Sunflower seed parmesan is a great vegan alternative to dairy-filled parmesan. I’m not going to lie to you, this doesn’t taste like regular parmesan cheese. But also, that’s kind of the point. This is a significantly healthier alternative that has a cheesy flavor due to the nutritional yeast. I love cheese as much as the next person, but I know it isn’t helping my body. When I do eat cheese, I try to eat it in small amounts and not often. That being said I’m not here to tell you what to do. I just want to share this recipe because I know it can be hard to satisfy that cheese craving when you are eating a plant-based diet.
Why Sunflower Seeds?
There are a lot of vegan cheeses that are nut-based, and in my opinion, they generally have the most realistic cheesy flavor. However, what are you supposed to do when you’re allergic to nuts AND trying to eat plant-based? Sunflower seed parmesan is the way to go! As I explained in my arugula green pea pesto post, people who are allergic to nuts are able to eat sunflower seeds. This is a great topping for any dish you may normally add parmesan to such as summer squash bow tie pasta. I also love this recipe because it takes 2 minutes to make.
To Make:
Add the unsalted sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend/pulse until the seeds start to break down. I encourage you to stop and stir the mixture often to ensure as much gets blended as possible. BE CAREFUL. If you blend the seeds too much, they will start to turn into butter. I will generally blend until I start to see a bit of oil, stop and mix it up, then do another quick blend. If there are any large chunks you can remove them if you want. I usually just eat it as is. Store it in an airtight container.
Let me know in the comments below what dish you are adding this sunflower seed parmesan to! And remember to use the hashtag #toshistable on Instagram if you snap a quick pic! I love hearing from you. Happy eating!
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Sunflower Seed Parmesan
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: ¾ cup 1x
Description
Sunflower seed parmesan is a great dairy-free & nut-free vegan alternative to regular parmesan. It's simple and so easy to make!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Add the sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and sea salt to a blender or food processor.
- Blend/pulse while closely watching. As soon as it starts getting sticky/oily, give the mixture a good stir. Blend/pulse again for a few seconds.
- Be careful not to over blend or it will turn into butter. Add this to your favorite pasta dishes!
Notes
- Buy unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds so you can control the amount of salt going into the cheese.
- DO NOT OVER MIX or you will end up with sunflower seed butter.
Keywords: sunflower seed parmesan
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