I love having cheezy vegan parmesan to sprinkle on pasta, pizza and veggies. It just adds that little bit of “oomph” to a dish. And since it’s made with nuts and nutritional yeast, it actually adds nutrients to your meal!
I made vegan parmesan for the first time this week – I’m so glad I did! A definite vegan staple, it’s quick and easy to make. Now, I’ll always make sure to have some on hand.
There are many recipes for vegan parmesan online and it’s a recipe you can adjust to your liking. I have my favorite, but I’m including two more recipes here, so you can experiment. (I use Vegan Parmesan #1)
After I made my parmesan, I noticed some moisture in the mixture – or rather, that it wasn’t necessarily dry, although it was very crumbly. The only explanation for any moistness could be the moisture from the cashews or other nuts. I spread my finished parm out on a plate for a few hours to try to dry it out and that worked somewhat. Then a friend on Instagram suggested roasting the cashews before making the parm. Great idea! To roast the nuts you are using, heat your oven to 325 F. Place a single layer of cashews (or other nuts) on a baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven. Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, removing the baking sheet every 5 minutes to stir the nuts. At any point, if you feel they are roasted enough, remove them from the oven and let cool before making your parm. This will help with having a drier vegan parmesan.
If you aren’t familiar with nutritional yeast, don’t be afraid to try it. Also known in vegan circles as “nooch,” nutritional yeast comes in either flake form or as a powder. It has a delicious nutty, cheesy flavor. One tablespoon of nutritional yeast has about 4 grams of plant-based protein that boasts all nine essential amino acids. It is also typically fortified with B vitamins, including B12. Like they say, it’s good and good for you!
I used my vegan parm in a recipe for Sun Dried Tomato Asparagus Appetizers, along with this Sundried Tomato Pesto. We’ve also used it on pasta and steamed veggies. It’s good on every dish!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3/4 cup cashews or 1 cup if not using the walnuts
- 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
- 1/4 cup Bragg's nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or gluten free garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or gluten free onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup Bragg's nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder or gluten free garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup Bragg's nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning or dried basil
- 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder or gluten free garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Ingredients
Vegan Parmesan #1
Vegan Parmesan #2
Vegan Parmesan #3
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- For each recipe, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until the vegan parmesan has reached a crumbly texture. Serve on vegetables, pizza, or pasta. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut.
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