This Plant-Based Parmesan recipe couldn’t be simpler: Just measure the ingredients into a food processor or small chopper and pulse for a few seconds until well-combined. That’s it!
There’s so many uses for this cashew-free, dairy-free, parmesan cheese. It’s perfect for adding a cheesy note to pasta or pizza, sprinkled over grilled veggies or as a topping on casseroles. You can also add it to sauces and dressings – watch for our easy plant-based Caesar Salad Dressing coming very soon.
About the Ingredients
This recipe is just 5 ingredients: almond flour, nutritional yeast, miso, coconut milk, and salt.
Using Almond Flour Saves You From Grinding Nuts
We use almond flour regularly in our recipes here at notnotnutritious. Using almond flour saves you from having to process the nuts, as in many cashew-based Parmesan recipes. We use superfine almond flour, also known as blanched almond meal. It’s just skinned, finely ground almonds. You can find almond flour in the baking section of your grocery, in bulk food bins, and stores like Costco.
Almond flour is also one of the 4 ingredients in our Mother Mix, which if you’re interested in time-savers and dairy-free comfort food, you really need to check out. The Mother Mix is a DIY pantry staple that jumpstarts over 15 different (and counting) dairy-free soups, dips, sides, and mains.
Nutritional Yeast and Miso Provide Cheesy Notes
Nutritional yeast is a non-active yeast. A little bit nutty, a little bit cheesy, nutritional yeast is a common ingredient in many plant-based or vegan dishes. It works perfectly in this Plant-Based Parmesan recipe, and it’s such an easy add-in as no preparation is required. Just measure it right out of the container.
We’re also adding a teaspoon of miso to amp up the cheesy flavour. Miso is a fermented paste made from beans and grain. If you are gluten-free, please check the ingredients, as some misos are gluten-free and some are not. For this recipe, we used amano genmai, or brown rice miso, which contains brown rice, soy beans, sea salt, water, and a culture. You’ll find miso paste in the refrigerator at most well-stocked grocery stores or Asian markets.
Coconut Milk Adds Richness and Texture
These recipe uses a very small quantity of coconut milk, which adds a bit of richness and moisture to the parmesan. You can use the rest of the coconut milk in any of these recipes: 1-Pot Spicy Black Bean Soup, 15-Minute Thai Chickpea Curry, Indian-Inspired Cashew Sauce, or Tom Kha Soup. Or you can save it and add it to smoothies or soups.
Salt
Regular Parmesan cheese is of course salty, so our recipe requires salt. You can use sea salt or regular salt, whichever you prefer. Keep in mind that table salt is a bit saltier than sea salt, so add less to start with.
Other Super Fast Recipes
One reader described our recipes as “no nonsense” and we love that! Good food does not need to require heavy labour! Here are two other super speedy recipes that taste just as good as longer versions out there.
Recipe Card
1-Minute Plant-Based Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond flour (finely ground, skinned blanched almonds)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (start with less if using table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon miso
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut milk
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a food processor, blender, or small chopper. Pulse until well-combined (about 20 seconds in a small chopper.)
Notes
Storage
Store in a well-sealed container in the fridge. It will keep for at least 2 weeks.Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is an estimate only.Nutrition
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5 comments
Yum! This is great if you don’t have cashews on hand or just don’t feel like using them. I didn’t have any coconut milk, so I subbed in Miyoko’s vegan butter for richness. It turned out great! Going on my Caesar salad tonight!
Dana – thanks for your generous review and the brilliant substitution idea – I’ve wanted to try Miyoko’s butter for a while and now I have a great excuse!
Can I substitute almond flour for anything else?
Hi Katie – I have not tried other nut flours so I can’t say for sure, but I might try cashew flour, or just grinding up some cashews (or skinned almonds) into a fine powder in your blender. If you give that I try, please come back and tell us how it worked out.
Hi. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe. So excited to finally have a delicious vegan alternative to dairy parm. Since I’m constitutionally incapable of following a recipe, I tweaked yours with excellent results. I omitted the yeast to lighten the color and substituted the milk with vinegar for a tad of tang. My bastardized version…
B@stard’s Parmesan
1/3 cup almond flour
1 Tsp white miso
1/4 Tsp vinegar (I used apple)
Salt