This is the best Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe you’ll ever try. It’s quick to prepare, and just as creamy as the traditional version. Everyone loves it!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s fast to make. This recipe is just as quick as cooking the popular boxed version, only this one is made without dairy. While the pasta cooks, you can whip up the sauce in a blender!
The ingredients are simple. All you need is a handful of pantry ingredients, plus nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor.
It’s truly satisfying. When you stir this simple sauce into pasta, most people can’t tell that it’s not a real cheese sauce! It’s perfect for those who need a dairy-free side dish to bring to a holiday party.
It’s allergy-friendly. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free pasta. Brown rice pasta and chickpea pasta are both easy options! If you need a cheese sauce made without cashews, try sweet potato mac and cheese or my nut-free vegan cheese sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in Vegan Mac and Cheese?
- Noodles
- Raw cashews
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Spices
Spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder can add extra flavor to the sauce, and I like to add a pinch of turmeric for an orange color. (But that’s optional!) Feel free to add a dash of smoked paprika or black pepper on top, too.
See the variation ideas below, if you’d like to try another flavor combination.
How to Make the Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
1. Cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Small elbow noodles will cook in just 5 to 8 minutes, while larger macaroni noodles will take closer to 10 minutes.
2. Make the sauce.
In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, and spices. Blend until very smooth.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a high speed blender, cover the cashews with 1 cup of boiled water and let them soak for 10 minutes. This should help to soften the cashews, so they will blend more smoothly. Pour the soaked cashews (along with the warm soaking water) directly into the blender, then add in the rest of the ingredients to blend.
3. Mix it together.
When the noodles are done cooking, drain them and return the warm noodles back to the large pot.
Pour the sauce into the pot, and stir over medium heat until the mac n’ cheese is warmed through and the noodles are well coated in the sauce.
Adjust any seasoning to taste, adding more salt, as needed. You can also add an extra few tablespoons of water, if you’d like the sauce to have a more runny texture.
Serve this vegan mac and cheese warm, with any extra toppings you love. It’s delicious with veggies added in, such as steamed broccoli or roasted butternut squash, or you can add any other toppings you love.
Leftover mac n’ cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may need to add an extra splash of water when you reheat it on the stove top, since the cheese sauce will thicken when chilled.
Variations
Prefer a baked Mac and Cheese? Add an extra 1/4 cup of water to this recipe, to thin out the sauce (because it will thicken when baked), then pour the cooked pasta and sauce into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. For a crumb topping, stir together a 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs with a 1/4 cup of melted vegan butter and a 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over the top of your mac and cheese. (Use gluten-free bread crumbs if you need to.)
Bake the casserole in an oven preheated to 350ºF for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn on your oven’s broiler and let the breadcrumbs brown for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the topping looks golden brown. Watch closely, so it won’t burn! For a gluten-free topping, try using chopped almonds or other crushed nuts, instead.
Green Chile Mac and Cheese. Replace a 1/2 cup of water with a 4-ounce can of green chilies. You can also add in a few slices of jarred jalapenos, for extra flavor and spice. (This is inspired by vegan nacho cheese, which is my favorite vegan cheese dip ever!)
Miso Mac and Cheese. Did you know that white miso tastes similar to Parmesan cheese? If you don’t have nutritional yeast on hand, you can add a teaspoon of white miso to this recipe to help bring out all of the cheesy flavorings in this recipe. It’s always a good idea to start small with miso, as it can start to overpower a recipe quickly, so start with just a 1/2 teaspoon if you aren’t sure about the flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this nut-free? You can experiment with using hemp hearts instead of cashews, if you like. (This works great for vegan ranch dressing, so it might work here, too.) Otherwise try Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese, as an alternative.
Can I use milk instead of water? Of course! I recommend using a non-dairy milk that has no added sweetener, but you can use oat milk, almond milk, or even soy milk if you’d like to add extra protein to this recipe. I don’t recommend using coconut milk, unless you don’t mind the added coconut flavor.
