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’ve made this cheese sauce twice this week already. We used it on all sorts of vegetables, on tacos and to dip chips into. Massive hit! This is now a household staple for us 🙂
How important is the nutritional yeast to this recipe. Can it just be omitted (I can not have any yeast)?
I think it’s very important, it’s what gives it that cheesy flavor.
OMG we made it this weekend added tons of spinach, broccoli and mushrooms so so good!!! Thanks cannot wait for your new book to come out. 🙂
Made this tonight, it’s sooooo good! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Perfect! I usually add 1.5-2 times the amount of nutritional yeast than is called for – I think it makes it cheesier, and did so with this recipe. I made this for my boyfriend and his brother … his brother is the opposite of vegan and not a fan of my nut milks, cheeses, loafs, etc … but I didn’t tell him this was cashew cheese and he didn’t even ask!! This is the real deal. Thanks!
This really is the best vegan mac n cheese I’ve ever tasted. I also love that it isn’t soy laden like many vegan mac n cheese recipes tend to be. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. This will be a staple for my own weekly meal prep, as well as the gatherings I host periodically.
This is so good. But I found it really stiff and dry. While it was still hot from the oven I stirred in about 3/4 cup of almond milk. Much better.
I am so excited to try your mac ‘n’ cheeze. I have loved cheese in virtually anything. Trying to detox from all of the “junk” in my foods. Thanks for your recipes. Your Cauliflower pizza crust was a hit! Love, love, love!
This recipe is AMAZING!!!!! I am a total mac-n-cheese junkie and this just made the top of my list. Unlike other “cheese sauce” recipes I have found, this one is not too limony or too blah…it’s PERFECTLY seasoned and Perfectly Creamy!!!! Love, Love, LOVE this!!!
Tonight was my first attempt at making this dish and I am SO happy I came across your recipe!! It was DELICIOUS and the roasted broccoli and mushrooms definitely hit the spot! A definite keeper and will be added to the rotation for sure! Thanks so much
is it absolutely imperative to use the nutritional yeast? If I did’t have it could I use something else? I am not vegan so open to dairy alternatives.
To be honest, in deciding to make this recipe I had very low expectations. I’ve had a terrible experience where nutritional yeast ruined a spinach dip I made and I had never tried subbing cashew for cheese. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Although there was no cheesy texture to this dish, it was still very creamy and satisfying. I did make some modifications: I used only one cup of cashews (that’s all I had on-hand) which I soaked for 40 minutes until I blended it into a creamy paste, and only 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (I was being cautious this time). I also sauteed onions and mushrooms as suggested and added them to the pasta, put everything into a pyrex, topped it with breadcrumbs and then baked for 30 minutes. The result was phenomenal: my mac and cheese craving was fixed with a vegan dish: I can’t believe it! Great recipe! Thank you!! 5/5
Thank you for the great recipe. I would personally not use the garlic – I’m just not a fan but otherwise it was delicious.
Oh my god how is this so good this is delicious its definitely more mild than that store bought crap! Im going to make this so many times
I made this over the weekend and it takes fantastic. I think I will steam the veggies next time instead of roasting in oven b/c I either roasted to long or something went wrong b/c I had to throw the spinach out b/c it was like a dry leaf. The other thing was how thick the sauce was. I had to keep adding a little water to get the vitamix to run. I loved the way it taste. I am thinking the chili powder really added the ummp.
Also, I used the sunflower (unsoaked) vs the cashews. Once I tasted this sauce I was like ummm and started thinking dip, thick soup base, etc. My mind was just wondering how can I use this flavor in other ways. Thanks for sharing this recipe that I will continue to play around with.
Because it’s THAT GOOD, I used to make this at least once a month but was eating the whole recipe so I’ve backed down to every few months. The first time I made this I baked it and found it too dry like another reader so now I don’t bake it at all. I pour the sauce on my cooked quinoa noodles (Andean Dream…no corn!) and eat straight away. This recipe will be in my repertoire for the rest of my life. Thanks Megan!
can you tell me how long the sauce its own can last in the fridge? And if it is suitable to freeze?
is yeast vegan?
