This homemade vegan parmesan is nutty, savory, and cheesy thanks to a handful of easy to find ingredients. Lemon zest brightens it up while nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, umami quality without any added dairy. Sprinkle it over any dish that could use a cheesy flavor boost!
When I first adopted a vegan diet I was making a lot of my own condiments, milks, and cheese to save money. I loved experimenting and seeing what worked and what didn’t. One of the first recipes I developed was my trusty vegan parmesan because cheese has been a favorite as far back as I can remember. I knew it needed to tick a lot of flavor boxes to be a worthy stand-in for its dairy counterpart. I ended up coming up with my own blend that is nutty, savory, cheesy, and has a touch of sharpness thanks to lemon zest. I highly recommend whipping up a batch and sprinkling it over anything that could use a savory boost!
Vegan Parmesan Ingredients
- Blanched Almonds or Almond Meal — you can use either here! If you’re going with blanched almonds, use a heaped 1/2 cup. If you’re using almond meal, use 6 tablespoons.
- Hemp Seeds — I love adding some hemp seeds for extra nutrition and nuttiness. If you don’t have any, sub in more almonds/almond meal.
- Nutritional Yeast — this adds the savory, cheesy flavor.
- Garlic Powder — I found that I really love just a touch of garlic powder in the mix. It adds another layer of savory flavor.
- Lemon Zest — brightens everything up and adds a subtle tang.
- Salt — seasons and balances all of the flavors.
Ways to Enjoy Your Vegan Parmesan
Honestly, the sky is the limit when it comes to ways to enjoy this lovely condiment. Here are a few of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy this vegan parmesan:
- Sprinkled atop your avocado toast (my favorite combo right now is avocado, olives, fresh sage, & vegan parm…definitely pizza vibes!)
- Sprinkled over a kale salad massaged with lemon juice & avocado
- As a popcorn topper
- Sprinkled over pasta along with some fresh herbs
- Sprinkled over simple roasted veggies for an easy pop of flavor.
Homemade Vegan Parmesan
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3/4 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This homemade vegan parmesan is nutty, savory, and cheesy thanks to a handful of easy to find ingredients. Lemon zest brightens it up while nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, umami quality without any added dairy. Sprinkle it over any dish that could use a cheesy flavor boost!
Ingredients
- heaped 1/2 cup blanched almonds, or 6 tablespoons almond meal
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small lemon, zested
Instructions
Combine the almonds, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and lemon zest in a food processor or blender. Process until fine. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Store your vegan parm in an airtight container in the fridge and use within a week for the best flavor.
Notes
- More almonds or sunflower seeds can be used in place of the hemp seeds.
- Add a pinch of smoked paprika for a subtle smokey flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: condiment
Mmmmmm!!! This is definitely something we need to make! And thank you for adding the note about garlic allergies – it is definitely a real thing!
Let me know how you guys like it if you get a chance to make it! I have to restrain myself from putting it on everything 🙂
Oh boy thank you for this parmesan substitute recipe, it is a game changer!
So glad you like it!