Grateable Vegan Parmesan like you’ve never seen. 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to freshly grated Parmesan every night of the week!
Vegan Parmesan after vegan Parmesan and then even more Parmesan. I had to add to the madness because when I accidentally made this version (after the invention of my vegan Cotija cheese), I had found a winner. There is nothing like a freshly grated Parmesan cheese and this vegan variety is no different!
The food police are not welcome!
I always find it funny when you get those people yelling at the internet upset that people call vegan varieties of cheese, cheese. They want you to spell it cheeze, or call it something else entirely. Last time I checked, on my blog and in my business I can actually call it what I want.
And guess what? If you look up the latest definition of cheese on the Merriam-Webster site (aren’t they like the inventor of the dictionary?), it actually has definition 2 that states “Something resembling cheese in shape or consistency.” Well that my friends is what I bring to you today.
It’s legit vegan parmesan cheese!
Looks like a cheese wheel to me! And did you see that grated pile in the first photo? Yep, looks just like the dairy filled parmesan you see at the store. But how about flavor? Well, I have had several people eat it (some knew it was vegan and some, did not). But none, I repeat none, questioned it.
Parmesan is often mixed in, topped, crusted, coated…and for all of these things, this vegan variety is amazing. It gives you that creamy, salty and tangy flavor you’re looking for. I am not saying that if you eat it side by side with dairy filled parmesan you won’t be able to tell which is which, but I am saying that it is pretty darn close and it will definitely fill that void and then some 😉
I’ve never seen anything like it!
In my long search to see if anything similar was out there, I couldn’t find a single recipe that was like this, this simple and using only whole food easy to find ingredients. So excited to have discovered this fun new way to make an easy grateable Parmesan!
So if you’re reading this and want to include it in your own recipe, it would be great to refer others to my recipe instead of copying it and posting it elsewhere. Thanks for supporting recipe creativity!
More Cheesy Vegan Dishes You Might Like;
- Green mac and cheese
- Vegan Mexican Chili Cheese Dip
- The perfect vegan cheese and dip platter
- Vegan queso blanco (Mexican white cheese dip)
- 1 cup raw cashews , do not soak
- 2 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 ¼ teaspoons distilled white vinegar (see note)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , can use up to ¾ teaspoon
- pinch ground mustard
- Place dry cashews in a food processor and blend until they are a fine crumble.
Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until incorporated. Stop here if you prefer not to grate this but simply use it in crumbled form.
- If you are shaping it into a wheel to grate, then you can keep blending until smooth. It should come together into a ball, almost soft and dough like.
Shape into a wheel and refrigerate overnight. You can use plastic wrap to store it in or shape with your hands and store in an airtight container.
- It will be ready to grate in the morning, but if you can't wait keep checking for hardness every few hours!
This also stores very well in the freezer if you know you won't use it all within 7 days.
- Keep cheese cold in the fridge until ready to grate. It will soften and not grate well if left out. It also stores very well in the freezer for extended periods of time.
- The white vinegar is what gives this recipe the sharpness and tanginess of Parmesan. If you sub it then you will not get the same flavor.
- You can also just use this crumbled straight from the food processor or store crumbled in the fridge if you don’t want to grate it. If you simply store it crumbled, it will harden as crumbles in the fridge.
- This makes 1 wheel about 5 inches by one inch, or a little over 1 ¼ cup grated. Serving size is 1 tablespoon.
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Update: I have had a few readers add some miso and/or nutritional yeast to this for added sharpness and flavor. While I like it as is, and wanted to keep this a simple recipe with easy to find ingredients, if you have either of those give them a try if you want to change it up!
JD says
Hello, This sounds intriguing. One thing I have just started to use in my dairy-free sour cream creations is lactic acid. I purchased Druids Grove lactic acid through Amazon (this is a vegan product). I still am experimenting so I cannot provide the best ratios but the tang it produces is more reminiscent of actual sour cream since that is the kind of acid that is produced naturally in sour cream and cheese. Sometimes using lemon juice and vinegar lend a tang that is not typical in dairy products so I was wanting to try something that will result in a more authentic tasting copy of the original item. The Druids Grove lactic acid is a powder so some water would have to be added to provide some moisture.
JD
veggiesdontbite says
Hi there! Yes, I have tried lactic acid before. It definitely has a nice tang! I do think though that lemon and vinegar (especially white distilled) give a great tang as well. I try and focus my blog recipes on using whole food ingredients anyone can find at a grocery store so this is why I don’t use things like lactic acid or other things that aren’t in the everyday grocery store. Miso is about as “crazy” as I get. Haha. And even that I rarely use. Let me know if you give your lactic acid a try and how much you used! I don’t have much experience with it so I really can’t tell you a ratio. Thanks for being here!
