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    Home » Vegan Recipes

    Easy Cheesy Vegan Parmesan

    Published Apr 25, 2017 · Updated Aug 18, 2020 · 24 Comments

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    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. See my disclosure policy.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    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.

    Homemade vegan parmesan cheese in a glass spice jar.
    Jump to:
    • How to Make
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    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!

    Ingredients for vegan parm. Cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. All displayed on spoons and bowls.

    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.

    Ingredients coming together to make vegan cheese after they have been mixed in a food processor/coffee grinder.

    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

    Homemade Vegan Parmesan

    Easy Cheesy Vegan Parmesan

    Karissa Besaw
    You don't have to miss cheese anymore with this incredibly flavorful vegan parmesan! Enjoy it on spaghetti, popcorn, pizza, and more!
    4.15 from 21 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins

    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.

    Notes

    This recipe was inspired by and adapted from many other vegan parmesan cheese recipes. Long live the person who discovered the cashew + nutritional yeast combination!
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Karissa

    Hey! I’m happy you’re here! My name is Karissa and I’ve been cooking up delicious vegan food since going vegan in 2016. Not vegan and just want to eat more plants? We don't judge - everyone is welcome in our kitchen. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. AngelaKin says

      December 18, 2021 at 4:41 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    2. Lisa B. says

      June 01, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        June 01, 2021 at 2:34 pm

        I notice a difference in taste when adding it straight into pasta sauce!

        Reply
    3. Mara says

      March 04, 2021 at 6:50 pm

      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.

      Reply
    4. Lisa l says

      August 26, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      I made didnt notice supposed to refrigerate. Just curious as to why? Dry cashew and yeast. Was still powdered not creamed
      like butter

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        August 26, 2020 at 7:31 pm

        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.

        Reply
    5. Joanne says

      August 25, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      I started with cashews right out of freezer and it came out perfect.

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        August 25, 2020 at 2:24 pm

        Awesome!

        Reply
    6. Stacy says

      April 09, 2020 at 11:34 am

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        April 09, 2020 at 12:30 pm

        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.

        Reply
    7. Patricia G. says

      February 17, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      I use pumpkin seeds - works great!

      Reply
    8. Jennifer says

      October 05, 2019 at 10:32 pm

      5 stars
      Simple and DELICIOUS! I unabashedly eat it by the spoonful.

      Reply
    9. Cara says

      August 31, 2019 at 1:24 am

      Can you skip the nutritional yeast part? I have tried that in other recipes and it tastes awful! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        August 31, 2019 at 7:35 am

        Sure!

        Reply
    10. SG says

      July 09, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      What would you use instead of the cashews if you're allergic to nuts?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        July 09, 2019 at 7:47 pm

        Hey! You could try sunflower seeds.

        Reply
    11. Lynne James says

      June 02, 2019 at 5:36 pm

      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!

      Reply
    12. Bonnie says

      May 10, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        May 11, 2019 at 9:58 am

        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!

        Reply
    13. Wanda Jenkins says

      September 14, 2018 at 10:16 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    14. Paula Kelly says

      April 08, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this great recipe! So much tastier than store bought versions.

      Reply
    15. Deborrah Cooper says

      October 30, 2017 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      Best results are when you pulse a few times. Don't leave the food processor running. Too dangerous. lol

      Reply
    16. CJ says

      July 07, 2017 at 12:43 pm

      How do you keep the cashews from making this too creamy instead of a powder?

      Reply
      • Karissa says

        July 08, 2017 at 6:14 pm

        I only have to grind this recipe for 10ish seconds, not long enough for the cashews to get creamy.

        Reply

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