Ditch Processed Vegan Cheese for These 3 Homemade Vegan Cheesy Toppings

Looking for some cheesy satisfaction? These easy homemade vegan cheese toppings use whole-food ingredients to deliver a delicious cheesy flavor to your meals without relying on ultra-processed grocery store alternatives.

Whether you want something crunchy and savory as a soup topper, a velvety sauce to spoon over nachos, or a flavor-enhancer for roasted veggies, these mouthwatering recipes will take your vegan cooking skills to the next level.

Cheesy Nut Crumbles

10 minutes | Makes 1 cup

A crunchy, umami-rich topper, these vegan cheesy crumbles are perfect for lightly garnishing soups, stews, salads, and pastas.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt-free garlic and herb seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup roasted unsalted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine nutritional yeast, garlic and herb seasoning, soy sauce, and 2½ tablespoons water. Stir into a thick paste. Stir in hazelnuts. Microwave on high 3 minutes or until nuts feel dry, stirring once or twice. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 7 days.

Velvety Cheese Sauce

45 minutes | Makes 2 cups

Try this rich vegan cheese sauce over baked tortilla chips or steamed veggies, or use as a base for mac and cheese. For a deeper cheddary hue, add a pinch of ground turmeric to the sauce before blending.

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated peeled potato
• ¾ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk
• ¼ cup grated onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped raw cashews
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons malt vinegar
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan combine the first six ingredients (through mustard) and ¾ cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add nutritional yeast. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.

2. Heat sauce over medium 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in cornstarch and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Parmesan Sprinkles

5 minutes | Makes 1 cup

Add aged cheese-like flavor to casseroles, pastas, and roasted veggies with this homemade vegan parmesan topping.

Ingredients

• 6 whole grain crispbreads, such as Wasa, broken into pieces
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. In a food processor combine the first five ingredients (through salt); pulse into fine sprinkles. Add vinegar; pulse to combine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

More Vegan Cheese Recipes

Looking for more healthy vegan cheese recipes? Check out these tasty ideas.