Yes, nutritional yeast is used in many vegan recipes to add a cheesy flavor.
I am allergic to yeast–can I use something else?
This is amazing! I reallly wasn’t thinking I would like it because iv’e never eaten anything like it before.. This dish is the perfect example to show that you don’t have to sacrifice anything for going vegan!
I’ve read over the recipe a few times and just need to clarify one thing… do you soak the cashews first?? Thanks a bunch! Hoping to make this cheese into a taco bake tomorrow!
This has become a staple in our house! I crave it at least once a month. To me, this recipe is a million times better than regular Mac n cheese. I always add the roasted brocolli and sautéed spinach and mushrooms. I also make more sauce because I just love the flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
This is the first time trying a home made vegan cheese, and OMG it is amazing! I had no idea it could be so delicious. So I made a batch in the morning to use later in the evening for the mac and cheese, but I have already eaten half of it! Wonderful, thank you for a great recipe. Now on to soaking more cashews to so I can actually complete the dish!
this mac and cheez is a dope vegan version of a comforting classic. Love it, and have made it many times. highly recommend.
Ummmm…..one part of the recipe says use 16 oz pasta and the ingredients list says 8 0z………..I’m thinking 8 oz. is what you meant as 16 oz would be a lot of macaroni. Could you let me know for sure? Thanks so much! Gonna try & make this right now!
Okay, I’m back! Just made it w/ 8 oz elbow macaroni. There was plenty of sauce & being a saucy girl I would much rather have too much than not enough! I was eating a few spoonfuls right out of the pot and loved it!! I had some things in the fridge I needed to use up so I sauteed 1/2 onion, 1/4 red pepper and about 2 cups of fresh spinach and then added that to the pot. I then spread it in a baking dish, sprinkled the papriak & pepper and am looking forward to a yummy dinner tonight! Thanks for the recipe! After going vegan I really missed my mac & cheese and the boxed & frozen ones have always had a weird taste to them ….I’m much happier making a fresh version with all known ingredients! Yeah!!
So delicious and easy! Have made this twice already, once with spinach and once with sauteed mushrooms. Will be making again soon with the roasted broccoli. I really like how easy it is and the fact that all the steps can be done simultaneously. Thanks!
Oops, I wanted to add that there was more sauce than needed, so I just bottled some of the sauce for later use. But next time I’m going to try it with 10 or 12oz of pasta instead so I can use all of the sauce.
Hi! Is it 8 oz or 16 oz of pasta? I just noticed there’s a discrepancy between the first and second listing of the recipe. Thanks!
I tend to go with 16 oz. for this amount of sauce now!
Made this tonight, it was delicious. My boyfriend loved it (he didn’t even realize it was vegan)
I love this recipe! But…is it 8 oz or 16 oz of pasta? I think it’s 8? I tried both. You have 16 oz but then Later you say 8! I tried 16 it didn’t seem to be enough sauce.
This is SO good. Ive made a few vegan mac recipes now and this is one million times better. This is… Dare I say it.. Way better than normal macaroni and cheese!!! Thank you! Now someone stop me before I eat it all before my boyfriend gets home. Yum yum yum.
This is SOOOOOOOO delicious! And so easy! I added extra turmeric.
Wish there were 10 stars instead of 5. Fabulous!
Thanks!!!
SO delicious my fiancé and I were raving over it! I used Ezekiel noodles and added broccoli and chipotle Seitan and it was amazing! Can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!
This is fantastic. It’s going on my “favorites” list.
This recipe is a staple in my house! I always make extra sauce since I love the flavor. The roasted broccoli is a must – so good. I also mince up mushrooms (my bf doesn’t like whole mushrooms) and saute with spinach before adding to the dish. I top it with breadcrumbs and bake it for 20 minutes. Superb!
Such an amazing meal my husband loved it too. ah it was soooo yum way better than normal mac n cheese. I didn’t have enough cashews so I used macadamias for the other half a cup. I didn’t have any mushrooms or broccoli and didn’t bake it in the end I just mixed the sauce with the pasta and was still amazing. Took me 15 minutes to make the whole meal. Thanks!
Perfect Vegan comfort food! I used a blender and it turned out great.