Vegan Mac and Cheese (Fan Favorite!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or ½ clove garlic)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard (optional)
- 16 ounces Elbow or shell pasta of choice (gluten-free, if needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Be sure to add a tablespoon of salt to the cooking water, so the noodles will be well seasoned.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the cashews, lemon juice, water, salt, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne (if using), and mustard in a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of water and blend again.
- Once the pasta is tender, drain and return it to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce, and adjust any seasoning to taste. Serve warm, with any toppings or add-ins you like, such as steamed broccoli.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The mac and cheese will thicken when chilled, so you may need to add a splash of water when reheating it on the stove top, plus an extra sprinkle of salt.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Mac and Cheese Nutrition per serving (calculated with pasta): Calories 350, Fat:11g, Carbohydrates: 50g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 12g
Recipe Notes:
- Need a Nut-free Vegan Mac and Cheese? Try my Sweet Potato Mac n’ Cheese recipe, or use my nut-free Vegan Cheese Sauce or Cauliflower Cheese Sauce recipes.
- You could possibly use a nut other than cashews, such as macadamia nuts or blanched almonds, but keep in mind that substitutions might change the flavor. Be sure to taste as you go.
- I love adding roasted vegetables to this dish to make it more of a complete meal. Try adding roasted broccoli and mushrooms for a more flavorful pasta dish.
- For a baked Vegan Macaroni and Cheese, preheat the oven to 350ºF while you prepare the pasta and sauce. Pour the pasta and sauce into a casserole dish, along with any add-ins you like, and bake until the top looks dry, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
- Don’t care for the extra spices? Feel free to leave out the chili powder, turmeric, garlic, or cayenne. I think they help give this recipe a more gourmet flavor, but you can keep it simple, too!
As always, if you make a modification to this recipe please leave a comment below letting us know what worked for you. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have another childhood favorite dish that needs a healthy makeover? Let me know in the comments below!
I am skeptical of replacement recipes really tasting like the real thing, but this one delivers. Was delicious as dinner and even a cold leftover bite this morning. Will definitely make again! Thanks for such a simple recipe!
Hello, I was wondering if you cld freeze the sauce to defrost and add to the pasta at a later stage?
What is contributing to such a high sodium content?
For those who are worrying about food combining.
“The human body is highly skilled at digesting multiple foods or nutrients at once; that’s why you remain full and satisfied after eating a meal with a variety of balanced nutrients. (Most of us don’t eat individual foods one at a time, either.) “Food combinations increase variety, provide a wider swath of nutrient content…’”
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.refinery29.com/amp/en-us/what-is-food-combining-rules
I am recently having to be dairy free and I miss mac and cheese so much! I’m going to make this for my boyfriend and I tomorrow night! Question: what is the wiggle room on soaking the cashews? We both work all day and I usually start cooking right when I get home. Would soaking for 1 hour be enough? Would all day be bad? Should I soak them on my lunch and then they’ll be there for about 4 hours?
Also, we are planning to make enough for 4 and have leftovers friday. Any suggestions for reheating this? Or should I only make half at a time?
I don’t always soak the cashews, so there’s definitely wiggle room! You can soak them in the fridge overnight, too, but sometimes the cashews are a little slimier that way. I wouldn’t soak them longer than 24 hours. I reheat it in a skillet, and add an extra splash of water, because it’s thicker the next day.
YUUUUUMMM!!!! It tastes just like Mac&cheese! And it is so easy! Only one little critique: the amount of lemon juice was too much for my taste. So I started with little and then worked my way up.
THANK YOU for this great recipe! It is saved in my favs and I already shared it with my parents 🙂
One of my fav recipes ever! How long does it last refrigerated?
Omg that was epic! I’m a new vegan and Mac and cheese was one of my favourite dairy meals. This was actually nicer wow.
