This easy vegan Mac and Cheese recipe is super simple to make, deliciously ‘cheesy,’ and filled with tons of healthy hidden veggies that add flavor and nutrition. Serve alongside the pasta of your choice or even zucchini noodles (zoodles) for a hearty, comforting dish!
The Best Vegan Mac And Cheese You’ll Have
I am a full believer in trying to enjoy all the flavors you want, regardless of your dietary needs. That means that you certainly won’t stop me from eating a creamy, ‘cheesy,’ yet dairy-free mac and cheese!
This dish is everything that I want in a creamy pasta dish – smooth, rich, moreish, and yet still surprisingly nutritious. In fact, I have a bit of a soft spot for saucy pasta dishes- like this Vegan Alfredo Sauce, Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, or Garlic Butter Pasta. This recipe remains one of my top favorites, though.
Obviously, if we compare a vegan and non-vegan version of a mac and cheese side by side, they won’t taste the same.
However, I think that’s okay – if anything, I like that vegan versions often manage to taste delicious but be far healthier.
Plus, with a special combination of ingredients, this vegan mac n cheese manages to mimic the stretchy quality of a dairy cheese sauce, while providing a ‘cheesy’ flavor too.
The Special Ingredients
This cashew cheese sauce is creamy from the blended nuts and packed with hidden veggies that add flavor and texture to the dish. Meanwhile, the combination of cashews, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice adds that hint of cheesiness to the sauce, but without any dairy.
And then there is the star of this vegan sauce recipe, tapioca flour. I know you’re probably wondering what makes this ingredient so special. Well, this starch is what gives the dairy-free mac and cheese sauce the same, stretchy, ‘ooey-gooey’ quality of a regular cheesy sauce- like magic!
Traditionally, this dish is served with tons of cheese, butter, and milk. However, this healthy vegan mac and cheese is dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free (depending on what pasta you use), paleo (if you use zoodles instead of pasta for a paleo mac and cheese), and filled with healthy fats! And all without compromising on flavor or texture.
Believe me, I know it’s hard to give up cheese. In fact, it’s one of the reasons that I stayed vegetarian for so many years (25!) before finally making the leap to Veganism in 2011. After making the ethical connection, I couldn’t imagine going back to eating dairy and other animal products.
Luckily, these days, with all the ingenious ingredient ‘hacks’ and ‘alternatives’ available, it’s becoming easier to eat an entirely plant-based diet without giving up your favorite dishes!
How To Make Vegan Mac And Cheese
This recipe is so easy to make, takes less than 30 minutes, and requires only a few steps. Plus, for a low-carb, paleo mac and cheese, simply swap out the pasta for spiralized zucchini. Check the step-by-step photos below for visual instructions.
Step 1: Soak the cashews in hot boiling water for at least 15 minutes until they are soft. This is the key to blending them into a creamy cashew cheese sauce.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables by chopping the potato and carrot into 1-inch cubes and boiling in salted water for about 10-15 minutes, or until tender.
Step 3: Meanwhile, boil your favorite pasta as per the instructions on the packaging. If using zoodles, then spiralize your zucchinis.
Step 4: Add all the vegan Mac and Cheese ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth. You could also sauté the onion and garlic for a minute in oil before blending.
Step 5: Pour the cheeze sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow simmering for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 6: Combine the sauce with the pasta or zoodles and serve immediately. Optionally, you can sprinkle with some Vegan Parmesan Cheese and/or some fresh herbs of your choosing.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, and nutritional information (calories, etc.), read the recipe card below.
For Baked Vegan Mac N Cheese
There are two methods for transforming this vegan mac and cheese into a baked dish.
Method 1: Use an oven-proof large frying pan for steps 5 & 6 above. Then simply top with breadcrumbs and optionally some vegan butter and/or your favorite vegan cheese. Then, place this pan into the oven under the grill and broil for a few minutes until crispy on top.
Method 2: Transfer the vegan mac n cheese contents over to an oven-proof dish and top with the toppings mentioned above. Bake in the oven at 350° F for between 15-20 minutes. The breadcrumbs will turn golden, and the top will begin to bubble slightly.
How To Store:
This dairy-free mac and cheese can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. It is also freezer-friendly and can be stored for up to three months.
If freezing, it may be better to freeze in individual portions, and then reheat until piping hot before serving. You may need an extra splash of plant-based milk to bring the sauce back to its original creamy texture.
Another thing to note is that the tapioca starch may not retain the thickness and texture when thawed and reheated, unlike arrowroot flour.
This Sauce Is:
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
- Dairy-free
- Paleo-friendly
- Plant-based
- Low-carb
- Flavorful
- Healthy
- Can be made nut-free
- Easy to make
Recipe Tips & Variations:
- Do you want a vegan cheese sauce without cashews? Try my Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe, which can be made in 3 minutes (perfect when you are busy).
- You could also use soaked sunflower seeds in place of the cashews for a nut-free version.
- For those that don’t own a high-speed blender, simply use ready-made cashew butter instead of the whole cashew nuts. You could also use almond butter or tahini if preferred – but this will affect the color and flavor of the sauce.
- You could use sweet potato instead of a regular potato, or even butternut squash or pumpkin. Just be aware these are relatively sweet, so may require more balancing with additional lemon juice/ apple cider vinegar.
- Lightly sauté the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes to enhance their flavor. Alternatively, you could allow them to sit in the lemon juice to help ‘mellow’ their flavors slightly.
- If using zucchini noodles instead of pasta, then it works best to use a spiralizer*. However, if you don’t have one, then you can use a regular peeler to make zucchini ribbons instead.
- Add some greens to make this healthy vegan mac and cheese recipe even healthier—for example, broccoli, spinach, kale, peas, zucchini, leeks, or asparagus.
More Tips:
- Add a teaspoon or so of white miso to the sauce for additional ‘umami’ flavor.
- The color of the cashew cheese sauce may vary. This can depend on the color of your carrots. Whether or not your nutritional yeast is fortified with B-vitamins, will also affect the color.
- If you want a ‘richer’ color, then you can add a dash of turmeric powder – just make sure to include freshly ground pepper too, so that you can take advantage of all the turmeric health benefits.
- Use whatever pasta you like – Just because it’s called macaroni and cheese doesn’t mean you need to use macaroni (…or cheese!) I used gluten-free pasta, with excellent results!
- If you don’t have tapioca flour available, then you can use cornstarch or arrowroot flour. Tapioca adds the lovely creamy, cheesy ‘stretchy’ texture (and arrowroot does to some extent). Unfortunately, you won’t get this from any other ingredient; however, cornstarch will thicken the sauce effectively.
If you give this vegan macaroni and cheese recipe a try, I’d love a comment and recipe rating below. Also, don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing your recreations.
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Healthy vegan mac and cheese ingredients:
- 1 large (200 g) potato peeled
- 1 small (100 g) carrot peeled
- 1/2 cup (75 g) cashews (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) plant-based milk of choice (I used canned coconut milk)
- 1/3-1/2 cup (100 ml) vegetable broth (or use more plant-based milk instead)
- 1/2 small onion (see notes)
- 2-3 cloves garlic (see notes)
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp tapioca flour (see notes)
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
- 1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
- 1/3 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- crushed pepper flakes (optional)
Serve with:
- 12 oz (350 g) Pasta of choice (e.g. gluten-free) or zoodles (3-4 spiralized zucchinis)
Instructions
- Soak cashews in hot water for at least 15 minutes until they are soft.
- Cut the potato and carrot into 1-inch cubes and cook in salted water for about 10-15 minutes or until tender (discard the water afterward).
- Boil your favorite pasta as per the instructions on the packaging or use a spiralizer to spiralize your zucchinis.
- Add all the vegan Mac and Cheese ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour over pasta or zoodles and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cashews: If you are allergic to nuts, try soaked sunflower seeds instead.
- Onion & garlic: You can fry the onion and garlic with a little oil in a skillet for a few minutes to enhance the flavor.
- Tapioca flour: You can use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour. Both make the Mac and Cheese a little thicker and "stretchy" similar to "real" cheese.
- Check the tips & variations, step-by-step photos, and the video in the blog post above.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving including pasta!
- Make sure to check out my other cheesy recipes like this sliceable Vegan Cheese or this Vegan Cheese Fondue.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Sally
Hi! *Freshly minted Paleo here* We made this tonight and it’s SOOOO good but there’s only two of us so my question is… have you had any luck with freezing half of this recipe for later? Or would it just be better to half the recipe?
Thanks!!
Ela
Hi Sally! Yes, freezing should work fine. I haven’t tried it though since I always eat everything in one sitting (I share it with my boyfriend who is hungry, haha).
I am glad you liked this recipe. 🙂
Lydia
Hi! This is my first time seeing your blog, and i gotta say, i’m definitely sticking around! This mac n cheese recipe looks DELICIOUS, but do you happen to have the approximate calorie calculations for a serving of this? ❤
Ela
Thank you, Lydia. You can check out Cronometer.com to calculate the calories. 🙂
Eve
Going vegan seems to be one of the best decisions I’ve made since I found your delicious recipes! Thank you ????
Ela
Thanks for your kind words, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Jess @choosingchia
Such a creamy and delicious mac and cheese! There’s nothing quite like nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavour. Lovely recipe Ela 🙂
Ela
Thank you, Jess! And I totally agree, nutritional yeast is absolutely amazing. 🙂
Cristina
Amazing!! I had it today for lunch!! I’ve added a little bit of turmeric for the colour 🙂
Ela
So glad you liked my recipe! Thanks for your feedback, Cristina 🙂
Flora
Wow this look so yummy!! I also like how you can choose between using pasta or courgette. Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Ela
Thanks for your kind comment, Flora 🙂
Sheila
I need to try! Hopefully this week or next I’ll post a picture ! 🙂
Ela
Thank you Sheila 🙂
Zoe
this looks great!
what would you think about replacing cashews with almonds ? as a dairy-free person with a cashew allergy, i miss out on creamy sauces 🙁
Ela
I would recommend to add almond butter instead of cashews, approximately 1/3 of a cup. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Joy
Macadamia comes out nice…. are you allergic to those? Or pine nuts….
Kat Pantaleoni
We are making this tonight! I can’t wait
Ela
Great! I hope you liked it 🙂
The Vegan 8
Looks so creamy and delicious Ela! Potato carrot cheese has become so popular and for good reason, so much healthier and better for the animals than dairy! I love that you added zoodles for an extra boost of nutrition here! I was like you too, loved cheese, but thankfully we have so many amazing ways to mimic dairy now, who the heck needs dairy! Cashews are a vegan’s best friend, haha!
Ela
Thank you very much, Brandi! Yes, I agree, cashews are absolutely amazing for us vegans 😀
Alena Brenda
what an amazing recipe of cheese gluten-free paleo recipe.
Jess @choosingchia
This looks so healthy but still so comforting and delicious! Love all the hidden veggies in this dish but that its still so creamy!
Ela
Thank you very much, Jess! I am so glad you like it 🙂
Maria Koutsogiannis
Girl this is perfect for when I want something creamy but still light! Brilliant, thanks for sharing!!!!
Ela
Thank you so much, Maria! Very glad you like my idea 🙂
Lilly
Liebe Ela,
ich habe gerade Dein Mac & Cheese- Rezept gemacht und es ist sooooo lecker ????????????????.
Ganz liebe Grüße und ich freue mich auf weitere tolle Rezepte!
Liebe Grüße
Ela
Vielen Dank für deinen lieben Kommentar, Lilly! Freue mich sehr über dein positives Feedback 🙂
Dee | Green Smoothie Gourmet
Oh my Ela, this looks so very interesting. I adore nutritional yeast and to use cashews as a base is so smart. And I love your how-to images – it is so much easier to replicate the recipe! I should do more how-tos too. Thanks for sharing your expertise! Dee xx
Ela
Thank you, Dee! Nutritional yeast is incredible, I love it so much. And cashews are so versatile and incredible for both sweet and savory dishes. 😀 Thanks for your sweet compliments 🙂
Nadia
I do miss cheese too, so I’m so happy to see so many amazing vegan ‘cheese’ recipes like this one. It looks so delicious and I love that it’s also healthy! Although there are so many vegan cheeses available now in shops, it can never be as healthy as homemade 😀
Ela
So true, Nadia. Homemade is always best but it’s great that you have many vegan options. 🙂
Zielono na co dzień
Wow! It must be delicious!
Ela
Thank you! It was indeed very delicious 🙂
Nisha / @rainbowplantlife
That cheese sauce looks so good! I just stared at that photo for a good solid minute. I want to dive in it, even if that sounds weird. I love your philosophy on what vegan food should taste like – it doesn’t always have to taste like the original thing. That would be unrealistic! But it always tastes good, is healthier and cruelty-free!
Ela
Thank you so much Nisha, I am really glad that you agree. Happy weekend my friend 🙂
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
It’s SO incredibly creamy Ela! I love veggie-based pasta sauces because you practically need to pour it on thick…for your health 😀 Zoodles or pasta or a mix of the two or heck I would even use this goodness as a dip! And I love the idea to switch up the veggies too, because there are so many awesome orange ones around this time of year 🙂
Ela
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Natalie. I agree we need to pour it on thick, haha. Love it! Great idea to use it as a dip, I will try that, next time when I make nachos 🙂
Bianca
Das sieht so köstlich aus 🙂
Ein richtig tolles Rezept liebe Ela! <3
Ela
Dankeschön liebe Bianca! Ich freue mich sehr, dass dir mein Rezept gefällt 🙂