4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Deborah · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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A vegan parmesan cheese recipe filled with golden sprinkles of delight! This savory, garlicy vegan Parmesan cheese will have you adding it to practically every dish in the universe! Vegan, gluten-free, WFPB, and only 4 ingredients. Make it with cashews, almonds or pecans! So simple, the prep takes less than 5 minutes.

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (1)

Vegan Parmesan is better than the real deal, don't you agree? I think you'll love this easy vegan Parmesan cheese because it pairs well with so many recipes, including my creamy Cavolo Nero Pasta, Tomato Zucchini Tart, Spiralized Zucchini Noodles with pumpkin sage alfredo, and my Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.

Why This Recipe Works

  • healthy and nutritious - nutritional yeast is full of essential B vitamins, with the best brands containing B-12, an essential nutrient for vegans because we don't eat animal products. Read more about the benefits of nutritional yeast.
  • quick and easy - 4 ingredients and 2 minutes. That's all you need to make this recipe.
  • taste-friendly - a delicious nutty taste awaits you with every single sprinkle.
  • budget-friendly - the entire recipe will set you back about $3-$4.
  • equipment-friendly - all you need is a food processor or a high speed blender to make this recipe perfectly.

What You'll Need

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (2)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • cashews - Choose raw, unsalted cashews for best results. I buy 10 lbs of cashews at a time, I use them so much in vegan cooking, especially with sauces and vegan cheeses.
  • nutritional yeast - this is a MUST HAVE for this recipe and shouldn't be omitted or replaced. It gives this vegan parmesan cheese its nutty, cheesy flavor. I use #Bob'sRedMill as I trust this brand completely and it's labeled as vegan with essential B vitamins, including B-12.
  • garlic powder - this ingredient adds extra flavor to this recipe making it simply irresistible.
  • sea salt - real parmesan cheese is very salty, so sea salt is an essential ingredient for this vegan parmesan cheese recipe. If you don't have sea salt, regular table salt is just fine.

How to Make This Recipe Perfectly

Step 1 - add all ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender. You may substitute almonds for cashews!

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (3)

Step 2 - pulse until ingredients are well-blended and have reached the perfect consistency, usually about 1-2 minutes. DO NOT OVERPROCESS.

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (4)

FAQ About Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

What if I don't have a food processor?

If you don't have a food processor, you can use a high-speed, or regular blender. If using a regular blender, please note, you may have to blend longer to reach the desired consistency.

How do I store this vegan parmesan cheese?

Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you're ready to use, there's no need to defrost. Just scoop a couple tablespoons out of your container and you're good to go.

What can I use instead of cashews in this recipe?

If you're not fond of cashews, you can make this recipe with almonds or pecans instead.

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (5)

Tips for Making this Recipe

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (6)

Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment sectionfurther down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest,andTwitter, and sign up for my newsletter!

📖 Recipe

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (11)

4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

A simple Vegan Parmesan that uses only 4 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make. The result yields golden sprinkles of delight that you can use on practically anything.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 26kcal

Author: Deborah

Cost: $4

Equipment

  • food processor or high speed blender

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup raw unsalted cashews you may also use almonds or pecans
  • 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast organic
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt fine
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Toss all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse for 2-3 minutes until this Vegan Parmesan reaches the desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • For best results, use only raw, unsalted cashews
  • As an alternative, try adding 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon dried parsley or thyme to your other ingredients before pulsing.
  • Store in freezer in a tightly sealed container for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @oohlalaitsvegan or tag #oohlalaitsvegan!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Juliana Fendez

    4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (13)
    This was fantastic! I have made it twice and loved it, the second time I added peas to it and loved it. Every recipe I have tried from your blog has been a winner. Thank you

    Reply

    • Vegan Vigilante

      Thank you so much, Juliana. I really appreciate that you love my recipes.

      Reply

  2. Nancy Hunter | Flavorpalooza.com

    4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (14)
    Wow, I never thought about a good vegan replacement for Parmesan cheese! What a cool idea! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Vegan Vigilante

      You are welcome Nancy. I have actually also made it with almonds and pecans! Thanks much for your comment and rating.

      Reply

  3. Jyothi (Jo)

    4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (15)
    It never occurred to me that it's so easy to make vegan Parmesan. Looks so much better than Parmesan I dare to say that. 😉 I'm definitely gonna try this. Book marked

    Reply

    • Vegan Vigilante

      I know, Jo, who would've thought? Thanks bunches for your comment and rating.

      Reply

  4. Jenni LeBaron

    4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (16)
    Ooh! I love this recipe. Simple ingredients and simple execution!

    Reply

    • Vegan Vigilante

      Yes, indeed, Jenni! My favorite way to make things. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

  5. Jacqueline Meldrum

    4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (17)
    I usually buy Violife's vegan parmesan, but this would be great when I run out as I always have cashews and nutritional yeast. Thanks for sharing and do keep blogging.

