Nutritional Yeast: Health Benefits, Cooking Tips, and Easy Recipes

Sharon Palmer RD

Published on February 12, 2026

Learn the health benefits of nutritional yeast, plus expert tips on how to use it in cooking and easy, flavorful recipes featuring this plant-based staple.

The Ultimate Guide to Nutritional Yeast: Benefits and How to Use It

If you’ve ever wondered what to do with that golden, flaky ingredient called nutritional yeast, you’re not alone. Yet, there’s a lot to love about “nooch”—the affectionate term for nutritional yeast, the plant-based essential that adds savory flavor and a nutritious kick to your favorite recipes. If it’s not already a go-to ingredient in your kitchen, consider bringing this vegan staple with its signature burst of umami flavor into your culinary world. This plant-based powerhouse has become a favorite in healthy kitchens thanks to its savory, cheesy flavor (without the cheese). But nutritional yeast offers far more than great taste—it’s packed with vitamins, protein, and nutrients that can support overall wellness. In my expert guide, you’ll learn the top health benefits of nutritional yeast, along with practical, easy ways to use it in everyday cooking. From sprinkling it on popcorn to blending it into sauces, discover my top 5 tips for cooking with nutritional yeast, plus some of my favorite delicious recipes that showcase why this versatile ingredient deserves a permanent spot in your pantry.

What Is Nutritional Yeast?

Flaky, golden nutritional yeast is derived from baker’s and brewer’s yeast. But unlike yeast used to make leavened foods, like pizza and bread, heat during processing inactivates nutritional yeast’s leavening activity. Instead, nutritional yeast is transformed into a beneficial meal enhancer packed with a powerful punch of nutrients. You can find nutritional yeast online and in the pantry aisle of most well stocked supermarkets, as it doesn’t require refrigeration. My favorite brands include Bragg and Bob’s Red Mill.

How Is Nutritional Yeast Produced?

To produce nutritional yeast, S. cerevisiae (a type of yeast) cells are grown alongside a growing medium that is high in sugar, such as molasses. Once the yeast is mature, it is heated up to deactivate the yeast (which inhibits its leavening properties), then it is washed and dried into ready-to-eat flakes.

What Are the Health Benefits of Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast won’t make your bread rise, but it can up your nutrient intake—the B vitamins, in particular! Plus, it tastes like cheese, so it’s the perfect plant-based flavor seasoning for those craving that savory flavor, without the saturated fat or sodium. It is excellent for vegans and vegetarians and those who want to increase their vitamin B intake through diet, rather than supplements.

A two-tablespoon serving of nutritional yeast contains all eight of the B vitamins and well over 100% of the recommended daily value (DV) of five (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12) of them. Especially notable is that it’s an excellent source of vitamin B12, which is only available naturally from animal sources, making it especially useful for vegans and vegetarians, who are otherwise unable to acquire this B vitamin in their diets from foods sources. Nutritional yeast packs 130% of the B vitamin folate, which is crucial during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, into that same single serving. Vitamin B12 and folate are also important in blood cell proliferation and development, which helps prevent anemia. Overall, the B vitamins are involved in numerous metabolic and neurological functions throughout the body, including the breakdown of macronutrients into energy, metabolizing amino acids, and maintaining healthy nerve cells. A lack of B vitamins can lead to mood instability and depression.

Nutritional yeast is also a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and zinc. A single two-tablespoon serving contains 4 grams (16% DV) of dietary fiber, which has been shown to lower cholesterol and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, especially valuable for people at risk for or who have diabetes. That same serving packs 8 grams of filling protein (16% DV), important for maintaining and building muscle, and 20% DV of immunity-protecting zinc.

Top 5 Ways to Use Nutritional Yeast

1. Make Your Own Plant-Based Cheese
Blend up your very own homemade batch of plant-based cheese! You can make a super easy Cashew Parmesan in mere minutes with just three ingredients. In a blender or food processor, just add 1 cup raw cashews, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, and salt to taste. Grind until it has the texture of Parmesan cheese and that’s it. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Get cheesy by sprinkling it on favorites like popcorn, pizza, pasta, or anything calling out for that to-die-for umami flavor. And don’t stop there! Try a creamy plant-based cashew cheddar here.

Vegan Tofu Scrambled Eggs with Caviar and Toast

2. Make a Tofu Scramble
Nutritional yeast + crumbled tofu + turmeric leads to the best egg-free scrambled egg mixture ever. The cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast adds just the right boost of savory to the crumbled tofu, making it a fabulous, nutritious breakfast or even breakfast for dinner. I love to serve scrambled tofu with a side of whole grain toast. Check out my recipe for Scrambled Tofu with Greens for more inspiration on making the most of “noochy” scrambled tofu.

3. Whip Up the Best Savory Salad Dressings
Turn to nutritional yeast to flavor home-made salad dressings with a boost of flavor and nutrition. My uber popular Kale Caesar Salad calls for nutritional yeast x 3! It’s an ingredient in the dressing, parmesan topping, and croutons. It’s just that crucial to the outright addictiveness of this vegan salad. Go ahead and add nutritional yeast to all of your creamy vegan dressings.

4. Boost Your Savory Dishes
Add rich umami taste to your savory dishes, such as veggie burgers and patties, nut loaves, casseroles, pasta dishes, stews, and soups. This classic vegan quiche (featured above) depends on nutritional yeast to provide a cheese-worthy quality to the tofu filling—no dairy needed. Don’t be afraid to add 1-2 tablespoons to any of your favorite savory recipes.

5. Dip into Nutritional Yeast
A creamy plant-based dip just isn’t the same without a shake or two of nutritional yeast! This classic artichoke dip recipe gains a giant boost of flavor compliments of nooch, which balances out the vegetal artichoke and acidic lemon profiles, creating smooth perfection. Serve it with crackers, crudités, sandwiches, salads, grain bowls and more.