QUICK SUMMARY
Vegan Parmesan cheese is an easy dairy-free topping you can make in minutes with cashews, pine nuts, hemp hearts, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and garlic powder. The result is savory, nutty, and crumbly, making it perfect for pasta, salads, roasted vegetables, popcorn, casseroles, pizza, and more.
This recipe is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free when you choose certified gluten-free ingredients. Cashews and pine nuts create richness, hemp hearts add protein and healthy fats, nutritional yeast contributes the cheesy flavor, and garlic and sea salt round everything out.
Keep a batch in the freezer so it is ready whenever your Italian recipes need that finishing touch. Because this recipe contains cashews and pine nuts, it is not suitable for anyone with allergies to those ingredients.
Every Italian dish needs a little sprinkle of cheese, but if you’re eating dairy-free, this may be a challenge! You don’t have to miss out, though.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods. You just need to find creative alternatives that are delicious and easy to make. This recipe fits the bill!
My homemade vegan Parmesan cheese has the salty, savory flavor you want from a Parmesan-style topping without dairy. Best of all, you can make it in just a few minutes with ingredients you recognize.
I keep a batch in the freezer because it makes healthy meals easier. A quick sprinkle can transform pasta, vegetables, casseroles, or even popcorn without reaching for a highly processed cheese substitute.
Table of Contents
How to Use Vegan Parmesan Cheese
You can use vegan Parmesan cheese for so many things! I keep a batch in my freezer at all times and use it in many of my kitchen hacks. Here’s a little chef’s inspiration.
- Top your homemade spaghetti with a sprinkle of Parmesan. This cheese is also a crowd-pleaser for dinner parties!
- Shake a little dairy-free cheese over your salads. Yum!
- Turn on your favorite movie and pop some organic, non-GMO popcorn. Top it with coconut oil, a dash of sea salt, and vegan Parmesan cheese. Movie night done right!
- Use it in place of bread crumb topping.
- Need a kid-friendly side dish? Try sprinkling our Oven Roasted Potatoes with a bit of vegan cheese!
- Add it to the crispy topping mixture on my favorite Tuna Noodle Casserole.
- Use it to add extra flavor to your omelets!
- Are you missing ultra-cheesy pizza? Sprinkle some vegan Parmesan on your pizza along with a bit of crushed red pepper. Ah, pizza heaven!
This alternative cheese freezes well, so you can add it to your freezer meals with confidence. We love making Gluten-Free Lasagnas in advance, so we always have a healthy meal on hand.
What Does Vegan Parmesan Taste Like?
This is not meant to imitate a block of aged dairy Parmesan in every way.
Instead, it gives you the part many recipes actually need: a salty, nutty, savory sprinkle with a little texture.
The cashews create richness, pine nuts add an Italian flavor profile, nutritional yeast brings the familiar cheesy note, and garlic makes the whole mixture taste like something you want to keep sprinkling.
That makes it especially useful for families who are dairy-free but still want familiar comfort foods.
Vegan Parmesan Ingredients
You may be wondering what goes into vegan Parmesan cheese. Some packaged vegan cheeses can have long ingredient lists!
The best part about this recipe is that you can pronounce every ingredient. No fillers are needed.
Organic Raw Cashews
Cashews are among the best nuts to use in vegan recipes. They’re mild in flavor, so they mesh well with other ingredients. They also blend well into creamy cheeses and are processed into a Parmesan-style powder.
Cashews provide unsaturated fats, plant protein, magnesium, copper, and other nutrients. Tree nuts also contain polyphenols and other phytochemicals with antioxidant activity. (1)
The original article described cashews as “full of antioxidants that fight against inflammation.” The more accurate takeaway is that cashews are a nutrient-dense whole food that contributes healthy fats, protein, minerals, and plant compounds to the recipe.
That is plenty of reason to love them without turning a handful of cashews into a medical treatment.
Organic Raw Pine Nuts
If you’ve had pesto, you’ve probably had pine nuts! They are a favorite in Italian recipes. They taste slightly sweet, which pairs well with basil and parsley.
Pine nuts contribute monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, protein, magnesium, and vitamin E.
One important update: the older article said pine nuts were packed with omega-3s. Pine nuts do contain some alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, but they are not among the richest plant sources of omega-3s.
The NIH highlights foods such as walnuts, flaxseed, and chia as notable ALA sources. (2)
Pine nuts are still a wonderful ingredient. We just do not need to give them a nutritional superpower they do not have.
Organic Hemp Hearts or Seeds
This ingredient is part of the Cannabis sativa plant, but food-grade hemp seeds contain only trace amounts of THC.
