This vegan Parmesan cheese is delectable, super easy to make, it lasts a long time and it’s cheaper than traditional Parmesan, in addition, it’s healthier and it’s gluten and dairy-free, so everybody can eat this wonderful cheese.
You only need 4 ingredients to prepare it (yes, only 4!): cashews, brewer’s or nutritional yeast, fine sea salt and garlic powder. I always use unsalted nuts because they are healthier, but you can also use salted cashews and you won’t need to add salt. You can use brewer’s or nutritional yeast, it tastes quite similar, but nutritional yeast is gluten-free.
This cheese doesn’t melt as the real Parmesan, but it’s perfect for many recipes like pesto. You can also use it as grated cheese with your pastas, appetizers or whatever.
I recommend you to use a food processor or a grinder to make this recipe, you only need to grind the cashews and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. You can try to make it with a blender too.
If you can’t find cashews, you can use other nuts. Use unsalted and skinless nuts if possible. The other ingredients are necessary to get the cheese flavor.
I’ve been addicted to cheese for many years, I’m serious! It was so difficult for me to stop eating cheese. I’m a vegan now, so I never eat it and I hardly ever miss it, but sometimes I do and I eat any vegan alternative. I prefer to make my own vegan cheese because it’s cheaper and healthier and I can avoid preservatives and additives.
If you like cheese and you are vegan or you want to eat a healthier alternative, you need to try this recipe, and you can’t miss our vegan cheese recipe, it’s the perfect dip, you can eat it with tortilla chips, crudités or even you can use it as a cheese sauce to make pastas, pizzas and so many recipes.
I keep the vegan Parmesan cheese in a glass jar at room temperature. It lasts a long time because all the ingredients are dry. You can prepare this gorgeous cheese in less than 5 minutes and you can use it in so many recipes. I love it so much, I could even eat it with a spoon!
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Category: How to, Basic
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free
This vegan Parmesan cheese is healthier than the traditional version. It’s ready in less than 5 minutes and you only need 4 ingredients to make it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted cashews (150 g)*
- 4 tbsp brewer’s or nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Grind all the ingredients in a grinder or food processor until well mixed.
Notes
* You can also use other nuts like walnuts or almonds, although I prefer to use cashews because they have a neutral flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 teaspoon
- Calories: 26
- Sodium: 56 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.7 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says
July 31, 2014 at 06:00Beautiful! I have a friend trying to transition and I’m going to make this for her!
Iosune says
August 2, 2014 at 12:22Thanks Jessica!! I hope your friend likes this recipe 😉
Julia says
January 23, 2015 at 17:10This is a great recipe, except that Brewer’s yeast and Nutritional yeast are completely different. Brewer’s yeast is bitter and even offensive, and nooch tastes cheesy, giving it that Parm taste.
Iosune says
January 27, 2015 at 12:46Hi Julia! Yeah, I know they’re different, but both work 🙂 Here in Spain is really hard to find nutritional yeast and sometimes I use brewer’s yeast debittered instead, it tastes amazing too!
Íris Santos says
May 1, 2015 at 13:02Hi! Is there any substitute for nutritional yeast? I live in Africa and the best I can find is instant yeast, that only reacts to water 🙁
Iosune says
May 4, 2015 at 10:44Hi Íris! You can use brewer’s yeast or beer instead of water 🙂
Ronica says
May 28, 2015 at 20:10I just made this and it is wonderful! Does this need to be refrigerated? What is the shelf life? Thank you!
Iosune says
May 29, 2015 at 10:17Hi Ronica! It lasts for several weeks. I recommend you to store the cheese in the fridge to keep it fresh, but if you’re gonna eat it soon, it’s not necessary 🙂
Jaik says
July 22, 2015 at 04:01Raw cashews or roasted cashews, please
Thanks!
Iosune says
July 22, 2015 at 10:49Hi Jaik! You can use both, but I prefer raw cashews because they’re healthier 🙂
Johanna says
August 30, 2015 at 10:07Hi!
Haven’t been able to get my hands on any nutritional yeast, so made this with Brewers yeast. Not good! Will re-try when I find the nutritional, as it did seem promising, just overpowered by the Brewers bitterness…
Iosune says
August 30, 2015 at 11:39Hi Johanna! I use debittered brewer’s yeast and it always works. I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you 🙁
Barbara Marshall says
May 28, 2016 at 16:35Debittered yeast works great giving the tang actually.
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 30, 2016 at 14:44Hi Barbara! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Natalie says
August 31, 2015 at 21:12I thought you weren’t supposed to consume brewer’s yeast raw? I know I did so once for a cheese and got a terrible stomach ache.
