I’m on a roll, if I do say so myself.
Last night I made a Vegan Mac n’ Cheese that rivals one of my all-time favorite recipes– the Barefoot Contessa’s Mac n’ Cheese! Of course, her version is filled with milk, butter, flour, gruyere and cheddar cheeses. You really can’t go wrong when the ingredients are that rich and decadent.
It also beats-the-pants off of Kraft’s “the cheesiest.” (If you’re into that stuff, which I’m not.) Do you know I actually hated mac n’ cheese as a kid? I thought all mac n’ cheese was neon-orange and out of a box. Totally unappealing, if you ask me.
However, I dare you to try my healthier version and not moan with delight. It’s that good. And there’s not an ounce of cheese, butter or flour in sight.
No neon-orange coloring, either.
Vegan Mac n’ Cheese
inspired by Everyday Raw
Ingredients:
For the cheese sauce:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
3 T. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 clove garlic
pinch of turmeric
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. mustard (dijon or yellow)
For the macaroni n’ cheese casserole:
8 oz. of elbow or shell pasta of choice
freshly ground black pepper
paprika, for garnish
*optional add-ins: roasted broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, spinach (I highly recommend these!!!)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. If you are adding roasted broccoli (<– recipe here) to your dish, this would be a good time to start preparing that, so it can roast in the oven while you work on the rest! You should also start boiling some water for your pasta.
I opted for gluten-free, quinoa shells, but any pasta will do. Trader Joe’s often sells brown rice elbow noodles that would be great, too!
While you’re waiting for your pasta to cook, start working on the “cheese” sauce.
If you have a Vita-Mix, or other high-powered blender, making this sauce is a cake-walk. Simply throw the first ten ingredients into the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy! If you do not have a high-powered blender, don’t worry– you can easily use a food processor or blender to process the cashews first, until they are finely ground, or ideally, a nut-butter-like consistency. Once your cashews are thoroughly processed, add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
You should have a thick, smooth sauce.
At this time, you should check your pasta. Once it’s cooked to your liking, drain and rinse it, then return the pasta to the pot to be mixed with the cheese sauce.
If you’re adding any roasted or sauteed veggies, this would be the time to do it. I highly recommend adding roasted broccoli to this dish–> Austin and I both agreed the bites of broccoli were our favorite part!
I also decided to saute a handful of mushrooms, that I had leftover from our Mushroom Risotto from the night before. The mushrooms were a good decision, they added a really nice texture to the dish!
You can serve the hot Mac n’ Cheese immediately at this point, for a creamy and delicious meal, or you can bake it for a firmer, dryer texture. (My husband prefers this meal on the drier side, so I usually bake it for his benefit.)
To Bake:
Once you’ve mixed everything together, pour the mac n’ cheese into an 8 x 8 square dish and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and black pepper.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve!
No one will believe this dish is vegan.
Taking into account that people will probably go back for second-helpings, this dish should serve 4 happy people.
Enjoy!!
- 1½ cups raw cashews
- 3 T. fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ clove garlic
- pinch of turmeric
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. mustard (dijon or yellow)
- 8 oz. of elbow or shell pasta of choice
- freshly ground black pepper
- paprika, for garnish
- *optional add-ins: roasted broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, spinach (I highly recommend these!!!)
- Preheat the oven to 350F. (If you are adding roasted broccoli to your dish, this would be a good time to start preparing that, so it can roast in the oven while you work on the rest!) You should also start boiling some water to prepare your pasta.
- If you have a Vita-Mix, or other high-powered blender, making this sauce is incredibly easy. Simply throw the first ten ingredients into the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy!
- If you do not have a high-powered blender, don’t worry– you can easily use a food processor or blender to process the cashews first, until they are finely ground, or ideally, a nut-butter-like consistency. Once your cashews are thoroughly processed, add the rest of the ingredients and process until thick and smooth.
- At this time, you should check your pasta. Once it’s cooked to your liking, drain and rinse it, then return the pasta to the pot to be mixed with the cheese sauce.
- If you’re adding any roasted or sauteed veggies, this would be the time to do it. I highly recommend adding roasted broccoli to this dish!
- Serve immediately while hot, or move on to the next step for baking.
- Once you’ve mixed everything together, pour the mac n’ cheese into an 8 x 8 square dish and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and black pepper. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve!
–
*Note: You could keep this dish properly combined by serving the cheese sauce over cooked spaghetti squash or spiralized zucchini noodles. Personally, we were feeling the more traditional shell pasta last night, but I’m sure it would taste great either way!
Well. That’s got to be the fastest a recipe has ever been bookmarked in this house… look at you go! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, good! Hope you get to enjoy it soon.
This looks foodgasmic, I want some now, send me a spoonful?
I’d send you some, but the leftovers are already gone! Good sign, I guess.
I really need to get a vitamix!
You are en fuego! That looks so awesome!
