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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.
I made a cauliflower cheese version of this recipe tonight and it was INCREDIBLE! Will be making this sauce again definitely! Will try the raw cheesecake recipe next. Thank you so much x
Just made this (the bowl sits next to me as I type). Holy Toledo! What a wonderful recipe – can’t believe there’s no cheese in this. I don’t have a Vitamix but have a good quality food processor. I soaked my cashews overnight. I added mushrooms & green peas to this. My 19 yr. old son gave this “thumbs up,” which is saying more than you’ll ever know.
i have candida so can’t have cashews or yeast – there are so many recipes using cashews – is there anything that i can substitute?
Hi,
I don’t know how old your post is, but I’m replying anyway. Due to my kids’ nut allergies, I have substituted tahini for cashews in similar recipes, and it works well. That said, I haven’t had the cashew version.
Thanks for letting us know! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I came across this recipe awhile ago and have been trying to find a good time to make it ever since. I just made it tonight and it is SO GOOD. My add-ins were sauteed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, and steamed peas. I kept going back for more. Good thing I have plenty of leftovers. Great recipe!
Well hello. I just tried this dish tonight and it wasn’t as delightful as you said it would be. Maybe i did something wrong because it tasted very lemony and not cheesey. Or maybe this is a dish that is for people who are accustomed to vegan dishes already. I do love your website though!! 🙂
I’m sorry to hear that! I guess the flavor isn’t for everyone. Hope you’ll enjoy another recipe in the future!
Don’t worry, I’ve already made the Spicy “tuna” Rolls, the almond butter, the almond butter fudge, and tonight is going to be the Roasted Red Pepper “cream” sauce. I have plans to make the Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream probably Friday 🙂 Oh and the cheesecake… I’m a sweets person through and through. Thanks Megan!!!!!
This is the first time I have made cashew butter or used nutritional yeast. I am not a vegan or anything just trying to eat healthier. This dish was very yummy! I included mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil. I also used Orzo instead of shells. It worked out nice! The only downside to the dish is it doesn’t reheat quite as creamy as it was when I first made it. Thank you!
Hello Megan! I have made your mac n cheese twice now, once without the yeast because I didn’t have it, and the other with the yeast. Both were very good, although, the yeast gave it a cheesier flavor. My problem is that after baking it, it loses its creaminess and becomes dry. Any suggestions??? Thanks!
Can you make this without the nutritional yeast? or is there a substatute? My walmart doesn’t sell it and I have just started eatting clean and healthy so I don’t have any on hand. Thanks
I can’t think of a good substitute for nutritional yeast, it’s pretty unique and adds the “cheesy” flavor.
If you can’t find it locally, you can buy nutritional yeast on Amazon with free shipping: http://amzn.to/WOYRG3
We tried this last night and loved it! I neglected to mention to my family that it was vegan. They all said they liked it – but wanted just a little more cheese in it. I said ok. I’ll tell them next time. Do you have nutritional stats for this by any chance?
I’ve been plant based for a year and half. I have tried many mac n “cheese” recipes. This one is pretty tasty. I used eden’s organics mustard that has apple cider vinegar in it and I think it made it taste more tangy then it would of been.It would of been good without the mustard. I ended up adding some salsa to it to neutralize the tanginess. It did the trick.