    Reply

    • Vegan Vigilante

      Thank you Jacqueline. It's so easy, and tastes great too. Appreciate your comment and rating.

      Reply

  6. Traci

    4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (18)
    I love to make vegan parmesan and put it on EVERYTHING! Your recipe looks great and it just goes to show that eating vegan can be soooo delicious! 🙂

    Reply

    • Vegan Vigilante

      Yes, Tracy, I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for your comment and rating.

      Reply

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4-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe | Ooh La La It's Vegan (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan parmesan cheese made of? ›

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Ingredients:

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 vegetarian cheese can I use instead of parmesan? ›

Being vegetarian, it's quite a good substitute for parmesan when a vegetarian option is needed. Old Winchester is a washed curd cheese and brine washed after pressing.

Can you buy vegan parmesan cheese? ›

Discover Oh, Grate! - A vegan parmesan cheese alternative, packed with irresistible Italian flavours. Although they can't label it as traditional parmesan, they don't have to! It adds a cheesy flair to any dish and its tiny umami-packed grains will leave you craving more.

Does parmesan have animal rennet? ›

If you look carefully at your food label, you might see just “enzymes” on the back of the package with little to no further explanation. This refers to either animal, plant, or microbial enzymes. Parmesan is always made with animal enzymes, also called animal rennet, meaning it's not vegetarian.

What vegan parmesan tastes like parmesan? ›

Violife Just Like Parmesan packs all the rich, nutty Parmesan flavor you love in a convenient block that is ready for you to grate with abandon. Pile high our Just Like Parmesan and never say “no” to grated parm again. Who knew 100% dairy-free and vegan could taste so good?

What is a good non dairy substitute for parmesan cheese? ›

This super simple dairy-free parmesan contains only 3 base ingredients, being cashews, nutritional yeast and salt. I've then added garlic or onion powder (both are great) and white pepper to the mix, which really rounds out the flavour giving a much more authentic cheesiness.

Is there a vegan substitute for rennet? ›

Alternatives to Animal Rennet and How They Are Made

Plant-based options like fig leaves, stinging nettle, and thistle can be easily harvested and used to coagulate milk, while microbial rennet is produced using fermentation techniques to create enzymes that break down milk proteins.

What plant substitutes for rennet? ›

Typically, plant-based rennet for cheese comes from cardoon thistle, artichokes, or nettles. The plants are soaked in water to extract a thickening enzyme similar to chymosin. Many traditional Spanish and Portuguese cheeses are made from plant rennet.

How is vegetarian Parmesan cheese made? ›

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.

Does Violife Parmesan melt? ›

Yes! Violife Parmesan melts really nicely into dishes. I prefer to use a microplane to grate it finely, but you can also use the larger holes on a cheese grater.

How long does vegan parmesan cheese last in the fridge? ›

Vegan Parmesan cheese can usually last 1-3 months after the 'best-before' date if unopened and stored properly. Once opened, it tends to retain its quality for about 1-2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator. Homemade varieties should be consumed within 1 week for optimal freshness.

How long does vegan parmesan cheese last? ›

Nut-free vegan Parmesan can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks and in the freezer for several months. This cheese has a long shelf life, but it's so delicious I bet you'll use it up before it expires!

Are calves killed for rennet? ›

Most stomach-derived rennet is taken from the fourth stomach of young, unweaned calves. These animals are not killed expressly for their rennet; rather they are killed for meat production (in this case, veal) and the rennet is a byproduct.

What cheese has no animal rennet? ›

Are Cream Cheese and Cottage Cheese Vegetarian? As we mentioned above, soft cheeses that do not require coagulation do not use rennet at all. Cottage cheese in particular is a fresh cheese that consists of loose curds, meaning you typically won't have to worry at all about whether or not it's vegetarian.

Does Trader Joe's have vegetarian parmesan? ›

Made from a base of highly refined coconut oil, our Parmesan Shreds are packed with all the same salty, nutty, and supremely savory notes of traditional, dairy-based Parmesan—but contain only plant-based ingredients.

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 are the ingredients in go veggie parmesan? ›

Rice Flour, Coconut Oil, Rice Maltodextrin, Isolated Soy Protein, Rice Meal, Natural Vegan Flavors, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Glycerin, Yeast Extract, Lactic Acid (non-dairy), Soy Lecithin.

What's the difference between vegetarian parmesan and regular parmesan? ›

Is Any Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian? The good news is yes. Because although the enzyme that comprises rennet is always animal-based, there are now vegetable-based enzymes—obtained by soaking plants like artichokes or thistles—and microbial-based substitutes, which are made from mold enzymes extracted in a lab.

What do they make vegan cheese out of? ›

The ingredients used in vegan cheese vary depending on the type of cheese being made and the desired texture and flavor. The most commonly used ingredients include plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, agar agar, tapioca starch, coconut oil, cashews, and chickpea flour.

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