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With hundreds of 5-star reviews, readers agree this is the best Vegan Mac and Cheese. It’s quick to prepare and tastes just as delicious as the traditional version.
This recipe comes together as fast as the boxed version, but 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 vegan cheese sauce into the pasta, it becomes a creamy side dish. It’s perfect for those looking for dairy-free comfort food.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a handful of pantry ingredients plus nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor.
Spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder can add flavor to the sauce. I also 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.
See the variation ideas below if you’d like to try another flavor combination.
This recipe is gluten-free when you use gluten-free pasta. Brown rice pasta and chickpea pasta are both easy options! If you need a cheese sauce without cashews, try sweet potato mac and cheese or my nut-free vegan cheese sauce.
How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, and spices. Secure the lid and blend until 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 in the rest of the ingredients to blend.
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 as needed.
If necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to help loosen the sauce and make it creamier.
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 & 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
- 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 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 overpower a recipe quickly, so start with just a 1/2 teaspoon if you aren’t sure about the 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 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.
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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 keep coming back to this recipe time and time again. Even though I’m no longer vegan, I still find myself making it regularly. It’s quick, easy, and I can have the whole meal ready in just 20 minutes.
Here’s how I do it:
1. Boil the kettle and use some of the hot water to soak the cashews.
2. While the cashews are soaking, cook the pasta.
3. As the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce ingredients in the blender.
4. Once the pasta is done, strain it and save a little pasta water.
5. Add the reserved pasta water to the blender to loosen the sauce, then blitz until smooth with the cashews.
Hi Megan,
I tried the Vegan Mac and Cheese with kamut fusilli pasta and it was delicious. A definite quick comfort food option. Thank you!
I have not made this yet, but do you think I could soak the cashews beforehand?
Thanks!
This is delicious! I used Dijon mustard instead of hot mustard and it was so good. I also used the pasta water and added a little more to help thin out the sauce. I’m not vegan and love this recipe. Yvonne
My husband and I love it! I’ve made lots of vegan Mac cheeses over the years and this is my favorite homemade! Thank you very much 💗
This was it! I tried a few recipes and was not impressed but this was it!
Delicious!!!!! Great flavor and easy!
I followed the instructions to a T but all I can taste is lemon juice.
I only use 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice because I don’t like it very much, maybe try that? I think 3 tablespoons might just be too much lemon for a lot of people.
I substituted lemon juice for Frank’s red hots. It was my first time eating vegan Mac and cheese and I thought it was pretty good!