Best Vegan Mac and Cheese

Best Vegan Mac and Cheese

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegan mac and cheese

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 352kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Vegan Mac and Cheese is just as quick to prepare as the boxed version! Tossed with a quick creamy sauce, everyone loves this dairy-free alternative.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Vitamix

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 information is for roughly 1 cup of prepared mac and cheese. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Don't have a high speed blender? Use 1 cup of boiled water in that case, and let the cashews soak in the hot water for at least 10 minutes before blending. This will help them break down more smoothly.

Looking for a nut-free recipe? Try Southwest Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese, or my nut-free vegan cheese sauce.

Video Note: I made a mistake in the video for this recipe and used only 1 cup of cashews. The result was still delicious, so if you are short on cashews, feel free to try using that amount without changing the amount of other ingredients.

Nutrition