Vegan Parmesan Cheese (Quick, Easy, & Delicious)

What takes 5 minutes to make, requires only a blender, and tastes like the real thing? This vegan parmesan cheese!

We have a feeling you're going to quickly become addicted to this recipe, just like us. This is your one and only warning.

Good luck.

Jump to:

• 📖 About
• 🍲 Key ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🌡️ Storage
• 💭 Budget tips
• 🍴 Tasting notes
• 📋 Recipe
• ♻️ Similar recipes
• 💬 FAQ

📖 About

We are by no means the first people to create a cashew parmesan, but we definitely won't be the last to enjoy it. This simple recipe has been a staple in our house since as long as we've been vegan.

We've perfected our recipe over the years, and we want to share it with as many people as possible. We like this parmesan so much because of how well it stores in the fridge and freezer. It's great to make a huge batch to keep on hand.

It's the perfect topping for pizzas, pasta, salads, or soups. We even find ourselves just eating it by the spoonful.

We know cheese is a hard item for a lot of people to give up when going vegan, so we hope to make it a little easier by showing you how easy and delicious dairy-free cheese can be!

🍲 Key ingredients

• Nutritional Yeast: if you want to end up with a "cheesy" parmesan, you better put some nutritional yeast in it. This wonder ingredient is a staple for vegans because of how versatile it can be. It lends a cheesy, nutty, and savoury flavor, which is essential in this recipe. And you'll be doing your body some good by eating it since it's a complete protein (which means it contains all nine essential amino acids).

• Garlic: maybe it's just us, but adding garlic to any food makes it taste so much better (okay, maybe not your smoothie bowl, but you get our point). Although we generally opt for fresh, we use garlic powder in this recipe to keep it from becoming too moist.

• Cashews: this is the perfect nut to use in a vegan parmesan because cashews are slightly soft with a hint of sweetness. They give it the perfect crumbly texture without being too crunchy. Plus, they are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce your LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff).

• Sea salt: what would parmesan be without lots of saltiness? Not parmesan, that's what! Sea salt gives the perfect savoury flavor to create the most parmesan-like cheese possible.

🔪 Instructions

This recipe is quite straight forward. All you'll need to do is add the ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor.

Pulse everything for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you achieve a meal-like consistency (as shown below).

Taste and adjust the salt and garlic powder to your liking, and that's it! Transfer the parmesan into a mason jar or container for storing.

🌡️ Storage

This parmesan stores well in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Alternatively, you can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months!

💭 Budget tips

We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:

• Check multiple stores for cashews to save a ton
• Buy your nutritional yeast in bulk
• Don't be afraid to measure out your parmesan before adding it to meals

🍴 Tasting notes

This recipe will quickly become your secret weapon to sprinkle on all your favorite foods. It's:

• Cheesy
• Savoury
• Addictive
• Salty

If you try this parmesan, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!

📋 Recipe

♻️ Similar recipes

For more tasty dish ideas, check out our:

• Tofu scramble for those mornings you need to eat light but get that protein in.
• Vegan sweet potato chili for a high protein, meal prep ready recipe perfect for any occasion.
• Mac and cheese with almond milk for a cheesy meal without the bloat.
• Lentil bolognese if you want some Italian food to fill your belly but need it vegan style.

💬 FAQ