Vegan Parmesan cheese, flavorful and cheesy. It’s delicious, ready in less than 5 minutes and you only need 4 ingredients to make it. Wonderfully good!
This vegan Parmesan cheese is amazingly delicious! It tastes SO much like the original version it’s really hard to tell the difference. This recipe is tasty and very easy to make, healthy, and ready in no time.
Making vegan cheese at home is usually more inexpensive than buying it at the store. Besides, I made this version with cashews, brewer’s or nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic, so it’s totally preservative and additive-free.
Although this cheese doesn’t melt, it’s perfect to enjoy sprinkled over savory dishes like pasta, baked food, pizza, salads… Get creative and add it to whatever you’d like! It’ll give your meals a truly delicious flavor.
Vegan Parmesan cheese, tasty and so good. To make it you only need a food processor or a blender, simple ingredients, and 5 minutes of your time. You’ll get a delicious plant-based cheese that will make your dishes be something else!
How to make vegan Parmesan cheese – Step by step
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or a powerful blender (photo 1) and blend until well mixed (photo 2).
- Serve immediately and enjoy with your favorite dishes.
Pro tips
- You could also use roasted nuts, but I think this vegan Parmesan cheese tastes better when it’s made with raw nuts.
- Add any spices or fresh or dried herbs you’d like.
- Be careful not to over blend the mixture or you’ll get a kind of cashew butter instead.
How long will this vegan Parmesan cheese last?
This cheese doesn’t contain fresh ingredients, so it will actually last quite some time if stored properly. Keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge and it will last for weeks.
Can I use different nuts to make this vegan Parmesan cheese?
Yes, you can. Feel free to use any kind of raw and unsalted nuts you have on hand, although cashews are my favorite choice. It’s best to use unsalted nuts for this recipe, but if you decide to make it with the salty ones, make sure to use less salt when you prepare it.
Does vegan Parmesan cheese melt?
This vegan Parmesan cheese does not melt, but it’s perfect to incorporate into lots of different recipes. You can use it to make vegan pesto, sprinkle it over a plate of vegan pasta Alfredo or some vegan pizza, or simply add it to all your favorite dishes.
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Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- 16 tbsp 1x
- How-To, Gluten-Free
- Italian
- Vegan
Servings 16 tbsp 1x
Vegan Parmesan cheese, flavorful and cheesy. It’s delicious, ready in less than 5 minutes and you only need 4 ingredients to make it. Wonderfully good!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (150 g)
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or a powerful blender and blend until well mixed.
- Use it to make vegan pesto, sprinkle it over a plate of vegan pasta Alfredo or some vegan pizza, or simply add it to all your favorite dishes.
- Keep the leftovers in a sealed container the fridge for several weeks.
Notes
- You could also use roasted nuts, but I think this vegan Parmesan cheese tastes better when it’s made with raw nuts.
- Add any spices or fresh or dried herbs you’d like.
- Be careful not to over blend the mixture or you’ll get a kind of cashew butter instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp (of 16)
- Calories: 63
- Sugar: 0.7 g
- Sodium: 149 mg
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2014, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in June of 2020.
This is a wonderful recipe I made it with cashews the first time and then I experimented with 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup walnuts and I even liked it better. I’ve bought some vegan parmesan at stores and never really liked them, but this is great. I use it on pizza and also with soup. It makes just about any entree taste better. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
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Hi! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
This turned out really good! Thank you for sharing. Ever since I have started going Vegan Parmesan Cheese is one thing that I really missed. Taste just like it!
Hi! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
I tried this as an experiment, since my hobby is making different types of cheese. I hate to admit it but this has replaced the Parmesan cheese that I would normally make.
It is that good. My 30 year daughter is eating it with a spoon out of the jar even as we speak. Telling me it’s the best cheese I’ve ever made.
I didn’t tell her it was vegan.
Thanks. I’ll make this again for sure.
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Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Made this it is delicious I can’t wait to try it on my vegetarian Spaghetti
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Hi Peggy! Enjoy it!
Love this recipe it’s our go to cheese
Hi Kim! I’m so glad you liked this recipe 🙂
My husband loves this! We used our vitamix which just is amazing tbh. This was easy and delicious!!!. I’ve made it several times. Now it is something I will probably always have in my refrigerator.
Love this recipe..!!
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Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Hi! Can’t wait to try out this recipe- it sounds awesome! Do I need to soak the cashews in water and soften them first before blending? Thanks so much!!
Hi Gina! In this recipe is better not to soak the cashews before blending them! Hope you enjoy our vegan parmesan 🙂
Hi, Any way to substirute the nutritional yeast? Thank you
Hi Alina! Nutritional yeast gives the cheese flavour to the recipe but if you don’t have it, don’t add it 🙂 Have a nice day!
This came out very tasty, however when I used it in Alfredo sauce, there were still little cashew pieces. I blended the sauce to make it creamy and it was very flavorful using this recipe. No one knew it was vegan. FYI – I used fresh garlic, half vegetable stock and half of Silk’s heavy whipping cream to make my sauce.
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Sounds so good Forlisa 🙂 Have a nice day!
It’s so easy! I accidentally added a little extra garlic powder but it still tasted great.
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Hi Joyce! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Thank you so much for the recipe! I have never cooked with nutritional yeast. My daughter is allergic to cashews. Can I use any other nuts with similar success?
Hi Nelli! I think it would work with raw almonds, for example 🙂
Fantastic! So much better than the store bought vegan Parmesans out there and a great improvement over Noocch alone.
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Hi Ali! So glad you liked it 🙂 Vegan parmesan cheese is amazing!
I make this all the time….it’s the best I have ever had.
Thank you!
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Hi Joanne! Thanks for your kind words 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Soooo easy and really gives the feel of Parmesan, can’t believe I’ve been trying all sorts of complicated recipes which don’t work!
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Hi! So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 Have a nice day!
Absolutely delicious.
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Thanks Shirley 🙂 Have a nice day!
Loved it!
I was skeptical… vegan parmesan?!?
But it’s great!
I don’t even miss cheese anymore… 🙂
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Hi Cassy! So glad you loved it 🙂 Have a nice day!
OMG!!!!! This is so good that I literally eat right out of the jar. If you have not tried this you have to it is amazing. I don’t like regular parmesan cheese so I thought that I could make a vegan one. This was the best decision of my life and now my favorite thing to put on everything!!
Hi Allie! Thanks for your words 🙂 So glad you loved it!
Hi! Are the cashews completely necessary? Do they add taste or is it purely for texture? Thanks in advance
Hello Mel! If you can’t find cashews, you can use other nuts like walnuts or almonds, although I prefer to use cashews because they have a neutral flavor. Use unsalted and skinless nuts if possible. The other ingredients are necessary to get the cheese flavor 🙂
Hope I have helped you! Have a nice week!
Thanks for replying! Stay safe xx
Hi all, I’ve read that hemp seeds can be a replacement for cashews. Has anyone tasted that option?
Favourite Vegan Parmesan recipe 🙏🙏
Thank you, Sandra!!!!
Brewer’s yeast and nooch are not the same thing!!!!!! Brewers yeast tastes HEAVILY like yeast but nooch is light and cheesey naturally. Nooch comes from molasses. Brewers yeast is made for making beer. You really need to edit this recipe or people are going to end up with a disgusting mess that they won’t use.
Hi Loreena! They’re not the same, but you can use both. I actually use brewers yeast most of the time because it’s easier to find in my area. As long as you use the unbitter kind, it’s okay 🙂 We also run a Spanish blog and most of our Spanish readers use it and they love this recipe. Have a nice day!
Very simple and quick. Better than I expected.
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Hi Rod! Thanks a lot 🙂
Recipe is so easy to make. I had to try it when my husband couldn’t find vegan Parmesan cheese at the grocery store.
I added it to a Creamy Vegan gnocchi. Hubby and I loved how our Creamy gnocchi turned out with the addition of this substitute Parmesan cheese.
★★★★★
Hi! Sounds so good 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
What is the best way to store it? In cupboard or fridge?
Hi Dana! Both are okay, but I prefer to keep it in the fridge 🙂
Super easy and just as good, if not better than the processed parmesan I the fridge section. LOVE!
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Hi Haleigh! Thank you so much 🙂
My daughter is Vegan so I made this recipe for her. It is so good that I prefer it to real parmesan cheese . I do like to toast the cashews as it gives it a nice flavour.
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Hi Shirley! So glad your daughter enjoyed the cheese 🙂 Have a nice day!
A huge success, so much so that my non-vegan husband has stopped using real Parmesan for pasta etc. A great source of B12 also. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Nicola! So glad to hear that 🙂 You’re so welcome!
I think i blended it too much, came out more like a cashew butter? Still tasted great but mine is not the consistency of parmesan. I may use it as a spread for garlic bread instead!
Hi Rebecca! Yes, if you over-blend it, you’ll get a paste, like a nut butter. Hope you enjoy it!
This! It took my spaghetti casserole to a whole ‘nother level. THANKYOU!!!
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Hi Carol! You’re so welcome 🙂
You don’t mention if you use raw or dry roasted cashews. Tough to find unsalted dry roasted, so I’m guessing raw. Thanks!
Hi Gary! I use raw unsalted cashews, but any type of cashews will do. Add more or less salt if needed 🙂
I LOVE this parmesan cheese recipe! It tastes so much like the real thing…only better. And I had no idea what nutritional yeast was and can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this super healthy gem!
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Hi Annie! Thanks a lot 🙂 Nutritional yeast is AMAZING!
Is there a noticable difference in the taste if you use Brewers Yeast instead of Nutritional? i had read online that i could substitute Brewers yeast where nutritional yeast is recommended but that id need to use twice as much.Since it costs 1/3rd what nutritional did…i was ok with that.I see you dont suggest xtra with brewers.
Hi Danny! No, I use the same amount. You could try another brand of brewers yeast or just add more. Nutritional yeast has a better taste, but brewers yeast is also okay and way much cheaper, at least in my area. Have a nice day!
Nutritional yeast tastes so cheesy! I would use that…you don’t need that much!
Hi Annie! Yes, you’re right and nutritional yeast tastes much better!