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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This is not only the best vegan mac out there, it’s also the easiest! I have made this recipe so many times as written and it is simply perfect…” – Audrey
If you’ve been disappointed with other dairy-free mac and cheese recipes, I hope you’ll give this one a try. It took me over 10 attempts to get it right, and thanks to reader feedback over the years, it has only gotten better.
What you’ll love about this vegan cheese sauce is that it’s not labor-intensive. While the pasta cooks, you’ll toss a few ingredients in a blender to make the sauce. When the pasta is done, the cheese sauce is, too! (No store-bought cheeses required.)
With hundreds of five-star reviews, I’m confident you’ll love it.
Vegan Mac n Cheese Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cashews. Use cashews that are not salted or roasted for the most neutral flavor. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the ingredients in boiled water for 10 minutes before blending to help them break down more easily.
- Nutritional Yeast. Also called “nooch” in the vegan world, these flakes add a cheesy flavor to the sauce without using dairy. There is nothing else quite like this ingredient, but in a pinch, you could substitute it with a small amount of white miso, which also has a cheesy flavor.
- Spices. Garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder add flavor to the sauce, while a pinch of turmeric lends an orange hue. (But that’s optional!) While the sauce might taste salty at first, remember that it’s being poured over a pound of pasta, which will dilute the flavor.
- Lemon juice. This adds a tangy flavor to help boost the overall “cheesy” taste. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, rather than bottled, for the best flavor.
- Mustard. This adds another layer of tangy flavor and helps emulsify the cheese sauce.
- Pasta. Macaroni noodles cook faster than practically all other pasta shapes, making this a quick-cooking dish. Choose gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free recipe.
How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese
Step 1:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the package directions. (I usually add a teaspoon of sea salt to the pot of water.)
While the noodles are cooking, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, and spices in a high-speed blender. Secure the lid and blend until the mixture is very smooth.
Detoxinista 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. Pour the soaked cashews (along with the warm soaking water) directly into the blender, then add the remaining ingredients to blend.
Step 2:
When the noodles are done cooking, drain and return the warm noodles to the large pot.
Pour the sauce into the pot, and stir over medium heat until the mac n’ cheese is warmed and the noodles are well coated. Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed.
If necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to help loosen the sauce and make it creamier.
Step 3:
Serve this vegan mac and cheese warm, accompanied by any additional toppings you love. It’s delicious with veggies added in, such as steamed broccoli or mushroom bacon. (Yum!)
Vegan Mac Storage Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The sauce will thicken when chilled, but should thin out again when warmed.
Add a splash of water to the pasta when heating it on the stovetop for the creamiest results.
Note: If you need to make this ahead of time, I recommend making the sauce and storing it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The pasta is best cooked fresh, and then you can stir in the sauce and heat until warmed through.
Flavor Variations
- Baked Mac & 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 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup of melted vegan butter and 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 chopped almonds or other crushed nuts.
- 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 has a flavor profile 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 the cheesy flavors. It’s always a good idea to start small with miso, as it can overpower a recipe quickly. Start with just 1/2 teaspoon if you aren’t sure about the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cashews (not roasted or salted)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon spicy brown mustard (optional)
- 16 ounces Elbow or shell pasta of choice (gluten-free, if needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Add a teaspoon of salt to the cooking water to make the noodles well-seasoned.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the cashews, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, water, salt, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne (if using), and mustard in a high-speed blender. Secure the lid and blend until silky smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of water and blend again. You can taste the sauce, but remember that pouring it over a pound of pasta will dilute the flavor significantly.
- Once the pasta is tender, drain and return it to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce and adjust the seasoning to taste. Add another tablespoon of lemon juice to brighten the flavor if needed. 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
More Recipes to Try
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!! 😀