Are you looking for a new job? Cause I’ll pay you to come be my personal chef…
Yes, I’d love to be your personal chef! I’m whipping up a batch of macaroons with YOUR name on it as we speak.
Yes!!!!!
Okay, definitely bookmarking this! I have always loved mac ‘n’ cheese but my sister? She is absolutely crazy about it and has been pushing me to make her a vegan version since she wants to start cutting back on dairy. This looks like it would do an amazing job of convincing her to FULLY give up dairy.. maybe. I can dream.
I hate to admit it but I used to LOVE the mac n cheese out of the box. But this version looks amazing! I’m going to try and give that recipe a shot this week!
[...] Move over, Kraft [...]
[...] Move over, Kraft [...]
[...] know what this was before I ate all of the leftovers I had yesterday is? It’s a vegan mac and cheese made using a recipe that Megan of Healthy Hoggin’ posted last week. It is [...]
Oh my! I made this today for lunch and everyone snarfed it! So good! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Can’t wait to make it again.
[...] until tender but still slightly crunchy, then added in my sauce– today it was leftover Vegan Mac n’ Cheese Sauce! (but any sauce will [...]
Well, another fabulous Sunday meal. We will definitely try the broccoli and rice with “cheese” sauce. When you turn on the blender. It’s like magic. Cashew and stuff= Cheese! Way cool.
[...] Yummy food you make: I can’t pick just one! My current faves: Vegan Mac n’ Cheese, Detox Macaroons, Raw Chocolate [...]
Hi! I’m unfortunately allergic to cashews (and walnuts, pecans, and pistachios) but do you think there’s another nut substitute that could replace the cashews in this recipe? I’m dying to try it, it looks so amazing!
Hmmm… can you have other tree nuts, like Brazil or Macadamia nuts? I would think those would work well.
I’ve tried using almonds before and the sauce wasn’t quite as creamy as the cashew-version, but if you soak the almonds for 4-6 hours before hand, they should blend pretty smoothly! I’d say any nut (other than peanuts… that could be gross) would work, though the flavor might be slightly different– but still good!
you can also try sunflower seeds.
Do you think hemp seeds will work? I, too, cannot have cashews.
You never know until you try! The hemp seeds may affect the flavor and texture, so you might have to experiment a bit… but it’s worth a shot!
Let us know how it goes!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made this the other day and me and fiance wolfed it down. I call it crack mac n’ cheese..it’s that good:)
Oh good! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!!
[...] shelf: Megan’s cashew cheese (Which is great as-is for a dip for veggies, or can be thinned out and used as a dressing for [...]
Great Website, Info, Recipes, and Illustrations! It seems you have put a good amount of work into your blog. Props!
My main issue is that it seems that some of your recipes violate proper food combinations. I read your section on it so I understand you are aware of them.
For example: In this recipe, please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the pasta, a starch, and the nuts, a protein ? Which is a staple bad combination ?
Also, In my research I have also read that tomatoes inhibit the digestion of starches and is a bad combination. This is because the enzyme, ptyalin, acts only in an alkaline medium; it is destroyed even by a mild acid.
Right now I am assuming maybe you are just loose with your food combining rules but maybe you know something i don’t. If so, enlighten me so I can make some of your delicious looking recipes!
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
- from a fellow Artist & Health Conscious Individual
Hi Michael!
Yes, some of my recipes don’t take food combining rules into consideration, as my husband doesn’t follow these rules and many of my readers don’t, either. I feel that upgrading from traditional mac n’ cheese to this healthier version is still a great improvement for many people!
I do try to note when a recipe isn’t properly combined, though–> as I did at the bottom of this recipe for Mac n’ Cheese. I try to recommend ways to keep it properly combined, too, like serving this “cheese sauce” over spiralized zucchini noodles instead. I usually enjoy it over a bed of steamed veggies, myself, and it’s delicious!
Also, I don’t get into super-specifics with food combining. My body simply isn’t sensitized enough yet to feel a difference on how tomatoes affect my starch digestion. (of course, I rarely eat grains, so this isn’t an issue for me very often) I find that keeping the major food categories separate– starches, flesh, nuts & seeds, etc– is simple enough for me to practice regularly, and keeps me feeling great.
Hope you enjoy the recipes!
First off, let me note that I am a huge fan of nutritional-yeast based cheeses. I’ve tried tons of recipes (and I like everyone of them) but yours is the best! Thank you! I will be linking back to it on my blog to spread the love. Love you site too by the way and your outlook on food!
Thanks for letting me know, Alyssa! Glad you love it as much as I do.
I think this is my favorite thing to have come out of my vitamix EVER!!! I have an 8yr old (huge fan of boxed Mac and cheese) and a 15mo old and all our plates were spotless!! We had leftovers for breakfast (we couldn’t wait for lunch) my 15mo old even clapped when it came out of the fridge. WINNER!!! We aren’t vegan but I am trying to go natural and unprocessed and I do love a good vegan recipe!! How would I make this just a cheese sauce for maybe veggies?? Do I bake alone or casserole it??! Thanks this is my 3rd recipe I’ve made of yours and I have loved every one!!!
