This dairy free parmesan cheese is a simple and delicious alternative to grated parmesan. It has a similar texture and salty, ‘cheesy’ flavour that makes it the perfect substitution to finish off all your favourite dishes. Plus it’s made from just 5 ingredients and comes together quickly using a food processor.
One of the first questions I get asked by people switching to a dairy free diet is always about what can be substituted for cheese.
This is always a tricky question to answer as there are many nuances when it comes to swapping one for the other, but most often when I look to substitute cheese in a recipe I want to recreate not only the taste but also the texture. The experience of eating the dish should be similar to the original (just like when using my dairy free cottage cheese).
This dairy free parmesan does that. While yes it will taste like the cashews it’s made from rather than actual cheese, what it provides is a very convincing alternative that is incredibly delicious in its own right.
It’s savoury, has a cheesy taste, and provides some salty texture that perfectly finishes off a dish like this one pan ground beef and orzo or a classic like spaghetti bolognese.
If you follow a dairy free or vegan diet, make a batch of this to keep in the fridge and use it to really elevate the flavour of your dinners throughout the month!
Key Ingredients
I love this cashew parmesan cheese because it’s made from super simple and versatile ingredients.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Raw cashews – I prefer the milder flavour of raw cashews and just adding salt to taste, but you can still make this with roasted and salted cashews (just omit the extra salt and only add to taste).
- Nutritional yeast – if you’re dairy free or vegan, then this is an essential pantry staple ingredient. You can use it to add a cheesy taste to a range of dishes including my all time favourite dairy free mac and cheese.
- Seasoning – I find a little garlic powder and onion powder combine to provide an extra savoury flavour that really enhances the overall taste of this parmesan alternative.
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Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a food processor.
Step 2: Pulse until a fine crumb forms. It should resemble finely grated parmesan.
Step 3: Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate.
👉Tip! Don’t blend, just gently pulse until you get the desired texture. If you blend and lose concentration, you may end up with cashew butter instead!
Storage Instructions
You can store the dairy free parmesan cheese in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to a month.
It’s a great recipe to make in batches and keep on hand to use to finish off your favourite pasta dishes throughout the month.
Serving suggestions: You can serve the dairy free parmesan on top of pasta, pizza, salad, roasted vegetables or really anything you would usually add grated parmesan.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Just be mindful that roasted and salted cashews will already have salt added, so omit the extra salt in the recipe and only add more to taste at the end.
Nutritional yeast is available in most major supermarkets, health food stores, and online. In Australia you’ll find it at Coles, Woolworths, or on Amazon.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free alternatives:
Dairy Free Tzatziki
Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
Dairy Free Lasagne
Dairy Free Cream
Dairy Free Parmesan Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 150 grams (1 cup) raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a food processor.
- Pulse until a fine crumb forms. It should resemble finely grated parmesan.
- Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate. It will keep for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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