Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Running on Real Food (2024)

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posted: 01/02/20 — updated: 02/11/23 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe·5 from 2 reviews

This vegan parmesan cheese is easy to make in minutes with just 2 simple ingredients. Enjoy sprinkled over pastas, soups, salads and more.

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Table of Contents

Ingredients

Let’s go over the main ingredients you’ll need to make this dairy-free version of parmesan cheese.

Nuts or Seeds

Vegan parmesan can be made with nuts like cashews or almonds and can be made nut-free by using hemp seeds or sunflower seeds. I like it best with almonds or almonds but any of these or a combination of these will work:

  • almonds
  • walnuts
  • cashews
  • sunflower seeds
  • hemp seeds
  • Brazil nuts
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What is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is what gives the recipe it’s cheese-like flavour and yellow colouring. If you’re unsure what nutritional yeast is, I have a whole post all about it here.

Nutritional yeast also adds protein and most brands are fortified with B12 which is handy for plant-based eaters. My favourite brands are Hoosier Farms, Bragg’s, Frontier Coop and Bob’s Red Mill.

Can you make it without yeast?

You can make vegan parmesan yeast-free but omitting the nutritional yeast and adding extra salt as well as additional seasonings like oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. It’s more parmesan-like when made with nutritional yeast though.

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Seasonings

The only additional seasoning I add to vegan parmesan is sea salt, however, feel free to experiment with other herbs and spices like garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil and dried oregano.

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Tips and Notes

  1. Use raw, unsalted nuts. Salted and/or roasted nuts will change the taste and consistency of the recipe.
  2. Don’t over blend. Pulse until everything comes together and resembles dry parmesan cheese. Over blending can turn it into a paste, especially if you’re using a softer nut like cashews.
  3. Use a food processor. I usually use my Vitamix but only because my food processor has seen better days. If you have a food processor, this comes together a little easier using the wider base of a food processor over a blender. That being said, a high-speed blender works too.
  4. Store in the fridge or freezer. Store the finished product in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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How to Use

  • Sprinkle over your favourite pasta dish. It also goes well over these vegan lentil meatballs, lentil pasta sauce, vegan bolognese or vegan marinara.
  • Sprinkle it over roasted veggies like broccoli, cauliflower or potato.
  • Add it to vegan mac and cheese.
  • Sprinkle it over your favourite soup. It works well over this cauliflower potato soup, this vegan minestrone and this roasted red pepper tomato soup.
  • Use it as a coating for baked tofu, cauliflower or zucchini.
  • Sprinkle it over any salad or buddha bowl.
  • Sprinkle it on homemade or takeout vegan pizza.
  • Use anywhere else you’d use parmesan cheese!
  • Sprinkle it over my spinach artichoke dip or vegan buffalo dip.
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This dairy-free vegan parmesan is easy to make in minutes in a food processor or high-speed blender. Sprinkle over pasta, salads, soup, roasted veggies and more for a nutty, salty, cheesy burst of flavour much like parmesan cheese.

Recipes to Use With

  • Easy Vegan Bruschetta
  • Cream of Broccoli Soup
  • Vegan Bolognese
  • Lentil Meatballs
  • Vegan Carbonara

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Running on Real Food (7)

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1.25 cups
  • Category: Condiment
  • Method: Food Processor
  • Cuisine: Vegan
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Description

Blend up this quick and easy vegan parmesan and sprinkle over everything from soups to salad and pasta. You’ll love the nutty, salty, cheese-like flavour of this versatile condiment.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Add everything to a food processor or high-speed blender and process until it resembled parmesan cheese in texture.
  2. Sprinkle over pasta, salad, soups, sandwiches, roasted veggies and more. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a month.

Basics Gluten-Free Grain-Free How-Tos Less than 30 Minutes Low-Carb Oil-Free Recipes Soy-Free Sugar-Free

posted by Deryn Macey on January 2, 2020

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8 comments on “Vegan Parmesan Cheese”

  1. Renee July 3, 2023 @ 12:26 pm Reply

    Hi do you have any nutritional yeast substitute advice? It is not a natural whole food product.
    Thank you

    • Deryn Macey July 3, 2023 @ 9:22 pm Reply

      I’m sorry, I don’t. That’s the main ingredient in this recipe unfortunately. Thanks.

  2. Jamie March 15, 2023 @ 5:10 am Reply

    I can NOT get past the taste of nutritional yeast, but this, with other ingredients, might just be what I need. I can’t wait to make a little bit of this to see how it goes.

  3. Susan December 19, 2021 @ 5:49 am Reply

    Any suggestions for a salt substitute to make this low sodium please!

    • Deryn Macey December 19, 2021 @ 9:09 am Reply

      You can just leave it out, no problem. Thanks!

  4. Amanda April 1, 2020 @ 11:54 am Reply

    Bookmarking this! It was tasty and so simple. I’m so excited to have a go-to Parmesan recipe that I can easily make in just a few minutes.

  5. Sherry K January 15, 2020 @ 3:19 am Reply

    I love this recipe and will make it again and again. Thanks!

    • Deryn January 15, 2020 @ 8:23 am Reply

      Wonderful!! So glad you like it!

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe - Running on Real Food (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan Parmesan cheese made of? ›

Vegan parmesan is made from a mixture of nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, a couple pantry spices, salt, and pepper. I like to use a particular mixture of nuts and seeds, my favourite combination being: raw walnuts, sliced almonds, and hemp seeds.

What vegan cheese tastes like Parmesan? ›

Violife carefully blends plant-based ingredients to deliver the beloved Parmesan cheesy zest but without any dairy, soy, gluten, lactose, nuts, or preservatives. With our Just Like Parmesan Wedge, eating vegan and dairy-free has never been so easy, or delicious.

What is a vegan alternative to Parmesan? ›

Old Winchester Cheese is a great British mature cheese full of crunchy crystals, matured for 18 months or more, it's an amazingly tasty, slightly nutty very hard cheese. Being vegetarian, it's quite a good substitute for parmesan when a vegetarian option is needed.

Can you have Parmesan cheese on a plant based diet? ›

So is Parmesan cheese vegetarian? While Parmigiano Reggiano is not, it is possible to find vegetarian Parmesan cheese at the grocery store. If you want to avoid cheese made with rennet, look for cheeses labeled vegetarian or check the ingredient list for enzymes instead of rennet.

What is the main ingredient in vegan cheese? ›

Vegan cheese is usually made from soy, nuts, vegetable oils, and various other natural ingredients like peas or arrowroot. Vegan cheese is seen as a healthier alternative to cheese by some, and may reduce your risk of heart disease due to its lower content of fat.

What cheese tastes closest to Parmesan? ›

Asiago cheese is closest to Parmesan, but this cheese is actually a bit sweeter. It's a semi-hard yet smooth cheese with a slightly nutty flavor. Asiago offers a mild sharpness that doesn't overwhelm, but rather accents a mellow vegetable or meat dish.

What is the closest vegetarian cheese to Parmesan? ›

This is a hard cheese in the style of Parmesan and it's made with vegetarian rennet. Wonderfully, it's quite great for everything: homemade pesto, a simple cacio e pepe, and even as an after dinner snack.

Can you buy vegan Parmesan? ›

Vegan Parmesan Cheese - 100g.

Can you make Parmesan without rennet? ›

In fact, according to European Union law, Parmigiano-Reggiano must contain animal rennet in order to use the name. Luckily, you can still find veg versions of Parmesan (and other European-style cheeses) made Stateside.

Can vegans eat yeast? ›

Although yeast is technically alive—it's a single-celled organism that metabolizes food into energy—it's no more an animal than other fungi such as mushrooms. Therefore, yeast is generally accepted as part of a vegan diet.

What does vegan parmesan taste like? ›

Violife's Just Like Parmesan Cheese delivers a tangy and almost-too-salty flavor. While this intense taste works perfectly when grated into sauce, pasta, or soup, it can be a bit overpowering on its own.

Does plant-based cheese raise cholesterol? ›

Cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods. Vegan cheese is always made from 100% plant-based ingredients and never contains cholesterol. Overdoing it on vegan cheeses that are high in saturated fat, however, may raise cholesterol levels, especially in people who are more sensitive to its effects.

Is parmesan cheese good for gut bacteria? ›

Parmigiano-Reggiano contains lactobacillus bacteria, which is a good bacteria “that keeps your guts happy,” Supan says.

What is vegetarian parmesan made of? ›

BelGioioso Vegetarian Parmesan is made with fresh milk gathered daily from our local farmers, and without any animal rennet. Each wheel is aged in special caves for over 10 months. BelGioioso's Master Cheesemakers carefully inspect and hand-turn each wheel to ensure a consistent aging process.

What are the ingredients in go veggie parmesan? ›

Ingredients. Cornstarch, Coconut Oil, Inactive Yeast, Rice, Calcium Citrate, Natural Vegan Flavors, Sea Salt, Glycerine, Lactic Acid.

What is cellulose in parmesan cheese made of? ›

The cellulose added to processed foods usually comes from wood pulp (saw dust) or cotton lint. It can prevent caking, such as in grated parmesan cheese, but some companies fraudulently use it as a cheap filler in their “100%” grated parmesan cheese.

What are the ingredients in Daiya parmesan cheese? ›

Ingredients. Daiya Oat Cream™ blend (water, oat flour, pea protein, bacterial cultures, enzymes), Coconut oil, Tapioca starch, Expeller pressed safflower oil, Corn starch, Salt, Sugars (dextrose), Konjac flour, Yeast extract, Tricalcium phosphate, Xanthan gum, Lactic acid, Natural flavours.

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