Finding nutritional yeast substitutes is not quite challenging because most of them are familiar with people who are health-conscious or vegetarians.

As long as you pay attention to your cooking ingredients, you can easily combine them in your own way to create the desired flavor.

Nutritional yeast can impart a unique taste to your dish as well as offer a ton of health benefits to people; that might be two things you’re going to look into other ingredients which are promising candidates in the place of nutritional yeast.

Let’s start!

What Is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast, sometimes called hippy dust, or nooch, is a deactivated yeast made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ⁽¹⁾ You can find it in the powdered, granulous, or flake form with a rich yellow color in health stores and supermarkets.

It’s considered a food product that adds amazing flavors and nutrition to vegetarian and vegan diets. Also, it can be used in any diet. In general, nutritional yeast is full of B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B6), minerals (potassium and zinc), and antioxidants.⁽²⁾

Products sold in the market nowadays are often fortified with many nutrients to effectively enrich people’s diets, including vitamin B12, folic acid, and more.

What Does Nutritional Yeast Taste Like?

Nutritional yeast is well-known as a replacement for cheese in dairy-free and vegetarian diets. Plus, it’s also referred to as vegan Parmesan, thanks to its cheesy flavor.

People often perceive it as a nutty, umami, and savory aroma, which adds a satisfying taste and richness to salads, soups, sauces, gravies, popcorns, and more.

In terms of texture, nutritional yeast has a light, delicate and flaky consistency.

Nutritional Yeast Substitute Conversion Chart

The substitute ratio plays a vital role in cooking because it can decide how your food tastes. So, make sure you go over and over this table to get the right amount of ingredients you need.

Nutritional Yeast Substitute	Ratio
Vegan Parmesan Cheese	According to your taste
Brewer’s Yeast	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = ½ tbsp of brewer’s yeast
Yeast Extract	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = 2 tbsp of brewer’s yeast
Vegetable Broth	Start with a small amount of vegetable broth 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = 1 tbsp bouillon powder
Chickpea Flour	1 cup of nutritional yeast = ⅔ cup of chickpea flour
Cashews	1 cup of nutritional yeast = 1 cup of cashew
White Miso Paste	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = ⅓ tbsp of white miso paste
Dried Mushrooms	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = 1 tbsp of dried mushrooms
Dried Onion Flakes	According to your taste
Low-sodium Soy Sauce	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = ½ tbsp of soy sauce
Liquid Aminos	Start with a small amount
Seaweed Flakes	According to your taste
Sunflower Seeds	1 cup of nutritional yeast = 1 cup of sunflower seeds
Paprika	According to your taste
Parmesan Cheese	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese
Oregano and Basil	Depending on your taste
Tofu	According to your taste
Asafoetida (Asafetida)	In a pinch
Homemade Nutritional Yeast	1 tbsp of nutritional yeast = 1 tbsp of homemade nutritional yeast

Awe-Inspiring Nutritional Yeast Substitutes You Feel Excited To Know

To my surprise, many nutritional yeast substitutes are handy and full of health benefits. Let’s discover them in the following section!

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

The homemade version of vegan Parmesan cheese can be prepared in about 5 minutes and calls for only 4 ingredients, including nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and cashews. Because it contains nutritional yeast, it’s possible for you to use it as a replacement for nutritional yeast if you’re running out of it.

Vegan Parmesan cheese tastes like the original version, which you might not know that you’re eating the vegan one. It’s flavorful, nutty, and cheesy, which resembles nutritional yeast’s taste a lot. In other words, it provides full-bodied umami and creamy mouthfeel when consumed.

Made from healthy ingredients, it has a significant content of nutrients you need.

Let’s sprinkle it over savory dishes to elevate the flavor, such as sauces, pizza, pasta, soups, and salads.

There might be other types of vegan Parmesan recipes that you can try one day, made with plant milk, grounded seeds, rice, soybeans, almonds, spices, and more.

