Emulsifier Free Cashew Parmesan
Salty, savory, and surprisingly convincing, this plant-based topping delivers everything you want from a finishing cheese without a single additive you'd need to second-guess. Store-bought vegan parmesan alternatives are notorious for hiding emulsifiers and stabilizers in their ingredient lists, which makes a homemade version like this one genuinely worth the two minutes it takes to pull together. Raw cashews bring a naturally rich, slightly buttery base, while nutritional yeast adds that deep, umami-forward flavor that makes the whole thing taste far more complex than four ingredients have any right to. A little garlic powder and fine sea salt round it out, and a quick pulse in the food processor is all it takes — just stop before it turns into cashew butter. The result is a coarse, crumbly texture that scatters beautifully over pasta, roasted vegetables, soups, or salads. Keep a jar in the fridge and you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 10–15 times until the mixture resembles coarse, dry crumbs — roughly the texture of finely grated Parmesan. Stop before the mixture turns into a paste or butter.
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