Homemade Vegan Cheese Seasoning
This easy 6-ingredient vegan cheese seasoning is a staple in our kitchen! We use it as a dairy-free parmesan, a cheesy popcorn seasoning, and mix it with vegan butter to make the BEST garlic bread. It can also be used to make an easy cheesy pasta sauce!
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Have you ever made your own spice mixes before?
It’s so fun to see what flavorful blends you can create! They really help jazz up your cooking without putting in a whole lotta effort.
In fact, our spice blends have become a kind of secret weapon for us in the kitchen. And this vegan cheese seasoning is up there with our favorites.
Why? Well for one, it’s easy to make with ingredients you may very well have in your pantry right now.
It’s also SUPER versatile. You can use it to season everything from popcorn to pasta to garlic bread. Basically, any time you want a splash of cheesy flavor in your dish, reach for this stuff!
And reason #3 why we love this vegan cheese seasoning: It tastes AMAZING.
This recipe is THE BEST vegan cheese seasoning. We think so at least and we hope you do too after you try it!
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What gives vegan cheese seasoning its flavor?
This is a vegan cheese seasoning that REALLY tastes like cheese, thanks to these 6 ingredients:
- Nutritional Yeast – This is a staple in pretty much every vegan kitchen. It’s what gives us those nutty, cheesy undertones!
- Onion Powder + Granulated Garlic – These are a constant in pretty much every seasoning.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning – This adds a zesty zip of flavor that really knocks home the “cheese” element. We have a game-changing ingredient right here, friends!
- Black Pepper – I know we use the lemon pepper seasoning in this too, but we LOVE the spice an additional bit of black pepper adds to this vegan spice mix.
- Sea Salt – To bring all the flavors together.
Substitution Options
If there’s an ingredient above that you don’t like, can’t tolerate, or don’t have on hand, here are our best substitution tips:
For the nutritional yeast: Unfortunately, I would not recommend replacing this with anything else. If you’re new to nutritional yeast: This is not the same thing as the yeast you use to make bread, nor is it the same thing as brewer’s yeast. The two cannot be interchanged. Fret not, though: You can usually order this magical ingredient online.
For the onion powder or granulated garlic: If you don’t have or can’t use one of these, you can just double up on the one you do have.
For the lemon pepper seasoning: Like I said, the lemon pepper seasoning is KEY. But if you MUST replace it, I’d look to something like mustard powder. Apple cider vinegar powder may also work, but that’s kind of a random ingredient you probably don’t have lying around.
For the black pepper: If you’re using the lemon pepper and don’t want the extra spiciness black pepper adds, feel free to leave this out.
Salt: Feel free to adjust the salt to your taste, but I wouldn’t leave it out entirely unless you’re avoiding salt altogether.
Need a substitution we don’t have listed here? Let us know in the comments!
How to Make Vegan Cheese Seasoning
All you’ll need is a blender or food processor to blend all 6 ingredients together and get the nutritional yeast to a nice powdery consistency. Easy peasy!
Can you make vegan cheese seasoning without a food processor?
Because we’re using nutritional yeast in this vegan cheese seasoning (which usually comes in flakes), you want to use a food processor to make sure the finished product has a nice powdery consistency. It will not work as well with just the flakes.
But, if you’re working with a nutritional yeast that comes powdered, feel free to add all the ingredients to a jar and shake shake shake! Do a little dance while you’re at it. Why not?
How much seasoning does this recipe make?
This recipe makes about 1- 1.5 cups of vegan cheese seasoning.
Feel free to double the recipe though. I honestly double this recipe every time because we go through it so quickly!
4 Ways to Use Vegan Cheese Seasoning:
1. Vegan Cheese Popcorn Seasoning
Sprinkle this vegan cheese seasoning over popcorn for one of the best movie-night-in experiences of your LIFE.
2. Dairy-Free Garlic Butter
Mix this vegan spice mix with dairy-free butter and spread it on toast to make garlic bread! You can also use that butter on a vegan grilled cheese for a truly transformative experience.
3. Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Use this vegan seasoning mix to replace dairy parmesan on alllll your favorite pasta dishes, casseroles, and salads.
4. Easy Cheesy Pasta Sauce
Use this vegan cheese seasoning as a sauce-starter for the easiest cheesiest vegan pasta sauce you’ll ever make! We do this by heating up some plain unsweetened soy or almond milk on the stove and whisking in the vegan cheese seasoning once it’s warm. Cook it on low, stirring often, until it thickens to your desired consistency. From there, just add some cooked pasta and your veggies of choice, and dinner is served!
How to Store Vegan Cheese Seasoning
You can store this vegan cheese seasoning in an air-tight container in your spice cabinet.
Do I need to refrigerate it?
Nope! This vegan cheese seasoning can be treated like any other spice mix in your cabinet.
More Vegan Spice Blends:
- Life-Changing Chicken(less) Bouillon Powder
- Copycat Red Robin Fry Seasoning
- Homemade Chili Seasoning
We hope you’ll give this homemade vegan cheese seasoning a try. When you do, let us know how it goes and all the fun, delicious ways you like to use it!
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Enjoy!
Vegan Cheese Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated garlic
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
Instructions
- TO MAKE: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until combined and no flakes of nutritional yeast remain.
- TO USE: Add to vegan butter for a perfect garlic bread spread, use it to top popcorn to replace parmesan on everything from pasta to pizza to salad!
- TO STORE: Store in an air-tight container with the rest of your spices.
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Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been using using nutritional yeast and Spike along with a bit of healthy oil on my popcorn for decades but I’m looking forward to trying this idea. I would need to leave the pepper out so went looking for something that would hopefully somewhat replicate the lemon pepper. I found a product called ‘True Citrus’ on Amazon. It’s in the form of a powder and not sweetened. Apparently it just has the flavour if lemon. I’m sure I’ll have to do some tweaking to replace the pepper/ground mustard and I know it won’t be the same but I’m up to the challenge…lol. Thanks again.
Hi, D! First, I haven’t seen Spike in years!! I am familiar with True Citrus packets, but I’ve only ever mixed them with water. I think they could actually work, but as you said, you’d need to tweak the amounts. Let us know how it goes. And thank YOU!
Hello!
I would like to make this recipe mainly for making it into cheese sauce but you didn’t list the amounts for the ingredients. Could you please give the amounts?
Thank you!
Hi, Becky, we usually start with about 1/2 cup plant milk and about three tablespoons of mix blend. Add a little vegan butter and let it thicken. It really depends on how much pasta, what you’re making it for, etc. Let me know if this helps.
Hi
I don’t see instructions to make the cheesy butter for the parm?
Hi, John. It really depends on the flavor intensity you’re looking for. We usually start around 1 tablespoon per 1/3 cup butter. You could go a little more or a little less…depending on you. Great for garlic bread! Hope this helps!
Mine came out SUPER peppery and I can’t say it tastes cheesy at all?!
That’s very weird, Kay, and honestly, I’m actually a little surprised to hear that. I can understand some people thinking it’s a bit peppery, but not necessarily SUPER peppery. Also, are you sure you used nutritional yeast and not regular active yeast or brewers’ yeast (a very common mistake)?
Hi Terence, yeah I used Bragg Nutritional Yeast. I followed the amounts to the letter but I don’t get any cheese flavour whatsoever. Would you suggest maybe adding more yeast?! I saved the outcome in a jar regardless but not sure how I’ll use it.
Yes, I’d suggest starting with more nooch and maybe a bit of the other spices except pepper. It should be slightly peppery, but not super peppery. Any chance you used very fine ground black pepper? I know when I’ve been to Europe, their pepper is more finely ground, and I tend to use less when I’m there. (Or maybe the recipe just calls for more pepper than you enjoy??) Just trying to trouble-shoot.
Oh my heart! Just made this (sans pepper as my lemon pepper is peppery!) and it is amazing! I could put this on an old shoe and it would be fantastic. Thank you! <3
Haha, I love that! Thanks, Becky. So glad you enjoyed the recipe this much!