Do your next pasta night right, and whip up a batch of this homemade vegan Parmesan cheese. All you need are 5 ingredients and 5 minutes!
I’ve been making my own vegan Parmesan cheese forever! But it’s one of those things where I always threw ingredients in and never actually measured, which I why I didn’t actually have a recipe for vegan Parm until recently.
I was working on a recipe (forthcoming) where I wanted to include vegan Parmesan as an accompaniment, so I decided to finally get to it and create a recipe already.
In the past I’ve used different types of nuts and seeds, different spices and seasonings, and even baked my Parm. But this recipe is my favorite version, and it’s pretty darn easy to make. No baking, just 5 required ingredients (and one optional ingredient), and it takes minutes to make.
The Ingredients
Cashews are my favorite nut for making vegan cheese, and that’s what I used in this recipe. Make sure your cashews are raw. Roasted cashews won’t have quite the right flavor and texture — your cheese will actually taste like nuts. Raw cashews have a very neutral flavor, so they work well as a vehicle for the other seasonings.
You’ll also need some nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast tastes a lot like Parmesan cheese. So much so, that I’ve even been known to use it on its own as a Parm substitute when I’m feeling lazy.
Salt is important here. Cheese is salty, so omitting or cutting down on the salt will make your vegan Parmesan taste less cheesy.
But what if you’re watching your sodium intake? Rather than cutting back on the salt, I would suggest using the amount of salt called for, and going light when sprinkling your Parm.
And then spices! Garlic and onion powder are required ingredients, and they add savory notes that make this stuff taste extra Parmy. White pepper is optional. A reader turned me onto this one as an addition to cheesy vegan recipes a while back. I tried it out and love it! If you don’t normally buy white pepper, feel free to skip it, but it does add a nice bit of sharpness that makes this cheese taste extra authentic.
How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
It’s so easy. Ready for this: stick everything in a food processor bowl, and blend it to a powder.
How to Store Your Vegan Parm
Vegan Parmesan cheese will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for several weeks. How many weeks? Honestly, it depends on how fresh your cashews are to begin with.
I prefer to freeze mine. It’ll keep for 3 to 6 months in a sealed container in the freezer, and it thaws out super quickly. I usually just scoop a little bit out of my container before dinner. By the time I’m done preparing the meal, my cheese is ready to go!
FAQ & Tips for Making Perfect Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- I’m allergic to cashews. Can I substitute another type of nut or seed? Yup! Try macadamia nuts, almonds, hemp seeds or sesame seeds.
- Is this stuff gluten-free? It is!
- Look for nutritional yeast in the natural foods section of your supermarket, or try a place like Whole Foods. If all else fails, order it online.
- Make sure your cashews are raw. If you use roasted cashews your cheese won’t taste right.
- Need something good to put your Parm on? Try my vegan eggplant Parm, stuffed shells, or penne arrabbiata.
Watch my video to see just how easy it is to whip up a batch of homemade vegan Parmesan cheese!
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Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Do your next pasta night right, and whip up a batch of this homemade vegan Parmesan cheese. All you need are 5 ingredients and 5 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.
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Blend for a few seconds, until the mixture resembles Parmesan cheese.
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Taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
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Serve immediately or store in sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.
I can’t use onion powder. Will it still work?
I made it without the onion powder (allergic) and it’s wonderfui! Much better than just using nooch! I put half in the freezer but the rest is going on my pasta and greens!
Yay! And sorry I didn’t get to answer your question on time! I’ve made it without the onion powder and garlic powder in a pinch myself. I’m glad you like it!
Delish!! I also added a half a teaspoon of smoked praprik, as my daughter is not a fan of pepper & it gave the “cheese” an extra oomph of flavour. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Smoked paprika sounds like a delicious addition!
Just wondering it if is ok to use onion and garlic in their real form & not the powdered version. Garlic powder actually
hurts my stomach so I have aways avoided it. My question is ‘why are these powdered versions used in recipes – I have noted that some very creative chefs use them though.
Thanks for reading this.
Veronica
In this recipe I used dried versions mainly to keep the mixture dry. You could try using fresh, but be careful to ensure that the added moisture doesn’t cause the blended up cashews to start clumping together. If this does happen I’d try spreading it out on a baking sheet and baking at a very low temperature. You could also try just leaving the garlic and onion out – they add flavor but the recipe will still work without them. :)
Well finally I have come across vegan cheese. Thanks Alissa for this wonderful work.
Very welcome! I hope you enjoy it!
I can’t eat cashews or peanuts, can I substitute any other nut or seed?
Macadamia nuts might work – they often do in cashew cheese recipes! You might also be able to use sesame seeds.
Does this vegan Parmesan cheese melt? Can you use it to bake?
It doesn’t melt – if you’d like to use it on a baked dish I recommend sprinkling it on after cooking.
This is delicious. I buy cashew pieces at Trader Joe’s they are more affordable. Nutritional yeast is also much cheaper at Trader Joe’s than at Whole Foods.