Cashew Parmesan Cheese

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This vegan cashew Parmesan cheese is the perfect pasta or veggie topper – it has the right texture and taste to rival traditional Parmesan cheese.

I tested many dairy-free seasonings for the ultimate cheesy flavor, and found a blend of brewers yeast and nutritional yeast works best.

This minimalist recipe for vegan Parmesan is a staple in my pantry: just 5 ingredients + 5 minutes.

Key ingredients for vegan Parmesan

Most recipes you’ll find online for vegan Parmesan cheese just use nutritional yeast (aka “nooch”). But I prefer to use half nooch and half brewers yeast. I think this gives it a more traditional cheesy flavor.

You can find both of these seasonings at most grocery stores these days, or here on Amazon:
Nutritional Yeast
Brewers Yeast

I recommend cashews over other nuts or seeds because have a good, neutral base that blends well with seasonings. Cashews also have a great texture that’s well suited for faux grated Parmesan when pulsed in a food processor.

Ideas for using cashew Parmesan

The vegan cashew Parmesan cheese will stay fresh in the refrigerator for weeks! I almost always have it on hand as a topper for almost anything that needs a little texture and flavor kick.

Sprinkle vegan cashew parm on:

• Truffle Parmesan Brussels sprouts with lemon garlic aioli
• Pasta with mushroom lentil “meat” sauce
• Caesar salad
• Spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles
• Sauteed asparagus with lemon juice and olive oil
• Breaded eggplant Parmesan

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