for a balanced pesto :D
  Reply
Pam
July 22, 2021 at 8:39 am

I made this today so that my vegan niece can have some while the rest of us have a version with cheese. It came out well and tastes great. The only comment that I have is that I needed almost double the number of scapes that the recipe calls for. It took 18 scapes to get to 150 g. For someone without access to a scale, 150 g of scapes chopped into small pieces(random chop and mostly smaller than 1″) is about 1 dry cup of chopped scapes. – Pam
Reply
- Traci
  July 22, 2021 at 11:15 am
  
  Hi Pam! Thank you for your note, giving the recipe a go and sharing your tip! Indeed, this is why I offer the mass measurement of ingredients, because in this example, scapes can be large or small (the smaller the scape, the more you’ll need). So glad you were able to make it work in the end. Thank you for sharing your notes as I know it will help others!
  Reply
BB
July 11, 2021 at 2:55 pm

Terrific recipe and so quick and easy. We stirred it into a white bean and kale soup for the ‘extra something’, and it was a winner! I always freeze my pestos in ice cube trays and then transfer the frozen cubes to freezer bags, so that is what I’ll be doing with these.
Brava!
Reply
- Traci
  July 12, 2021 at 2:36 pm
  
  Hi BB! Freezing pesto in ice cube trays is such a great idea! Thank you for your note, tip and giving the recipe a go. SO happy to hear!
  Reply
Charlene
June 25, 2021 at 9:20 pm

I love garlic scape pesto! I’ve always made it with nuts but now I’m wondering if I could use hemp seeds instead of the nuts?
Reply
- Traci
  June 26, 2021 at 9:36 am
  
  Hi Charlene! I’m thinking that would be delicious! If you give it a go, let us know how it goes!
  Reply
Michele R
July 4, 2020 at 12:39 pm

Why do you discard the bulbs? Whenever I make it I just trim the bottom of the stem and use everything else.
Reply
- Traci
  July 6, 2020 at 8:46 am
  
  Hi Michele! I find the bulbs to be tough, but thank you for your tip! I’ll try adding them in next time.
  Reply
Laura
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July 3, 2020 at 10:14 am

My CSA newsletter linked to this, and it was a perfect way to use up this week’s garlic scapes! I used pine nuts instead of walnuts and lime juice and white wine instead of lemon juice (based on what I had) and just eyeballed the ratios and it still turned out great. It’s raw garlic, so it’s definitely spicy! Once I mixed it with rotini and some homemade cashew cheese, it had the perfect amount of bite. Thanks for posting!
Reply
- Traci
  July 3, 2020 at 11:29 am
  
  Hi Laura! So happy to hear! Thank you for your note and tips… indeed, it’s got a bite!
  Reply
Juke
June 24, 2020 at 8:49 pm

This is so easy and delicious
Reply
- Traci
  June 25, 2020 at 8:30 am
  
  Thank you Juke! So happy to hear!
  Reply
Michelle
June 21, 2020 at 4:00 pm

My first encounter with garlic scapes EVER (we JUST joined our local co-op), and this recipe was a fantastic way to introduce me and my husband to this wonderful ingredient. I added extra lemon juice and olive oil because I had a couple more scapes than the recipe called for, but otherwise it was PERFECT.
Reply
- Traci
  June 22, 2020 at 10:22 am
  
  SO happy to hear, Michelle! Aren’t scapes so nice? Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go!
  Reply
Amy
June 19, 2020 at 5:50 am

I recently got my hands on some garlic scapes and I’d like to make some pesto with them. I had a version of this a few years ago but I remember the woman who made it said she just used scapes and olive oil nothing else. I think your recipe sounds better so I’m going to give it a try. I’m a bit confused as to which part of the scape to use. Do you snap the top off at the bulb and use the bulb part and the top of the scape, or do you use the stalkier stem portion? I find the stalkier stem portion is spicer.
Thanks
Reply
- Traci
  June 19, 2020 at 7:08 am
  
  Hi Amy! Trim the garlic scapes by cutting just below the bulb. Discard the tip/bulb. You’ll use the stem portion for the pesto. I hope this helps!
  Reply
JOy
June 10, 2020 at 4:36 pm

Traci, where do you find the time to make all these recipes!! You are amazing! Question: what could you sub the nuts for if allergies are an issue?
Reply
- Traci
  June 10, 2020 at 5:08 pm
  
  Hi Joy! Thank you for your note and kind words… one recipe at a time! :D Can you do seeds? If so, lightly toasted sunflower seeds would be nice. How does that sound?
  Reply
Emily Leidenfrost
July 6, 2019 at 6:02 pm

this recipe is PERFECT.
Reply
- Traci
  July 6, 2019 at 7:19 pm
  
  Hooray! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note, Emily. SO happy to hear!
  Reply
Jennifer
June 24, 2019 at 1:14 pm

When searching this recipe I saw that there should be an option with no oil in the notes but I don’t see that when I come to the site. Do you have an oil free, vegan version of this recipe?
Reply
- Traci
  June 24, 2019 at 2:30 pm
  
  Hi Jennifer! I do not have an oil free, vegan version of this recipe.
  Reply
Carol
June 21, 2019 at 12:36 pm

I am going to try the recipe but I can not eat lemon or nutritional yeast. I was going to substitute a drop of lemongrass essential oil. What would you suggest for the nutritional yeast?
Reply
- Traci
  June 21, 2019 at 12:48 pm
  
  Hi Carol! Are you dairy free? If not, you can try my other recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto. Otherwise, simply leave the nutritional yeast out.
  Reply
Elizabeth
June 18, 2019 at 5:42 am

