A Vegan Lemon Parmesan Cheese that is toasted and the perfect topping to pasta dishes, pasta bakes, spaghetti and even pizza! It is so flavorful and is made without any nutritional yeast and can be made nut-free as well! With only 4 ingredients and 10 minutes, you have the perfect dairy-free parmesan!
VEGAN LEMON PARMESAN CHEESE
I love it when I wing something and it turns out to be fabulously, delicious! 2 years ago when I was writing recipes for my cookbook, I created a yummy coating for asparagus that was baked and then topped with a lemony sauce. The toasted almond meal immediately made me think, “wow, this really reminds me of parmesan cheese!” I even remark on the parmesan accident discovery in the head note of that recipe, haha! I’ve been meaning to get back to that coating and tweak it for quite some time and finally did it.
There are lots of vegan parmesans made with every nut out there…almonds, cashews, pistachios, hemp seeds, you name it. This recipe is nothing new where that is concerned, but I wanted something brighter and really to stand out in dishes, so I decided to hone in on the lemon flavor since it was the combo of that lemon sauce and asparagus in my book that I loved so much.
So, the almond flour, lemon juice, dried oregano and salt is so simple, yet so fabulous. BUT, toasting it afterwards is what really turned it magical for me. It really adds some zing to anything you top it with!
Most vegan parmesan recipes rely on nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. However, since neither my husband (triggers gout) or my daughter (triggers headaches) can consume it, I knew I had to come up with something just as delicious and flavorful to sprinkle on top of dishes with. I made this amazing Easy Tomato and Garlic Pasta above to put it on top and the whole meal was incredible!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN LEMON PARMESAN CHEESE
First, gather these easy 4 ingredients:
- blanched almond flour (or raw sunflower kernels for nut-free)
- fresh lemon juice
- dried oregano
- salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Add the almond flour, dried oregano and salt to a small bowl and whisk very well. Add the lemon juice and use a fork (not a spoon) to press and mix for a couple of minutes until all of the almond flour is coated evenly. It will clump a bit so use your fingertips to rub the mixture between your hands into small meal crumbles.
Once it is all evenly coated, spread out onto the pan. Bake for just 5 minutes just until the edges are turning golden brown. Watch closely as it will quickly turn from golden to burnt!
After it has baked, it will be nice and crunchy, yet have that similar moisture that real dairy parmesan cheese has. If there are any larger clumps, just break them with your fingertips.
Check out that gorgeous golden color! The flavor is sooo good, it doesn’t need nutritional yeast!
The end result is so so good and one that is hard to stop eating it with a spoon. My daughter moaned and moaned, eating spoonfuls. The extra burst of lemon flavor really is a game-changer. We all love lemon around here, especially these Lemon Cookies for dessert.
It’s exceptionally fabulous on pizza!! That melty cheese, by the way, is my Best Vegan Mozzarella! No more buying cheese for pizza. This new cheese sauce bakes up and firms up and turns golden, just like real cheese. And there is no weird ingredients or added starches.
OTHER VEGAN CHEESE RECIPES TO TRY:
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Lemon Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup (112g) blanched almond flour (see Recipe Notes for sub)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the almond flour, dried oregano and salt to a small bowl and whisk very well. Add the lemon juice and use a fork (not a spoon) to press and mix for a couple of minutes until all of the almond flour is coated evenly. It will seem to dry at first but be patient and mix for a couple of minutes or more and it will become moist. If you add too much liquid, it will turn into a paste and be ruined. It will clump a bit so use your fingertips to rub the mixture between your hands into a fine meal texture.
- Once it is all even, spread out onto the pan. Bake for just 5 minutes
just until the edges are turning golden brown. Watch closely as it will
quickly turn from golden to burnt! - After it has baked, it will be nice and crunchy, yet have that similar moisture that real dairy parmesan cheese has. If there are any larger clumps, just break them with your fingertips. Serve over pizza, pasta or any dishes you like! Store in the fridge sealed for a couple of weeks.
Notes
So easy and so very good! Served with the Tomato and Garlic pasta linked in the post and we really enjoyed it.
This is excellent! So very tasty and the perfect topping on my pasta dishes! Thanks for the great recipe.