I’m glad it was such a hit!! Thanks for letting me know.
I’ve served the cheese sauce directly over a bed of steamed veggies, and have also baked it as a casserole– both ways work really well!
After the sauce is made in the blender does it have to cook for 30 min?? Or is it ok right out of the blender? I’m making batches and freezing so I have a quick no fuss meal!
The sauce can be enjoyed raw– no need to cook it at all– I just warm it up before serving.
Oh no…you’ve done it again. Put another thing on my to-make list! AHHHH!!!!
Made it tonight, and loved it! Funny enough, I will never get my kids to like a “fake” mac-n-cheese, but it was a winner for me…and I’m pretty tough to please, too!
I also loved adding the roasted broccoli…I’ve never tried roasting it before…wonderful!! Thanks again!
[...] have friends over tonight to have dinner and a fireside chat, and we elected to make this mac & cheese recipe, and OMG. Let’s put it this way. Jeff, who is so not the person you’d think would like a [...]
Hi, is there are good substitute for cashews? I can have all other nuts but not cashews!
Sunflower seeds may be a good option, as would Brazil or macadamia nuts. Each may lend a slightly different flavor to the sauce, so make sure you taste it as you go, and adjust it to your liking!
This is one of our favorite recipes, even of my cheese-loving daughter. I’m taking it to a potluck next week, and even before she tasted it, the hostess wanted the recipe.
Thanks for letting me know! I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed it!
[...] I have been wanting to try making a vegan mac and cheese using cashew cheese for a long time now. Many people have said that it is so good you can’t tell it is vegan. And they are right! It is sooo delicious. I think I like it better than a regular cheese sauce. I used quinoa pasta to go with it and roasted broccoli and it was so decadent as is for me. But for my husband and his friends who were over this evening, I threw on some buffalo chicken and they gobbled it down. I don’t think a single one of them knew that there wasn’t actually any cheese in this. I say this sauce is a winner! Hub Grub ready to serve to the hubs and his “bros” as he lovingly refers to them. Creamy Mac and Cheese with Roasted Broccoli adapted from The Detoxinista [...]
Hi Megan, question for you. About how much cashew butter does 1.5 cups of whole cashews yield? I want to try your recipe but go the lazy route and use premade raw cashew butter. Thanks!
In my experience, 1 cup of nuts = 1/2 cup nut butter. So, I’d use 3/4 cup of cashew butter for this recipe.
Hope you enjoy it!
Made this for lunch and I thought it was soooo goood! My main concern was my children since they’re a little more picky than me. My most picky my 5 year old didn’t like it but my six year old, three year old, and one year old each had three helpings. When I asked my six year old if he liked it he said, “no, I LOVE it!” Now that is high praise indeed! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Hi there! Had to comment on this, because I think this recipe has saved my life. I’m a paleo girl who is allergic to gluten, eggs, beef (sob!), almonds, and dairy (both lactose and casein, and both cow and goat), and I was despairing of having anything left to eat. I had a flip-out the other day and ate one of the frozen mac and cheese dinners left in my freezer from my pre-paleo days, and almost didn’t have enough antihistamine to prevent breathing difficulties. The next day I found this recipe, and gave it a try. No more frozen dinners for me, now whenever I get the food blues I have this to cheer me up! To add in some meat protein and fat I sauteed onions and nitrate-free ham and mixed them in with roasted broccoli and cauliflower as the base of the casserole (leaving out the noodles), poured the sauce on top, sprinkled extra nutritional yeast on top to make a breadcrumb-like topping, and baked as directed, and this was absolutely stunningly delicious. Thank you!
This looks awesome! Does it taste like kraft? I hae been trying to find an alternative to Kraft that actually tastes like it
Is this spicy?
Thanks!!!
I’ve made this for my family three times already and we looooove it better than “regular” Mac n cheese! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Made the whole shebang with the broccoli & shitake shrooms. The pseudo cheese sauce was very impressive & thie overall taste was delicious. Great keeper for vegans. Thanks!
Megan, this dish is WICKED.
Now, that statement is coming from a nutritionist and passionate cook with views/”beliefs” that are identical to yours
I will never say something is AMAZING if it’s not really perfect. This mac & cheese tastes so cheesey and cheddar-y, it’s unbelievable. I topped the casserole with some stale sourdough crackers that I made (ground in a coffee grinder) to please my crumb-topping-loving husband. And my 3 year old said, “Mommy, this is really yummy in my tummy”. She’s not picky at all, but that is not a statement she makes all the time!
I am so happy I found your blog, and I will definitely try more recipes from here. Especially since all ingredients are what I use anyway and our tastes seem to be really similar. Next up, I’m going for the macaroons!
