• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Health My Lifestyle
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Learn
    • Nutrition
    • Lifestyle
  • Shop
    • Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Meal Planner
  • Recipes
  • Learn
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Meal Planner
    • Recipes
    • Learn
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Learn

    The Best Nutritional Yeast Substitutes

    Apr 19, 2021 · Modified: Apr 19, 2021 by Rachel · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Nutritional yeast is a staple in the vegan pantry. It provides a cheesy, nutty flavor that would otherwise be missing without cheese. But what do you do when you don't have any or can't have it due to a yeast intolerance?

    Nutritional yeast in a bowl with some spilt next to it

    If you haven't tried nutritional yeast yet (also known as nooch), check out everything you need to know about it from what it is, nutritional benefits, to how to use it and more.

    Nutritional yeast can be used to make cheesy sauces, thicken soups, or can act like parmesan cheese by being sprinkled on top of pasta or popcorn.

    If you're familiar with nutritional yeast then you know it can be hard to replicate the flavor when you don't have it. But fear not, there are actually several ways you can replace nutritional yeast when you've run out or you can't seem to find it at the store. Bonus: many of these you probably already have on hand!

    Nutritional yeast provides both flavor and texture so we'll be walking through how to replicate both of these characteristics in different ways.

    Flavor Alternatives

    First up, flavor. The following are what I recommend to replicate the cheesy, nutty, umami-like flavor of nutritional yeast.

    Soy sauce or liquid aminos

    Soy sauce imparts a savory flavor to dishes making it a great replacement for nutritional yeast. Liquid aminos look and taste similar to soy sauce but have a milder flavor. It's also a good soy free and gluten free option. Either one will work to replace nutritional yeast.

    You may want to adjust the salt in the dish if adding these as they will increase the overall saltiness. Low-sodium soy sauce is a great choice. To replace nutritional yeast, start with about ½ or ⅓ of what the recipe calls for and increase to taste. Consider also adjusting the liquids in the dish if nutritional yeast is a large portion of the recipe.

    White miso paste

    Miso paste is a savory, salty paste made from fermented soybeans. It's a great substitute for making creamy sauces like a vegan cheese sauce. Same as with soy sauce, use about ⅓ of what the recipe calls for when replacing nutritional yeast with miso paste.

    Cashews

    Another great substitute is ground cashews. Grind them into a powder and sprinkle on pasta like you would parmesan. Or soak them and blend them into a vegan cheese sauce. In fact, many vegan cheese sauces use cashews as well so you wouldn't need to add another ingredient. For the cashew powder, use equal parts cashew powder to nutritional yeast.

    Sunflower seeds

    A good nut free option is shelled sunflower seeds. You can soak them and use them in the same way as soaked cashews. You can also grind them into a powder to sprinkle on pasta or popcorn. Adjust salt if using salted sunflower seeds.

    Vegetable Bouillon

    We love this vegetable bouillon paste that provides a really rich, savory flavor. This is a great substitute for nutritional yeast in cheese sauces and soups. It is very salty so keep that in mind when replacing nutritional yeast with it. Vegetable bouillon cubes also work well.

    Dried porcini mushrooms

    Dried and chopped mushrooms can help to replicate the flavor of nutritional yeast but porcini does it best. Porcini mushrooms have a deeper nutty and earthy flavor than most other mushrooms, making them the best replacement but any mushroom will do.

    Texture Alternatives

    Nutritional yeast provides a thickening effect when added to sauces, soups and stews. Here are my recommendations to thicken.

    Brewer's yeast

    Brewer's yeast is most commonly used for making beer and bread and comes in the form of powder or flakes similar to nutritional yeast. It is more bitter than nutritional yeast but it does provide the thicken effect. This is best used in cheese sauces or soups. Don't worry, your soup won't rise, but it will be thicker than other alternatives. Use ½-1/3 of what the recipes calls for at first and adjust from there depending on taste and thickness preferred.

    Chickpea flour

    You can use chickpea flour to thicken soups and stews just as you would nutritional yeast. It's a one to one replacement, making it easy and convenient. Best of all, you can make your own chickpea flour in a pinch if you have dried chickpeas in your pantry. You can also use your homemade chickpea flour to sprinkle on top of pasta or popcorn, just make sure to toast the flour in the oven first. Spread the flour out on a baking try and bake at 300F for a few minutes. This also helps bring out the nutty flavor.

    And there you have it—lots of great ways to replace nutritional yeast if you've run out or have an intolerance to yeast.

    Although these substitutions are not identical to nutritional yeast, they still make excellent replacements in a pinch. It can also help to mix and match the texture and flavor replacements depending on the dish.

    Let me know which ones you've tried and if you have any other nutritional yeast alternative recommendations in the comments.

    READ NEXT: The best substitutes to replace eggs in baking and cooking.

    Share this:
    « Nutritional yeast explained: What it is and how to use it
    Tempeh explained: What it is and how to cook it + irresistible marinade recipe »

    Did you grab your free meal plan yet?

    Sign up here to download it instantly!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. khaoula

      November 25, 2021 at 4:13 am

      I've looking for alternatives for a while now! Thank you for the very helpful article

      Reply
      • Rachel

        November 30, 2021 at 2:12 pm

        You're so welcome! Glad it was helpful 🙂

        Reply
        • Joy

          March 07, 2022 at 6:44 pm

          It is very helpful! Thanks'

        • Rachel

          March 07, 2022 at 10:16 pm

          So glad you found it helpful! 🙂

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Rachel and I'm here to help you transition to a healthy plant-based diet in the easiest way possible. I share simple recipes and tips you can implement today to make it practical and approachable. Read more about my plant-based journey

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    HML Favorites

    A casserole dish with cheesy vegan broccoli rice with a spatula resting in it.

    Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

    Finished vegan paella in pan.

    Spanish Vegan Paella (One Pot)

    Golden air fried gnocchi piled on a plate.

    Easy Air Fryer Gnocchi

    Coconut crusted vegan shrimp on a plate with lemon wedge.

    The Best Coconut Vegan Shrimp

    Don't Miss Out!

    Sign up to receive recipes, tips, and more!

    Privacy Policy & Disclosure

    Top Recipes

    Homemade Pea Protein Powder (Easy + Vegan)

    Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip these up. These bars are so easy to make, you'll never buy store-bought granola bars again. They are very filling, boasting 9g of protein using only whole food ingredients, and are vegan and gluten free! #granolabar #vegansnack #easysnack #vegan #glutenfree #healthysnack

    5-Ingredient No-Bake Granola Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free)

    Healthy Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats are going to have you wondering if you're eating breakfast or dessert. They're filling, delicious, high protein, and taste like candy! They're also gluten-free and sugar-free. #snickers #overnightoats #veganbreakfast #postworkoutsnack

    Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats

    This carrot bacon recipe is so easy and great for when you want the delicious sweet and smoky-ness of bacon! Just 8 simple ingredients, a peeler, and an oven or air-fryer is all you need. Vegan bacon can be made in many ways but this carrot bacon is one of the simplest and most similar looking to actual bacon. And did I mention delicious? #carrotbacon #veganbacon #plantbased #vegan #veganrecipe #veganbreakfast #plantbasedbreakfast #meatfree #meatlessmeals

    Carrot Bacon

    Don't Miss These!

    Vegan tartar sauce in a small bowl topped with fresh dill.

    Vegan Tartar Sauce (oil free)

    A sliced open cooked sweet potato on a plate with a fork and knife.

    3 Easy Ways to Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave

    Baked vegan quiche with a slice being removed.

    Just Egg Quiche with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Asparagus

    Easy Vegan Gravy Oil Free

    Easy Vegan Gravy (oil-free)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Enjoying these recipes?
    Now you can Buy Me a Coffee to help support the creation of new ones. Thank you!

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy
    • About

    Shop

    • My Favorites
    • Vegan Fat Loss Meal Plan & Nutrition Guide

    Stay Connected

    • Sign Up! for a free meal plan and updates
    • Contact
    • Meal Planner Support

      Featured In

      Logos of publications that Rachel from Health My Lifestyle has been featured in including Eat This Not That, Everyday Health, Greatist, MSN, My Fitness Pal, Vegan Life Magazine, and One Green Planet.

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

      Copyright © 2022 Health My Lifestyle LLC