There are not too many grateable vegan Parmesan recipes on the web. Most recipes contain coconut oil as the main ingredient, and some also have cashews. After trying most of them, I concluded that there was no choice but to work on my version.
As a fusion enthusiast, I tried to combine versions, but the result was quite disappointing. In some of the attempts, The vegan Parmesan cheese softened when it reached room temperature. I realized the reason for this is the coconut oil that becomes liquid at a temperature above 24 degrees Celsius.
I thought again: what can replace coconut oil and maintain a firm texture even at room temperature?
Cocoa butter, of course! This magical plant-based fat maintains a solid texture even in the hot summer!
I melted the cocoa butter in the microwave. Next, I added almond butter, which seemed like the best match, a generous amount of nutritional yeast, white miso, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and spices. It took me several tries until I got the correct dose. But in the end, I reached my destination. I transferred the mixture to a springform and sent it to the refrigerator to set.
The result was beyond expectation and I am more than happy to share it with you.
Making this vegan Parmesan is easy, and the taste is excellent. Grate it on pasta, salad, or a bowl of soup; Thin slices of it will upgrade your sandwich. You will never be stuck again without Parmesan as it keeps in the fridge for a long time.
Enjoy and let me know how it turned out ❣️
- ½ cup almond butter
- ½ cup toasted cocoa butter flakes* see a note at the bottom
- ¾ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon sweet white miso
- ½1 Tablespoon lemon juice by taste
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder optional
- ¼ tsp salt by taste
- Melt the cocoa butter in a microwave or small saucepan over low heat. You will end up with about 1/3 cup of melted cocoa butter.
- Transfer the cocoa butter to a medium bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix well; Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Line a 4-inch diameter springform pan with cling film; transfer the mixture to the pan, cover the top with the cling film, and place in the refrigerator to set for about an hour – until the parmesan hardens.
- Remove the parmesan from the pan, and place it in an airtight plastic bag (or wrap tightly in cling film) so that the parmesan does not dry out. Store in the refrigerator.
- The Parmesan keeps in the fridge for a long time.
- Use only toasted (deodorized) cocoa butter. Raw Cocoa butter will yield Parmesan with an intense cocoa flavor and aroma, while toasted cocoa butter is almost tasteless and odorless.
Where do you find the cocoa butter?
HI Tracy,
You can buy toasted or deodorized cocoa butter in stores specifying in pastry products, or online – like amazon. here is a link: https://amzn.to/3cVhr3P