Keep up the wonderful work!
Sarah (all the way on the other side of the globe in Israel)
[...] I have been wanting to try making a vegan mac and cheese using cashew cheese for a long time now. Many people have said that it is so good you can’t tell it is vegan. And they are right! It is sooo delicious. I think I like it better than a regular cheese sauce. I used quinoa pasta to go with it and roasted broccoli and it was so decadent as is for me. But for my husband and his friends who were over this evening, I threw on some buffalo chicken and they gobbled it down. I don’t think a single one of them knew that there wasn’t actually any cheese in this. I say this sauce is a winner! Hub Grub ready to serve to the hubs and his “bros” as he lovingly refers to them. Creamy Mac and Cheese with Roasted Broccoli adapted from The Detoxinista [...]
Just made this for dinner, saw it today rushed out to get pasta the whole family loved it! SOO GOOOD!
Thank you! You are very creative!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know.
[...] i ate a big bowl of leftover mac & cheese (this recipe was ridiculously delicious, and i am not easily impressed by impostor cheese) and [...]
I’ve been waiting to get a Vitamix to make this recipe. Purchased one three days ago, and I made it today. Holy moly, this sauce is so good! I served it over shaved zucchini for a raw pasta dish. It was a very happy dinner
I was blown away by how
Good this turned out ! I added brocoli mushroom Califlower and artichokes which I highly suggest you trying since you love them so much ! My boyfriend thinks we should trick our unhealthy eattin friends w this dish and pretend its real cheese. I also topped it w Cheddar Daiya at the end to give a extra cheesy vibe. I made your chocolate chip cookies for dessert ! Highly recommend doing that as well. I’m making the stuffed peppers and muffins tonight ! Love your site!
I can’t have any nuts, cashews or seeds. My body just can’t digest them well at all so I get sick from them. So is there any Vegan and Gluten Free substitution that I can use instead of the cashews in the cheese sauce? Thanks
You might want to try this recipe instead: http://detoxinista.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-mac-n-cheeze/
Thank you so much! I will definitely try that! It looks really good!
Made this with grated zucchini tonight… strained it and got a lot of the moisture out. It was so good and authentic tasting, almost like angel hair pasta. It brought me right back to childhood… yum! Thanks Megan!
This is hands down the very best vegan mac & cheese recipe available ever. THANK YOU.
[...] night I made the Vegan Mac&Cheese and both men gave a thumbs up, but insisted they did not want to know what was in it! Jake loved [...]
you deserve a fucking award for this recipe. my mind is blown.
This looks awesome!! I see that you talk about Candida on your website. Is the nutritional yeast in this recipe ok to eat for those concerned about Candida? If not, is there a good substitute for the nutritional yeast?
Just made this. Wow so far all your recipes ive made come out great! I used my plain old blender, not anything fancy like a vita mix. I blended the cashews first into powder then added the rest. It came together really well and quickly. At first i found the sauce a bit sweet from the cashews so i added bit more chili powder and salt. Also once i mixed it with the noodles and baked it, it really came together. I am not vegan and my husband usually HATES when i try recipes like these b.c they don’t usually come out tasting good. This time around when he tasted it, he really liked it! Even said i can make it again! Thats a huge deal! He had a plate of this and also some noodles with the oil free walnut pesto. He loved both. I am really excited about this, if you can’t tell
Thanks so much and i really cant wait to try more recipes!
I can’t wait to try this, it looks amazing! I always have an issue reheating gluten-free pasta- it comes out hard and tasteless. Assuming there is any leftovers mac and cheese, how do you suggest storing and reheating? Thanks, Lisa
We don’t own a microwave anymore, so I re-heat using my oven. Depending on the portion size, it usually takes about 10-15 minutes at 350F to warm up, and I find adding a splash of water to the sauce (you can stir it up to incorporate), and keeping the dish covered keeps it moist!
The men in the house, who are serious gourmet (used loosely here) Mac n cheese addicts gave the recipe 2 thumbs up. The layers of flavor were impressive. Thank you!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
We came across your site last week and I have made so many recipes already- and this is one of our favorites- (we add sauteed mushrooms and chopped kale) In fact my 12 year old son made it today by himself! I left the cashews soaking on the counter and when I came home from the store, he had already made the sauce! I have to admit it was even better when he made it! He accidentally used Chipotle chili powder instead of reg. chili powder! Thank you for sharing a healthy substitute for his guilty pleasure!
Wow, lucky you! Sounds like you’ve got a personal chef in the making.
So you don’t soak the cashews at all before blending? I do have a Vitamix, so it can handle it I’m sure. But I often see recipes where the cashews are soaked for 20 minutes or an hour or four hours.
I’m usually too lazy to soak the cashews, but it probably is better to soak and rinse them first.
This recipe is AMAZING. This may be the most delicious vegan cheese sauce ever. My baked mac and cheese just came out of the oven, and I have already nibbled at it, I just can’t help myself. Thank you for your wonderful recipe, you are a food goddess! I am so overjoyed I found your blog, and can’t wait to try more mouthwatering yumminess from your site.
I wonder if you’re still getting comments from this post? I’m up for a new recipe and on the fence between this and your creamy pumpkin sage sauce. Either way I will probably use spaghetti squash “noodles”. What’s your have?
Hi Laura! I couldn’t possible pick between those two recipes– we love them both! This “cheese” sauce is probably a little thicker and heavier, so it just depends on what you’re in the mood for. Hope you enjoy it!
Made this recipe last week (added roasted broccoli and sauteed kale and shiitake mushrooms) and absolutely loved it!
I was just wondering if it might help to soak the cashews before making the cheese sauce, since soaked nuts are easier to blend (not to mention easier on digestion)? Or would that make the cheese sauce too runny?
Either way, thanks for a great recipe!
Oops, probably should have looked through the other comments before submitting mine! Will try soaking the cashews next time. Thanks again!
[...] down on Mexican food for dinner. At 5pm. So when we got back, we made our own vegan dinner of mac ‘n cheese (OMG delicious) followed by fig newtons straight from her favorite food [...]
WOW! Made this tonight and hubby and I are obsessed! So delicious! Neither one of us has had a bite of macaroni and cheese since the 1990s, but now we are back to enjoying one of our old favorites in an entirely new, healthy way! Thank you so much for the recipe and all of your nutritional wisdom and scrumptious ideas
! I used brown rice pasta shells (tinkyada brand) and after boiling it, then mixing in the “cheese” sauce, it was already perfect and good enough to eat. But we baked it anyway, as you suggested. It was tasty this way, but a little dry and clumpy (stickier) than it was before baking. So maybe next time we’ll just dig in before baking it. Is there a certain reason it needs to be baked that we are unaware of? Well, either way, this is extremely good and will become a regular addition to our table. Thank you again!
[...] Vegan cheezy spaghetti with roasted brussels sprouts! The cheeze sauce loosely based off of Megan’s recipe. [...]
OK, I hate to be Debbie Downer here, but after all the rave reviews, I decided to try this recipe with my new Vitamix. I’m not vegan, but I am trying to add some more healthy recipes to my current rotation. I didn’t like this. At all. The consistency is great, but the sauce just tasted like spicy mustard to me.
Sorry to hear you didn’t care for it! Hope you have better luck with some of the other recipes.
Hi there! I came across your site via Yoga teacher Tara Stiles. She recommended the Mac n cheese, and I’m so glad I listened! I am not a vegan, and I love real cheese! Too bad real cheese doesn’t love me back. I followed the recipe exactly, and I’m super impressed with this dish! I think if you follow the measurements perfectly, you will like the taste. It’s even better reheated! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Katy! Thanks for letting me know!
http://tarastiles.com/blog/vegan-mac-cheese/
is there another nut you could recommend trying? i can’t have cashews or peanuts.
Macadamia or Brazil nuts may work well. Please let us know if you have any success!
I had something like this in a vegan cafe in LA last month and vowed to find a good recipe. this looks fantastic. going to try it tonight and will make several small sized casseroles to freeze if its as good as it sounds. thank you!
If you don’t like mustard, replace it with miso!
Best mac n cheese I have ever made! And I have tried a LOT of recipes. This one is just perfect. Super easy to throw together too which is a huge plus. Added it to our New Years Eve dinner and I was super impressed. My hubby is a new vegan so he is still missing some of his favorite meals… so for him to say this was the best mac n cheese he has ever had, well, that’s awesome! Huge highfives to you!! Thank you for posting this recipe
I’ve been plant based for a year and half. I have tried many mac n “cheese” recipes. This one is pretty tasty. I used eden’s organics mustard that has apple cider vinegar in it and I think it made it taste more tangy then it would of been.It would of been good without the mustard. I ended up adding some salsa to it to neutralize the tanginess. It did the trick.
We tried this last night and loved it! I neglected to mention to my family that it was vegan. They all said they liked it – but wanted just a little more cheese in it. I said ok. I’ll tell them next time. Do you have nutritional stats for this by any chance?
Can you make this without the nutritional yeast? or is there a substatute? My walmart doesn’t sell it and I have just started eatting clean and healthy so I don’t have any on hand. Thanks
I can’t think of a good substitute for nutritional yeast, it’s pretty unique and adds the “cheesy” flavor.
If you can’t find it locally, you can buy nutritional yeast on Amazon with free shipping: http://amzn.to/WOYRG3
Hello Megan! I have made your mac n cheese twice now, once without the yeast because I didn’t have it, and the other with the yeast. Both were very good, although, the yeast gave it a cheesier flavor. My problem is that after baking it, it loses its creaminess and becomes dry. Any suggestions??? Thanks!
