This Homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese recipe is flavorful, cheesy, and ready in minutes. You need just four ingredients.
This vegetarian alternative to Parmesan cheese tastes pretty much like real cheese. It’s hard to tell the difference.
Another plus from making this plant-based parmesan recipe yourself is usually cheaper than buying it at the store. I make this version with walnuts, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder, making it preservative and additive-free.
You can make this cheese with any nuts. Try to use raw unsalted one, but if you can’t, ensure you fine-tune the amount of salt suggested in the recipe.
Ingredients
- Walnuts
- Nutritional Yeast
- Garlic Powder (can be replaced with onion powder)
- Sea salt
See quantities and full instructions in the recipe card.
Instructions
This is the easiest part. You just need to throw all the ingredients in an immersion blender or a food processor and blend for 30 seconds.
To get an even texture, I pulse and shake the food processor low-speed button, and repeat. Otherwise, it can turn into oily clumps. It will not affect the flavor but you may not achieve the powdery texture we are looking for.
all ingredients in food processor blended to the right consistency
Although this non-dairy Parmesan cheese doesn’t melt, it goes very well with any dish that calls out for parmesan dish. It goes well over pasta dishes like our 3-ingredient pasta, veggie pizza (recipe), dinner recipes, and baked goods. I have also tried it over salads, as a replacement for oil-based vinaigrettes.
This recipe is tasty and so good. To make it, you only need a couple of ingredients usually available at any plant-based kitchen and blender. The result will be a versatile and delicious plant-based cheese that will boost the flavor of your dishes.
Storing
The fact that this recipe is not made with fresh ingredients makes it last if properly stored. I can’t tell you exactly how much as I always use it within a couple of weeks, but I am sure it will last at least for a month.
Adding Nutritional Yeast to your diet is a good idea
According to WebMed, nutritional yeast is rich in nutrients often lacking from vegetarian and vegan diets. It’s also free of gluten, soy, and sugar, making it an excellent dietary addition for people with food sensitivities. However, research shows that its nutritional content can benefit any diet.
Some Recipes where you can use this Nutritional Yeast Parmesan
If you want to try another vegan parm recipe using sunflower seeds, have a look at our recipe.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!
Recipe: Homemade Vegan Parmesan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted walnuts raw
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Add unsalted walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt to a blender or a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. Pulse, open or shake and repeat. Stop before you think you should, otherwise it can turn into oily clumps.
- Taste and adjust flavor. Add more nutritional yeast for “cheesiness” and extra garlic powder for a more intense note.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It works perfectly as a topping for pasta, pizzas, vegan eggplant involtinis, and adding it to salads.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
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Food safety
We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.
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Ann Wycoff
Will have to give this a try. I already have all of the ingredients for it on hand.
Gus
Sure! It is certainly one of the easiest things to do! I also use it for salads and is lovely! Let us know how it turns out!
Ann Wycoff
I made a half batch of this today (I was low on walnuts as it turned out) and it is really noble stuff. My husband loves it and so do I. I suspect we'll be keeping some in the frig as a regular thing for awhile. As usual, I'll put a link back on my blog for the recipe.
Gus
Nice! Great to hear that you liked it! and thanks for the referral. Really appreciate it!
Ann Wycoff
Sure, the least I can do. Thanks for sharing a great recipe that was easy to throw together.
Gus
hope you keep trying our recipes! We just made a major upgrade to the website in terms of look and feel and user experience, hope you are enjoying it!
Ann Wycoff
I am enjoying the site and the recipes, thank you. I particularly like the feature where you can change the number of servings and it automatically updates the ingredients list.
I'm working on my next blog post. May I grab a picture, with the usual link and photo credit, from your post?
Gus
Sure thing! Please go ahead. Yes, we love that feature. We incorporated it with a plugin we purchased since we have both a Spanish Speaking and English Speaking community, and we also needed the metric/international units conversion. We took a big breath and purchased the not very cheap plugin as an investment for our readers, although as new bloggers, it Is not there, we thought it was worth it! So happy to have that first feedback on that feature 🙂 you make us feel it was worth it!
Ann Wycoff
Thank you very much. The picture and link will go live in my next post.
Yes, it is a very good feature. I definitely think it is worth it. Being able to change units is a nice feature too instead of having to manually do the conversion myself. For a convenience standpoint it is very nice.
Elle
This is way too easy to prepare for how tasty it turns out! Great recipe, I have some left for the next couple of days in the fridge (if I don't finish it before the next meal!).
Kay
You have taken Nutritional Yeast to the next flavour level with minimal effort required! We love it!
Beth
Oh wow! My son is going to just love this vegan cheese recipe! These days he's been loving the recipes I've made from your site! So excited!
Natalie
Oh wow, I never tried vegan parmesan. Sounds delicious and so healthy. Love walnuts. I can't wait to give this a try
Claudia Lamascolo
This is perfect I love a vegan parm make it also but this is easier!