Sauce

Easy Pink Beet Pesto

Name: Easy Pink Beet Pesto
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 7
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pistachios; 1/2 cup walnuts; 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt; 6 cracks pepper; 2 beets; 1 cup olive oil; 2 garlic cloves; 1/2 cup goat cheese; 1-2 tablespoons honey

Hanna January 14, 2026

Servings: 7 Total Time: 45 mins Difficulty: Beginner

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Bright pink beet pesto in a white small square dish with a gold spoon and an aerial view over a pink and white checkered background.

This Easy Pink Beet Pesto made from roasted beets in place of traditional pesto. Bright pink in color with a boost of goat cheese, pistachios, and walnuts for layered dimensions of flavor.

RECIPE INDEX

About this recipe
Alternatives
Planet friendly points
Recipe steps explained
Prep tips
More fun recipes to try
Expiration & Storage

ABOUT THIS EASY PINK BEET PESTO

I went to go make pesto and my basil was soggy and so sadly wilted. Noooo! I immediately started running around the kitchen and pantry for substitutes. I was already making beets and was thinking hmmm this honestly makes sense right. Lo and behold… Beet pesto. Sounds crazy, but it smells like fresh toasty garlic bread. The beets you can’t taste.

ALTERNATIVES

Honey.

It’s optional, but if you use it feel free to swap for agave for a plant based option. I haven’t tried it yet, so If you have you’ll have to let me know! Buy local! If you’re native to Nashville or Tennessee look here on the Nashville Area Bee Keepers Association site. If you’re not, look here on LocalHoneyFinder.org.

Pistachios & walnuts.

I didn’t have enough pistachios for the full 2 cups worth which is why I went with had walnuts and half pistachios to begin with, but it turned out amazing and I would never change it! Don’t you love when that happens!? So feel free to use only walnuts or only pistachios. Pinenuts would be a great classic pesto option too. I’d love to hear your feedback if you do! Did you know that most small pistachio farms are family owned? You can help support their livelihood. Search at farmers markets and online. Pistachios grow best in hotter climates like California, Arizona, and New Mexico when it comes to The States.

PLANET POINTS

Beets are pretty amazing. They have so many uses and sustainable qualities. You can use every part of them. While you use beets for roasting in your pesto you can chop the greens up for a salad. You can also sauté them with spinach or on their own with seasonings.

They don’t need pesticides due to growing in ground and don’t require tilling which helps not disrupt soil or cause too much erosion.

Entire ret beets by the sink on a white counter with their leaves and stems still attached.

RECIPE STEPS EXPLAINED

ROAST BEETS

1 Set oven temp to 400

2 Wash beets in water, scrub with a towel , scrubby or hands (beets tend to come with lots of dirt on them!)

3 Chop off stems and roots. If you bought a bunch of 3 beets and don’t have another use for it. Chop it up for lunch the next day and toss with goat cheese. You can also toss it in the pesto recipe without throwing it off too much

4 Place each beet in foil independently and drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper. Feel free to use avocado oil too. Add enough to cover the entire beet, but not need to brush it all over

6 Place in oven for 30-45 mins depending on your beet size. You can set your timer for 30 minutes and add time from there. Check with a fork each time. The for should easy go into the beet.

7 While roasting, gather all other ingredients and measuring tools and add the ingredients to your blender

1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Six cracks of pepper
1 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2c goat cheese
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons honey

walnuts, parmesan and other pesto ingredients in a food processor.

8 When beets are done, allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes then peel off their skins. To speed the process, you can run the hot beats under cool water in a strainer under cool water, this will actually help loosen skins for peeling too!

Roasted beets surrounded in their wrinkly foils.

9 Do a rough chop on the beets. Or honestly, sometimes I just tear them apart if I don’t want to use any more dishes or grab a knife & cutting board.

10 Blend all ingredients in a food processor. If using a blender, pulse on for a few seconds and off for a few seconds until completely combined

Pulsed beet bright pink pesto almost done being blended! — If your Easy Pink Beet Pesto looks like this, then pulse a little more till it’s looking a little smoother, you’re close!!

11 Serve!

PREP TIPS

Your beets will need to roast! This will take 30-40mins you’ll want to incorporate into your time budget.

MORE FUN RECIPES TO TRY

If you want more colorful recipes, try these yummy Blue Cashew Snack Bites

Another amazing colorful recipe is my Healthy Pink Trout Tacos

If you’re looking for other yummy sauces, try my Chive Cream Cream Sauce! Use it on potatoes, a dip for fries or veggies like peppers and broccoli.

EXPIRATION AND STORAGE

Store your pink beet pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 8 days. Incorporate into your snacks, mix into roasted potatoes, a tasty dip for carrots, toss in pasta, zoodles, or sweet potato noodles!

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