How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

• Only 5 ingredients. Who needs store-bought cheese substitutes?! This recipe calls for 5 simple ingredients: cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. 
• And only 5 minutes to make. Five minutes, a lifetime of happiness, and LOTS of cheesy vegan pizzas.
• The vegan condiment you need in your life. If you miss adding that crumbly, shakable cheese on all the things, you’re going to want to keep this vegan Parmesan on hand!

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Raw cashews – For the right texture and flavour, raw cashews (not roasted or salted!) are a must.
• Nutritional yeast – You can find this in the bulk section or with the seasonings in many grocery stores. It can also be ordered online
• Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.

What Is the Purpose of Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is commonly used in vegan recipes because it brings a funky, cheesy flavour to the table when traditional cheese isn’t an option. It’s also an excellent addition to vegan diets because it contains protein and vitamin B12, along with many other vitamins and minerals.

How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese

• Grind the cashews. Add the cashews to a food processor and process until they form a coarse meal, similar to the shelf-stable grated Parmesan sold in plastic containers at the grocery store.
• Finish. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse a few times until everything is combined.

Tips for Success

• Nut allergies? No problem! You can substitute the cashews for sunflower seeds or pepitas. Just note that this will alter the colour and flavour—you’ll still get that funky-cheesiness, but with more seed flavour.
• Don’t over-mix. If you run the food processor too long, you’ll end up with Parmesan paste—not very appetizing! Just pulse until everything has come together.
• Use a food processor. A blender just won’t cut it here. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the cashews in a plastic bag and pound them with a rolling pin to crush them. The result will be a coarser vegan Parmesan, but it tastes just as good.

How to Use Vegan Parmesan

Use vegan Parmesan cheese any way you’d use regular Parmesan! Here are some of my favourite ideas:

• Grilled Mexican Street Corn
• Grilled Lemon Garlic Zucchini
• Creamy Cashew Pea Pesto
• Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
• Vegan Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls
• Vegan Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
• Vegetable Lasagna

How to Store

• Refrigerate: Store your vegan Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. (Although all of the ingredients are technically shelf-stable, the fridge will keep the raw cashews from going rancid.)
• Freeze: If you want your vegan Parmesan cheese to last longer, you can place it in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze it for up to 6 months. As long as there’s no moisture in the container, you should still be able to scoop it and use it directly from frozen.