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.
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!
Robyn says
Hi. Can I grate it straight from the freezer or will it just crumble up.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Robyn! I let it sit for a few minutes then grate. You can grate it frozen it is just a little hard so if you let it sit for a minute it softens up and it’s easier to grate.
Marna says
Has anyone tried this using Brazil Nuts. I have read that they give vegan Parmesan a fantastic flavor.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Marna! Brazil Nuts should work, it will be a little different flavor but they are buttery so it should be great! They are very similar to macadamia nuts.
Jennifer says
HI, I know that this post was created some time back, but I just wanted to send an update experiment. I made the wheel as you recommended, but I subbed a 1/4 cup of pine nuts and 3/4 cup of cashews. I also added more salt than recommended. Being half southern Italian, I wanted to use nuts/seeds that are a regular part of our cuisine, as well as the added salt because we often use Pecorino Romano to grate (sheep milk cheese) which is a much saltier cheese. It seems that there is no way to go wrong with your recipe! It is wonderful! I put just a touch of nutritional yeast (I do not care for that flavor when it too dominant in vegan “cheese” but I find just a touch nice, and ditto for miso when it is over used, but I did not add that, the nuts and seeds have enough moisture already). I even accidentally spilled a little more than “a pinch” of mustard. But you know what? It still tasted fantastic, whether crumbled in the food processor, or smoothed out into the “wheel.” I can not wait to see how it is once it hardens tomorrow. I made it specifically because I would like to make eggplant parmesan, but I can see that it will be delicious for numerous dishes!!! Thank you for your site!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Jennifer for your sweet comment and for sharing what you did! I actually have also used pine nuts and loved the flavor! I kept this with cashews, mostly due to the cost of pine nuts but I really love that addition! I hope your eggplant parmesan came out amazing!
Stephanie says
Thanks for your comments! We followed your pine nuts/little more salt/little more mustard suggestion to use in our vegan eggplant scallopini for Christmas dinner and it was fabulous!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy you liked it Stephanie! I love creating things and having such a great community here that can share their experience and suggestions!
Marielle says
This recipe is awesome! First time I made this and it just blew me away! I made pesto with it and it totally worked. Thanks for sharing it. I will share it and mention you on my blog when I post my new peppermint pesto recipe Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Marielle! So glad you like it!
Robert Miller says
Miso kicked it just right.
I had to add a splash of almond milk (not quite a tablespoon) to make it smooth. over 20 min in the processor and still grainy. processor was getting hot. That did the trick.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Robert! Glad you liked it! Depending on your processor it may take some time for sure. Mine doesn’t take more than 5 minutes but there are so many kinds out there. I often just make the crumbled version of this to save time. But glad the milk helped!
Aaron says
Which processor do you use?
veggiesdontbite says
I Aaron! I use an 11 cup food processor by Cuisinart. I love it!
Juanita says
Which kind of Miso did you add?
Nina Windhauser says
It was great! I added a little miso.
veggiesdontbite says
Glad you liked it!!
Faith Ukwuomah says
I’ve been making my own vegan cheese for a few years now, but I never made the hard versions of it. Plus I can’t eat Parmesan cheese due to my intolerance to lactose (and I’m Italian 😶). But seeing this recipe made my day, I’ll definetely try it during the Easter period.
Btw, can I use apple cider vinegar or ume plum seadoning instead of white vinegar?
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Faith! I hope you enjoy this. The white vinegar is what give this it’s characteristic tang. So other vinegars can work but it won’t taste the same. Let me know if you try it!
Kerstin says
Love how easy and delicious this Parmesan is! I added a TBSP nooch. Now it’s a staple at the house.
Thanks for sharing!
veggiesdontbite says
Yay! So happy you like it!
VeggieTater says
This sounds great and I want to make it now but have no cashews, so am going to try the walnuts and brazil nuts I’ve had in the fridge that need to get used, hope they work! If it doesn’t hold together I still have crumbles!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you!! Let me know how it turns out!
Daniel says
Hi Sophia,
This looks amazing and has awesome reviews!
I’m wondering if I can use roasted cashews instead of raw?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Daniel! It really is delicious. Roasted cashews have a different flavor than raw. The raw flavor isn’t pronounce like the roasted so you won’t get the same end result, and the other ingredients can’t be increased because you need very little liquid in order to get the right consistency. You can always give it a shot but make sure you know it will turn out different.
Nicole says
This looks great. My question is: did you have to look up how to spell grateable in the dictionary ??? 😜
veggiesdontbite says
Hahaha!! Thank you!! And yes, that was a tough one because it really isn’t found easily as a word!
Athena says
This recipe is amazing! I’ve never made my own Parmesan and only ever used the store bought ones, but I just didn’t think they were good enough to warrant buying. I’m so glad I tried your recipe!
As always when making something for the first time I followed your recipe exactly and am just blown away with the flavour (I had to stop myself testing the crumble to finish it off, I can barely wait for it to firm up) I really think if following the recipe exactly people trying this won’t have an issue.
I made a second batch with the addition of miso because I happened to have some and read your note about people trying that, I also enjoyed that flavour, but don’t think it’s necessary as the recipe is great as is.
Thank you for sharing such a great recipe, and anyone making it for the first time, follow it exactly and you can’t go wrong. 10/10
veggiesdontbite says
Wow, thank you so so much for your awesome review! I am so happy you liked it! I appreciate all the details and I know others will too. Thank you for being here!
Ashley says
Hello,
This looks amazing but I am allergic to nuts. Can you recommend anything else I can sub the cashews for? Maybe dried beans of some sort? Thanks so much xx
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Ashley! I’m so sorry to hear about the allergy. I wish that I could tell you that something else would make this just as good but it honestly won’t. The closest thing I can think of is using pumpkin or sunflower seeds. I am not sure of ratio, but start with the same. It definitely won’t taste as good but it’s something. I also don’t know if you’ll be able to make it grate-able so you may want to stop at the pulsed version. Let me know what you end up doing!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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/
Holly says
Can this be sliced or does it fall apart? I like eating apples w parmesan cheese slices and thats the only cheese item I really miss now that I’m plant based.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Holly! I think it would slice somewhat if sliced thicker but maybe not a whole piece? It grates quite well so I would freeze it, then allow it to soften just a tad then try. Let me know if you try it!