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 onultra-processedgrocery 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 yourvegan cooking skillsto 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 overbaked tortilla chipsor 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.

Vegan Queso Sauce

Butternut Vegan Cheddar Cheese with Chives

Vegan Potato “Cheese” Sauce

Vegan Cheesy Sauce (Plus 5 Ways to Use It)

Crispy Potato Vegan Cheese Sticks

Vegan Cheese Fondue