Iosune says
September 8, 2015 at 12:13Hi Natalie! You can eat raw brewer’s yeast, it’s really healthy! I eat it almost every day 🙂
D says
November 13, 2015 at 19:46Eagerly went to the “Make veggies delicious with this easy recipe” link right under your recipe and it was basically an ad for Swanson Chicken Broth. Kind of an unfortunate choice to pop up on a vegan blog. :/
Iosune says
December 1, 2015 at 16:41Hi!
We use ad networks, which serve ads that we can’t totally control.
We have animal product filters applied with these networks, that way the ads shouldn’t be about animal products, but I guess there has been some error with the filter of some of the networks we work with.
We also can block specific ads, but as we live in Spain and the ads served depends on the place on Earth you are, we can’t see the same ads as you, so we can’t block them.
I’m sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for letting us know!
Love7 says
May 14, 2016 at 16:14I soaked my cashews overnight, how long do I need to wait for them to dry or can I mix like this.
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 25, 2016 at 10:05Hi! I think it’s better not to soak your cashews to make this recipe, but if you do, they have to be completely dry 🙂
isabelle says
September 11, 2016 at 17:08This recipe looks delicious, hoping to make it tonight however I don’t have any garlic powder. Do you think fresh garlic would work?
Iosune says
September 12, 2016 at 09:39Hi Isabelle! I don’t think the recipe is going to work if you don’t use garlic powder, although you could try…
Shanasy says
January 8, 2017 at 19:21This recipe looks great and because it is so quick to prepare, I’ve shared this on my FB page “Super Quick Plant-Based Recipes”. Great timing since I had just posted a Caesar dressing! Hope to see more super quick recipes! Thank you!
★★★★★
Iosune says
January 16, 2017 at 18:57Hi Shanasy! Thanks a lot for sharing, but please do not share the full recipe, just a picture and a link to our site. Have a nice day!
Shanasy says
January 16, 2017 at 20:49Yes I believe that is what I did. My intention is to support other people’s sites, such as yours, by sending my ‘gang’ to your site to ‘pick up’ the recipe. I just want to help other people increase their followers and keep the ‘PB/vegan movement’ growing! (Hopefully it is reciprocal!)
★★★★★
Iosune says
January 23, 2017 at 12:08Thank you sooo much 🙂
Ishani says
February 9, 2017 at 07:49Hi
Normally when grinding cashew leaves oil and becomes more like a paste..how did your turn out to be so dryand crumbly. Any trick in grinding? Or did you roast before grinding? I have read that roasting nuts enhances flavour and are more healthy.
Iosune says
February 14, 2017 at 14:29Hi Ishani! No, just place all the ingredients and blend, that’s all! I prefer to use raw nuts, they’re more nutritious 🙂
MAGALI FLECHE says
February 27, 2017 at 18:26Super tasty, super easy! 🙂
★★★★★
Iosune says
February 28, 2017 at 13:07Hi Magali! I’m so glad you liked it 😀
Tracy Morgan says
March 10, 2017 at 12:43Do I need to soak the cashews? I get a bit confused with cashews as some recipes state soak for 8 hours and some don´t mention soaking.
Iosune says
March 15, 2017 at 10:04Hi Tracy! No, you don’t. If you soak them, I think this recipe won’t work. Have a nice day!
Marion says
March 15, 2017 at 06:58Just made it and it taste amazing ! Thank you for the recipe 😉
★★★★★
Iosune says
March 15, 2017 at 10:31Hi Marion! I’m so glad you liked it 😀 You’re so welcome!
Karen says
March 20, 2017 at 11:36I make this all the time. I love trying it with other nuts and seeds also. I just made a batch with walnuts and sunflower seeds. I like to add extra nutritional yeast to enhance the cheese flavour. Fresh garlic will work as well as garlic powder. I also like to add a small drizzle of olive oil. It will make it stick a little here and there for a little more texture. I like to store it in the fridge in a mason jar. I share a lot of your recipes on my Body by Karen page. In case you would like to check it out. ?
Iosune says
March 24, 2017 at 16:46Hi Karen! Thanks a lot for your comment 😀 Have a beautiful day!!!
Susan says
April 29, 2017 at 08:03This was so delicious!!
I usually make cashew cheese on the blender for putting on my pizza but it is messy and takes time so I’m glad I tried your recipe- super fast and now I have a jar full in the fridge for instant cheese flavour : )
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 1, 2017 at 12:27Hi Susan! I’m so glad you liked it 😀 Have a nice day!
