Vegan “Parmesan Cheese” Topping (Cheezy Sprinkle)

One of the first things I missed after going vegan was Parmesan cheese!  I was used to dumping it on my salads and pasta to add flavor.  Okay, I was kind of addicted to it!  Until I found Cheezy Sprinkle, that is!  This is a popular non-dairy Parmesan cheese substitute and you’ll find a million different recipes online that are variations of this.  Some use walnuts instead of cashews, some use macadamia nuts, and some use a mixture of nuts.  I’ve made this more times than I can count over the past 2 years and I’ve tried many different variations before I settled on this perfect mixture (to my taste buds at least!).  Of course, you can change it up to suit your tastes but this is so good to me that I literally eat spoonfuls of it at a time.  Great as a salad topper or on pizza/pasta!

Ingredients:

• Raw, organic cashews (yup, this is really how I buy them, so much cheaper!)
• Nutritional yeast (I love this kind)
• High-quality sea or mineral salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder

How To Make Cheezy Sprinkle Topping:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender and pulse/blend for a few seconds at a time until it reaches a uniform granular consistency (like pictured above). DO NOT over-blend/over-process or you will get cashew butter!  Also good, but not what we’re looking for here 😁

Recipe Notes & Variations

• You can use different kinds of nuts like walnuts, macadamias, or any random mixed nuts you have lying around.  If you use roasted nuts the flavor will be different but still may be tasty!  If your nuts are salted you will probably want to omit the salt.
• Add a dash of smoked paprika for a smoky flavor that will go good on potatoes or salads or even a bit of chili powder if you’re looking for a little heat.
• I store mine in a little glass jar in the fridge and spoon it onto my meals, but it doesn’t have to be refrigerated.
• It can be frozen if you make it in very large batches.