Hemp hearts are rich in polyunsaturated fats and provide protein, magnesium, and other nutrients. Research on hempseed oil has also explored its fatty-acid profile and possible effects on skin health.
In one small randomized crossover trial involving people with atopic dermatitis, dietary hempseed oil changed plasma fatty-acid profiles and improved several clinical skin symptoms. The study was small, so this is promising rather than definitive evidence. (3)
The older article also linked hemp fatty acids directly to improved immune function and reduced PMS symptoms. Those claims are too broad for hemp hearts themselves.
What we can confidently say is that hemp seeds contribute essential fatty acids and useful plant protein to this recipe.
Organic Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a popular ingredient in homemade vegan cheese because it has a savory, cheesy flavor without dairy.
It also provides protein and amino acids. Exact nutrition varies by brand, especially because some nutritional yeast is fortified and some is not.
That distinction matters most for vitamin B12.
Many people associate nutritional yeast with B12, but it is not automatically a reliable source unless the product has been fortified. If B12 matters to you, read the Nutrition Facts panel instead of assuming every brand provides it.
You can usually find nutritional yeast at your grocery store.
Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt
We recommend using Colima sea salt because it’s hand-harvested and tastes incredible. You can also use Himalayan salt.
Sea salt and Himalayan salt contain small amounts of trace minerals, but they are still primarily sodium chloride. Your body needs sodium for normal nerve, muscle, and fluid-balance functions, but it does not require a special form of sodium to perform those jobs.
One nutritional point is worth remembering: specialty salts such as sea salt and Himalayan salt are usually not iodized. NIH notes that noniodized sea salt provides very little iodine. (4)
If your family rarely uses iodized salt, make sure you are getting iodine reliably from other foods or an appropriate source.
Organic Garlic Powder
Garlic makes every recipe better.
In this vegan Parmesan cheese, we use garlic powder because it blends smoothly into the Parmesan-style texture.
Garlic has a long history as both food and traditional medicine, and its sulfur-containing compounds have been studied for immune and antimicrobial effects.
Human cold research is interesting but limited. A Cochrane review found one eligible randomized trial suggesting fewer colds among people taking a garlic supplement, but concluded that more research was needed before making firm claims. (5)
Another randomized trial of aged garlic extract found changes in immune-cell function and reduced severity of self-reported cold and flu symptoms, although the number of illnesses itself was not significantly different. (6)
Those studies used specific garlic supplements, not the small amount of garlic powder in this recipe.
So enjoy garlic powder for its wonderful flavor first. The broader research on garlic is simply a bonus.
Choose Clean, Fresh Spices
Be mindful of where your spices come from!
The original article singled out spices from China for mold and fungal contamination. Contamination with molds and mycotoxins can occur in spices from many regions when growing, drying, storage, or handling conditions are poor.
The practical lesson is not to fear one country.
Buy herbs and spices from companies you trust, look for good quality-control practices, store spices dry and sealed, and replace products that smell musty or show signs of moisture.
Make Cashew-Based Cheese
This recipe comes together within minutes and is easy to make. Your food processor does all the work for you!
I love doubling this recipe so I always have a great vegan cheese substitute.
Homemade Parmesan Cheese (Vegan)
Servings
Ingredients
- ¾ cup organic raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons organic raw pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon organic hemp hearts/seeds
- ¼ cup organic nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
- ¼ teaspoon organic garlic powder
Supplies
- Food processor OR blender
Instructions
- Add the cashews, pine nuts, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and garlic powder to a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture reaches the consistency of Parmesan cheese.
- Use in your favorite Italian recipes, or as you would traditional cheese.
Step One: Blend Ingredients
Add the cashews, pine nuts, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and garlic powder to a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture reaches the consistency of parmesan cheese.
Pulse the ingredients until they’re the consistency of Parmesan cheese. Be watchful as the ingredients break down quickly. Use as you would traditional Parmesan cheese!
Don't Over-Process It
The nuts contain natural oils, which is why this mixture can change texture quickly.
You want a dry, crumbly Parmesan-style consistency, not cashew butter.
Use short pulses, stop to check the texture, and quit as soon as the mixture looks like finely grated cheese. That keeps it sprinkle-ready.
Use It With Your Favorite Italian Recipes
You’ve found an excellent vegan Parmesan cheese substitute, but what about other Italian dishes? Is it possible to enjoy your old favorites in a way that benefits your body? Yes, it is!
My family loves all things Italian. Pizza, lasagna, dips, appetizers, you name it. So, I got creative and transformed our old standbys into recipes free of gluten, sugar, and dairy. Eliminating those factors doesn’t mean giving up flavor, though.