Brewer’s Yeast

Nutritional yeast can be considered a cousin of brewer’s yeast because they’re all made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It can be used as a suitable replacement for nutritional yeast in many recipes for many reasons.

Firstly, they seem to have the same flaky texture when dried, so it’s perfect for adding into the sauce or soup as a thickening agent.

Moreover, it contains the same nutrients which you can find in nutritional yeast. This means you can incorporate it into your diet to support your dietary needs; for example, throw a handful into your daily smoothies.

The only concern about brewer’s yeast is its beer-centric, slightly bitter taste, while nutritional yeast is all about nutty flavor.

So, you might want to use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast for ½ tablespoon of brewer’s yeast when swapping one for another.

Yeast Extracts

Yeast extracts are a popular food additive and flavoring extensively used in snack foods, gravy, frozen meals, canned soups, crackers, soy sauce, cheese, and other ready-made dishes.

As you might not know, it’s produced from the same yeast used to make brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast.

The reason it is so famous is because of its great flavor profile, which is closely similar to nutritional yeast. In more detail, its taste is described as “umami” and somewhat like “meat bouillon.”

It can be added to stews, sauces, and marinades. When you switch from nutritional yeast to yeast extract, your dishes will indeed become saltier and richer. Some people say it might taste slightly bitter than nutritional yeast.

As its name suggests, yeast extract is sold in liquid, paste form, while nutritional yeast is available in powdered, granulous, and flake form.

It offers vitamins and minerals for your body, just like nutritional yeast. For best results, use about 2-3 teaspoons of yeast extract for every 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast your recipe calls for.

Vegetable Broth

Vegetable broth can be considered one of the most critical parts of a vegetarian diet because it’s a strong base for many delicious dishes.

Literally, vegetable broth can be made from any vegetables in your fridge, but typically, it’s made from onion, potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic.

A good vegetable broth has a balanced taste which includes sweet, umami, and salty flavors. Therefore, it will be an excellent alternative for nutritional yeast substitutes, especially in soups and stews.

Pay attention to the recipe’s liquid and reduce if necessary because vegetable broth itself is fluid, and you might not want a too watery bowl of soup. So, to play it safe, start with a small amount.

Plus, vegetable broth is an abundant source of vitamins and nutrients necessary for optimal health. If you use bouillon powder, you should use the same amount that recipes require for nutritional yeast.

This is the most flavorful vegetable broth you’ve ever cooked!

Watch this video: Andy Makes the Most Flavorful Vegan Broth Ever

Chickpea Flour

Once baked in the oven, chickpea flour turns out to have the same nutty flavor as nutritional yeast. It also tastes earthy and buttery. Not to mention, it can mimic the texture of the yeast and can be successfully used as a sprinkle for baked goods and popcorns.

Additionally, it’s suitable for curry, stews, salads, sweet dishes, and soups, especially cold-weather soups. People often use chickpea flour to coat chicken, pork, fish, and vegetables before pan-frying.

In some cases, you might want to add more spices (smoked salt, garlic, paprika) into chickpea flour to create a more savory mixture when cooking.

One more reason why chickpea can be a suitable replacement for nutritional yeast is that it can provide B-complex vitamins and protein, which are essential for your health.

Let’s start ⅔ cup of your chickpea flour for 1 cup of nutritional yeast, then adjust according to your taste.

Cashews

There are two main ways you can prepare cashews as an excellent replacement for nutritional yeast. Firstly, grind cashews into powder and use it to sprinkle on top of salads, soups, or whatever you like.

Secondly, soak them overnight and grind them into a paste that is an essential ingredient to make vegan cheese or use as a base for dips.

Cashews have a buttery, creamy, rich texture with a mildly sweet and nutty flavor. It’s versatile and vital to vegetarian diets. They’re also packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein.

You use an equivalent amount of cashew powder to nutritional yeast when substituting. To enhance the flavor, mix cashew powder with salt, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.

