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    You are here: Home / Everything Else / Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese

    LAST UPDATED: July 10, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: July 8, 2021

    Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Spoon Scooping Vegan Parmesan Cheese from a Jar with Text Overlay Reading "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!

    Spoon Scooping Vegan Parmesan Cheese from a Jar

    I've been making my own vegan Parmesan cheese forever! But it's one of those things where I always just threw a bunch of ingredients together and never actually measured, which is why I didn't have an actual recipe for vegan Parm until recently.

    I decided to finally get to it and create a recipe already so I could share it with you guys!

    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.

    Jump to:
    • What You'll Need
    • How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
    • Shelf Life & Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Vegan Cheese Recipes
    • Video!
    • Vegan Parmesan Cheese

    What You'll Need

    Ingredients For Making Vegan Parmesan Cheese Arranged in Bowls with Labels
    • Raw Cashews. Super important: they must be 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. Trader Joe's sells raw cashews, as do many supermarkets in the bulk foods section.
    • Nutritional Yeast. Look for this in the natural foods section of your supermarket. It's the key ingredient for adding cheesy flavor to your vegan Parmesan.
    • Spices. We're using garlic powder, onion powder, and (optionally) white pepper. This blend will add lots of savory flavor to your cheese, and I highly recommend including the white pepper if you can.
    • Salt. Salt is important here. Cheese is salty, so omitting or cutting down on the salt will make your vegan Parmesan taste less cheesy. If you're watching your sodium intake I'd recommend going light when sprinkling your Parm rather than using less salt when you make it.

    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.

    Ingredients for Vegan Parmesan Cheese in a Food Processor Bowl Before and After Blending

    Shelf Life & Storage

    Vegan Parmesan cheese will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for at least two to three weeks.

    You can also freeze it in a sealed container for 3 to 6 months. I highly recommend freezing it, as it takes virtually no time to thaw. 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 use!

    Jar of Vegan Parmesan Cheese with a Spoon Sticking Out

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is there a substitute for raw cashews in vegan Parmesan cheese?

    Try macadamia nuts, almonds, hemp seeds or sesame seeds.

    Is this recipe gluten-free?

    It is!

    How is vegan Parmesan cheese served?

    Sprinkle it over your favorite vegan Italian dishes. Try my vegan eggplant Parm, stuffed shells, or penne arrabbiata.

    More Vegan Cheese Recipes

    • Vegan Cream Cheese
    • Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
    • Nacho Sweet Potato Cheese
    • Vegan Ricotta Cheese
    • Vegan Cheese Ball
    Plate of Rotini Pasta Topped with Tomato Sauce and Vegan Parmesan Cheese

    Video!

    Watch my video to see just how easy it is to whip up a batch of homemade vegan Parmesan cheese!

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Spoon Scooping Vegan Parmesan Cheese from a Jar
    5 from 3 votes
    Print

    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!

    Course Topping
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 5 minutes
    Servings 8
    Calories 62 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup raw cashews
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon white pepper (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.

    2. Blend for a few seconds, until the mixture resembles Parmesan cheese.

    3. Taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.

    4. Serve immediately or store in sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Parmesan Cheese
    Amount Per Serving (1 tablespoon)
    Calories 62 Calories from Fat 38
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4.2g6%
    Saturated Fat 0.8g4%
    Sodium 150mg6%
    Potassium 116mg3%
    Fiber 1.1g4%
    Sugar 0.5g1%
    Protein 3.2g6%
    Iron 0.9mg5%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    « Chunky Zucchini Soup
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbie says

      May 29, 2019 at 9:49 pm

      I can't use onion powder. Will it still work?

      Reply
      • Barbie says

        May 30, 2019 at 5:16 pm

        5 stars
        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!

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          May 30, 2019 at 8:54 pm

          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!

          Reply
    2. Esmè Evans says

      May 31, 2019 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 01, 2019 at 10:27 am

        I'm glad you enjoyed it! Smoked paprika sounds like a delicious addition!

        Reply
    3. Veronica Graver says

      June 01, 2019 at 1:57 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 02, 2019 at 10:56 am

        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. :)

        Reply
    4. Florence Hanampota says

      October 29, 2019 at 9:30 am

      Well finally I have come across vegan cheese. Thanks Alissa for this wonderful work.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 02, 2019 at 6:04 pm

        Very welcome! I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    5. Paola Gelmetti says

      April 06, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      I can't eat cashews or peanuts, can I substitute any other nut or seed?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 09, 2020 at 9:29 am

        Macadamia nuts might work - they often do in cashew cheese recipes! You might also be able to use sesame seeds.

        Reply
    6. Kendy Ou says

      May 19, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      Does this vegan Parmesan cheese melt? Can you use it to bake?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        May 19, 2020 at 4:31 pm

        It doesn't melt - if you'd like to use it on a baked dish I recommend sprinkling it on after cooking.

        Reply
    7. Patricia B says

      September 20, 2020 at 1:55 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    8. Vivian Fields says

      March 27, 2021 at 5:31 am

      Any substitute for nutritional yeast I don’t tolorate it or cashews either

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 27, 2021 at 10:47 am

        I'm not sure of anything you could sub for the nutritional yeast - it's where most of the cheesy flavor comes from. Raw sunflower seeds might work in place of the cashews.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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