Randy Chandler
Vegan parmesan cheese is a dairy-free alternative to traditional parmesan cheese. It is often made with simple, plant-based ingredients such as cashews, vinegar, and nutritional yeast, and can be purchased pre-made or made at home. While vegan parmesan cheese is a great topping for pasta, pizza, and salads, it does not always melt in the same way as dairy cheese. Some recipes and store-bought varieties of vegan parmesan cheese can melt, but others are designed to be sprinkled or crumbled on top of dishes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Melting ability | Does not melt like regular cheese. However, it can be made meltable by adding refined coconut oil or tapioca starch and a little liquid. |
| Taste | Tangy, sharp, nutty, and creamy. |
| Texture | Crumbly, but can be grated. |
| Nutritional value | Dairy-free, preservative-free, and artificial-free. |
| Ingredients | Lemon juice, vinegar, cashews, filtered water, coconut oil, modified potato and corn starches, potato starch, sea salt, natural smoke flavor, olive extract, beta carotene for color, tapioca starch, and arrowroot. |
| Use cases | Topping for pastas, pizzas, soups, and salads. |
| Brands | Follow Your Heart, Parma!, Violife, Daiya, Applewood, and Epic Cheddar Cheese by Violife. |
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What You'll Learn
Vegan parmesan cheese recipes
Vegan parmesan cheese, or "Parm", is a great alternative to dairy parmesan cheese. It can be sprinkled over pasta, pizza, salads, cooked vegetables, and more. While it may not be a perfect substitute for parmesan in recipes where the cheese is essential for creating a creamy sauce, it can be used in place of feta cheese or as a garnish. Here are some recipes to get you started:
Cookie and Kate's Vegan Parmesan Cheese
This recipe uses hemp seeds, making it a nut-free option. It is simple to make and requires no food processor. Simply stir together the ingredients in a bowl or jar until they are evenly dispersed. Taste and add more salt if needed. This recipe yields about 3/4 cup of vegan parmesan cheese and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.
Ingredients:
- Hemp seeds
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
Love and Lemons' Vegan Parmesan Cheese
This recipe uses cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, and sea salt. It has a soft, crumbly texture and can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month. Pulse the ingredients in a small food processor until they form a coarse meal. Be careful not to process the mixture for too long, or it will turn into cashew butter!
Ingredients:
- Cashews (raw, unsalted)
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon zest
- Sea salt
Gracious Vegan's Parmesan Cheese
This recipe adds a little miso paste to the usual ingredients, giving it a salty umami undertone. While this "cheese" does not melt, it can be used in many of the same ways as dairy-based Parmesan. The recipe recommends using a food processor, but a blender can also work. Just pulse for one or two seconds at a time to avoid turning the mixture into cashew butter.
Ingredients:
- Cashews
- Nutritional yeast
- Miso paste
- Salt
Meltable Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Some people have suggested that adding refined coconut oil to dry powder vegan parmesan cheese and packing it tightly together in a mold can create a meltable version. However, others have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of vegan "cheese" in recipes that require melting.
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Vegan parmesan cheese brands
Vegan parmesan cheese is a dairy-free alternative to traditional parmesan cheese, often made with plant-based ingredients. While some vegan cheeses have a distinct taste and texture from their dairy counterparts, advancements in food science have led to the creation of vegan parmesan options that closely resemble the real thing in terms of taste, texture, and meltability. Here are some popular brands that offer vegan parmesan cheese:
Follow Your Heart
Follow Your Heart is a well-known brand in the vegan community, offering a range of plant-based alternatives, including their dairy-free parmesan-style cheese. Their product comes pre-grated in a tub, making it convenient for consumers. It has a "'funky' smell and taste, reminiscent of old-school Kraft parmesan, and melts well, making it a popular choice for those transitioning to a vegan diet or cooking for non-vegans.
Violife
Violife is another brand that has gained attention for its vegan parmesan cheese, the "Just Like Parmesan Wedge." This product has impressed consumers with its similarity in density, texture, aroma, and taste to genuine parmesan cheese. It grates beautifully over pasta dishes, adding a salty, nutty, and slightly fruity flavor. While some consumers rave about Violife, others have expressed negative opinions, describing it as having an awful smell and taste.
Parma!
Parma! offers a range of vegan parmesan cheese options, providing variety with four different flavors. This brand allows consumers to explore different tastes and find their favorite within the vegan parmesan cheese space.
Homemade Vegan Parmesan
For those who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, making your own vegan parmesan wedges is an option. Recipes are available online, allowing you to create a product that suits your taste preferences and dietary needs.
The availability of these vegan parmesan cheese brands and recipes demonstrates the growing popularity and innovation in plant-based alternatives, providing consumers with a range of choices to suit their individual needs and preferences.
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Does vegan parmesan cheese taste like real parmesan cheese?