My boyfriend and I have made this 10 times. We bring it to gatherimgs and everyone goes back for seconds. Even the non-vegans. This. Recipe. Is. So. Amazing.
I like to add 2 tbsp of vegan cream cheese, and we use almond milk instead of water. This mac rocks. I’m eating it right now.
My family loved this (especially my nephews!) but next time I’m not going to bake it. We all thought it got a bit too dried out and would taste better with a moist-er consistency.
have made this twice – both times it was excellent.
i added bag of chopped broccoli and used 16 ox of pasta – upped the sauce recipe by half and it made just enough sauce.
super quick and super easy!
not my first detoxinista recipe – and won’t be the last – they’ve been terrific!!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
If I make this again, I’d either cut the lemon juice in half or omit it completely. I’d also use cashew milk instead of water and probably use a full cup as it was pretty dry (if baking). No one in my family liked it because it tasted “too lemony”. Made it exactly as written, using 8 oz pasta and the roasted broccoli (which turned out great!). I assumed T meant tablespoon, maybe it should’ve been teaspoon?
I’m sorry if this was already mentioned but I’m the first part of this entry it says 16oz pasta, but I’m the printer friendly version it says 8oz. Which is it? Thank you!! 🙂
I originally used 8 ounces of pasta, but the sauce makes enough to cover a full pound, so it should be updated to 16 ounces!
I ended up doubling the sauce and using a pound of pasta. It seemed like a lot at first but it really soaked it up. And the next day for the leftovers I feel like it would have been way too dry using a pound of pasta with the original sauce amount. Now I did use a red lentil flour/brown rice flour pasta so maybe it absorbed more than a regular pasta would? Who knows haha but I think I’ll stick to this amount 🙂 it’s very delicious!!
I have made this twice and it’s the best “cheesy” sauce I have had. The texture, flavour and simplicity is wonderful. I used rice milk instead of water the second time which was unnecessary. Creamy cheese sauces are no longer the domain of dairy, this sauce is packed with goodness and taste without the cruelty. Thank you so much for sharing!
Great sauce recipe, very simple and satisfying. I made a paleo version with zucchini noodles, sundried tomatoes, roasted broccoli and grilled chicken, no baking required. Sprinkled a little parmigiano and red pepper flakes on top. Soooo good. I also soaked the cashews for about an hour before blending and added about 1.5 tsp of turmeric for color and its anti-inflammatory qualities and upped the nutritional yeast to 1/3 cup.
I just made this for my family and they loved it! I am on a mostly vegan diet and I am always excited when I find a recipe the whole family loves.
I just made this cashew cheese sauce for a vegan lasagna and it is AMAZING! I am new to this vegan life and after 16 years veggie this is exactly what I needed to soothe my cheese cravings. Thank you!!
I made this for dinner last night – wow! It was so delicious!!! I added another 1/4 cup of nooch to the sauce, and I also added about 2 tablespoons of tofutti cream cheese that was leftover in my fridge which really added to the creaminess! This sauce is also so versatile to use on other foods. LOVE IT! Will definitely be making this again! Thanks so much!
Hi! I plan on making this recipe tonight! Do you have to soak the cashews in water?
Yes, you soak the in water for 1-2 hours then drain. Though, I admit, that I sometimes skip the soaking process and just add a touch more water to this recipe when I’m rushed!
This is such a great recipe! I made mac and cheese with broccoli and peas.
I just made this and I am in LOVE. I added half a yellow onion and a tbsp of smart balance butter to it and it was amazing!! (Also topped it off with some Frank’s hot sauce!)
Hi!
We LOVE this and have made it so many times, but I was wondering, if I wanted to make it a little less thick, do you think it would be okay to add a little almond milk? Or do you think it would ruin the sauce? And would I add a bit of milk in the blender stage or warm it up and tip it in with the pasta? I know I could just try it and see what happens but cashews are so expensive here and thought I might ask so I don’t ruin a double batch of sauce!
Thank you again, your site it fantastic!
Yes, I would just thin it to your desired texture with water or almond milk. You might just need to add some extra salt, since the extra liquid might dilute the flavor a bit.