This vibrant pesto is made with fresh cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds, garlic, lime juice, cumin, and jalapeno (optional). Earthy pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and bright cilantro create a delightful sauce that can uplift a grain bowl, taco, fish, or chicken breast.
The herb-and-seed combo offers plenty of health benefits, too. It’s a vegan recipe, gluten-free, and great for allergies, but more than all that, it’s simply a brilliant use of an abundance of cilantro!

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Ingredients
- Cilantro
- Raw pumpkin seeds
- Olive oil or a neutral vegetable oil
- Lime juice and zest
- Garlic
- Jalapeno (optional)
- Cumin
- Salt and pepper
Cilantro: Try not to use too many of the stems, especially the thick ones. A stripping tool that pulls the leaves off the stems may simplify herb prep.
Raw pumpkin seeds: Toast them in a skillet or in an oven to give them more flavor without adding salt.
Oil: Olive oil has a pleasant flavor and offers heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, but neutral oils like canola or sunflower are also good choices.
The latter oils have a heart-healthy mix of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and don’t add any flavor.
Lime: You’ll want the juice of one lime plus the zest from half of it for a bright burst of citrus.
Garlic: It’s best to use a fresh clove and remove the bitter green stem inside.
Jalapeno: These peppers vary in flavor from mild to hot, hot, hot! It’s best to taste the pepper and add more or less depending on the heat level and preference. You can also leave it out, or simply add a pinch of red pepper flakes, instead.
Cumin: This takes the pesto sauce into Southwestern territory and makes it an excellent taco and quesadilla condiment! Did I mention how good it is on huevos rancheros?
Salt and pepper: Add to taste preference. I generally like ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
See the recipe card below for quantities and complete instructions.
How to Make
1 Toast pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
2 Place all ingredients in a high-sided container suitable for an immersion (stick) blender. A food processor or regular blender works fine, too.
3. Blitz until smooth. Add water if the pesto is too thick, starting with one to two Tablespoons.
If you’re going to toss it with grains or use it as a marinade (for chicken, fish, or tofu), a thinner consistency is nice. Dolloped on top of a piece of fish or chicken or on tacos, thicker is better.
Cook and prep tips
Scraping down the sides of any container is important.
You don't have to toast the pepitas, but it adds a lot of flavor. Plus, you can toast extra to sprinkle on salads or munch on.
Go ahead and wash the herbs in advance, if you have time. Rinse and place on paper towels. Roll them up and store in an open plastic bag. I’ve had them last up to a week with this method, although I pull the towel out after a few hours.
Please don't use the thick stems. They pack too much punch! Pull the leaves off unless the stems are very thin.
You'll get more juice from your lime if you warm it in the microwave for about 20 seconds at 50% power. Then, use your palm to roll it around on the countertop before juicing.
This recipe does not make a large amount of pesto. If you want to gift it, go ahead and double the recipe.
FAQs
Good stand-ins are parsley, arugula, and kale. Basil, the traditional pesto herb, is not as compatible with the lime juice.
Of course! Pesto is very flexible. That said, the best choices would be pistachios, cashews, or almonds.
Again, yes! Pesto recipes are very forgiving.
It's quicker. Also, compared to using a food processor, there are fewer items to was. Plus, you can prepare smaller quantities more easily this way.
Pesto storage
This sauce keeps in the refrigerator for two to four weeks. It may even be okay after a couple of months. (There's never any left at our house after two weeks!)
The color may darken, but pouring a thin layer of oil over the top before refrigerating helps prevent this.
❄️For long-term storage, freeze it. You can use an ice cube tray. Once the cubes of pesto are frozen, pop them out and place in a zip bag. Then, you can pull out a cube to serve one or two. They thaw quickly.
Another good freezing method is to fill small, 4-ounce jars. Just be sure to leave some headspace at the top. (These jars make a pretty gift, and are great for all sorts of preserves and condiments.)
It should keep in the freezer for 3-6 months, perhaps longer.
Is cilantro pepita pesto healthy?