This is the first time I have made cashew butter or used nutritional yeast. I am not a vegan or anything just trying to eat healthier. This dish was very yummy! I included mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil. I also used Orzo instead of shells. It worked out nice! The only downside to the dish is it doesn’t reheat quite as creamy as it was when I first made it. Thank you!
Well hello. I just tried this dish tonight and it wasn’t as delightful as you said it would be. Maybe i did something wrong because it tasted very lemony and not cheesey. Or maybe this is a dish that is for people who are accustomed to vegan dishes already. I do love your website though!!
I’m sorry to hear that! I guess the flavor isn’t for everyone. Hope you’ll enjoy another recipe in the future!
Don’t worry, I’ve already made the Spicy “tuna” Rolls, the almond butter, the almond butter fudge, and tonight is going to be the Roasted Red Pepper “cream” sauce. I have plans to make the Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream probably Friday
Oh and the cheesecake… I’m a sweets person through and through. Thanks Megan!!!!!
I came across this recipe awhile ago and have been trying to find a good time to make it ever since. I just made it tonight and it is SO GOOD. My add-ins were sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, and steamed peas. I kept going back for more. Good thing I have plenty of leftovers. Great recipe!
i have candida so can’t have cashews or yeast – there are so many recipes using cashews – is there anything that i can substitute?
Hi,
I don’t know how old your post is, but I’m replying anyway. Due to my kids’ nut allergies, I have substituted tahini for cashews in similar recipes, and it works well. That said, I haven’t had the cashew version.
Thanks for letting us know! Glad you enjoyed it.
Just made this (the bowl sits next to me as I type). Holy Toledo! What a wonderful recipe – can’t believe there’s no cheese in this. I don’t have a Vitamix but have a good quality food processor. I soaked my cashews overnight. I added mushrooms & green peas to this. My 19 yr. old son gave this “thumbs up,” which is saying more than you’ll ever know.
I made a cauliflower cheese version of this recipe tonight and it was INCREDIBLE! Will be making this sauce again definitely! Will try the raw cheesecake recipe next. Thank you so much x
This was amazing! My go-to comfort meal is mac n cheese and chili cheese dogs. Not exactly the healthiest meal! I’m lactose intolerant as well so finding a decent mac n cheese recipe that tastes good and is good for you that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg with the ingredients is hard to come by. This was delicious. It took me a bit to find the nutritional yeast but I’m glad I didn’t give up. I had a hard time getting the cheesy sauce to the right thickness so I had to add about a half cup more of the cashews, which ups the recipes fat and caloric value, but not by a whole lot and it was worth it. I personally prefer Dijon mustard over yellow, but it almost came out a little too mustard-y so I think next time I will cut back a little on the mustard and up the nutritional yeast for a more cheesy flavor. The husband is gone for the next few days on business and this will definitely be my dinner for the next few days! So delicious! Thank you!
So-I just made this for dinner and LOVED it! We added some extra cayenne because I love a good kick in the taste buds
) Brown rice noodles, sautéed mushrooms and spinach-and did not have the yeast flakes so I will have to try it again soon. GREAT recipe-I even posted it on my Facebook&Instagram to share with others!
[...] and quasi-exciting recipes to make without meat or dairy products. One of my biggest successes was Detoxinista’s Vegan Mac and Cheese. Talk about yummy. All recipes aside, there’s something sultry about eating meat. Food is [...]
This is an amazing recipe! I have been veggie for over 10 yrs and scared to try vegan mac and cheese – I am sorry I have waited so long. I put peas, onion, garlic, peppers, and a couple veggie burgers to give it extra protein. Rice noodles have gotten much better over the years, too. I am making this again and have been raving about it to other friends. Thanks!
This was very good. A cheesey taste. Wouldn’t fool anybody but it is delicious in it’s own right. For those that made comments about mustard or lemon make sure it is level tsp/Tbs. I even used half the mustard and it tasted good. Can always add the rest. Excellent suggestion for the add-ins; I used mushrooms and spinach as that is what I had. So good!
I’ve just started experimenting with Vegan recipes and lots of them call for nutritional yeast, like this recipe. Is it for taste or for nutritional value ?? Going to try this recipe tonight, do you think it could fool anyone into thinking there is cheese and not “cheese”
in it ?? I hope so cause I love cheese and it’s been soooooo difficult not eating it !
The nutritional yeast is added for a “cheesy” flavor. I think it depends on who you want to “fool,” too. My husband gobbled it up, and I didn’t even tell him it wasn’t cheese until he was halfway done with his plate! But, I’ve heard that others wouldn’t be “fooled” into thinking it wasn’t really cheese… but, either way it’s a tasty sauce! I’d probably serve it to guests as “Mac n’ Cheese” and wouldn’t expect them to question it.
[...] http://detoxinista.com/2011/01/move-over-kraft/ Vegan Mac n’ Cheese Author: Detoxinista.com Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total [...]