We’ve tried many vegan cheese sauces and this by far our favorite! The flavor is so dialed in. Many thumbs up from our household!
This recipe gives me hope! I have recently started to cut out animal products in my diet, and one of my struggles so far has been dairy, particularly cheese. This recipe convinced me that dropping dairy is definitely doable. This was my first attempt at making vegan “cheese” and it turned out great! It was so easy to put together and I was amazed the level of creaminess you get from the cashews. My husband loved it too, and we both went back for seconds. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Be sure to try the Pesto Pasta Salad and Vegan Nacho Cheese sauce here on my website, too. They make going dairy-free very possible. 😉
I loved this recipe. Thanks for the gluten-free vegan mac and cheese recipe. I tried this recipe at home and this was awesome.
I loved your recipe so much that I have featured it on my recent blog. Let me know if you would like to check it out.
Is it possible not to use Nutritional Yeast?
AMAZING
The consistency of the sauce looked amazing in the blender, I even added some extra water to make sure it wasn’t too thick but as soon as I added it to the pasta, it was soooo thick. I don’t know how to reduce it. Flavor was nice though.
Hi Megan
In the video you say 1 cup of cashews but the recipe says 1&1/2 cups but all other ingredients on recipe printed is the same as the video. Which amount should we use?thanks
I recommend trying it with the 1 cup of cashews! I actually did that by accident (my memory clearly wasn’t the best during filming and I only used 1 cup) but I thought the sauce turned out great that way.
AMAZING! I added some vegan mexicana cheese when heating the sauce and omg this is taking over from regular mac and cheese for me. Absolutely delicious.
Nice cheesy taste. Easy to make with my Vitamix. Thank you 😊
This is the worst tasting mess I have ever tasted!
The best vegan Mac and Cheese! Followed the directions step by step and I can’t wait to be hungry again so I can eat more 🙂
I made one of these vegan recipes for mac n’ cheese and it surprised me. This recipe is defiantly a game changer. I grew up eating mac n’ cheese and this tastes just like it but without using any animals in the process. This could change America! I used coconut milk instead of water and walnuts in place of cashews and it turned out so good.
Hello I am about to make this. Is it 1 and 1/2 of cashews or just 1 cup like the video?
The recipe has been 1 1/2 cups for years, but I accidentally used only 1 cup in the video and I thought it was great! So, you can try it with less if you want to. 🙂
My only quibble: this serves maybe two, because it is so freakin’ delicious I can’t stop eating it. Thank you!
Best vegan mac and cheese ever. Not grainy at all like some others I’ve tried. Excellent recipe
Soooo good! All your recipes are soooo good! I doubled the spices (except salt) because I like my cheddar cheese “sharp”. I also subbed carrot juice for the water.
Can you freeze this Mac and cheese???
THE RECIPE SAYS 1 1/2 CUPS CASHEWS AND THE VIDEO SAYS 1 CUP. WHICH ONE IS IT? THANKS!
You can do it either way! The video version was a mistake, but it turned out so well that I kept it that way. So, I’d use 1 cup to make it more budget-friendly.
This is an absolutely amazing recipe🤩my partner and I gobbled it up,it’s definitely going to be eaten weekly! I’ve tried vegan cheeses but most of them are aweful but this is so tasty,will definitely be pouring this sauce as a cheese substitute for other dishes😋thank you ☺️
Way too much salt for this recipe. The sauce was pure salt and ruined the whole thing. Would not recommend. A pinch of salt would of made it good. If you’re gonna spend $10 on a bag of raw cashews don’t waste your time with them on this recipe.
Hello, your vegan Mac and Cheese is so yummy. I would like to include it as a recipe for my fitness goals. What I the portion size for the number of servicing the recipe makes, i.e., half a cup, one cup, etc.?
Really, really good! Thank you!
Not vegan but wanted to make this. Even add the roasted veggies. Delicious. Will definitely be regularly on our dinner menu.
