Barley Free Vegan Parmesan
That salty, savory sprinkle you reach for to finish pasta, salads, and roasted vegetables just got a serious plant-based upgrade. This cashew-based blend comes together in minutes with just four pantry staples — raw cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and sea salt — pulsed in a food processor until they hit that perfect crumbly, grate-y texture. Nutritional yeast does the heavy lifting here, delivering the umami depth and cheesy flavor you'd expect from the real thing. For anyone navigating grain sensitivities, this is a genuinely worry-free option since every ingredient is naturally free of barley and any grain-based fillers that sneak into some store-bought cheese alternatives. The key is stopping the food processor before the cashews turn into a paste — you want dry, loose crumbs that scatter beautifully over a bowl of spaghetti or a Caesar salad. Store it in an airtight jar and it keeps well, ready to reach for whenever a dish needs that finishing touch.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt in 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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!