I just made the recipe and it’s delicious. I added roasted broccoli and spinach. I’m thinking next time I might also add some sauteed leeks. This recipe is a keeper– a “go to” recipe. I loved it.
I am a new vegan and giving up mac and cheese was for sure the hardest thing for me. I found this recipe and I was scared because I didn’t think it could be comparable, but it is! I am not easy to please. I am picky, and I am especially picky when it comes to my mac and cheese. This is so good. I promise, everyone should try this, vegan or not.
WOW!!!! I finally got around to making this and my family LOVED it and all said it was so delicious and asked for seconds!!!!!!!!!!! I haven’t had mac ‘n cheese for YEARS and I gobbled this up!!! I will be making it again SOON!! My one tip though is to reduce the baking time to about 5-7 min…just enough for it to be hot. It was so creamy and delicious before I baked it, but afterward, seemed pretty dry, so I ended up adding about a 3/4 cup of almond milk…so, the next time I make it I’ll just pop it in the oven for about 5 min. or so. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for this amazing recipe that I will be making for YEARS!!!!
I also love that the ingredients are ones that most of us vegans/clean eaters have on hand!!! 
Nutritional yeast is the bomb!!!! 
WOW!!! I just made this for dinner and it is so good!!! YUM! I followed the directions exactly except I didn’t have any paprika. I used dijon mustard not yellow…And it is amazing. The only change is I will cook it a little less next time to keep more of the creamy texture. I plan to make this often!!! Thank you so much!!
I loved this one. I will admit that it didn’t make it to the oven. We tried it after we mixed it all together and couldn’t stop! Thank you!!
Have just made this and it’s amazing:).
I have a casein & soy intolerance so I have missed mac n’ cheese the most. I made this last night and seriously died and went to heaven. Thank GOD I looked online if nutritional yeast was different than active dry yeast, that would have not been pretty. I already sent this to two friends.
I love you
[...] Vegan Mac&Cheese [...]
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am a massive mac and cheese fan aswell as a 2 minute noodle fan but when I learnt about the ingredients in them I had a mind shift and haven’t touched the things in over 2 years. I just made this vegan mac and cheese recipe and I swear I died and went to heaven. I will be making this a lot, thank you so much for being so creative!!
Can’t anyone make a mac and cheese recipe without mustard? Every recipe I’ve ever seen, and every boxed vegan mac and cheese I’ve seen, contains mustard. It smells HORRIBLE and rancid and I can’t stand the taste, and there’s a lot of people out there besides me who feel the same.
If you don’t care for the flavor of mustard, just leave it out. That’s why homemade versions are so easy– you can change the flavor to suit your tastes!
amazing recipe! i used a little less than 1 tsp. himalayan pink salt & 2 T. lemon (for the kids sake) thank you!
Hi Megan,
I made this dish recently and was ecstatic by the votes of “yes” that I received from the rest of my family. Thank you!
Now I’m planning to make this dish for a friend with a new baby. Would you recommend doing all the prep and giving it to her with instructions to cook, OR cooking it for her and knowing that it will go in her fridge before she reheats it to serve to her family?
Thank you again! Delish!
This did not work for me. Maybe it was the type of yeast. It did not smell appealing and the taste was disappointing. Maybe it was the type of yeast that I used. I don’t know what went wrong.
Yes, if you used the wrong kind of yeast it would make a world of difference! I accidentally bought Brewer’s yeast once, and the results were terrible. :/
AMAZING! I added a bit more chili pepper because I like things spicy. YU-UM!
[...] This one is really tasty and the cheesy sauce is a variation on one by Detoxinista (http://detoxinista.com/2011/01/move-over-kraft/) [...]
I have an ultra-sensitive stomach, and lactose intolerance so I’ve had to give up a lot of the rich foods. I made this last night and added the roasted broccoli as recommended. My husband asked “so what kind of cheese is in this?” It was really good and really easy to make. Thanks for the recipe! Keep ‘em coming!
Absolutely fantastic! I have been searching for a go to baked macaroni and cheese and have tried soooo many recipes. I always feel sick after just a little bit and thought I could be lactose intolerant. I tried your recipe with some roasted garlic broccoli and was shocked at how much better this was than ANY of the ones I had tried before! The only thing I do (because I love cheese, I just apparently can only have a little) is sprinkle a little layer of breadcrumbs and then a light layer of cheese before I bake it.Oh and I also use whole wheat mini or large penne. Perfect for anyone that’s not necessarily looking for vegan or grain-free, but wants a DELICIOUS and super fast meal!!
Megan,
I am a mac and cheese officiando….and this recipe was FANTASTIC! No more cheesy mac and cheese for me. Delish!! THANK YOU!!!
[...] Here’s the recipe I used (from Detoxinista.com): [...]
