Substitutions / pine nuts
What to use instead of pine nuts
Use toasted walnuts in equal amounts. Slightly more bitter and less creamy, but widely available and work well in pestos, salads, and pastas.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Toasted walnuts | 1:1 | Slightly more bitter and less creamy, but widely available and work well in pestos, salads, and pastas. |
| Toasted almonds | 1:1 | Firmer texture and milder flavor; slice or chop them to get closer to pine nut size. |
| Sunflower seeds | 1:1 | Budget-friendly and nut-free, but earthier in flavor and less rich than pine nuts. |
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.