• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Loading

 

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
      • Air Fryer
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • Our Recipe Ebooks & Digital Products
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Home Freezer Cooking Can You Freeze It?

How to Freeze Pesto

5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 6/7/23Updated: 8/5/24

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Can you freeze pesto? Absolutely! Using our 12+ years of freezer cooking experience, we are sharing anything and everything you need to know about how to freeze fresh pesto.

frozen pesto in a freezer bag this …


 
Table of Contents
  • Thriving Home Loves Pesto
  • What is Pesto?
  • Store Bought vs. Pesto
  • How to Freeze Pesto
  • FAQs
  • Recipes that Use Pesto
  • How To Freeze Fresh Pesto

Thriving Home Loves Pesto

Rachel and I laugh because as we were developing healthy, freezable recipes for our cookbook called From Freezer to Table, we constantly gravitated towards anything with pesto in it.

Probably because of its big, fresh flavor that freezes well.

The fresher the better too! I’m convinced that in a taste test, 10 times out of 10 I could identify homemade, fresh pesto from store-bought pesto.

Since I can kind of be a pesto snob, I am doing my best to make my own pesto, stock up and freeze portions for months to come.

What is Pesto?

Pesto is a traditional Italian sauce that is typically made from fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil.

The ingredients are traditionally ground together using a mortar and pestle, which is where the sauce gets its name (pesto means “to pound” or “to crush” in Italian).

However, nowadays, pesto is more commonly prepared using a food processor or blender for convenience.

Ingredients for fresh pesto

Store Bought vs. Pesto

Homemade Pesto is just SO much tastier than store-bought pesto. The canned pesto from the store is more oily and lacks the fresh taste of basil that just can’t be replicated.

If you must buy it from the store, we recommend getting refrigerated pesto if possible.

Because of the superiority of fresh pesto, I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE advocate of making tons of fresh pesto when basil is in season and freezing it to use all year long. We have an entire post and video on How to Make Fresh Pesto so be sure to hop over to that post and read up on how to make it.

Fresh pesto with pinenuts on top

How to Freeze Pesto

I’ve been making and freezing my own pesto for years. I’ve tried all sorts of different ways to freeze it and have narrowed down what works (and what doesn’t!)

Choose the right container

These containers will work great for freezing pesto:

  • Ice cube trays
  • Silicone muffin liners
  • Silicone baby food containers
  • Small Mason Jars
  • Muffin tin

I prefer to freeze my pesto in smaller amounts so I don’t thaw out any that I won’t use.

small portions of pesto in a container for freezing

Add pesto and top with oil

Scoop the desired amount of pesto into the freezer friendly container.

To prevent that fresh green color from turning darker, top your pesto with a bit of oil to prevent it from air exposure.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t necessary. The flavor will be the same despite the color but if you want to preserve that fresh pesto look, adding a bit of oil to protect it will be a step you’ll want to do.

pouring olive oil over pesto to prep for freezing

Freeze the pesto

Freeze the pesto until solid. If you want, pop the portions out of the container, and place the pesto in an air-tight freezer bag or container. (Here are our favorite freezer containers.)

You’re done!

small portions of pesto in a freezer bag
Dump and go freezer meal email cta.
Try 1 Hour Freezer Prep Today!

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour

  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Try Session 18 (a $6.99 value) for free!

Loading

FAQs

Will pesto change color after freezing?

If the pesto is exposed to air, yes, it will change color but not flavor. That’s why we suggest topping it with a little extra olive oil after putting it in your freezer container.

How long will pesto last in the freezer?

This really depends on how you package it. Keep in mind that air is the enemy of freezer meals. The less air the pesto is exposed to, the longer it will last. If packaged well, pesto will still be good for up to 6 months or more!

Can I refreeze pesto that has been frozen and thawed?

Yes and no. You could refreeze pesto but we’d recommend only thawing out what you need. The reason is, each time you freeze and thaw pesto, it can affect the flavor, texture, and overall quality.

Recipes that Use Pesto

Cheesy Pesto Bread

Cheesy Pesto Bread

A hand holding two turkey pesto paninis.

Turkey Pesto Paninis

horizontal shot of finished chicken pesto pasta in skillet

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

How To Freeze Fresh Pesto

Is there anything better than fresh pesto? Now you can freeze it and savor the flavor.

Yield: 1 cup 1x
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 0 minutesTotal: 5 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
  • Email
Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (sub: walnuts)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus a bit more for freezing)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese and pulse until coarsely chopped.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Scoop the desired amount of pesto into a freezer friendly container with air-tight lid. (Here are our favorite freezer containers.) To prevent that fresh green color from turning darker, top your pesto with a bit of oil to prevent it from air exposure.

  4. Freeze the pesto until solid. If you want, pop the portions out of the container, and place the pesto in an air-tight freezer bag. 

© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: American Method: Processor

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

446 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Katherine Wheeler says

    Posted on 11/22/24 at 10:52 am

    Classic pesto recipe, and I’m reassured about freezing it with or without the cheese. Helpful I confess I added extra garlic.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 11/24/24 at 4:41 pm

      You can never go wrong with extra garlic in my opinion Katherine! Thanks for leaving a review.

      Reply
  2. Jeanne says

    Posted on 8/4/23 at 3:45 pm

    Do you have any issues with freezing the pesto with the parmesan cheese in it?

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 8/7/23 at 9:08 am

      Hi Jeanne. No, we have not really had any issues with freezing pesto with parmesan in it. I have a friend who freezes the base of pesto without the parmesan and then blends that in when she is ready to use it. Personally, I don’t taste a difference between these two methods.

      Reply
  3. Martha says

    Posted on 7/17/22 at 7:34 pm

    Delicious recipe!

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 7/18/22 at 10:52 am

      Thanks for the review!

      Reply
  4. Kami Mauldin says

    Posted on 6/10/18 at 10:33 pm

    Is it best to thaw the frozen pesto in the fridge overnight, or can you cook with it frozen? I’m sure it might depend on the recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      Posted on 6/14/18 at 9:29 am

      It’s definitely best to defrost pesto slowly in the refrigerator. I’ve tried defrosting in the microwave and the consistency gets weird. Hope that helps!

      Reply

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Learn More

FREEZER MEALS

Southwest Chicken over a salad

Southwest Chicken

Taco bar with all the toppings lined up

Totally Tasty Taco Bar

Tomato bisque in bowls with spoons and croutons on top.

Tomato Bisque

Chicken taco soup in a white bowl with toppings.

Chicken Taco Soup

TOP RECIPES

Chicken Parmesan casserole in a glass baking dish with a spoon.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Meatball subs that have been under the broiler, side by side.

Easy Meatball Subs

Tomato bisque in bowls with spoons and croutons on top.

Tomato Bisque

Seasoned cooked steak sliced on a plate with steamed broccoli and a baked potato.

The Perfect Pan-Seared Steak

Popular Round-Ups

Fully cooked ham and egg cups in a freezer bag.

20+ Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Collage image for freezer meals.

Easy Freezer Meals for One or Two

20+ Inexpensive, Easy Meals for Large Groups

Collage of 7 different marinades with chicken breasts on the left and cooked dishes on the right.

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2025 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
446 shares