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? Here are the best nutritional yeast substitutes.
Jump to:
- What is nutritional yeast?
- Is nutritional yeast the same as yeast extract?
- Benefits of nutritional yeast
- Best nutritional yeast substitutes
- Summary
- More easy cooking substitutions
- 📖 Recipe
What is nutritional yeast?
It’s a deactivated yeast from a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a single-celled fungus often used in winemaking, baking, and brewing. It’s grown in a nutrient-rich medium such as molasses, then washed and dried with heat to deactivate it. Because it’s deactivated it cannot leaven, so don’t try to use it in baked goods that call for yeast like bread. It’s best used for its umami flavor and thickening capabilities.
Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy flavor that’s great for making dairy-free cheesy sauces. It can also thicken soups or can act like parmesan cheese by sprinkling it on top of pasta or popcorn.
It has grown in popularity in recent years and frequently shows up in dairy-free or vegan recipes. Most large chain grocery stores now carry it in the baking aisle near the specialty flours but you can also often find it sold in bulk bins at health food stores.
If you aren’t familiar with nutritional yeast (also known as nooch), check out everything you need to know about nutritional yeast from what it is, its nutritional benefits, how to use it, and more.
Is nutritional yeast the same as yeast extract?
They may sound like they’d be the same thing but they’re not. They are both produced from the same type of yeast but through a different process. Nutritional yeast is a whole-cell inactive yeast while yeast extract is made by breaking down the cell walls of the yeast to release their contents.
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This results in a stronger flavor that’s great for enhancing other flavors. You’ll often see yeast extract added to canned soup, frozen dinners, and salty snacks. It’s also the main ingredient in Vegemite and Marmite, the salty spreads from Australia.
Yeast extract can come in many forms including a thick gel or a moist powder. Nutritional yeast is always dry but can range from large flakes to fine powder.
Benefits of nutritional yeast
Nutritional yeast lives up to its name and has many nutritional and health benefits. If fortified, it’s a great source of B vitamins including B12, Niacin, Riboflavin, B6, and Folate. This can be beneficial on a vegan diet where B12 can be lacking. It can also come unfortified which still contains a moderate amount of B vitamins, but will not contain B12, so make sure to check the packaging before relying on it as your main source of B12.
Nutritional yeast is also considered a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids in the recommended amounts. It also contains around 4 grams of protein in just one tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Additionally, it contains zinc, selenium, manganese and iron and provides powerful antioxidants such as glutathione and selenomethionine.
Best nutritional yeast substitutes
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 just 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 the best substitutes to replicate the cheesy, nutty, umami-like flavor of nutritional yeast.
Yeast Extract
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Marmite or Vegemite are two popular yeast extract brands. These concentrated pastes have a stronger yet similar flavor to nutritional yeast which makes them an excellent alternative.
Use 2 teaspoons for every one tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
Texture Alternatives
Nutritional yeast provides a thickening effect when added to sauces, soups, and stews. Here are the best recommendations to replicate the texture and thickening.
Onion Flakes
Onion flakes are another good substitute for texture. The flaky consistency is similar to nutritional yeast flakes which is great for adding to dishes where you don’t want to affect the liquids too much. Just keep in mind that in large amounts the final dish will have a stronger onion flavor.
Summary
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. To achieve the best results it can help to mix and match the texture and flavor replacements depending on the dish. This will allow you to customize the perfect substitute for your needs!
There’s a good chance you have several of these on hand so check out the recipe card below for the best combinations to recreate the texture and flavor.
More easy cooking substitutions
- The best substitutes to replace eggs in baking and cooking.
- Coconut sugar substitutes and an easy homemade replacement
- 8 easy honey substitutes
- Substitutes for coconut vinegar including a diy alternative (that also makes a great gift!)
- Easy vegan protein substitutes for any meal
📖 Recipe
This article was originally published April 19, 2021 and has been updated with additional substitutes, tips, and homemade recipe on March 23, 2023.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe
