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 not vegan, but have been leaning more towards giving up dairy and meat. I tried this recipe today and it was delicious! I am going to make it for my daughter and and grand children when I go visit them next month…they will love it! My daughter recently discovered that she is lactose intolerant, so she will love this.
I only had 1 cup of cashews so I added in some chickpeas, also extra nooch, extra spicy, a touch of apple cider vinegar, and organic carrot baby food (yes, really). SO. FREAKING. GOOD.
This is literally the best recipe, I used Trader Joe’s brown rice elbow pasta, added shredded carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, kale to the bake and topped it with Cholula hot sauce. Heaven! Thank you!
This looks DELICIOUS! I’m going to try this tonight – with a bit of sautéed kale! Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious! I can’t stop eating it. I love it w/o baking- it’s cheesier. I added some roasted yellow peppers to the sauce for my own spin, and roasted broccoli is genius. So yummy! Thank you!! 😀
I had been looking for a vegan mac and cheese recipe that was fast, easy and delicious. This one has exceeded my expectations tenfold! I have made this recipe several times and each time it seems to taste better! Thanks so much for sharing!!
First of all, thank heavens I found your blog. Second of all, this really is the best!!!! I like this mac and cheese way better than the best homemade, unhealthy mac and cheese out there. It tastes mature, with more depth to the flavor than just ‘cheesy.’ I listened to your advice to add sauteed mushrooms and broccoli to the dish, but I was hesitant with how much I used. The vegetables just worked. THEY WERE DELICIOUS! I will definitely be adding more veggies next time I make this. Thank you sooo much!
I have a question, I am casein and whey, gluten, not celiac, yeast, sugar and caffeine free. casein and whey are true allergies, yeast and gluten intolerant, the sugar and caffeine i am supposed to “watch”. that said I am frustrated that I can’t have most dairy free cheeses due to the nutritional yeast, since I can’t tolerate yeast, I always assumed that meant nutritional yeast as well…can you clear that up for me? If I can’t have it, will it impact the recipe greatly?
on a side note, I am loving the recipes i see here, thank you for sharing them!!!!!
Do you have to soak the cashews in water or just throw them in the blender?
I’m usually too impatient to soak my cashews, so I just throw them in the blender, but if you don’t have a high-powered blender, you might want to soak them for up to 2 hours first!
I made this recipe using Trader Joe’s chili lime cashews and it was amazing! Killer hot and so creamy! Thanks for this fantastic dish!
that was maybe the best mac & cheese I’ve ever had. This coming from someone lactose intolerant for 14 years. I burns a lot of calories, so this recipe is ~2 servings if you have an appetite like I do that includes eating the kitchen sink. Nice work, Megan.
I know I am behind the times on making this mac n’ cheese for the first time, but I just had to write and tell you how much I loved it. We used half the sauce for mac n’ cheese with the quinoa and brown rice pasta from TJ’s (yes, the broccoli is the best part). Tonight we used the rest of the sauce with the same noodles, more broccoli, addeded mushrooms, celery, green onion, cauliflower, and tuna to make a tuna casserole. I’ve never once even tasted tuna casserole before because it sounded so terrible to me, but the mature flavores of this “cheese” were just perfect! So, I know this version was no longer vegan, but everyone enjoyed it! Thank you so much. I love your recipes!
This was so good, thank you!!!
OMG. I haven’t even gotten the sauce on the pasta and I’m dying. its so freakin good. Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
This is delicious! For those conflicted about baking vs. not baking it, I would definitely recommend baking it. Putting it in the oven gives it more of a true “mac and cheese” taste. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m guessing the 3 T. Lemon juice refers to teaspoons and not tablespoons? I’ve tried both (made the recipe several times!) and when I do tablespoons the “cheese” is very sour. Just checking. Thx
I just made this and I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. I am telling everyone I know about it and sending mass texts with pictures of the finished product. While I often eat vegan simply by virtue of elimination (tofu and vegetable stir fry, for example) I was wary of trying to make vegan versions of things on my own, but NOT ANYMORE!! I am feeling very happy that I found such a lovely recipe and proud of myself for making it. Thank you for sharing this!
THIS RECIPE WAS SURPRISINGLY GREAT. THANK YOU
The recipe was great! Even my BF who won’t do “fake dairy” ate it. 🙂
I have made other vegan mac & cheese recipes and I have to say this is absolutely the best one I can’t wait to make it again
I’m practicing this dish in advance of Valentine’s Day in 3 days. I love the combination of raw cashews and nutritional yeast. I will use that again. But I want you to proof read your ingredient list. The combination of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of yellow mustard (which contains vinegar) is just way too tart for this. I’ll try it again and let you know how it goes.
I think the tartness throws off the sort of smokey/nutty bold flavor you get from the cashews. don’t worry about it
Why the lemon juice, I’m allergic to it. Can I use something else?
Thanks
This dish turned out perfectly I cut the cashews by one third and added rice milk instead of water, one and a half cups.
Love your site Megan, discivered it via Tara Stiles on YouTube. I made your almond butter fudge (making my almond butter from your instructions first) and it was yummy, so am now trying the Mac n cheese. Replaced the nutritional yeast with tahini as I didn’t have any and am roasting broccoli to add. Can’t wait to see (taste) how it comes out!
Yum yum yum yum yum. I made this for my non-vegan, non-gluten free boyfriend for valentine’s day and he LOVED it. As a person who is vegan and gluten free, finding a recipe that we both like is a mini victory. Definitely super blend the cashews if you have a food processor, even though it’s obnoxious to keep the blender on for so long, do it, it makes the sauce super creamy. Also, I thought that there was more sauce than was needed, so I ended up using about 3/4 the sauce which is perfect for me. Excellent recipe!
How about soaking the cashews beforehand? I know a lot of people do that when a recipe calls for them.
This recipe was amazing! I doubled up on most of the spices, and almost tripled the garlic amount, because my family loves extreme flavours, and it was superb!
OMG!!! Amazing!!
You are a genious. I´m so glad that you share this.
I´m from Brazil and I can´t wait to tell my friends about this recipe.
It was my dinner tonight. Even my not vegetarian boyfriend loved it.
Sorry for the english mistakes. I Don´t use to write in english.
I Hope you still being as creative and generous as you are and still sharing great recipes.
Thanks so much
this recipe is DA BOMB!!! i see lots of responses of this recipe working on vegan-snuffing boyfriends and this one made my boyfriend think it was even better than the real thing..he even got thirds – will definitely be making this again and again!!!
I’m sensitive to yeast, could you eliminate from recipe and still be tasty?
It will probably be tasty, but not as cheesy-flavored.
This really is the best vegan mac n’ “cheese” – maybe even better than if I had used fake cheese. Wonderful with the broccoli and I can tell mushrooms would have been good too. Thank you!
Just made it and its absolutely awesome!!!! Thanks for sharing
This is an awesome recipe! I wanted to ask how you might adjust it for someone with a nut allergy?? My thought was to condense coconut milk, but any other suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks!
It you can have seeds, hemp hearts or sunflower seeds might work– you’ll just have to adjust the ingredients to compensate for their flavor.
I didn’t have Nutritional Yeast but did have Marmite (a yeast based spread a bit like Vegemite from Australia) which I love madly and I mixed a flat half teaspoon of Marmite into the water, I used warm water, and I used a quarter a cup of oats because … well, I wasn’t entirely sure if the Nutritional Yeast also contained bulk and truthfully, it was great!!!! Not tart either, not to my tastebuds. Awesome. Thanks!
This was delicious! My non-vegan husband thought so too…BONUS! 🙂
Yummy recipe! Leftovers were great! For me, tastes best without mustard and a little less lemon juice. Gonna try it with roasted broccoli next!