White Miso Paste

Miso paste is another option you can refer to if you can’t find any nutritional yeast at home. As you might have known, miso paste is essential in Japanese households and highly versatile. It’s a common ingredient in stir-fries, soups, sautés, sauces, marinades, and spreads.

There are several types of miso in which white miso seems to be the least salty and has a sweeter side than the rest, which can replicate the flavor of nutritional yeast, so go for it.

To be more specific, it has a salty-savory, nutty, slightly sweet flavor and is also rich in nutrients.

To substitute, use only ⅓ the amount of nutritional yeast that the recipe requires with white miso paste, and you can achieve the desired flavor.

Dried Mushrooms

Among all mushrooms, I suggest you go for porcini, oyster, shitake, or chanterelle mushrooms and use one of them, especially the first one, as a substitute for nutritional yeast when necessary.

For vegetarian and vegan pursuers, they might have been familiar with the umami flavor of mushrooms. So if you are expecting a flavorsome alternative to adding to your dish, you’ve come to the right place.

You can go the extra mile by grinding dried mushrooms into a powder. This way, they can impart a more robust umami aroma to the dish and become better nutritional yeast replacements.

These mentioned mushrooms are all high in vitamins and minerals, which can support your health effectively.

They can be cooked in different recipes such as curries, stir-fries, soups, and sauces. Grind them into powder, and you can use dried mushrooms and nutritional yeast interchangeably with the ratio of 1:1.

Dried Onion Flakes

Dried onion flakes are an exciting choice which you shouldn’t pass when looking for nutritional yeast substitutes.

They’re a quick way to add sweet and savory flavor to the dish, especially in stews, soups, sauces, dips, casseroles, and more.

To be more specific, dried onion flakes are said to taste like onions with a saltier, toaster, sweeter, and less acidic flavor, which combine well with other ingredients.

To some extent, it can provide a similar texture as nutritional yeast and can be sprinkled onto many foods.

Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

Let’s hunt for some soy sauce products with low-sodium or less sodium content in the supermarket. They’re a promising alternative for nutritional yeast if you don’t have any left at home.

Made from fermented soybeans, soy sauce is famous in Asian countries as a super tasty and essential condiment, seasoning in various recipes. Besides the salty flavor, it also possesses an umami taste that can support your dish in the place of nutritional yeast.

Soy sauce is affordable and easy to access in the nearest grocery store, so I guess that you might have one at home.

However, soy sauce can’t provide your diet with nutrients present in nutritional yeast, so make sure you get them from other foods.

It would be helpful to use half the amount of soy sauce compared to the amount of nutritional yeast the recipe asks for.

To play it safe, you can start with ⅓ of the amount of soy sauce and work it up slowly until you feel satisfied.

Supreme soy sauce noodle is here! Watch this video:

Watch this video: Supreme Soy Sauce Noodles

Liquid Aminos

Liquid aminos or coconut aminos are considered a fancy condiment or seasoning with less sodium, sweeter, and meatier flavor than soy sauce.

With umami and savory aroma, liquid aminos can be a stand-in for nutritional yeast in numerous recipes, for example, vegetable stir-fries. It adds a deep, rich taste to dressings, dips, and composed sauces. Also, liquid aminos are known for their health-giving nutrients.

But if you want to use them instead of nutritional yeast, start with a smaller amount because they are saltier than nutritional yeast.

Seaweed Flakes

Seaweed flakes are millimeter-sized particles of dried seaweed that perform well as a topping of dishes such as salads and soups.

As far as I know, seaweed is another pantry staple in Japanese kitchens because it is not only flavorsome but also has many vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and minerals, which are good for your health.

Seaweed is specifically high in iodine, so if you’re considering incorporating more of it into your diet, you can choose seaweed flakes instead of nutritional yeast.

Using seaweed flakes, as well as nutritional yeast, is a great way to give foods a quick burst of saltiness without adding salt. Moreover, it also imparts an umami flavor to the dish.

