25 Easy Nutritional Yeast Recipes (How To Cook With Nooch)

Elevate your next meatless Monday with these easy nutritional yeast recipes.

They’re so savory and cheesy, you won’t believe they’re healthy.

25 Tasty Recipes With Nutritional Yeast

Nooch for short, this deactivated yeast has a pleasant cheesy flavor that makes it a fabulous substitute for the real stuff.

Especially if you’re kicking dairy. 

It tastes amazing sprinkled on popcorn, pasta, scrambled eggs, and more. Plus, it’s rich in minerals and vitamin B.

Vegan or not, everyone will love these fantastic nutritional yeast recipes.

1. 30-Minute Cheesy Kale Chips

Healthy Snacking just got easier thanks to these irresistible crunchy kale chips. 

You’ll want to massage the kale with olive oil to make sure they turn out nice and crisp. Then go to town sprinkling on the spicy nooch blend. 

This snack is full of nutrients so you can munch all day without a single twinge of guilt. 

2. Creamy Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

This vegan artichoke dip is a top-notch choice for entertaining guests without resorting to calorific dips.

It’s completely plant-based and surprisingly creamy, which is made possible by using silken tofu.

Come time for serving, I like to offer a spread of veggies sticks, crackers, and crostinis on the side.

3. Tofu Scramble

Looking for a savory breakfast idea that doesn’t involve eggs or sugar-loaded pastries? Try this tofu scramble.

It’s incredible how tofu can take on a texture similar to scrambled eggs. It’s also a great neutral base, so you can make it taste any way you like. 

I’m particularly fond of this blend of nooch, turmeric, and garlic, but feel free to change things up.

4. Easy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes 

Giving up cheesy potatoes can be rough. Luckily, with this vegan recipe, you get the comfort food you love and don’t have to worry about dairy. 

This rustic dish is full of cheesy smothered potatoes with a hint of paprika to top it off. 

It’s special enough for the holidays and tasty enough to share with friends. 

5. Dairy-Free Spinach Quiche

This spinach quiche will be all the rage at your next potluck. 

It’s brimming with spinach and bright bell peppers, plus nutritional yeast is the perfect touch for a cheesy kick.

If you’ve got a busy week, you can make this in advance, then reheat it before serving.

Or, keep it cold and bring it to work for a quick and light lunch.

6. Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Need a vegan side dish for the holidays? This is one of my favorites. 

This recipe jazzes up the classic green bean casserole with a cheesy nooch sauce that’s got a double helping of mushrooms. 

For the final touch, there’s a crisp topping of breadcrumbs and onions. 

7. Dairy-Free Chicken and Rice Casserole 

This recipe is about as homely as it gets.

It’s a modest dish of white rice, broccoli, and boneless chicken, but there’s one surprise: everything is doused in a plant-based cheese sauce. 

It’s definitely kid-approved and would make a wonderful and easy mid-week meal.

8. Vegan Potato Soup

Did you know you can use nooch to make your favorite bowl of cozy potato soup that bit better?

Or, keep it totally vegan with this dairy and gluten-free dish. 

The trick is to use full-fat coconut instead of milk and a pinch of chickpea flour for thickening. 

9. Vegan Cheese Ball

Cheese balls usually feature, well, cheese.

And while this isn’t specifically a list of vegan recipes, nooch is typically a vegan fave.

And this vegan cheese ball is the perfect example of it’s magic! It’s smooth and cheesy and ideal for any party.

10. Baked Tofu Bites

Run out of easy tofu recipes? Try this baked tofu for something so delicious, even the dog will be drooling.

Each golden-brown tofu nibble is the perfect balance of cheesy, umami deliciousness. 

These bites are good enough to eat as is and a stellar addition to tacos, Asian dishes, and more.

11. Vegan Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are dangerously good. 

They’re fluffy, buttery, garlicky, and cheesy. So, basically everything you could want in this yummy spud dish.

Better still, they’re ready in 20 minutes, which is ideal for a last-minute side. 

12. Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Full disclosure: this is not your typical mac & cheese. But from one cheesy carb lover to another, I assure you, it’s so good.

The cauliflower sauce may seem bland at first, but once you add the other ingredients, it soon comes to life.

Nooch is obviously one of those ingredients, but there’s also almond milk, cashews, tomato paste, and spices.

If you’ve got any picky eaters in the house, this is an excellent recipe to sneak more veggies into their diet. 

13. Vegan Meatballs

Vegan meatballs are a fun appetizer for entertaining. They take less than 30 minutes to make and can serve a crowd with ease. 

Impossible burgers are the base, but there’s a ton of seasonings to make them taste even meatier. 

14. 5-Minute Vegan Cashew Queso 

I’m all for effortless dips that double their return, and this is one of them. Not only is it delicious, but it’s a much healthier take on something pretty heavy. 

This five minutes recipe is as creamy and cheesy as queso should be. It’s also got a fiery kick that is complements of the harissa paste and chili powder. 

You could keep things healthy and serve this with a side of veggies. But I won’t blame you if you opt for a bag of tortilla chips.

15. Best Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe with Walnuts

There are so many ways to use this Parmesan cheese I can’t even count. Pasta, pizzas, and salads are just a few. 

Plus, all you need are four pantry ingredients, and it’s full of protein. 

16. Vegan Garlic Aioli

This 10-minute aioli is a phenomenal accompaniment to sandwiches, burgers, fries, latkes, crab cakes, and more. 

Be sure to soak the cashews overnight before blending. That way the dip turns out very creamy and you can absorb the nutrients better. 

17. Easy Vegan Pesto

Another quick condiment you can spruce up with nutritional yeast is pesto. 

Pesto is almost vegan, except for the parmesan cheese. So use nooch instead and you get an incredibly fresh pesto without the dairy. 

This stuff is so easy and good you may find yourself on a serious pesto binge. 

18. Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan is a winter staple in my household. While I never would have thought to make it vegan, this recipe has changed my mind. 

As usual, it’s full of tender eggplant slices smothered in classic marinara sauce. The difference is it calls for vegan cheese and a nutritional yeast breading mixture. 

This is also a good one to sprinkle with that nut-free vegan parmesan cheese recipe from above. 

19. One-pot Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

I have a soft spot in my heart for this fantastic gnocchi meal. 

The potato morsels have a heavenly chewy texture, and the fresh, creamy pesto sauce is utterly divine. 

To top it off, the whole thing is plant-based so you can feel a little bit better indulging in a large serving of these Italian dumplings.

20. Vegan Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuits 

Fresh hot biscuits are one of those simple pleasures in life. They’re great for weekend breakfasts and a must on the side of warm and comforting chili. 

However, if you like them as cheesy and spicy as I do, you’ll want to try this vegan version. 

A hefty sprinkle of nutritional yeast makes them super flavorful and almond milk keeps them dairy-free.

Do yourself a favor and grab them while they’re hot! 

21. “Nooch” (a.k.a. Nutritional Yeast) Popcorn 

In my house, it wouldn’t be movie night without a large bowl of popcorn. And recently, we’ve been devouring this nooch popcorn by the bucket-load! 

When making stovetop popcorn, be careful not to overfill the pan. A tiny handful of popcorn is all it takes to get a giant bowl in return. 

Also, toss a few kernels into the oil first. Once they pop, the oil is hot enough to add the rest in. 

22. Spaghetti Squash with Kale Pesto and Shrimp 

This is a genius way to do spaghetti squash boats. 

The pesto calls for miso making it umami, savory, and fresh. That pairs swimmingly with some juicy shrimp. 

Low-carb and dairy-free, I think this should be at the top of everyone’s list. 

23. Cashew Cream Sauce 

This sauce is a great one for those who like their pasta rich and creamy. 

It only calls for five ingredients and it’s completely dairy-free. As always, you’ll need to let the cashews soak for a bit, but it’s as simple as blending from there. 

24. Miso Gravy 

If you want to make your next holiday dinner more inclusive, why not try this terrific five-minute vegan gravy?

You can pull this together in a snap with some miso, nooch, and alliums. 

There’s also no cooking necessary so you don’t need to worry about finding precious space on the stove to warm it up.

25. Vegan Meatloaf  

Speaking of vegan holiday recipes, this meatloaf will make a fine main course.

It’s a savory mix of chickpeas, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, and veggies. It’s even got the classic topping of ketchup. 

If you’re not big on ketchup, I think the miso gravy above will make a nice alternative.