I made this – super delicious! I used toasted pine nuts instead of walnuts because that’s what I had and man was it good. Thank you!
Reply
- Traci
  June 18, 2019 at 8:26 am
  
  Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for your note! Aren’t garlic scapes amazing? I absolutely love them in pesto. So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe too!
  Reply
  - Natalie
    June 28, 2019 at 5:14 pm
    
    This was hands down the best thing I’ve made since having to cut dairy out of my diet. I tossed about a half cup of the pesto with hot fettucine with broccoli, shrimp, lemon zest and lemon juice, off the heat. The heat from the fettucine tamed the “spicy” garlic bite. It was totally delicious and I’m so happy to have found this recipe!! Thank you!!
    Reply
    - Traci
      June 29, 2019 at 8:49 am
      
      Hi Natalie! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying those scrumptious scapes. Your recipe sounds fabulous too!
      Reply
Valerie
August 20, 2018 at 7:07 am

Would it work with cashews instead of walnuts?
Reply
- Traci
  August 20, 2018 at 9:04 am
  
  Hi Valerie! I’ve not tried it with cashews but you could give it a go! I’m sure it will be delicious. Please let us know how it turns out for you if you give it a go!
  Reply
  - Valerie
    September 6, 2018 at 10:07 am
    
    I ended up using almonds and it worked great!! Also – I froze most of it but have had some in the fridge for about two and a half weeks. Do you think that’s still good? I know you said a week but I’m not sure what would go bad in it?
    Reply
    - Traci
      September 6, 2018 at 10:55 am
      
      Hi Valerie! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy you enjoyed the pesto and with almonds (delicious!). I just tend to freeze things quickly if I don’t use them up, so I’ve not tested the pesto beyond a week in the fridge. You could nose it a and see what you think. I hope this helps!
      Reply
shelby
October 27, 2017 at 9:26 am

I liked this recipe overall, but it was a little too garlicky for me. I added nutritional yeast, more oil, salt and basil to balance the flavors a little.
Reply
- Traci
  October 27, 2017 at 9:58 am
  
  Thank you for your note, Shelby! No doubt, garlic scapes are garlicky! So glad you were able to adjust it to your taste.
  Reply
Heather
July 12, 2017 at 9:54 pm

Made this a few days ago and brought it along to our cabin for easy dinners. So far have enjoyed it on pasta and loved it on home made pizza dough with a little fresh basil, tomatoes and sweet pepper for toppings! Thanks so much for the great recipe! PS made it with walnuts because you’re right ~pine nuts are crazy expensive right now and tastes just as delicious with walnuts!
Reply
- Traci
  July 13, 2017 at 8:35 am
  
  Hooray Heather! So happy you’re enjoying the garlic scapes. Thank you for your note and recipe suggestion! Your homemade pizza sounds absolutely fabulous! And pass the walnuts, right!?
  Reply
Joan
July 5, 2017 at 10:58 pm

We harvested about 150 garlic scapes today and were once again on the prowl for a way to use them. My hubby found your website and made this recipe for us tonight. We were both thrilled with the results! It was fast, delicious and easy. We didn’t have walnuts in the house so substituted pecans which certainly didn’t seem to harm this recipe. I will be making your “Creamy Farro with Pesto Asparagus and Peas” tomorrow. Thank you so much.
Reply
- Traci
  July 6, 2017 at 11:08 am
  
  Hooray Joan! I’m so glad you’re finding what to do with all those garlic scapes! I’d love to take some off your hands! Fast, delicious and easy.. yup! Pecans sound incredible! I’m going to try it – thank you for that! I hope you enjoy the Farro … I love that one too! :D
  Reply
- Nichole
  July 8, 2021 at 6:14 pm
  
  Was I supposed to cook the scapes first? I made this tonight and it was so spicy like straight raw garlic that we couldn’t even eat it. We love garlic and eat a TON of it but this was inedible for us so I’m thinking I should have cooked them first?
  I put a tsp on my pasta and added some margarine and vegan cheese to still try to use it with dinner but I’m trying to sort how to salvage it.
  Thanks for any feedback.
  Reply
  - Traci
    July 8, 2021 at 8:37 pm
    
    Hi Nichole! I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t taste good. This recipe is for raw garlic scapes, so there’s no cooking involved. Scapes are spicier than garlic for sure and a little can go a long way depending on taste. If you’d like to try making basil pesto and mixing it into the garlic scape pesto, that may help quiet the spicy.
    Reply
Natasha
July 1, 2017 at 3:13 pm

Can I make this using frozen scapes? I froze them right after buying, and am hoping to make this recipe! Thanks!
Reply
- Traci
  July 1, 2017 at 3:32 pm
  
  Hi Natasha… I don’t see why not.. I’d thaw them first though. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
  Reply
  - Joan
    August 16, 2017 at 12:31 am
    
    In response to Natasha’s question. We used up all of our fresh scapes and have had to move on to those we froze last summer (this has been a very popular recipe in our house)! My husband made a single recipe tonight to see how the frozen would compare to the fresh. The garlic flavor is diminished somewhat using frozen but otherwise we found very little difference. To compensate we added a small slice from a fresh garlic clove. We have served this pesto very frequently in the past 5 weeks and have had very positive responses along with requests for the recipe.
    Reply
    - Traci
      August 17, 2017 at 7:41 am
      
      Thank you for sharing your notes on freezing and using a fresh garlic clove to amp up the garlicky flavors from frozen scapes! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe! :D
      Reply

Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto | Vanilla And Bean (2024)

Discovering Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scape Vegan Pesto

Expert Tips

Recipes to Enjoy Your Vegan Pesto With

Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

You might also like:

Sign up for the Vanilla And Bean newsletter and get my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox!

Reader Interactions

59 comments

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe