Vegan Mac And Cheese

Name: Vegan Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 large potato (peeled); 1 small carrot (peeled); 1/2 cup cashews ((see notes)); 1/2 cup plant-based milk (of choice (I used canned coconut milk)); 1/3-1/2 cup 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)); 12 oz Pasta of choice ((e.g. gluten-free) or zoodles (3-4 spiralized zucchinis))

Published by Ela on 16. November, 2017, updated on 30. June, 2020 | 157 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

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4.94 from 44 votes

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.