Nutritional Yeast Health Benefits + Easy Recipes

Originally posted February 2019 / Updated November 2023

Nutritional yeast is a vegan substitute that has received a lot of recent attention, but what is it? And how can it be added to foods?

What Is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is composed of a deactivated yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Used in making beer (brewer's yeast) and leavening bread (baker's yeast). Nutritional yeast contains dead yeast cells without fermentation or leavening properties.

Nutritional yeast is grown in large tanks with molasses from either sugar cane or beets. It is an excellent protein, B complex vitamins, and minerals source. It is also a rich source of compounds known as beta-glucans that can support immune and gastrointestinal health.

How to Add Nutritional Yeast to Your Diet

Nutritional yeast has a mild, nutty, or cheesy flavor, making it more helpful to add to foods than Brewer's yeast, which has a more pungent bitter taste. Nutritional yeast's unique, appealing flavor makes it a popular vegan substitute for grated cheeses like parmesan. 

It can be commonly sprinkled not only on popcorn and cooked vegetables but pasta as well. In fact, for those looking for cheesy flavors in a diet that utilizes no animal products or by-products, nutritional yeast may feel like a miracle product because of its ability to mimic the flavors of parmesan, mozzarella, and even cheese-based sauces like alfredo. 

Nutritional Yeast Recipes

Even though nutritional yeast is one of the most versatile vegan substitutes available, it can still take work to determine the best recipes and uses. Here are some best-tasting recipe options that use this vegan substitute to improve the cheese flavor.

Vegan Cheesy Omelet Recipe

While most vegans consider eggs for breakfast to be completely verboten, making an omelet using nutritional yeast, hummus, and tofu is possible. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. of nutritional yeast
• 5 ounces of firm silken tofu, drained and patted dry
• 2 Tbs. of hummus
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. of cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. of paprika
• 2 Tbs. of olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mince the garlic thoroughly.
3. In a saucepan or skillet, heat olive oil and add the minced garlic. Cook for about two minutes.
4. Once the garlic is browned, shift it to a food processor and process with the other ingredients, which include the tofu, hummus, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. 
5. In the skillet or saucepan, sauté the onion and pepper slices and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove the veggies from the pan and re-oil if needed.
7. Place a quarter of the veggies back in the pan and spoon the omelet mixture into the pan to coat the bottom thinly.
8. Use a spatula or spoon to ensure that the omelet has no lumps except for the veggies. 
9. Using medium heat, cook the omelet for a full five minutes. When the edges start to brown, it's ready for the next step.
10. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 12-15 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and, fold the omelet using a spatula and serve with the remaining sautéed vegetables.

Vegan Cheesy Kale Chip Recipe

This recipe is a very nutritious option that combines the vitamin-rich properties of kale with nutrient-dense nutritional yeast. It also helps that this snack-time dish has all the crunch of kettle-cooked chips without any of the extra oil, animal by-products, or gluten that can be found in those types of snacks.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of curly kale, shredded by hand
• 2 Tbs. of extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 tsp. of salt
• 1 Tbs. of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup of raw cashews
• 2 tsp. of soy sauce

Instructions:

1. To start, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Arrange two full strips of parchment paper or aluminum foil on two baking sheets.
3. Blend the extra-virgin olive oil with the cashews using a food processor until the mixture is thick. 
4. Next, add in the remaining ingredients and blend until everything is mixed.
5. Using a bowl, pour in the cheesy mixture, and using your hands, ensure that the curly kale is thoroughly coated.
6. Place the kale on the baking sheet and cook for a full hour or until there is no moisture on each chip. 
7. Toss the cooked kale chips into a bowl and serve once they've cooled enough to eat. 

Creamy Alfredo Pasta With Vegan Parmesan

Italian cooking often uses rich, non-vegan ingredients like eggs, cheese, and cream. Still, with nutritional yeast, it's possible to craft Italian-style dishes like pasta and not lose any of the traditional flavors. This dish also adds vegan nutritional yeast parmesan to add to the cheesiness.

Ingredients for the pasta:

• 1 package of vegan pasta
• 2 cups of cauliflower, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. of olive oil
• 1 cube of vegan vegetable stock
• 1 Tbs. of nutritional yeast
• 1/3 of a cup of cashews
• 1/3 tsp. of salt
• 1 3/4 cups of water

Instructions:

1. Combine the cauliflower, veggie stock, yeast and all of the other ingredients in a large pot.
2. Cook the ingredients for about three minutes or until the cauliflower softens.
3. Place the cooked alfredo sauce into a blender and blend until the sauce achieves a thick consistency that's similar to traditional, non-vegan alfredo.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta based on the package's directions.
5. Pour the sauce from the blender atop the pasta and serve with vegan parmesan.

Ingredients for the vegan parmesan:

• 3/4 cup of raw cashews
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it resembles parmesan cheese. 
2. Serve atop the linguine and save the remainder by placing it in an airtight container and refrigerating it. This nutty and cheesy-tasting food additive can be used on pizza and other pasta dishes like pasta bakes.

References:

1. Marson GV, de Castro RJS, Belleville MP, Hubinger MD. Spent brewer's yeast as a source of high added value molecules: a systematic review on its characteristics, processing and potential applications. World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 Jun 24;36(7):95. .
2. Ferreira IMPLVO, Pinho C, Tavarela JG. Brewer's Saccharomyces yeast biomass: characteristics and potential applications. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2010;21:77-84.