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This plant-based parmesan recipe with cashews is a great alternative to parmesan cheese. The cashews and nutritional yeast add a unique cheesy taste when it's added to pasta or pizza. We usually add it to pizza before it goes in the oven and it browns up a little.

Now it won’t melt like cheese, but it is still delicious. It's quick, easy, and will last for weeks in the refrigerator.
How to Make a Dairy-Free Parmesan Cheese Substitute

Just place all of the ingredients for the vegan parmesan into a food processor, then blend until you get your desired consistency. I prefer the cashews to be grounded up small so there are no large chunks of nuts. Don’t puree too long or you’ll be heading into cashew butter territory.

Ingredients
Cashews are used for the bulk of this recipe to carry the flavor from the other components. They also add a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.
Nutritional yeast (nooch) is a deactivated yeast that gives a nutty, cheese-like flavor. It’s used in vegan meals to sometimes add a cheesy savory flavor. Although it's yeast, it cannot be substituted with baker’s yeast.
Garlic powder and onion powder help add more depth of flavor. They’re not normal components to parmesan cheese, but the flavors do add some complexity to this vegan cheese.
Salt because parmesan has a salty flavor.
Uses for Vegan Cashew Parmesan
- Sprinkle over homemade pizza before placing it in the oven.
- Add it to the top of your vegan Mac and cheese.
- Sprinkle the vegan parmesan over pasta dishes.
- Add a little cheesiness to roasted vegetables, like roasted broccoli.
How to Store
Store in an air-tight container such as a clean jar with a lid or a storage container with a lid. It can be stored for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for plant-based parmesan!
This recipe was originally published on August 19, 2018, and updated on February 22, 2022.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes


Plant Based Parmesan
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This plant-based parmesan is made from grounded-up cashews and nutritional yeast. It's a great alternative to parmesan cheese and can be added to pizza and pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (122 g) raw cashews
- ¼ cup (19 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.
- Blend cashews until they look like bread crumbs.
- Store leftovers in the fridge. They will stay fresh for a least a few weeks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: condiment
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: How to make vegan parmesan, plant based parmesan
Steve
This was super easy to make! I used a blender instead of a food processor with no issues. It was delicious too!
★★★★★
Allie
I'm so glad it worked out for you and that you liked it!