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Parmesan contributes salt, umami (glutamates), and a dry, grateable texture. Nutritional yeast is the umami engine of almost every good substitute.
Best for: Pasta, salads, garlic bread
3 parts nuts : 1 part nooch : salt. Sub sunflower seeds for nut-free.
Best for: Stirring into sauces, risotto, soups
Best for: Melting and broiled toppings
Parmesan also carries serious salt · when a recipe uses it as seasoning (pasta water, risotto), taste and add salt separately or the dish lands flat.
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Savory, nutty, faintly cheesy · it's rich in the same glutamates that make parmesan satisfying. Start with half the volume of the cheese you're replacing and adjust.
Nutritional yeast + cashews + salt, pulsed is the closest match, at use like grated parm. Pasta, salads, garlic bread. 3 parts nuts : 1 part nooch : salt. Sub sunflower seeds for nut-free.
Nutritional yeast + cashews + salt, pulsed (use like grated parm) if you want the closest result, or Plain nutritional yeast (1 tbsp per 2 tbsp parm) for stirring into sauces, risotto, soups. Which one is right depends on what the parmesan cheese was doing in the dish.
Related guides: Melting Cheese · Milk · Heavy Cream · All guides