Sprinkle this flavorful, homemade vegan Parmesan cheese on everything! It takes less than five minutes to make.
Did you know that conventional parmesan cheese isn't just not vegan. It's not even vegetarian. Like a number of other cheeses, it's made with rennet, which is an animal-derived enzyme.
Luckily, it's incredibly easy to make flavorful vegan parmesan cheese at home! This recipe takes just a few minutes with the help of your blender, and it adds a flavor punch to everything from pizza and pasta to salads and potatoes.
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How to make it
What's great about this vegan parmesan cheese recipe is that it's really flexible. You can use any nuts and seeds that you like to make the base, so you can make it nut-free, if you need.
We usually use pecans but I've also made fairy dust with:
- cashews
- almonds
- sunflower seeds
- walnuts
The other great thing about this recipe is that it takes about three minutes to make in the blender. Just toss all of the ingredients into the blender, then pulse until you have a crumbly mix.
Why call it 'fairy dust'?
This "fairy dust" is a basic vegan Parmesan cheese recipe with a few bonus additions to make it great.
SPEAKING OF MAKING IT GREAT.
Y'all, my kid is obsessed with this one Pizza Hut training video from the 80s. My husband is a nostalgia blogger, so he spends time each week looking up old commercials and other vintage videos. For some reason, this one really resonated with my kid:
In case you don't have time to watch, I'll sum up: The training video walks you through how to make a Pizza Hut pizza, including sprinkling on "Fairy Dust."
Obviously, the next time we made pizza at home, my kid wanted to sprinkle fairy dust on top. This beefed-up vegan parmesan sprinkle is our vegan version of fairy dust, and we are obsessed with it.
How to store vegan parmesan cheese
Your fairy dust will keep for a few weeks in your pantry in an airtight container. I like to store it in a half-pint wide-mouth mason jar with this cool shaker lid on top.
You can use a regular jar, but this way, my family doesn't stick their gross fingers into the jar to grab a pinch of fairy dust 18 times a day.
Serving suggestions
Use this simple vegan parm anywhere you'd sprinkle or grate dairy parmesan cheese. I love it....
- sprinkled onto my macaroni and cheese before baking.
- on pasta, like my red pepper pesto fettuccini.
- on a baked potato.
- over veggies, like roasted broccoli or sauteed kale.
- as a topping for baked ziti.
- on salads.
Any time you want to add a bit if texture and a burst of flavor to a savory dish, that jar of fairy dust is your friend. We try to always keep some in the pantry.
I tend to double or triple the recipe below, because I'm truly obsessed!
Ready to make some vegan parmesan sprinkles? Let's get down to the nitty gritty. Let's get this show on the road!
Frequently asked questions
A reader recently asked for clarification on whether raw or roasted nuts/seeds will work in this recipe.
In general, with harder nuts or seeds -- like almonds or pumpkin seeds -- either raw or roasted will work. For softer nuts and seeds -- like cashews or sunflower seeds -- I'd go with roasted.
This cheese is made from nuts or seeds of your choice plus nutritional yeast, spices, and salt.
This vegan parmesan sprinkle is zesty and salty with a rich, cheesy flavor. It doesn't taste exactly like dairy parmesan sprinkles, but it gives the same vibe. I actually like it better, because of all the seasonings!
This cheese does not melt.
More cheesy recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- Blender - or food processor
Ingredients
- ½ cup nuts or seeds of your choice pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, etc.
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into your blender, and pulse until you have a crumbly mix.
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!