How to Use Garlic Scapes & THE BEST Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

Today on the blog, it’s all about garlic scapes!  Aren’t sure how to use garlic scapes?  I’ve got you covered!   We talking all about the many ways to use garlic scapes  and I’m also sharing the BEST Vegan & Gluten Free Garlic Scape Pesto recipe!

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

It’s the season for garlic scapes !   Where I live in upstate New York, late June is the only time you’ll find fresh garlic scapes.

 If you don’t grow your own garlic, you may never have heard of garlic scapes.  Long before I started growing my own garlic, I discovered garlic scapes at my local farmer’s market.  At the time, I had never heard of them and had no clue what to do with them!

What are Garlic Scapes?

Garlic scapes are the flower buds of the hardnecked garlic plant.   These flower buds are usually removed so the plant puts it’s energy into growing a large garlic bulb.

These edible flower buds, called garlic scapes, taste slightly milder than a clove of garlic.

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

How to Use Garlic Scapes

All parts of the garlic scape are edible although, you may want to cut off any tough parts of the stem. Sometimes if the garlic scapes aren’t harvested immediately, the flower bud can get a little large and tough too.

Garlic scapes will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, so don’t feel like you need to use them immediately.

There are endless ways to use garlic scapes and here are some of my favorites!

  • chopped or minced and used just as you would a garlic clove.  We love adding it to pizza with some roasted red peppers!

  •  sautéed and added to soups, veggies, or grains

  • Added to omelets or eggs

  • sautéed in a little olive oil and cooked with greens such as Swiss chard, collards, kale or spinach

  • chopped or minced and added raw to salads and salad dressings

  • toasted in a little olive oil and roasted or grilled whole

  • fermented or pickled —  I’m giving this recipe from The Spruce a try this year

  • in pesto –like the one I’m sharing today!

If my kids had their way, I’d use my garlic scapes on nothing but pesto.  This is their #1, all time favorite, “Please, Mom,  put up enough Garlic Scape Pesto to last us an entire year!” pesto !

This recipe was adapted to our plant based diet from a recipe my friend, Debbie, gave me several years ago.  I dare say she loves Garlic Scape Pesto as much as we do. Thank you, Debbie!

Here’s how I make it !

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

How to Make THE BEST Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto

 First,  wash your garlic scapes and give them a couple of good shakes to remove any excess water or give them a spin around the salad spinner.

Cut off any tough ends and the flower bud if you prefer.  Chop the garlic scapes into smaller pieces and add to your food processor.

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

Process your garlic scapes until they are finely chopped, then remove from the food processor and set aside.

 At this point, you could freeze the garlic scapes in freezer bags for use over the winter or to make pesto later.  I love doing this when I have more garlic scapes than I know what to do with !

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

 Add 1 cup processed garlic scapes, 1/2 cup walnuts, pine nuts or pistachios,  1/4 cup nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp sea salt to the food processor.   Process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.

With the food processor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Process until smooth.

 How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

 Voila!   Your delicious Garlic Scape Pesto is ready to eat, store or freeze!   Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat or freeze in ice cube trays or glass jars for use over the winter (I use 4 oz or half pint jars.)

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

Not sure how to use homemade pesto?   Check out this post for lots of unique ways to use pesto!

You might also enjoy these recipes for Spinach Pesto and Lemon Basil Pesto.

How to Use Garlic Scapes & My Favorite Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe | Healthy Recipes | Gluten Free | Vegan | My Healthy Homemade Life | Plant Based

THE BEST Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

Jennifer Prentice @ My Healthy Homemade Life
An easy and delicious way to use fresh or frozen garlic scapes. It's vegan and gluten free.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 1 food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup processed finely chopped garlic scapes
  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts or pistachios
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Wash your garlic scapes and give them a couple of good shakes to remove any excess water or give them a spin around the salad spinner.
  • Cut off any tough ends and the flower bud if you prefer.  Chop the garlic scapes into smaller pieces and add to your food processor.
  • Process your garlic scapes until they are finely chopped, then remove from the food processor and set aside.
  •  At this point, you could freeze the garlic scapes in freezer bags for use over the winter or to make pesto later.  I love doing this when I have more garlic scapes than I know what to do with !
  •  Add 1 cup processed garlic scapes, 1/2 cup walnuts, pine nuts or pistachios,  1/4 cup nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp sea salt to the food processor.   Process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
  • With the food processor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Process until smooth.
  • Voila!   Your delicious Garlic Scape Pesto is ready to eat, store or freeze!  
  • Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat or freeze in ice cube trays or glass jars for use over the winter  (I use 4 oz or half pint jars.)
Keyword appetizer, dairy free, gluten free, pesto, snacks

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on my Facebook Page or on Instagram and tagging me @myhealthyhomemadelife.  

I love hearing your feedback!   