For all of these above reasons, they are a fantastic substitute for nutritional yeast in both terms of flavor and texture. You can use it according to your taste when you swap one for another.

Sunflower Seeds

Another popular replacement for nutritional yeast I have discovered recently is sunflower seeds. The good news is that these tiny ingredients can be used the same way as cashew in cooking. That means a 1:1 ratio, so you don’t have to struggle with them, even if you’re not familiar with sunflower seeds.

You can soak them to make a paste or grind them into powder to sprinkle on foods. Sunflower seeds have a mild and nutty flavor with a crunchy texture.

To make them taste more savory, you can add dry barbecue seasoning, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Some sunflower seed products contain salt, so you should be aware of this before cooking.

In terms of nutrition, they can support your immune system and give your energy level a boost.

You can add sunflower seeds in place of nutritional yeast in the recipe according to your taste.

Paprika

You might not think about paprika as a nutritional yeast substitute from the beginning, but you should give it a try.

This savory spice can add a ton of flavors to your dish and make it taste better than ever, even without nutritional yeast.

Although paprika doesn’t have a cheesy mouthfeel, it’s known to be mild, vegetable-like, and sweet with a hint of smoky aroma. Also, it has an earthy and peppery taste.

Paprika pairs well with poultry, eggs, shellfish, meat, fish, soup, rice, and sauces. There is no exact replacement ratio, so you should adjust according to your taste.

Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan cheese can totally replace nutritional yeast in any recipe if you aren’t pursuing a lactose-free diet. It features the exact flavor you are expecting from nutritional yeast: nutty, cheesy, and umami-rich. Some people might say it comes with a fruity note.

As a nutritional yeast alternative, it’s best to use in vegetable dishes, popcorn, and salads. Moreover, it can be added to au gratins, mashed potatoes, pizza, shepherd’s pie, fondues, macaroni and cheese, casseroles, omelets, and soufflés.

Feel free to use the same amount of parmesan cheese as you would with nutritional yeast to get the best result.

Oregano and Basil

Want to experiment with herbs? Make sure you try this combination first: oregano and basil. Warm, pungent oregano complements well with minty and peppery basil, and the result is a perfect mixture for culinary use.

It’s a fact that oregano and basil don’t bring cheesy flavor to your recipe. However, they feature a clean, fresh and savory aroma which can somewhat replace nutritional yeast in some dishes.

They apparently give a flavor boost to the food and make it more appealing and delectable, especially for tomato-based and bread-based recipes.

Depending on your taste preference, you can use a suitable amount of this mixed herb to achieve the flavor you want.

Tofu

Tofu seems to be an inseparable part of the vegetarian diet, thanks to their high versatility. When eaten raw, tofu has a nutty and slightly sweet taste that can mimic the flavor of nutritional yeast.

If cooked properly, tofu can absorb the aroma of things they’re cooked with and become meaty, sweet, spicy, salty, crispy, or soft.

It’s a super easy and quick ingredient to work with, so you might have it available most of the time in the pantry.

Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein, so it’s highly recommended that you add it to your daily diet to gain some health benefits.

Let’s use the amount of tofu according to your taste when substituting for nutritional yeast.

Asafoetida (Asafetida)

Asafoetida Powder — Hing is a staple condiment in Indian cuisine.

Asafoetida or “hing” is a flavor enhancer used as popularly as salt in Indian cuisine. This pantry staple is created from the dried powdered resin of the gum from a tree. Hing is not for everyone, especially people who can’t handle its pungent smell.

When cooked, its aroma can be described as a leek and garlic hybrid or an onion relative.

This condiment performs well in savory recipes such as legume and vegetable dishes. It’s known as a way to complete the dish due to its complex aroma, which can be broken down into the taste of onions, garlic, umami, and eggs.

Usually, a pinch of asafoetida is enough. If you accidentally ask more than this, you run the risk of ruining the whole dish because it’s very potent.

Homemade Nutritional Yeast

How about making homemade nutritional yeast as a substitute for a store-bought one? Let’s start! It’s straightforward and doesn’t require much.