I have been meaning to make this dish for a while, and I finally did. WOW!!! This recipe is AMAZING! It tastes soooo good and really does taste like cheese. Even better in fact! Thanks
Hello! I made this last night using all of the specified ingredients making sure I bought the right yeast (Bragg in GF section) etc. and it didn’t taste right, tasted sour/bitter. Know what I did wrong? I used all of your exact ingredients except I used 1/2 tsp of brown spicy mustard because that’s all I had. Did you mean the powdered mustard by chance? Would that make a difference?
I LOVE Mac and Cheese and I’d love to make this properly!! I’m sure it’s FABULOUS.
Giving it 3 stars because it didn’t taste good :/ hoping I can come back and fix that!
I just finished making this. My husband couldn’t believe that it was vegan & I am so happy to finally be able to have Mac n’ cheese again (dairy allergy). This was better than other Mac n’ cheeses I’ve had in restaurants. Thank you! Keep these awesome recipes coming!
Can I just say how completely grateful I am that I found your blog. Every single recipe I see looks so amazing. My heart is full of love for you
<3
is this spicy from the cayenne? i like spicy but i would be making it for my little girl and I.. should I skip that ingredient?
eatlovelivelove.blogspot.com
I am in process of making this. I’m waiting for my pasta to cook but I tasted the “cheese sauce” OMG! I’m in love!!! this is soooo good. I’m not vegan but I like to try different things. this will be my go to sauce when I need a cheese sauce for vegetables or pasta. I made a vegan Mac and cheese from another site and though it was tasty this is the BOMB!
This is the best cheese sauce I’ve ever had!!
I just made this and I CANNOT believe how yummy it is!!! Thank you so much!!
Trying a little switch out tonight on the family. I love how delish this is!
Allow me to add that my seven year old son is home from school and he is the pickiest of them all. He is happily chowing down! Thank you!!!
Wow! I was honestly surprised. I previously tried the recipe for vegan “cheese” from the widely cited Uncheese Cookbook and that turned out gross. This was really creamy and comforting with a hint of spice. My boyfriend HATES vegan food, and this fooled him – he actually liked it!
[...] this element, I actually used the Detoxinista’s recipe for Vegan Mac’n Cheese. I adapted her sauce to be a little thinner with some more lemon juice and a few leaves of fresh [...]
[...] recently stumbled upon a new blog, detoxinista, and discovered a new recipe. The title “Dairy Free Mac and Cheese” did not sound too [...]
Omg I just made this! It’s soooooo yummy! I’m lactose intolerant and a vegetarian and this is a blessing!! Yum yum nom nom! Thank you! Ps the roasted broccoli was a brilliant addition!
It’s amazing! Very impressed! I loved the texture of eggplant lasagna and of this mac n’ cheese! It’s great making this healthy stuff with all the flavour and texture. Thank you so much
This was very yummy, but my family enjoyed it without baking! We’ll have to try baking it too
Thanks for the recipe. Also, is this good a day old? Or should it be served fresh?
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! I must say, I have never ranked any recipe online, but this is definitely my favorite non-dairy recipe ever!!! I loved the veggies, and I think I will make extra cheese next time, b/c I think it soaked up a little more than I would have preferred when I baked it (could be my oven). The flavor was still outstanding though!!! Thank you so much!
[...] Vegan mac & cheese with roasted broccoli [...]
can i get the nutritional value for your recipes?
Please see my FAQ regarding nutrition info: http://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
This was the best vegan mac n’ cheese I have ever made, it’s so creamy and cheesy even my coworkers didn’t notice it was vegan until i told them. Next time however I’ll think I’ll pass on baking it, the sauce baked onto the pasta and wasn’t nearly as saucy as I would have hoped for. Still, I have definitely found my new favorite comfort food.
Do you have any nutritional information on this dish?
Looks yummy. Was interested in calories/sodium/carbs..
oops just saw the other commenter and where you referred for nutritional info. thanks!
I’m obsessed with your website Megan! I just made it and it was delicious! I’m glad it served for 4, because I can enjoy this for the next three days as my lunch! Thanks for the recipe!
Btw I substituted the cashew for cashew butter since I don’t have a Vitamix
Hi Megan
I’m such a huge fan of your recipes and can’t wait to try this one! I was wondering how important the nutritional yeast is in this recipe? I live in New Zealand and it’s just one of those ingredients I can’t seem to find anywhere.
I am so happy that I stubled upon your blog today! I love all the healthy vegan recipes!
I made tonight and it was good, but the tangy kinda throws me off. Is this bc of the mustard? If so, can I just eliminate the ingredient and it still taste like Mac?
Thanks so much!
This is the best sauce I have ever made. Thank you so much!
[...] followed this recipe, but as always, made a few modifications. Here’s what went into the [...]
This looks absolutely wonderful and delicious! What sort of nutritional yeast should I use? Where could I get it? Sorry but I have no idea about nutritional yeast. Thank You!!!
Oh my God I love you!
Thanks for the amazing recipe!