Lyn says
July 7, 2017 at 03:59This has become my favorite condiment! It enhances everything. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I have found that I prefer a bit more Nutritional yeast than your ratio – just personal taste. And I’ve made it with raw, roasted and roasted/salted nuts (without adding extra salt to them).All work – all are good. I use the food processor.
★★★★★
Iosune says
July 7, 2017 at 12:43Hi Lyn! You’re so welcome 😉 Have a nice day!
Marilyne says
August 7, 2017 at 02:45Amazing! I wish I would have found this recipe sooner. It is now our official parm “go to” 🙂
★★★★★
Iosune says
August 7, 2017 at 18:27Hi Marilyne! Thanks a lot 🙂 I’m so glad you like it so much!
Ayaka says
August 24, 2017 at 14:59Thank you so much for sharing this recipe on internet! I’m from Japan and in Japan, vegan is still not as common as western society. This recipe and website is absolutely amazing! I am so grateful to know this website! Thank you!
★★★★★
Iosune says
August 28, 2017 at 17:20Hi Ayaka! You’re so welcome 😀 I’m so glad you like our blog. Have a nice day!
Daniel says
September 19, 2017 at 00:07I only have nutritional yeast in flakes… how much flakes should I put
Iosune says
September 19, 2017 at 09:07Hi Daniel! The same amount 🙂
Dori Henderson says
September 24, 2017 at 15:01Looking forward to trying this. Do you use raw or roasted cashews?
Thanks!
Dori
Iosune says
September 26, 2017 at 17:13Hi Dori! I used raw unsalted cashews, but you can use both 🙂
Jess says
September 29, 2017 at 07:22Hello! I’m looking for a vegan parm, but I’m regrettably allergic to all nuts. Do you know a good cashew substitute?
Iosune says
September 29, 2017 at 10:47Hi Jess! You could try to make this recipe using sunflower seeds. I think it could work 🙂
Courtney says
September 30, 2017 at 23:33I know this can last a month in the fridge but how long will it last in the freezer?
Iosune says
October 2, 2017 at 11:58Hi Courtney! I’ve never frozen it, so I can’t help you, sorry!
Michelle Baker says
November 25, 2017 at 19:08Crazy good! Recipe doubles easily.
★★★★★
Iosune says
November 27, 2017 at 09:42Hi Michelle! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
adrian says
December 5, 2017 at 16:12hi do u think it would be ok to use active dry bakers yeast ?
Iosune says
December 6, 2017 at 09:15Hi Adrian! No, I don’t think it’s going to work, sorry!
Pat says
December 9, 2017 at 00:38Just made to put on pizza and wowsa! My husband (not vegan) liked it so much I had to ask him to save some for me! 😜
Iosune says
December 11, 2017 at 10:34Hi Pat! Hahaha so glad you and your husband liked it so much. Have a nice day!
Jordan says
January 8, 2018 at 05:38I admit to being a little skeptical about this, but I loved how it turned out! Used your caesar dressing recipe that this is a part of and it was a hit! I loved it!
★★★★★
Iosune says
February 5, 2018 at 11:30Hi Jordan! So glad you liked it 🙂
Pat says
February 5, 2018 at 01:14taste really good.. if in a hurry u can spread it on bread and it is delicious…Thanks for sharing
Iosune says
February 5, 2018 at 11:31Hi Pat! Thank you so much 🙂 Have a nice week!
Annalise says
March 17, 2018 at 09:21Hi,
I tried this and it just tastes really strongly of nutritional yeast. Is it supposed to, or should I be using less nutritional yeast?
Iosune says
March 25, 2018 at 05:40Hi Annalise! Add less nutritional yeast next time 🙂
Annalise says
March 27, 2018 at 06:28Fantastic, thanks
Iosune says
March 28, 2018 at 02:46You’re welcome 🙂
Hammy says
March 26, 2018 at 18:22I used almonds and it turned out great!
★★★★★
Iosune says
March 27, 2018 at 03:30Hi Hammy! So glad you liked it 😀
tracy dunham says
April 1, 2018 at 00:59just made this and it is delicious perfectly spiced and good texture Thanks
★★★★★
Iosune says
April 1, 2018 at 05:25Hi Tracy! You’re so welcome 🙂 SO glad you liked it!
Patricia says
April 8, 2018 at 14:14Lovely cheesy vegan parmesan. Topped a penne with homemade grilled pepper-tomato-pastasauce and baked pinenuts with it.
★★★★★
Iosune says
April 9, 2018 at 03:22Hi Patricia! Sounds amazing 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Darcy Webber says
June 21, 2018 at 19:53Are the cashews roasted or raw?
