Trust me, I know what you’re thinking. Why is this chick trying to make a vegan mac and cheese recipe? How does it work? Is it actually good?
I know you’re intrigued. So let me explain…
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Why you’ll LOVE this vegan mac and cheese recipe
For being a plant based macaroni and cheese recipe, this recipe:
- Has nearly 17g of protein
- Is easily gluten free
- Is filled with healthy fats from cashews
- And is easy to customize with your fav mix-ins!
This vegan mac and cheese is filling, nutritious and a great way to impress your vegan or dairy free friends, or serve to kids who can’t have dairy. Promise they’ll gobble it right up! My 1 year old even LOVES this recipe.
What does vegan mac and cheese taste like?
This vegan mac and cheese IS DELICIOUS. It’s creamy, cheesy tasting, a little spicy (if you want!), dairy free, plant based, addicting and sooo damn good that my husband, a real cheese-obsessed man, LOVED this vegan mac and cheese SO MUCH that he went back for seconds.
Typically, he pours ketchup over most of his food (even real mac and cheese) and didn’t want to do it with this recipe because he enjoyed it THAT much. So now you know, that not only did this vegan mac and cheese pass a real cheese lover’s taste test but that it’s also meat-loving man approved.
Everything you’ll need to make vegan mac and cheese
My best vegan mac and cheese recipe is made by making my simple vegan cashew cheese sauce and then stirring it into freshly boiled noodles of choice. The cheese sauce is made up of nutritious ingredients that will leave you wondering how in the hell it tastes so dang creamy and similar to real cheese. Here’s what you need to make the recipe:
- Raw cashews: yes, raw cashews are the base of this recipe, and when soaked and blended with a little water or milk, cashews form into a beautiful, super creamy nutritious sauce full of fiber, protein and healthy fats. Just remember you’ll have to soak the cashews for at least 45 minutes, so keep that in mind. Simply put them in a bowl and walk away for a few hours; I’ve also added a way to speed up the process to only 30 minutes in the instructions of this recipe, too!
- Nutritional yeast: have you ever had nutritional yeast before? My mom originally got me hooked during college. She puts it on her buttered toast with a little garlic powder and salt and it tasted just like cheesy garlic bread. So, what is nutritional yeast? It’s a deactivated yeast made from sugarcane and beet molasses. It’s cheesy tasting, nutty and contains an incredible amount of B vitamins. You can buy nutritional yeast at most grocery stores including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
- Almond milk: make sure to use unsweetened almond milk in this recipe. Water would likely also work, but I love how it gets super creamy with the addition of almond milk. You could pretty much use whatever dairy free milk you’d like though!
- Extra flavor: I like to add fresh garlic, ground turmeric, paprika and onion powder for the perfect flavor. Don’t forget plenty of salt & pepper! Lastly, adding a little mustard gives the mac and cheese a little zesty and adds a slight tang. Just TRUST ME!
- Jalapeño: you’ll put the entire pepper in (seeds and all) and it’s never been too spicy for me or anyone I know. It adds lovely flavor. If you’re nervous about the spices or making this for kids, take out the seeds or leave out the jalapeno completely.
- Pasta: you can use any kind of pasta you like, including gluten free pasta! I love using pasta shells because the sauce gets into each of the pockets for the best texture and cheesy flavor in every bite.
Can I leave out the nutritional yeast?
The nutritional yeast is what gives the vegan cheese sauce that true “cheesy” flavor, so I would not recommend leaving it out.
How to make vegan mac and cheese
This vegan mac and cheese recipe is SO easy to make that it’ll become a staple in your house. Here’s how to do it:
- Prep your cashews. First, you’ll need to soak your cashews for at least 2 hours. However, I’ve found that you can easily speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing it over high heat. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Let the cashews sit for 30-45 minutes in the warm water, then drain.
- Make the sauce. Add all of the vegan cashew cheese sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.
- Combine with your noodles. Boil your pasta until al dente, then drain and add back to the pot. Stir in the vegan cheese sauce for the creamiest mac and cheese ever. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!
Make this vegan mac and cheese recipe your own
Another great thing about this delicious vegan mac and cheese recipe is that you can mix in your favorite veggies. I suggest either broccoli or peas (my fav) for a little nutritional boost.
- Add in veggies: you can stir in ¾ cup frozen peas to the pasta once you add in the cheese sauce. Give them a few minutes and they should defrost right in the pot with the mac and cheese! Another option is to add 3-4 cups of steamed broccoli florets. Yum!
- Make a vegan taco mac and cheese: stir in homemade taco seasoning or a packet of store bought taco seasoning, plus a can of drained black beans, 1/4 cup salsa or 1/2 cup chopped tomato. Serve with avocado, cilantro and green onion.
- Make a vegan chili mac and cheese: stir in a packet of chili seasoning, kidney beans or black beans, corn, and 1 can of drained diced tomatoes.
Can I bake it?
