If you’ve been following me for a while, you may be familiar with this refrain in my recipes (especially vegan pasta dinners): “Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese if you like and serve!” I’ve included it in recipe notes for years, but asked to bring it up to official status!
Calling it cheese is definitely a stretch, but this vegan parm sprinkle adds a tangy and salty finishing touch that compliments most savory dishes. The perfect salad, pizza, and pasta topper!
I blend it all at once in my food processor. From here, you can store this dairy-free Parmesan cheese in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about a month. There’s a similar recipe in my cookbook that’s pine nut-based and made in a spice grinder, which works perfectly for last-minute mini batches.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese Ingredients:
- Vegan Parmesan is made from a mixture of nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, a few pantry spices, salt and pepper.
- I like to use a specific mix of nuts and seeds, my favorite combinations being: Raw walnuts, chopped almonds, and flax seeds. You can mix it to your liking, but it’s important to remember that some nuts can be quite “wet” and sticky in this mix, such as pecans, pine nuts, and walnuts. For this reason, I limit them to one third of the total volume. Chopped almonds and raw cashews are further ground into a “dusty” consistency that is even suitable for sprinkling. I always leave about a third of the total volume as seeds because I like a mild flavor in the mix.
- Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is a source of B vitamins and trace minerals. It has a pleasant savory and nutty taste. Some people describe it as cheesy-tasting!
- I use garlic and onion powder to enhance the flavor and make this dip a little more robust.
- A lot of vegan parmesan recipes call for salt alone, but I think so Both Salt and pepper are required. The pepper helps bring out the bright peppery qualities that real Parmesan is known for.
In essence, it is a ground up nut and seed seasoning mix. For this reason alone I must make it clear: this will be the “cheese” recipe no Melted it is meant to be used as a finishing sprinkle or topping. It’s a fun accent that makes a dish feel more special and complete!
I tried a bunch of store bought options and different ratios in this homemade version. What we have here (to me!) is the best vegan parmesan ever.
Love a sprinkle of parm in that recipe!
Sprinkle with 5-Minute Vegan Parmesan
This delicious vegan parmesan is perfect for sprinkling on pasta, salads and pizza. My completely plant-based Parmesan that comes together in 5 minutes can also be made nut-free. All you need is a food processor and a handful of pantry ingredients.
serving 1 the cup
material
- 1 the cup Mixed unroasted nuts/seeds (see notes)
- 3 table spoon Nutritional Scream
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Again ground pepper
Comment
- For the nut and seed mix, my favorite combination is: ⅓ cup raw walnuts, ⅓ cup chopped almonds, and ⅓ cup flax seeds. You love the richness of the walnut butter, the “dusty” and even nutty sprinkle qualities, and the grassy-fresh flavor of the hemp seed is truly wonderful!
- A mix of flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds is delightful for a nut-free version.
instructions
-
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, combine the nuts/seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pulse until you have a tasty and slightly “dusty” mixture.
-
Transfer to a sealable jar or other container sprinkled with vegan parmesan and close the lid. It will keep in the fridge for a month.
