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Meet the best Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe you’ll ever try. It’s quick to prepare and tastes just as delicious and creamy as the traditional version!
This recipe is just as fast as the popular boxed version, only it’s made without dairy. While the pasta cooks, you can quickly whip up the plant-based sauce in a blender.
When you stir the simple vegan cheese sauce into pasta, most people can’t tell that it’s not the real thing. It’s perfect for those looking for dairy-free comfort food.
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
All you need is a handful of pantry ingredients, plus nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor.
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
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.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, and spices. Secure the lid and 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.
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 to help loosen the sauce if needed.
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 stovetop since the cheese sauce will thicken when chilled.
Flavor Variations
Prefer 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
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.
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.
Looking for more vegan comfort food? Try Vegan Quesadillas, the Best Veggie Burgers, Vegan Pad Thai, or Lentil Bolognese for more ideas.
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.
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Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been making this recipe for a few months now (because it’s so good!) so I decided to add it to our Thanksgiving meal today. My non-vegan family DEVOURED it. My sister called it “addictive” and my 2-year-old niece kept asking for “more pasta.” One friend even asked for the recipe. 🙂
Thanks so much!!
Just found your website. I became vegan after being diagnosed with follicular lymphoma- a very slow growing type that can be managed for years thru lifestyle. Probably healthier over a year after diagnosis than I was. I have tried several vegan “cheese sauces” that are ok, but this recipe was amazing!! I added the roasted broccoli and sautéed shiitakes. This will definitely be a keepr recipe. Also made a version of the green bean casserole, changing up the sauce- also amazing. Thanks for your great website!!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. The balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts are next. I eat them every day so doing something different will be a nice change. Thanks for all you do to improve one’s nutrition- it is the best medicine:)
Hi!
I just made these last night and they are wonderful! A definite 5 star recipe for anyone who has a serious sweet tooth! I’m planning on taking them on our trip to see family this Thanksgiving so I can have something for dessert.
Thank you very much for sharing this!
Your recipes are giving us hope! We made the green bean casserole last night and tonight, this mac and cheese. I recently found out I have severe allergies to dairy, wheat (plus all other grains except white rice/noodles), soy, nightshades, eggs and a host of other things which has made finding good recipes very difficult. I can finally eat again! Thank you, from a food lover.
Made this last night. Sooooo delish!!! Even Hubs, who is a carnivore loved it! Didn’t even know it was Vegan until I told him.
Thank you!
THIS CHEEZE SAUCE RECIPE IS AMAZING. We have tried many recipes (New Farm Cookbook, Vegan Vittles, How it all Vegan) This one is by far the best! We have used your cheeze sauce recipe for a Mexican-style rockfish casserole (layered tortillas, rockfish, spinach, veg, etc topped with the cheeze sauce – we doubled the chili powder – and baked) It was unbelievably delicious. 5 stars on this one. Thank you for posting!!!
Made this last night as a trial-run of sorts for our first Vegan Thanksgiving- Best. Dish. On the table. Hands down- after the guests left, I pulled the leftovers out of the fridge and ate it straight out of the bowl, cold.
Winner Winner Vegan Dinner!!! I made this last night and my family inhaled it. Husband had 3rds and daughter #1 had seconds. I added the roasted broccoli to it and then had some more broccoli on the side. I think mushrooms would make a GREAT addition along with sliced tomatoes on top (while baking). Thanks!
OMG!!! I have been looking to cut dairy back in my diet, but I soooo like cheese, and mac n cheese has always been my most favorite comfort food. Thank you! I didn’t have any chili powder or cayenne pepper but did have paprika, so I just substituted that and added a little extra turmeric. This was so delicious that I didn’t want to wait to bake it. I just added fresh spinach, which I stirred right in with the pasta and sauce. My sinuses and my tummy thank you for a most delicious dairy alternative recipe!
I’m going to make this dish this week. I wish I knew the calories and fat etc.