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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.
Video
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.
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! 🙂
I have always wondered if you could just use a nut butter or flour for these recipes! I do not have a powerful enough blender to do a lot of these vegan mac recipes.
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! 🙂
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!
I’ve used almonds with a little less lemon juice (2tbsp) and added a teaspoon of smoked paprika. It was good too.
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!
Oh no…you’ve done it again. Put another thing on my to-make list! AHHHH!!!!
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. 🙂
Hello, I was wondering if this will stay good in a crock pot on low for a few hours? I want to use in a dip for a party.
Thanks!
Andrea, did freezing this recipe work well for you?
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!
Haven’t tried ye but SO excited to. Has anyone tried freezing the sauce? I’m wondering if I can make a big batch for my daughter.
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. 🙂
Hi! How long does the cheese sauce last for in the fridge? Thank you!
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!
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but i”m putting my grocery list together very eagerly. Thanks so much for inspiring me to try something new and healthy. It’s such a blessing to find new recipes that can feed my body, soul, and eyes! and I love reading your awesomely dignified clapbacks. This makes me a fan if both else…well besides that curried red lentil dish I tried last month.
Rude.
I don’t think I would have been quite as polite with my response as Megan was.
Yum! The texture wasn’t creamy enough for me so I blended in q tablespoon of chia seeds and it made it PERFEFT! It even gave it a little bit of that coveted “cheese pull” 🙂 plus adds some fiber and extranutrients. I only made a third of the recipe because that’s all I had pasta for so if I made the full recipe I would probably add 3 tbsp of chia seed. This is a new staple for me!.
Ooh what an interesting idea. Did you alter anything else? Did you soak the chia seeds? Thanks in advance! Would love to get me some cheese pull. 😂
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!! 😀