Step 1: Prepare two cups of sprouted chickpeas that have been soaked and cooked to tenderness, then place them on the baking tray and start mashing.

Step 2: Smear one cup of white miso paste on another baking tray with parchment paper. Make sure you create a thin and uniform layer of paste.

Step 3: Put them into the oven, choose the lowest temperature, and bake for about a few hours.

Step 4: When they’re both dry, mix them and grind them into flakes or fine powder to use.

This homemade nutritional yeast can substitute for commercial nutritional yeast in any recipe you are going to cook. It has a nutty, salty, and umami flavor with a light and flaky texture.

Yummy Nutritional Yeast Recipes You Should Know

Let’s cook some mind-blowing dishes with nutritional yeast for your family and friends this weekend!

Nutritional Yeast Popcorns

Let’s make some easy, quick, yet super tasty nutritional yeast popcorns at home to share with other vegetarian family members on the weekend!

This 5-minute and 4-ingredient recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and can be made on the stovetop. What I like most about this vegan popcorn is its impressive and irresistible flavor which mostly comes from nutritional yeast. It tastes nutty, cheesy, and buttery.

No one can deny a cup of light, fluffy, and slightly crispy popcorn, especially when it’s also packed with nutrients from nooch.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

This vegan mac and cheese is my go-to recipe when I crave some comforting foods. It’s best if you can soak raw cashews from the night before so that they’re now ready for making into the sauce – the most crucial part of this plant-based pasta.

Successful vegan mac and cheese will have a creamy, luscious texture with a savory, cheesy flavor.

More importantly, it takes less than 20 minutes to finish, so it’s a perfect addition to your weeknight dinner rotation.

To enhance its aroma, feel free to add paprika powder or pepper flakes according to your taste.

Want to know how to make simple vegan mac and cheese? Let’s cook it now!

Watch this video: The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

Vegan Pesto

Pine nuts and nutritional yeast are two stars of this mind-blowing recipe. They’re often used to replace the flavor of Parmesan cheese. Believe me; you can have a fool-proof pesto that tastes as good as the original recipe.

It’s fresh, herby from the basil, and nutty, salty, and flavorsome from two earlier mentioned ingredients.

This bright, green pesto can be used to stir on pasta, spread on pizza, sprinkle on salads. Most of the time, it’s made as a dip for potatoes, vegetable fritters, and more.

It’s worth noting that you can make it ahead and store it in the fridge for quite a long time.

FAQs

I’ve collected some questions related to nutritional yeast and its alternatives. Let’s explore now!

Can Nutritional Yeast Substitute For Baking Yeast?

No, you can’t because they’re made to be used in different ways. While nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast, baking yeast is an active dry yeast that can rise and is suitable for making bread and other bakery products.

Where Can I Find Nutritional Yeast In The Grocery Store?

If you’re in a hurry, go straight to the health food aisle and look for nutritional yeast. The next area you can visit is the bulk bin section.

Can You Use Nutritional Yeast Instead Of Cornstarch?

Nutritional yeast can replace flour or breadcrumbs in case you run out of one of them. But they can’t replace cornstarch in breaded recipes.

Do You Keep Nutritional Yeast In The Fridge?

Yes, you can keep it in a cool, dry place and stay away from sunlight, as well as keep it in the fridge to extend its lifetime up to 2 years.

Nutritional Yeast Is Magical!

Nutritional yeast is a scrumptious way to prevent B12 deficiency in vegetarian and vegan diets. It also brings a lot of other health benefits so that the body can maximize its potential.

It is worth mentioning that it is flexible when combined with ingredients and does not need to be consumed in large quantities to achieve nutritional goals.

Moreover, it tastes insanely good, so you don’t mind having it every day.

For all the above reasons, I think nutritional yeast is a magic cooking item you should stock in your pantry.

Share with me your experience with nutritional yeast by dropping me a line in the comment section below.