Peggy says
Also, green olive juice, instead of regular vinegar, gives it a….more traditional cheezy flavor, as well?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Peggy! Yes! I love using brine from things like pickles and olives. Have you seen my queso recipe? It uses the juice from the jar of nacho jalapeño slices! SO good!! https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/vegan-queso-blanco-mexican-white-cheese-dip/
Jen @ sweetgreenkitchen.com says
Genius! I am so excited to try this. I typically make parm style crumbles with hemp seeds, walnuts and sesame seeds plus some nutritional yeast, miso , lemon zest and salt. I love the idea of yours shaping it into a wheel and grating it!
veggiesdontbite says
Awesome!! You will love this, per some of the comments here you can see that others have added nutritional yeast and/or miso as well. I didn’t write the recipe using these ingredients because I wanted to keep it simple, but you can certainly add them. Hope you enjoy it!
Estee says
I made this fabulous parm for a baked ziti I made and wow it was fabulous. I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing out of the blender…see my tag on IG. Thanks for creating this luscious recipe. I think I’ll be putting the leftovers on everything this week ?.
veggiesdontbite says
Hahaha!! Thank you so much Estee!! I’m so thrilled you love it as much as we do. I keep it stocked in the freeze in bulk because I can’t imagine not having it around when I need it at a moments notice. I am off to look at IG!! I unfortunately miss so many tags on there now!
Amy says
My son has a cashew allergy and I cannot have them in the house. Is it possible to make this recipe using almonds? Have you tried it? Are there other nuts (besides cashews or pistachios) that work well in vegan cheese?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Amy! Sorry to hear about your son’s allergy. I would definitely give it a try with another nut! Try almonds, they are mild as well. You may have to play with the other ingredients to get the flavor to where you like it but I think it can be done. I have other parmesan type toppings (although this recipe really is my favorite), that work well in a pinch too. Here are a few:
Pumpkin seed parmesan: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/creamy-butternut-squash-lasagna-roll-ups-with-pumpkin-seed-parmesan/
Hemp almond: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/hemp-almond-parmesan-potato-chip-rounds/
Hemp pine nut: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/zucchini-ravioli-low-carb/#wprm-recipe-container-10220
Sue says
I tried another similar recipe with dried sunflower seeds, they go to a fluffy powder in the processor, the cheese will look dark in colour.
veggiesdontbite says
Yes, seeds will give you a different texture and color for sure.
Linda says
I made this parmesan cheese and it looks beautiful and the taste is great, however, I find it a bit moist and wondered if anyone has tried to put it in a dehydrator for a few hours to dry it out and getting a more cheese like consistency?
Emily Kemp says
Hi Linda, Sophia’s on vacation at the moment until the 12th July. I’ll try and find out the answer for you in the meantime and get back to asap. Thank you!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Linda! Sorry it took a bit to get back to you, I am slowly getting back into my blog after being away. So the cheese should dry out a bit once put in the fridge overnight. It does soften if left out after a while though due to the natural ingredients and no fillers. I’d be very interested to see how it works if you try it in a dehydrator! Let me know!
Emilie says
I love this stuff!. I tried some before forming the wheel, and didn’t want to let it be overnight (just wanted to eat it all up)…but I did wait and it came out excellent; grated just fine. Just had some on pasta, and it’s fabulous!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Emilie! We love it too and always keep it stocked!
Emilie says
I’m going to keep some on hand as well. So easy to make. You are currently my go-to recipe site. There are several I like, but lately I come here first for ideas. WIsh I had more time to cook! Made your miso soup yesterday. Just wondering, will there be another cookbook? 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Awe, thank you so much!! There is no other book at the moment. It was so much work, and currently I am really enjoying simply creating recipes for my blog, and I am getting back into working with brands to create recipes with their protects and sharing these favorites with my readers!
Debbie Diamond says
Just made this. I made the molded version and had to force myself to quit spooning this in my mouth. Seriously this is the Holy grail of vegan parms. THANK YOU!!!
veggiesdontbite says
Haha!! Happy to hear you liked it as much as we do! Thank you so so much for the review!
Hannah says
How would you freeze this? I’ve never froze anything. Also can I just roll in into some parchment paper & use twine to keep it covered. Nervous about new things here. 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Hannah! I just put it into a glass container and keep it in the freezer! If you cover the cheese with plastic wrap as well, it will help prevent freezer burn. But we use ours pretty quickly so no problem there. Parchment paper would work ok if you put it into plastic or glass. You don’t want it to dry out.
Mark says
Do you think, apple cider vinegar might work instead of white vinegar?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Mark!
I talk about this in the notes. White distilled vinegar has a sharp flavor that really contributes to the flavor of this. You could use apple cider vinegar but it won’t have as sharp or tangy of a flavor.
Meg says
This is terrific, and it really does grate wonderfully! I made it according to recipe the first time, and it was tasty, then I tweaked it according to other vegan parm recipes I make and I liked it even better. I used all lemon juice and added a clove of garlic and a half teaspoon of nutritional yeast. I love the grateability of this cheese — now I really feel like I’m not missing regular parmesan cheese at all. Many thanks for the recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Meg!! I am thrilled you liked it!
Elyse says
Love love love this! We’ve made what we call “cheesy powder” with ground up nuts (usually cashews), nooch, garlic powder and salt and used that as our parmesan substitute but this blows doors on that. My youngest asks for it for everything: rice, veggies, soup, you name it. I just love the taste and the mere action of the grating somehow adds to the (not to be too over the top) experience. Thank you!