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: Ingredient
- 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
Beautiful! I have a friend trying to transition and I’m going to make this for her!
Thanks Jessica!! I hope your friend likes this recipe 😉
This 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.
Hi 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!
Hi! 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 🙁
Hi Íris! You can use brewer’s yeast or beer instead of water 🙂
I just made this and it is wonderful! Does this need to be refrigerated? What is the shelf life? Thank you!
Hi 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 🙂
Raw cashews or roasted cashews, please
Thanks!
Hi Jaik! You can use both, but I prefer raw cashews because they’re healthier 🙂
Hi!
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…
Hi Johanna! I use debittered brewer’s yeast and it always works. I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you 🙁
Debittered yeast works great giving the tang actually.
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Hi Barbara! Thanks for your comment 🙂
I 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.
Hi Natalie! You can eat raw brewer’s yeast, it’s really healthy! I eat it almost every day 🙂
Eagerly 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. :/
Hi!
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!
I soaked my cashews overnight, how long do I need to wait for them to dry or can I mix like this.
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Hi! I think it’s better not to soak your cashews to make this recipe, but if you do, they have to be completely dry 🙂
This recipe looks delicious, hoping to make it tonight however I don’t have any garlic powder. Do you think fresh garlic would work?
Hi Isabelle! I don’t think the recipe is going to work if you don’t use garlic powder, although you could try…
This 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!
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Hi 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!
Yes 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!)
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Thank you sooo much 🙂
Hi
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.
Hi Ishani! No, just place all the ingredients and blend, that’s all! I prefer to use raw nuts, they’re more nutritious 🙂
Super tasty, super easy! 🙂
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Hi Magali! I’m so glad you liked it 😀
Do 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.
Hi Tracy! No, you don’t. If you soak them, I think this recipe won’t work. Have a nice day!
Just made it and it taste amazing ! Thank you for the recipe 😉
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Hi Marion! I’m so glad you liked it 😀 You’re so welcome!
I 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. ?
Hi Karen! Thanks a lot for your comment 😀 Have a beautiful day!!!
This 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 : )
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Hi Susan! I’m so glad you liked it 😀 Have a nice day!
This 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.
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Hi Lyn! You’re so welcome 😉 Have a nice day!
Amazing! I wish I would have found this recipe sooner. It is now our official parm “go to” 🙂
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Hi Marilyne! Thanks a lot 🙂 I’m so glad you like it so much!
Thank 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!
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Hi Ayaka! You’re so welcome 😀 I’m so glad you like our blog. Have a nice day!
I only have nutritional yeast in flakes… how much flakes should I put
Hi Daniel! The same amount 🙂
Looking forward to trying this. Do you use raw or roasted cashews?
Thanks!
Dori
Hi Dori! I used raw unsalted cashews, but you can use both 🙂
Hello! I’m looking for a vegan parm, but I’m regrettably allergic to all nuts. Do you know a good cashew substitute?
Hi Jess! You could try to make this recipe using sunflower seeds. I think it could work 🙂
I know this can last a month in the fridge but how long will it last in the freezer?
Hi Courtney! I’ve never frozen it, so I can’t help you, sorry!
Crazy good! Recipe doubles easily.
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Hi Michelle! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
hi do u think it would be ok to use active dry bakers yeast ?
Hi Adrian! No, I don’t think it’s going to work, sorry!
Just 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! 😜
Hi Pat! Hahaha so glad you and your husband liked it so much. Have a nice day!
I 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!
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Hi Jordan! So glad you liked it 🙂
taste really good.. if in a hurry u can spread it on bread and it is delicious…Thanks for sharing
Hi Pat! Thank you so much 🙂 Have a nice week!
Hi,
I tried this and it just tastes really strongly of nutritional yeast. Is it supposed to, or should I be using less nutritional yeast?
Hi Annalise! Add less nutritional yeast next time 🙂
Fantastic, thanks
You’re welcome 🙂
I used almonds and it turned out great!
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Hi Hammy! So glad you liked it 😀
just made this and it is delicious perfectly spiced and good texture Thanks
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Hi Tracy! You’re so welcome 🙂 SO glad you liked it!
Lovely cheesy vegan parmesan. Topped a penne with homemade grilled pepper-tomato-pastasauce and baked pinenuts with it.
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Hi Patricia! Sounds amazing 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Are the cashews roasted or raw?
Hy Darcy! I prefer to use raw cashews, but you can use both 🙂
Are the cashews raw or roasted?
Hi Rhonda! I prefer to use raw cashews, but the roasted ones are also okay 🙂
I 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
Hi Jennifer! If you have a powerful blender, just blend a few seconds. I prefer to make this recipe using a food processor 🙂
As 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!
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Hi there! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a beautiful day!
Stunning! New to vegan cuisine and cheese is a huuuge stumbling block as most taste like lard, love this!!!
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Hi Marion! Thank you so much 🙂 So glad you liked it!
The recipe distinguishes salted versus unsalted cashews, but dies not indicate whether roasted or raw. Would either work?
Hi Snocook! I prefer to use raw cashews, but both are okay 🙂
How about white miso instead of salt?
Hi Mitch! I don’t think it’s going to work, but you could try…
i 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.
Hi Elayne! You could add onion powder instead 🙂
thanks 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.)
Hope you like it! 😉
Love this recipe! Planning to put it on top of a Walnut Pesto Pasta; a recipe in Vegetarian Comfort Food by Megan Gilmore.
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Hi Lauren! Thank you so much 🙂 Sounds amazing!