In my Gluten-Free Italian Cooking Class, I show you how to make these recipes and more. It's just one of the cooking classes in our Bible Health Academy that you may find helpful to get you started.
My homemade vegan Parmesan cheese may be dairy-free, but it still adds the same savory touch traditional Parmesan does. Give it a try!
How to Store Vegan Parmesan
One of the best parts of this recipe is how easy it is to keep ready.
Store the finished vegan Parmesan in a clean, airtight container. Because the recipe is dry and made primarily from nuts and seeds, refrigeration helps protect freshness and flavor.
For longer storage, do what I do and keep it in the freezer.
It stays loose enough to scoop or sprinkle, so there is no need to thaw an entire batch before using it. Just take what you need and return the container to the freezer.
If the mixture ever smells rancid, tastes bitter in an unusual way, or shows moisture or mold, discard it. Nuts and seeds contain oils that can oxidize over time, especially when exposed to heat, light, and air.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese FAQs
What is vegan Parmesan cheese made of?
Mama Z’s recipe uses cashews, pine nuts, hemp hearts or seeds, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and garlic powder. Everything is pulsed together until it has the texture of grated Parmesan.
Does vegan Parmesan taste like real Parmesan?
It is not identical to aged dairy Parmesan, but it gives you the same kind of savory, salty, nutty finishing flavor that works beautifully on pasta, salads, vegetables, pizza, popcorn, and casseroles.
Is vegan Parmesan dairy-free?
Yes. This recipe contains no dairy ingredients.
Is this vegan Parmesan gluten-free?
The basic ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check labels if you need strict gluten avoidance because nutritional yeast, seasonings, and other packaged ingredients can be processed in facilities that also handle gluten-containing foods.
Is vegan Parmesan nut-free?
No. This recipe contains cashews and pine nuts. It is not appropriate for someone who needs to avoid those ingredients because of an allergy.
Is nutritional yeast the same as baker’s yeast?
No. Nutritional yeast is inactive and is used for flavor and nutrition. It will not make bread rise like active baker’s yeast.
Does nutritional yeast contain vitamin B12?
Sometimes. Fortified nutritional yeast can be an excellent source of vitamin B12, but unfortified products may contain little or none. Check the Nutrition Facts panel on your specific brand.
Are hemp hearts marijuana?
Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant species, Cannabis sativa, but they are cultivated and regulated differently. Food-grade hemp hearts contain only trace amounts of THC and are commonly sold as food.
Are pine nuts high in omega-3s?
Pine nuts contain some ALA omega-3, but they are not among the richest plant sources. Walnuts, flaxseed, and chia are much more notable sources of ALA.
Can I freeze vegan Parmesan cheese?
Yes. Mama Z keeps a batch in the freezer so it is always ready. Store it in an airtight container and scoop out only what you need.
How do I keep vegan Parmesan from turning into nut butter?
Pulse rather than blending continuously. Stop as soon as the mixture reaches a fine, crumbly texture. Over-processing releases more oil from the nuts and can turn the mixture pasty.
What can I use vegan Parmesan on?
Try it on spaghetti, lasagna, roasted potatoes, salads, pizza, popcorn, omelets, casseroles, vegetables, and anywhere else you would normally add grated Parmesan.
Final Thoughts on Homemade Vegan Parmesan
Eating dairy-free does not mean your Italian food has to feel unfinished.
This is one of those little recipes that makes a big difference because it is easy, versatile, and ready in minutes.
Keep the ingredients in your pantry, make a double batch, and store it in the freezer. Then the next time spaghetti, pizza, roasted vegetables, or casserole needs a little something extra, you already have it.
Healthy cooking gets easier when your favorite substitutions taste good enough that you actually want to use them.
This one does.
References
- Bolling BW, Chen CY, McKay DL, Blumberg JB. “Tree Nut Phytochemicals: Composition, Antioxidant Capacity, Bioactivity, Impact Factors. A Systematic Review of Almonds, Brazils, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamias, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachios and Walnuts.” Nutrition Research Reviews. 2011;24(2):244-275. Source.
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. “Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.” Source.
- Callaway J, Schwab U, Harvima I, et al. “Efficacy of Dietary Hempseed Oil in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis.” Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2005;16(2):87-94. Source.
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. “Iodine: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.” Updated November 5, 2024. Source.
- Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M. “Garlic for the Common Cold.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014. Source.
- Percival SS. “Aged Garlic Extract Modifies Human Immunity.” Journal of Nutrition. 2016;146(2):433S-436S. Source.
