Make your own dairy free parmesan style cheese with a few, simple ingredients. I like to keep a jar on hand because it makes a great finishing spice to add to soups, salads, pizzas and more!
Vegan Parmesan Cheese at A Glance
- Nutritional yeast is the key ingredient.
- It’s savory, cheesy flavor is what makes this recipe work as such a great parmesan substitute. You can make it without, but a side-by-side taste test with vegan cheese made without nutritional yeast will highlight how much more depth you get from the additional umami flavor.
- Nut & seed options:
- I like using cashews and/or almonds for their creamy, mild, almost-buttery flavor, but you can mix and match other nuts depending on what you like and what you have on hand. You can even make a nut free version – see notes & recommendations below.
- It’s great as a finishing touch.
- This vegan parmesan is great anywhere you might use regular parmesan, but it’s especially great sprinkled over soups, salads, pizzas. A quick sprinkle over the top goes a long way in adding extra salty flavor and texture.
How to Make Your Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients: raw cashews, almonds, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder & salt
Combine & Blend
Combine in blender/processor: Add all ingredients to a standard blender or food processor with an S-blade attachment.
Blend: Blend on high until you end up with a grainy mixture. Every so often stop and scrape down the sides to ensure even blending.
Tips & Variations
- Switch up the nuts: Use any combination of hemp seeds, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or sesame seeds. FYI: pumpkin seeds will make a greenish looking parmesan cheese.
- Make it nut free: Use any combination of nuts you prefer: brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. Keep in mind that nuts with the skin still on will result in a darker, speckled color. Different nuts will also result in different flavors so choose ones you like the taste of.
- Herbs & spices: Feel free to add additional dried herbs and spices like oregano, basil, Italian herb seasoning, chili flakes, cayenne, etc.
- Storage: Keep this stored in an airtight container or jar in a cool, dark place (cupboard, pantry, etc) for a month or in the refrigerator up to 3 months. It will likely last longer in the fridge, but flavor potency will degrade over time. As long as it doesn’t smell sour (meaning the nuts went off) it should be fine to eat.
Use This Vegan Parmesan to Make Or Season these Recipes:
- In pasta:
- Make pesto & other sauces:
- Tossed into salad & veggies:
- On bread & pizza:
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this homemade vegan parmesan recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Recipe
Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe
Yield:
14 tbsp (140g)
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Total Time:
5 minutes
DIY dairy free parmesan cheese made with a few ingredients. I like to keep a jar on hand because it makes a great finishing spice to add to soups, salads, pizzas and more!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews and/or almonds - see notes
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
- Combine everything in a blender or food processor with an S-blade attachment and blend until you end up with grainy, crumbly texture. If you are working with a blender, stop every so often to scrape down the sides. Taste and season with more salt or nutritional yeast as you see fit.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place 1 month or refrigerated up to 2 months.
Notes
- Make it Nut Free: Use any combination of hemp seeds, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or sesame seeds.
- Nut Options: Use any combination of nuts you prefer. Cashews and almonds are ideal for their creamy, buttery flavor, but you can also use brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. Keep in mind that nuts with the skin still on will result in a darker, speckled color. Different nuts will also result in different flavors so choose ones you like the taste of.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 14
Serving Size:
1 tbsp (10g) Calories: 108Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 162mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4gThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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