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55 Comments

  • Reply Lara at I love pesto! I never thought I'd be able to make it myself, but I'll have to try it now! :)
    • Reply Jen at I think you'll be surprised how easy it is, Lara! I hope you enjoy it! :)
      • Reply Pat at Can pesto be made oil free?
        • Reply Jen at Hi Pat, yes, the pesto can be made oil free. I was actually going to give it a try once my garlic scapes are ready next week. I was going to try adding some fresh tomato to substitute for some of the oil and give it a little moisture. If you want to experiment now, I'd love to hear how it comes out! I'll post an update here once I try it next week.
          • Jen at I was able to play around with the an oil free version, Pat, but it wasn't quite as good as the original.
  • Reply Dawn | Our Food Fix at I adore garlic scapes! I never thought to make them into a pesto, but love the idea. Looking forward to trying this!
    • Reply Jen at Awesome, Dawn! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :)
  • Reply Abbigayle Warner at wow that l.ooks delicious! I must try this at home ! Abbi stealstylist.com
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Abbigayle! I'll warn you, it's addicting! :)
  • Reply Amanda at Love this! Especially the freezing it in ice cubes idea! Genius!
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Amanda. Each cube is perfect for 1 serving too!
  • Reply Danielle at I have never heard of garlic scrapes. I plan on going to my local farmers market tomorrow so I will see if they have them. I love pesto!
    • Reply Jen at I hope you find some! Garlic scape pesto is our favorite pesto! You won't regret trying it!
  • Reply Sarah | I Heart Frugal at This looks and sounds so good! I especially like the idea of adding the scrapes to pizza! Once again, I learned about something new from you!!
    • Reply Jen at Thank you so much, Sarah! :)
  • Reply Karla at I love garlic, but I did not know what a garlic scape was! The plant itslef is so pretty in your photo. I love pesto too - this is right up my alley!
    • Reply Jen at I hope you get to try some now that you know what it is, Karla! I think you'll love the pesto! :) It's our favorite!
  • Reply Leah at Yum! Pesto pasta is the one thing both my boys will snarf down. I will be on the look out for these once I plant some garlic! Thanks for the recipe.
    • Reply Jen at You're so welcome, Leah! Good luck with your garlic! :)
  • Reply Michelle C at Thank you so much for sharing. I'd never heard of garlic scapes before!
    • Reply Jen at You're welcome! I hope you get to try them now that you know what they are! :)
  • Reply Amber at Great suggestions! I love garlic scapes!
  • Reply The Sun Mama at Absolutely delicious !!! My kids and I LOVED your recipe!!!!
    • Reply Jen at Wow! What a review! Thanks so much, Sun Mama! :)
  • Reply Yolanda at This sounds AMAZING! I am going to look up how to grow garlic in my area. You just amaze me with these recipes.
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Yolanda! If you love garlic, it's easy to grow and well worth it!
  • Reply Elise Cohen Ho at Oh My goodness! Every bit of this recipe excites me including the fact that it is dairy free.
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Elise! :) It's a good one! I hope you try it!
  • Reply Tip Tuesday 10 Married Foodie Friday - Ask Dr. Ho at […] Jen from My Healthy Homemade Life shared how to use garlic scrapes to make THE BEST Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto. […]
  • Reply Shelby @Fitasamamabear at This is awesome! I'm a garlic fiend and hate waste- they would be perfect in homemade broth!
    • Reply Jen at That is a great idea, Shelby! :)
  • Reply Jivi at Well I guess I am going on the hunt for garlic scapes now. That pesto looks divine!
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Jivi. I promise, it's worth the hunt!
  • Reply Krystin at This looks delicious, I've been wanting to try to make pesto for awhile now, thanks for the recipe! Krystin www.girlinbetsey.com
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Krystin! I hope you love it as much as we do!
  • Reply Pamela Sykes at This looks so yummy! I've never even heard of these before! Now I'm going to go out hunting for some tomorrow! :)
    • Reply Jen at Thanks, Pamela! They are well worth the hunt!
  • Reply Lyf&Spice at This is the best read to begin my day. I love garlic + pesto anyway. Should try it out myself. Cheers!!
  • Reply Caroline at This pesto sounds incredible! Will definitely be adding it to my to-do list :)
    • Reply Jen at Thank you, Caroline. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
  • Reply Hannah at Serious yum. Thanks for the recipe!
    • Reply Jen at You're very welcome, Hannah! It's one of our all time favorites!
  • Reply Ye Chen at Thanks for sharing :) looking forward to making this.

    5 stars

  • Reply Sarah at I love pesto and this recipe sounds amazing! I have to be honest I'm not the best in the kitchen, but I think I could definitely give this a whirl!
    • Reply Jen at I bet you could, Sarah! It's not difficult at all and the taste is amazing! I hope you enjoy it!
  • Reply Charlene at I love garlic scapes and have made this recipe as written. Now I'm wondering if I can use hemp seeds/hearts in place of the nuts in this recipe, and if so, would I use the same amount (1/2 cup) as the nuts? Thanks!

    5 stars

    • Reply Jen at I actually love that idea, Charlene! I would start with 1/2 cup and adjust it from there. Something tells me you might need a little more hemp seed. I just harvested my garlic scapes yesterday and will be giving it a try myself. I'll give an update here once I do!
      • Reply Charlene at Thanks! i have a big bag of garlic scapes that will get turned into pesto tomorrow. I'll report back as well. Once this season's pesto gets made, I think I'm going to try it in my vegan zucchini lasagna. I love experimenting in the kitchen!
        • Reply Jen at That sounds delicious, Charlene! I love to experiment as well. I'm still trying to find a delicious oil free replacement in this recipe.
          • Charlene at So here's what happened in my kitchen today...I made the garlic scape pesto with hemp seeds, starting with 1/4 cup. I added the 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, salt, and a little bit of water to get the blending process started and then added a small amount of oil I also added about a tablespoon of lemon juice and a little ground pepper. I found that the 1/4 cup of hemp seeds worked and the liquid was just enough to make the pesto quite creamy. I also made a zucchini lasagna and used the pesto in between the layers of zucchini noodles. With the vegan parm, tomato sauce and fresh basil, I had a killer dinner tonight! Thanks for your recipe and guidance!
          • Jen at Wow! Your dinner sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing your adaptations-- I think the hemp seeds are a wonderful alternative and can't wait to try it! I was going make it the other day and was disappointed to find I was low on hemp seeds. I'm planning on making it this weekend! Thank you, Charlene!
          • Jen at Wow, Charlene. The hemp seed alternative in this recipe was wonderful. I will definitely make this again! I also like the idea of using half hemp seeds and half walnut or pine nuts. Wonderful idea!

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