There are several options for vegan parmesan cheese, and some of them claim to taste very similar to real parmesan cheese. For example, Violife's Just Like Parmesan product has been described as tasting "freakishly like the real thing". It has the density and feel of a real wedge of hard cheese, grates like traditional parmesan, and has a distinctly Parmesan-like aroma. In terms of flavor, it is slightly salty, slightly nutty, and slightly fruity sweet.
Other options that taste like real parmesan cheese include Follow Your Heart parm, which is described as "meltable and delicious", and homemade vegan parmesan cheese, which can be made with ingredients such as nutritional yeast, lemon juice, white miso paste, and salt. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to vegan parmesan, while lemon juice provides a sour tanginess, white miso paste adds umami, and salt enhances the cheesy taste.
However, not all vegan parmesan cheeses taste like the real thing. Some people have expressed disappointment with the taste of certain store-bought options, finding that they do not taste like parmesan at all. Additionally, some people may not consider nutritional yeast to be a satisfactory substitute for cheese, despite its ability to add flavor to dishes.
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Does vegan parmesan cheese have the same health benefits as real parmesan cheese?
Vegan parmesan cheese is designed to taste, feel, and grate like real parmesan cheese. It is made from vegan ingredients and is dairy-free, making it suitable for those with allergies or intolerances to dairy. While vegan parmesan cheese may mimic the real thing in terms of taste and texture, it is unclear whether it provides the same health benefits as traditional parmesan cheese.
Traditional parmesan cheese, made from cow's milk, offers a range of health benefits due to its nutritional content. It is a good source of calcium, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure and supporting bone health. Parmesan also contains phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin A. Additionally, parmesan is a complete protein, providing all the essential amino acids.
On the other hand, vegan parmesan cheese is typically made from plant-based ingredients such as nutritional yeast, cashews, or coconut oil. While these ingredients can provide their own nutritional benefits, the specific health advantages may differ from those of dairy-based parmesan. Nutritional yeast, for example, is known for its cheesy, nutty flavor and is often used as a dairy-free substitute for parmesan. It can add flavor to dishes and can be used to thicken sauces. However, some people may not find it to be a satisfactory replacement for the taste of real parmesan.
While vegan parmesan cheese may not have the same exact health benefits as real parmesan cheese, it can still be a part of a healthy diet. It offers the advantage of being dairy-free, making it suitable for those with lactose intolerance or milk allergies. Additionally, a plant-based diet has been associated with various health benefits, including improved gut health and a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases.
In conclusion, while vegan parmesan cheese may not provide the exact same health benefits as real parmesan cheese, it can still be a nutritious and tasty alternative for those following a vegan or dairy-free diet. It is important to note that the specific health benefits of vegan parmesan cheese may vary depending on the ingredients used, and further research is needed to fully understand the nutritional profile of these alternative cheese products.
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Can you cook with vegan parmesan cheese in the same way as real parmesan cheese?
Vegan parmesan cheese can be used in cooking in a similar way to real parmesan cheese, but it does not always melt in the same way. Some recipes for vegan parmesan cheese are designed to be sprinkled or crumbled on top of dishes, rather than melted into sauces. However, there are some meltable vegan parmesan cheese options available, as well as ways to make regular vegan parmesan cheese melt.
Vegan parmesan cheese can be made at home or purchased from supermarkets. Some popular brands include Follow Your Heart, Parma!, and Violife. Many of these products are designed to be grated or sprinkled on top of dishes like pasta, pizza, or salads. While these options may add flavour and texture to dishes, they do not melt in the same way as real parmesan cheese.
However, there are some vegan cheese options that are designed to melt. For example, Daiya's Mozzarella Style Shreds are marketed as melting, oozing, bubbling, and stretching like genuine mozzarella cheese. Applewood's vegan cheese is also advertised as melting "beautifully". Follow Your Heart's parm variety is described as being meltable and delicious. In addition, some recipes for vegan parmesan cheese can be adapted to make them meltable. For example, adding refined coconut oil to a dry powder vegan parmesan cheese recipe can make it meltable. Similarly, adding tapioca starch or arrowroot to a vegan parmesan cheese recipe can make it melt and stretch when heated with liquid.
Therefore, while vegan parmesan cheese can be used in cooking in a similar way to real parmesan cheese, it may require some adjustments to achieve the desired melting effect.
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Frequently asked questions
No, vegan parmesan cheese does not melt like regular cheese. However, you can make it melt by adding a little liquid to it.
You can add tapioca starch (or arrowroot) to the mix to make it melty and stretchy.
Some popular brands of vegan parmesan cheese include Follow Your Heart, Parma!, and Violife.
Yes, there are many recipes available online for making vegan parmesan cheese at home. Some recipes include ingredients such as cashews, lemon juice, vinegar, and nutritional yeast.
Yes, vegan parmesan cheese can be used as a substitute for regular parmesan cheese in most recipes. However, it may not melt in the same way, so you may need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