I was wondering if you could use homemade almond butter for this?
Love your vegan mac n’ cheese! I almonds in place of the cashews and it was so delicious!
Love your site! Question…if I substitute cashews with sunflower seeds (due to nut allergies), how much would you recommend> Also, I am sensitive to yeast, can you recommend a replacement that would still make this super yummy? I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site! Awesome recipes…please keep them coming!
Well… I’d no nutritional yeast, so used yeast extract (like Vegemite) in small amount… Don’t know if it’s kosher on the Planet of the Vegans, but it worked. Didn’t bake it… just stirred into cooked pasta and served. Very tasty. Had no lemons either, so used home made kombuscha vinegar… not sure if that’s kosher either as is made by bacteria and yeast symbiotic colony. (Note, I don’t know anything about veganism or what to eat or not to eat or why. I just like the food because it’s almost as decadent as you can be on a health kick 🙂
Wow, wow, wow.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
Made this today and it’s DELICIOUS! I cooked it with the roasted broccoli and also sprinkled some oats on top before putting it in the oven to give it a little crunch. Love it! This is a terrific recipe and definitely one I’ll be using again and again!
Thanks for posting it!
I made this last night and it was wonderful. I made with broccoli, a little less lemon, and a little more garlic. Delicious! My 2.5 year old loved it. I’m not a huge mac and cheese fan, and I LOVED it too. Will make again and plan to use the sauce on all sorts of things (veggies, maybe adjust seasoning [cumin?] for a cheesey Mexican casserole or something) — so many ideas. My cayenne and chili powder carried some heat, so I might adjust next time for my toddler, but she didn’t seem to mind. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I have been looking for a vegan Mac and cheese recipe and was excited to try this one, but couldn’t get past the nutritional yeast flavor that seemed to overpower. Any substitutes you suggest?
Is this recipe, Vegan Mac n’ cheese Paleo?
Yes, the cheese sauce is Paleo friendly– just make sure to serve it over a grain-free pasta, like spaghetti squash or zucchini “noodles.”
I have been transitioning to a gluten and dairy free lifestyle for the past few weeks. It has been difficult to find recipes that are savory dishes and this one hit the mark! We baked it and added broccoli as you said and it turned out perfectly. My boyfriend and I are both foodies, and we will definitely be making this recipe again. I love the flavor you combination you come up with for the cheese sauce. I will be featuring this on my website and blog this week. Thank you for sharing. I love your page already.
Hi, I have two questions. First, is Nutritional Yeast as horrible tasting as Brewer’s Yeast, and, where can you buy it? Second, the pasta you recommend has corn in it. I thought unsprouted corn was very hard on the digestive system. I make a wonderful cornbread using sprouted corn flour that I buy online. However, I would be surprised if the corn in the pasta was sprouted. What do you think about that? Thanks so much, I really want to try this recipe.
Gigi
Nope, nutritional yeast tastes nothing like brewer’s yeast! You can buy it at a store like Whole Foods, or online: http://amzn.to/1jCGH9X
Hi Megan,
I was so excited to make this recipe and finally got all of the ingredients to make it. One con, I think, was the yeast I got. It says “Brewer’s Yeast”. Is this a bad yeast to use? My mac and cheese came out tasting extremely bitter, the exact taste of the yeast. Is there a certain brand of yeast you recommend?
Yes, Brewer’s Yeast tastes TERRIBLE. Really, really bitter. Nutritional yeast tastes much better! I like Bragg’s brand, but Whole Foods also makes their own brand that tastes great. Just make sure it’s labeled nutritional yeast, and not brewers, and you should be good!
I really liked this recipe (which is no surprise because I like every recipe that I have tried 🙂
I added broccoli and Ritz crackers. Mmmmm
This was an amazing recipe! It was so easy and yummy, you’re a genius, seriously. So good!