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You don't have to miss cheese anymore with this incredibly flavorful homemade vegan parmesan! You can make this today in just 5 minutes and add to your favorite dishes as you see fit.
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The thing that people most miss on a plant-based diet is cheese. And with good reason - it's delicious and adds a tasty element to dishes. But it's also very hard to find a decent store-bought vegan cheese. I've tried them all and am only impressed with a tiny fraction.
I really like GO VEGGIE's parmesan cheese...except for the price tag that comes along with it. The good news is that you can make vegan parmesan at home, that tastes better than any store bought parm.
I've tried a few recipes by other fantastic food bloggers, like Minimalist Baker's and Vegan Richa's. And they were really good, but I felt like something was missing.
Then one day (gosh this is starting to sound like a plot line for a movie), I was munching on Earth Balance's vegan white cheddar popcorn and noticed they use a combo of garlic and onion to achieve that cheesiness.
So the next time I made parmesan, I added a little onion powder and -ding ding- we had a winner!
How to Make
The ingredients you'll need: cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. I find my nutritional yeast at Whole Foods, but Trader Joe's just started carrying some, too. You can also find it on Amazon for a good price.
The process for this recipe is insanely simple. You'll just need a food processor or a spice/coffee grinder. Since I don't have a food processor (the one kitchen gadget I don't have yet, I know, kind of shocking), I use my coffee grinder and it works great.
I use this vegan parm on spaghetti, vegan meatball subs, eggplant parm, popcorn...so many possibilities. My personal favorite way to use it is on pizza. I don't even miss shredded cheese in the slightest because the parmesan is that flavorful.
Alternative Method:
For an even faster way to make vegan parmesan, you can use almond flour:
Recipe
Easy Cheesy Vegan Parmesan
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw unsalted cashews
- 1.5 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder, blend all ingredients together into a powder.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
AngelaKin says
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! It looks really yummy!!!
Kindly try our style of Cashew Parmesan recipe from our store.
Cashew Parmesan instantly turns boring leftovers into tasty new meals and opens up a whole new world of delicious possibilities! Sprinkle a little (or a lot) on your salads, pizzas, pastas, avocado toast and more to make plant based eating more exciting.
Lisa B. says
I can see that you'd get the biggest bang for the buck by sprinkling this on top. Not having made it yet, I have a question--would you notice cheese-like flavor if you were to toss a big handful into homemade pasta sauce?
Leaving the meat out doesn't faze me, but without that final fistful of romano, a pot of pasta sauce just leaves me flat. It's so sad.
Karissa says
I notice a difference in taste when adding it straight into pasta sauce!
Mara says
Great comments. I am thinking about using almond....almond meal...so I don't have to grind up cashews. I will let you know if it works. Would adding a bit of citric acid powder have somewhat the same effect as lactic acid? I have made parm with other nuts, and it just isn't the same...and it never will be, and I think the yeast gives it the kick, as well as the garlic and onion powder...the idea of an acid intrigues me.
Lisa l says
I made didnt notice supposed to refrigerate. Just curious as to why? Dry cashew and yeast. Was still powdered not creamed
like butter
Karissa says
Great question! After opening cashews, they are prone to going bad after a little while because of their high-fat content. When blending with the seasonings, they will also be exposed to the cashew's natural oils. I store nuts in the fridge after opening. How long the cashews will keep at room temperature will also vary on your climate and how cool your home stays. For these reasons, I recommend storing the parmesan in the fridge.
Joanne says
I started with cashews right out of freezer and it came out perfect.
Karissa says
Awesome!
Stacy says
The taste is There but it’s pasty, not texture of Parmesan, so there’s no way it’ll sprinkle on or out of a jar.
Karissa says
Hey Stacy, sorry yours didn't turn out right! You may have blended too much causing the cashews to turn into more of a cashew butter texture.
Patricia G. says
I use pumpkin seeds - works great!
Jennifer says
Simple and DELICIOUS! I unabashedly eat it by the spoonful.
Cara says
Can you skip the nutritional yeast part? I have tried that in other recipes and it tastes awful! Thanks!
Karissa says
Sure!
SG says
What would you use instead of the cashews if you're allergic to nuts?
Karissa says
Hey! You could try sunflower seeds.
Lynne James says
Game changer for my meals, I can sprinkle this on everything! I love it so much. Growing up in an Italian family we always had a bowl of parm on the table for every meal. I will make a to go shaker for my travel bag now! Thanks!
Bonnie says
Karissa = Just fyi, that You are doing Yourself a disservice..
I was suggesting Your Vegan Parm Recipe to someone on Twitter, and wanted to Tag You in the comment (other chef’s etc); however, was unable to find You on Twitter and none of Your social media account information is listed on this page. I presume You have Twitter & Instagram accounts?!...so just an FYI, You might want to update your page to show (& steer visitors to) Your Social Media Accts...Just Sayin’ a hands off easy way to gain more followers to each acct..*smiles*..& Thanks for sharing Your Recipe!!
Karissa says
Hey, Bonnie! Thanks for the heads up - they are supposed to be linked in my sidebar but that bit of code must have gotten removed somehow. Appreciate you!
Wanda Jenkins says
Thanks for this recipe! I love it and you were right! That onion and garlic powder really make a difference! I added one more ingredient, 1/4 teaspoon of lactic acid, and it gave it that "twang" that parm has. Try it!
Paula Kelly says
Thanks for this great recipe! So much tastier than store bought versions.
Deborrah Cooper says
Best results are when you pulse a few times. Don't leave the food processor running. Too dangerous. lol
CJ says
How do you keep the cashews from making this too creamy instead of a powder?
Karissa says
I only have to grind this recipe for 10ish seconds, not long enough for the cashews to get creamy.