Iosune says
June 26, 2018 at 12:22Hy Darcy! I prefer to use raw cashews, but you can use both 🙂
Rhonda says
July 25, 2018 at 23:35Are the cashews raw or roasted?
Iosune says
July 26, 2018 at 09:07Hi Rhonda! I prefer to use raw cashews, but the roasted ones are also okay 🙂
Jennifer m says
August 30, 2018 at 01:17I must have done something wrong or overmixed because it came out lumpy not powdery. Like cashew butter. The other two times were perfect ! O NO
Iosune says
August 30, 2018 at 10:10Hi Jennifer! If you have a powerful blender, just blend a few seconds. I prefer to make this recipe using a food processor 🙂
Miss Violet Love says
September 3, 2018 at 00:17As a current cheese eater, very impressed! Has that cheesy nutty flavor and is a great swap. I’m attempting to try different cheese alternatives and this one is pretty great for a Parm “sprinkle”. Great work!
★★★★★
Iosune says
September 3, 2018 at 09:36Hi there! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a beautiful day!
Marion Smith says
September 18, 2018 at 14:05Stunning! New to vegan cuisine and cheese is a huuuge stumbling block as most taste like lard, love this!!!
★★★★★
Iosune says
September 25, 2018 at 09:36Hi Marion! Thank you so much 🙂 So glad you liked it!
snoCook says
September 26, 2018 at 16:16The recipe distinguishes salted versus unsalted cashews, but dies not indicate whether roasted or raw. Would either work?
Iosune says
September 27, 2018 at 08:14Hi Snocook! I prefer to use raw cashews, but both are okay 🙂
mitch says
September 29, 2018 at 11:14How about white miso instead of salt?
Iosune says
September 30, 2018 at 09:47Hi Mitch! I don’t think it’s going to work, but you could try…
elayne says
October 8, 2018 at 06:10i am allergic to garlic, boo-hoo, so is there a possible alternative for this recipe? usually, in ‘food’ recipes i either leave it out or add a shallot. possibly another dry spice? thanks.
Iosune says
October 8, 2018 at 08:09Hi Elayne! You could add onion powder instead 🙂
elayne says
October 11, 2018 at 05:16thanks so much. i really wanted to make this and now i can! (am sending a new comment as the reply in your answer doesn’t work.)
Iosune says
October 11, 2018 at 08:44Hope you like it! 😉
Lauren Trank says
October 15, 2018 at 17:13Love this recipe! Planning to put it on top of a Walnut Pesto Pasta; a recipe in Vegetarian Comfort Food by Megan Gilmore.
★★★★★
Iosune says
October 16, 2018 at 08:37Hi Lauren! Thank you so much 🙂 Sounds amazing!
Jeanette says
November 27, 2018 at 23:18I love this vegan parmesan cheese. It’s so simple and delicious. I love, love, love it! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
Iosune says
November 28, 2018 at 09:24Hi Jeanette! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you like it!
barbara says
December 3, 2018 at 10:28I love this recipe. It is so easy to make and so delicious. I use it on lots of things including popcorn! Love all of your tasty recipes. They are simple to make from ingredients that are easy to find and not too expensive. I love that most of your recipes contain only a few ingredients which gives me the confidence to try them and doesn’t overwhelm me.
Iosune says
December 4, 2018 at 09:24Hi Barbara! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you like our recipes!
Anita says
December 3, 2018 at 22:55This receipe is as good as commercial without the chemicals. I use it a lot. As a sprinkle and in receipts ie alfredo sauce. Thanks.
★★★★★
Iosune says
December 4, 2018 at 09:25Hi Anita! Thank you so much 🙂
Melinda says
January 1, 2019 at 23:35Thank you SO much for this recipe – it is amazing and I use it so often. 🙂
Iosune says
January 2, 2019 at 09:09Hi Melinda! Thank YOU 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Sarah says
January 3, 2019 at 13:30Hi Iosune, thank you for this recipe which I’m excited to try. I wonder what brand of nutritional yeast you use for this recipe?
Iosune says
January 4, 2019 at 08:50Hi Sarah! I live in Spain, so I used an Spanish brand, sorry!
Sarah says
January 4, 2019 at 11:56No worries! Thanks Iosune. I’ll let you know how it turns out =)
Iosune says
January 5, 2019 at 18:05Hope you enjoy it!
Jen says
January 12, 2019 at 23:54I always have some of this on hand. I use it on soups, salads, and cooked veggies.
★★★★★
Iosune says
January 15, 2019 at 11:23Hi Jen! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
JoAnn M Lakes says
January 20, 2019 at 19:00Nutritional Yeast and Brewer’s yeast are really not the same!!!!!
