Couldn't make pesto in a blender
You need enough liquid in the blender for it to work; if the leaves get stuck in blender canister, they won't reach the blades to get ground up.  It's mostly an issue of width of the container relative to the size of the basil leaves.

I typically make my pesto in a blender rather than a food processor, but I do the following:


Pack a few inches of basil (or other herb) down in the bottom of the blender
Add some oil on top to 'wet' it.
Blend for a second or two 'til it liquifies.
Pack some more basil in there, shoving it down into the liquid, with a few pinches of salt.
Blend again.
Repeat 4&amp;5 until you have all of the basil in there.
Add the nuts &amp; oil until you get the consistency you want.


I pull it at this point, as I get better results freezing it without cheese, and just stir in the grated cheese separately.