Hid the leftovers for lunch..lol.
This is so delicious and probably the best vegan sauce I’ve tried! I call it the zesty alfredo sauce! I know it will be a huge hit with my husband and son tonight! Has anyone ever tried swapping cashews for white beans for a fat free version?
Absolutely beautiful. I add tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber to the leftovers for my dinner at work the next day, lovely cold too!
so delish. was skeptical at first but was blown away. Mac and cheese craving = satisfied baby!
This recipe turned out sooo good! I left out garlic (covid has ruined my taste for garlic) and added in Hatch Green Chile which turned out so tasty even my skeptical mom was in love (though she did add chicken to hers lol) definitely will make again and I might even make it as a pasta salad for my upcoming baby shower ❤️
This is delish! I didn’t change a single thing and it came out amazing. Thank you!
More delicious than real mac and cheese!! And take just as long to make too!
Been a vegan for 4 years and this is the first cheese recipe I’ve actually liked. It was delicious and so easy to make.
This version of vegan Mac was one of the best I have had. I added about 4 tablespoons of oatmilk at the end because the lemon flavor was too much for me. Delicious! Thank you
If baking the Mac and cheese, when is best to add cooked veggies? Before or after baking?
I like to add roasted veggies after baking the mac n’ cheese. I think it helps them from getting too soggy!
I love this! This time I baked it and used lentil elbow noodles! Fabulous 😋
I made it last night and loved it!
I will say though, for others who might be planning to bake it, it was much better straight from the pot than after I baked it. Baking it dried it out and although I did brown the top a bit, this doesn’t contain enough oils to brown in a really yummy way.
If you do want the baked version, I would suggest experimenting with adding something, like a layer of vegan mozzarella to the top (I like the Violife mozzarella), or a little olive oil to the mix. One other commenter mentioned that he added chia seeds, and that gave it the stretchy quality that mac and cheese can have, and that’s something I might try too.
For me, though, I plan to make it again, exactly as written, and eat it straight from the pot! Couldn’t be an easier meal!
This is THE best mac and cheese I have ever had. My secret ingredient is a 1/4 cup of ketchup.
Okay, maybe you only include the good reviews here but……. This was by far the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. I’m vegan, and I was so pumped about this after reading the reviews. After making it, I actually felt sick to my stomach from one bite. The taste is foul.
Wow! I expected to feel heavy and sluggish after my bowl but I’m light as a bee. I didn’t measure much so had a heavy lemon taste which I tempered with miso and more nooch — it felt like a springtime celebration. Next time I’ll measure my lemon though….
I used this recipe as a great basis! Added broccoli and sautéed mushrooms for a baked mac& cheez. I threw in extra spices and also used some ACV for more acidity. That seemed to really set it off for my taste! Thank you for your recipe.
Mine looked too thick, so I added the 1 1/2 Tbs of water.
It looks like it needed more.
Is that what I should do or does it need more milk? It’s already made so if I want to heat it up and make it creamier what should I add? Thank you
Can you tell me what you’re serving size is? I see that it makes a servings I know I’m using a pound of pasta and I know what your nutritional facts are, but I wanted to compare it with traditional mac and cheese or the one from the craft box to show someone else and I’m not able to! I need to know what the serving size is that you used to calculate your nutritional information. I really would appreciate that thank you so much and I made it tonight and it is good.
Hi Megan,
I like the taste of this a lot, but I ran into a problem when it comes to reheating leftovers. I prefer my food to be steaming hot when I reheat it, but this causes the water to evaporate from the sauce and turn into a consistency of mashed potatoes. Do you know how to fix this? TIA!
I just made this. Excellent! I’ve made so many vegan Mac n cheese recipes and this one is a winner. I used Korean chilli flakes instead of chilli powder (just because), a delicious switch. Using ancho chilli powder could also be great, or blending in a dried red chilli (I like doing this with Mac n cheese), the variety used for Indian cooking