Both nutritional and brewer’s yeasts are a type of fungus. So, like mushrooms, they’re neither plant nor animal. Both are good sources of B vitamins, necessary for efficient metabolism of food and to help us withstand stress, and of minerals, protein, and fiber. Although either one can be taken as a supplement in pills, flakes and powders are the most popular forms, adding a nutritional boost when mixed in juices, smoothies, dressings, sauces, or soups, or sprinkled on salads, cooked vegetables, popcorn-or just about any other food. Nutritional yeast is especially popular as a vegan substitute for grated cheese, such as Parmesan.
Both types of yeast are inactive, meaning they won’t make bread rise or generate a yeast overgrowth in your body. And both are the same species of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. But in other ways, they differ.
The taste of nutritional yeast is milder, with a nutty, cheesy flavor. Brewer’s yeast is a bit bitter, although the bitterness is reduced in some products. The concentration of vitamins and minerals differs among products, and the yeasts are cultivated on different media.
Brewer’s yeast is traditionally a byproduct of the beer-making process, in which case it’s cultivated on malted barley or other grains, which produces some bitterness. However, some brewer’s yeasts are “primary grown,” meaning they are cultivated specifically for use as a dietary supplement, and may be grown on the same types of media as nutritional yeast.
Nutritional yeast is never a brewery by-product, and is typically grown on molasses from either sugar beets or cane sugar. Much of the sugar beet harvest in the U.S. is genetically modified, but nutritional yeasts grown on non-GMO versions are available, and some are organic.
Both types of yeast contain similar amounts of protein, fiber, and a very small amount of fat-around 7 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of fat in a 60-calorie serving. Brewer’s yeast naturally contains chromium, whereas nutritional yeast does not. In other ways, the exact concentration of B vitamins and minerals varies from one product to another. Although the yeasts naturally contain all the B vitamins, additional amounts are sometimes added, in which case B vitamins are listed as separate ingredients on the label.
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JoAnn M Lakes says
January 20, 2019 at 19:13The above information was copied from https://www.betternutrition.com/checkout/brewers-yeast-versus-nutritional-yeast
Iosune says
January 21, 2019 at 08:51Hi Joann! Thank you SO much for your valuable comment 🙂
Laura McGinnis says
February 19, 2019 at 23:34Yes it tasted great!
Iosune says
February 20, 2019 at 07:52Hi Laura! Thanks a lot 🙂
MaryLou Vocke says
March 3, 2019 at 20:54Made exactly how the recipe calls. It taste a lot better than any store bought vegan Parmesan cheese. How long is the self life once made?
★★★★★
Joann Lakes says
March 4, 2019 at 01:05Months but it won’t last that long. I put it in a shaker bottle and store on the door shelf. I use different nits and seeds for different flavors/textures. I sometimes add onion powder, and/or miso, or dried Italian herbs.
Iosune says
March 9, 2019 at 05:53Hi Joann! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
Iosune says
March 9, 2019 at 05:50Hi Marylou! It lasts weeks, or even months 🙂
MaryLou Vocke says
March 3, 2019 at 20:55Sorry, meany shelf life.
Iosune says
March 9, 2019 at 05:52It lasts longer in the fridge, by the way 🙂
MaryLou Vocke says
March 3, 2019 at 20:55OMG! You know what I mean!!!! LOL
Iosune says
March 9, 2019 at 05:51Yes, I understood you 🙂
Patricia says
April 27, 2019 at 08:05This was so good! I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before. Thanks for the recipe 😊
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 1, 2019 at 09:52Hi Patricia! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Ashley says
April 28, 2019 at 17:15I was so excited after trying your vegan cheese recipe that I immediately tried this parmesan recipe, too, and was once again super happy with the results! This recipe had me eating your parmesan with a spoon. 🙂 I can’t wait to try it on pasta this week. Thanks so much for these recipes!
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 1, 2019 at 09:57Hi Ashley! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 You’re so welcome!
Anna says
May 8, 2019 at 19:38Since I first made this thing, I have kept coming back for the proportions, this nutty parm is a real game changer 🙂 Love it, thanks for your great recipes, I am utterly greatful for your newsletter as well 🙂
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 9, 2019 at 09:04Hi Anna! You’re so welcome 🙂 SO glad you like our recipes!
Stephanie Jane (Literary Flits) says
May 17, 2019 at 13:31I love this parmesan substitute! So simple and has much more flavour than the commercial cheese packs.
I just wish you hadn’t mentioned eating it straight from the jar. Very moreish!
★★★★★
Iosune says
May 18, 2019 at 08:15Hi Stephanie! So glad you liked it 🙂 Yes, it’s really addictive!!!