Making sunflower seed cheese at home is very easy. It requires minimal ingredients and 5 minutes of your time or less. It is made with cheap sunflower seeds and is equally delicious as the ones made with nuts.
This is the ideal grated vegan cheese recipe to sprinkle on top of your Pasta Alla Puttanesca, vegetable bolognese pasta, vegan baked polenta, or any other pasta you can think of.
This recipe is a variation of our also, plant-based parmesan homemade vegan parmesan, made with walnuts.
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🧾 Ingredients
- Sunflower seeds add a nutty crunch and healthy fats to our recipe.
- Sesame seeds bring a hint of nutty flavor and a delightful texture.
- Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy, umami kick to enhance the dish's flavor.
- Garlic powder infuses a mild, savory garlic note without the hassle of fresh garlic.
- Pepper adds a subtle spicy kick, balancing the flavors in our recipe.
Substitutions
- Garlic powder – you can use onion powder instead.
- Sunflower seeds – we chose to use sunflower seeds in this variant. We like to switch some recipes a bit. Especially those that rely on a typical family of more expensive ingredients, in this case, nuts. Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are usually more costly than other less-known but equally nutritious and sometimes cheaper, like sunflower seeds.
For your reference, sunflower seeds are on the lower end of fat % at 100 grams, then walnuts and almonds, which are at the upper tier, and sunflower seeds fall at the lower level.
🍽️ Equipment
- Blender or food processor.
- Spatula
🔪 Instructions
Add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to an immersion blender or a food processor.
Pulse for 30 seconds.
Step 1: put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Step 2: blend pulsing until you reach the desired consistency. Don't over-blend, or you will end up with a paste.
Step 3: Taste and adjust flavor. Add more nutritional yeast for “cheesiness” and extra garlic powder for a more intense note.
🌻 Sunflower seeds benefits
These small seeds can help to prevent diseases such as heart disease or high blood pressure. Sunflower seeds' benefits include also:
- Improving Heart Health
- Reducing Inflammation
- Boosting Energy Levels
- Supporting the Immune System
- Nutrition
One remarkable thing about sunflower seeds is that they are high in protein and rich in healthy fats and antioxidants. Still, hulled sunflower seeds contain less fat percentage than most nuts.
🫙 Storing
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, or your polentas.
We also like adding it to salads as a no-oil flavor enhancer, replacing a vinaigrette.
⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!
🎥 Video
📋 Recipe
Sunflower Seed Cheese Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sunflower seeds unsalted
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds white
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to a blender or a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds.
- 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
Nutrition Facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
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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Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I recommend all of the products listed because they are companies I have found helpful and trustworthy.
As the lead content writer and recipe developer at Our Plant-Based World, he combines his passion for health and sustainability with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification to create accessible, delicious vegan recipes. His expertise in plant-based cooking supports the blog's mission of fostering a healthier, environmentally conscious lifestyle through simple and seasonal dishes. His commitment to making vegan cooking enjoyable and inclusive for everyone shines in each recipe and article.
Beth
My granddaughter is a vegan and I am always looking for something new and different. This is really interesting and I can't wait to try it. I am putting the ingredients on my shopping list. I wonder where I can find the nutritional yeast?
Katherine
Such a great idea to use sunflower seeds in this vegan parm!
Joshua
This is great to sprinkle over my pasta. Tastes great. Thank you!
Teodora Grujic
I love all these healthy replacements! Sound very interesting, thank you!
Anaiah
This vegan parmesan cheese was so delicious and super easy! I normally just add nutritional yeast but mixing seasonings and some sunflower seeds made it taste even more incredible.
Emily
I just made a batch and it's so good I could eat it straight out of the container! I love that's it's made with easily available ingredients, all of which I have. I can't wait to try this as a topping, the next time we cook pasta for dinner!
Chrissaysnature
This is a wonderful recipe for vegan cheese! I made a huge batch and everyone loved it! Thank you!
Julia
This is the best tasting vegan parmesan cheese that I've ever tried. We've been eating it sprinkled on so many things from pasta to jacket potatoes. Seriously good.
Jess
I had no idea just how easy this was to make at home! Total win!
Dannii
This looks super simple. Perfect for sprinkling over some hot spaghetti.
Shashi
How cool is this vegan parm cheese recipe! Looking forward to trying this soon!
Blair
This is just the recipe I was looking for! So simple and fast!
Angela
Such an amazing recipe! This tastes just like parmesan cheese. Used it to top my pasta last night. So good!