Pesto is, by nature, a super healthy sauce, and this one can be enjoyed by those with tree-nut allergies.
Herbs and nuts or seeds, plus some olive oil, garlic, and citrus juice–it’s all good for what ails you and good to eat! Perfect health, however, is not achieved by eating any single nutrient. Eating a variety of wholesome foods promotes overall well-being.
🌿Cilantro
This delicate leafy herb is often associated with Southwestern or Asian cuisine. The dried seed of the plant is the coriander spice.
- It is a good source* of vitamins K, A, C, and folate. It offers many minerals like potassium, manganese, and calcium. So, it could enhance immune health, bone health, and energy production.
- It also has flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and beta-carotene, antioxidants that fight inflammatory conditions like heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
- Special health effect of cilantro? It may increase production of enzymes that aid digestion. In a study, it reduced bloating and gas when included in mixture of carminative herbs.
- Cilantro may also lower cholesterol, help manage blood sugar levels, and have a cleansing effect on your liver. Note that blood sugar and cholesterol studies were done with rats, not humans.
Pumpkin seeds
- Mineral-rich: These seeds boast a list of minerals that is a mile long. They contain magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium (whew!).
- They also have a significant amount of vitamin K, and of course, they are full of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
- They could help with getting sleep. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted into serotonin in the body, which then becomes melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles.
Olive oil
Olive oil is the foundation of the Mediterranean Diet. With mostly monounsaturated fats from oleic acid, it lives up to its reputation as anti-inflammatory and health-promoting.
You could, however, choose other healthy oils with a more neutral taste for this pesto. For example, canola is rich in polyunsaturated acids, and sunflower oil has good amounts of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils.
Lime Juice
You’ll get a hit of vitamin C from limes, along with some potassium, and a bit of calcium.
Popular variations
Did I mention this recipe is flexible?
🥑Avocado Cilantro Pesto:
- Add a quarter of a large avocado to the ingredient list.
- Chop roughly before tossing it into the blender container.
This variation is not best for longer storage.
Parmesan Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto:
- Add two Tablespoons of Parmesan.
- Replace the lime juice and zest with lemon juice and zest.
- Leave out the cumin and jalapeno.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Other recipes you might like
If you love pepitas, try this Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Butter. It's delicious on toast, rice cakes, bananas, or by the spoonful!
🍋Another great herbal recipe is Lemon Basil Vinaigrette. You can use it almost like pesto and it's vegan!
😔If you're looking for an herbal remedy to ease digestion, try a cup of this Bay Leaf Tea. Mild and simple to brew, it may help with bloating and gas.
Want to know more about the different herbs and spices? Read Mediterranean Herbs and Spices written by registered dietitian nutritionist Grace Rivers, who blogs at Practical Dietitians with fellow RDN Stephanie Turkel.
Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Equipment
- Tall-sided container such as you would use for smoothies
- Handheld immersion blender or small food processor or regular blender
- Scraper or spatula
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup olive oil, or use a neutral oil like canola or sunflower
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon lime zest from ½ a lime
- 1 clove garlic, green stem removed
- ½ jalapeno, seeded, (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt, Kosher; use more or less to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Wash hands for 20 seconds before starting prep.
- Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat by tossing for about five or six minutes. Or, spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and place in a 375 F oven for about 10 minutes.
Immersion Blender Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high-sided container suitable for a handheld stick blender. Blitz on low for a minute to mix ingredients and then increase power to high to puree the pesto.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Food Processor and Regular Blender Instructions
- Place all ingredients except for the oil in the container of a food processor or blender.
- Pulse a few times to combine.
- Remove the center knob of the blender lid or the feed tube pusher of the food processor.
- With the machine running, slowly, pour the oil into the appliance through the hole in the blender lid or the feed tube of the food processor.
- Scrape down the sides and pulse a couple times.
- Serve pesto on grains, pasta, fish, tacos, shrimp, and more!
- Store leftover pesto in an airtight container or place in ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, put the pesto cubes in a large zip bag and pull out as needed to elevate your meal!
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