From cultured cashew cream cheese, to baked almond feta, to vegan ricotta, I’ve showcased several dairy-free ‘cheeze’ options on my website before. However, the only thing that all of them have in common is the use of nuts for a creamy and rich texture. No longer! I created this hemp parmesan so that I could give my readers a nut-free vegan parmesan cheese option.
I haven’t always loved the nondairy cheese recipes I tried to make using sunflower seeds or the like. So you have my word that I’m sharing this hemp parmesan because I truly enjoy it. In addition to being raw and vegan, this recipe is nut-free, oil-free, paleo, and full of heart-healthy nutrients. It comes together with just three ingredients: hemp seeds, nutritional yeast (to add savory flavor), and sea salt. Hemp seeds have such a naturally buttery texture that hemp parmesan *almost* melts in your mouth the same way that non-vegan parmesan would, which is not something that can be said for cashew- or almond-based vegan parmesan recipes.
All you have to do is blitz the ingredients together in your blender or food process until powdery and you’re left with nut-free vegan parmesan that’s great on pizza, pasta, garlic knots, or anywhere else you’d normally sprinkle parmesan cheese for a pop of seasoning. Enjoy!
Vegan Hemp Parmesan (Nut-free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Pulse the blender about 15-20 times, scraping down the sides if needed, just until the hemp seeds taken on a slightly powdery texture and are well-combined with the nutritional yeast.
- Leftovers keep for at least a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
No blender or food processor? Because hemp seeds are already so granular, you can easily make this recipe by grinding them slightly smaller (possibly in batches) in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. If you have neither of those implements either, you can toss the hemp seeds with a very light coating of oil, and then stir in the nutritional yeast and salt (the oil helps everything stick together). The texture won't be as buttery but you can still get the flavor this way.
Yes, this hemp parmesan does take on a very slightly green color from the hemp seeds. This is normal.
Other “cheesy” recipes from my website:
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
This was easy and tasty. Thanks.
Perfect! This is really tasty. I love.
I made this with a touch of powdered onion and garlic, and both my wife and I thought it was amazing! I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
help, I’m dairy intolerant, allergic to cashews, almonds, yeast and garlic. I really miss cheese. I’m looking for cheese substitutes for parmesan and other solid or cream style cheeses.
Hi Alan,
In addition to this hemp parmesan you could try my cashew cream cheese but substitute macadamia nuts for the cashews.
I also saw a tofu-based mozzarella style cheese which would suit your allergies in the “Frugal Vegan” cookbook. It was similar to my cashew mozzarella but made with tofu instead of cashews and some oil added.