Turkey Free Paleo Cashew Parmesan
Raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and a handful of pantry spices come together in a food processor to create something genuinely magical — a savory, crumbly topping that delivers all the salty, umami punch of real Parmesan without a single animal product in sight. The trick is in the pulsing: short bursts keep the texture dry and sandy rather than turning the cashews into a paste, so you end up with something that actually sprinkles and melts into hot food the way the real thing does. Nutritional yeast does the heavy lifting here, bringing that deep, cheesy flavor that makes this topping so convincing. Garlic powder and a touch of onion powder round out the savory notes, and a pinch of fine sea salt ties everything together. It takes just minutes to make and keeps beautifully in an airtight jar, ready to shower over pasta, roasted vegetables, soups, or salads whenever the craving hits. For anyone navigating a grain-free or ancestral-style way of eating, this is the kind of condiment that quietly solves a lot of problems — no store-bought blends with questionable fillers, just clean, whole ingredients you can feel good about.
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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
- ¼ tsp onion powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder (if using) to a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 10–15 times in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse, dry crumbs — about the texture of finely grated Parmesan. Stop before the mixture turns into a paste; the cashews should still look dry and sandy, not clumped.
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