Yes! If you’d like a crispy breadcrumb topping for your vegan mac, do the following:
- Mix together 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter.
- After mixing the vegan cheese sauce with your cooked pasta, add it all to a greased, oven safe baking dish.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture (and some vegan cheddar cheese, if you’d like!) onto the mac and cheese, then bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Make it ahead of time
This recipe can absolutely be made a day or two ahead of time, however, I do suggest adding 1 cup more milk to the vegan cheese sauce to account for the liquid that will get absorbed as it sits in the fridge. Simply make everything and then add mac and cheese to a 9×13 inch pan and cover with foil. Store in the fridge. Once ready, you can bake the mac and cheese covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until reheated.
Storing & reheating tips
- To store: Place any leftover vegan mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- To reheat: simply reheat portions of the mac and cheese in the microwave until heated through.
More pasta recipes to try
- Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Pasta Primavera with Creamy Garlic Cashew Sauce
- Kickin’ Vegan Taco Pasta with Sweet Corn
- Brown Butter Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas
- Incredible Caramelized Onion Spinach Chicken Pasta Bake
Get all of our delicious pasta recipes here!
I hope you love this vegan mac and cheese recipe! If you make it, please take a moment to leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you! xo.
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese You'll Ever Eat
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews*
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or neutral dairy free milk of choice)
- 1 jalapeño, chopped (you can deseed if you are sensitive to spice)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound shell (Conchiglie) pasta* (or sub any kind of gluten free pasta you’d like!)
- To garnish:
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- *To make the cashew cheese sauce: soak the cashews in 4 cups of water for at least 2 hours; otherwise I've found that you can easily speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for 30-45 minutes in the warm water, then drain.
- Once the cashews have finished soaking you'll be ready to make the sauce: add drained cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, almond milk, jalapeno, turmeric, paprika, onion powder, dijon mustard, salt and black pepper to a high powered blender. Blend until a thick sauce comes together. If you want a thinner sauce, add a bit more almond milk. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, until they are al dente. Drain noodles, then add back to pot and stir in your cashew cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. You may need more salt! Garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on March 21, 2018 and republished with updated photos on January 13, 2020. It has since been updated with more details and tips on March 21st, 2021.
This was so delicious. I was craving mac and cheese all day and was trying to avoid prepackaged and store bought dairy Mac and cheese since I used To be dairy free but went back to eating dairy and it’s causing me issues health wise.
I decided To stay resilient and make this. I do Make my own home made almond and cashew milk so I did have to make that first and then finally got to this recipe. I forgot The garlic cloves so I mixed In some garlic powder in the sauce. I have Acid reflux so I skipped The jalapeño and added a little red hot chili flakes instead. Next time, I may Purchase a better brand of shells as the ones I bought took forever to cook. Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe. Since I’m one person, I did Half the recipe and it turned out excellent. It’s hot so no breadcrumbs baked since I didnt Wanna turn on the oven.
Amazing! So glad you loved this one!
Easy and delicious!
So glad you enjoyed!
This was incredible! I’ve used jalapenos and just the juice from a pickled jalapeno before and both are great. Thank you so much!
Perfect!!
Such an amazing recipe!!! I’ve made it three times now! My friend is allergic to cashews, any subs she could use successfully?
So glad you love it! Great question – I’ve only tested this as-is with the cashews, so I’m not 100% sure what ingredient would give the same flavor and texture here.
So tasty and supper easy to make! All family members loved it! Definitely keeper! Thank you ❤️
So happy to hear that!
I just want to say thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!!! As a vegan , picky eater I looovveee meal prepping this meal and it’s so yummy even after I put it in the freezer. I also sometimes just make the cheese sauce itself for nachos and everyone who tries it also loves it. THANK YOU!!!!
Absolutely! So glad you love this one!
Delish dairy free sauce recipe! We added chicken cooked in pesto, shredded zucchini, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes and we all devoured it! Will be on repeat for sure!
Those mix-ins sound AMAZING! Glad you enjoyed!
This is a great Mac and “cheez”! It is similar to mine, but more heavily seasoned…and I like the added spices! Two things I added that I that I like:
Added about 3T of fresh squeezed lemon juice for more tang, and a healthy dose of sriracha, which really doesn’t add heat, but adds a ton of flavor! I am really loving your recipes (this is the second I’ve made just today!), look forward to trying many more!
Love those additions! Glad this was a hit!
This is the best vegan cheese ever! I use it for mac and cheese, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, grilled cheese.. basically anything and everything!
YES this is our go-to for all things cheesy! Glad you enjoyed!
This is so good!!!! I’m so glad I tried it 🙂 it’s super easy and tasty!! Thanks so much <3
… One more thing.. didn’t use jalapenos. I think it’ll take away the delicious taste of the cheese nutritional yeast. Use regular elbow pasta.. Other than that, followed the recipe exactly as it is DELICIOUS 😋
DELICIOUS 😋… we’ve been Vegans for almost 19 years and we’ve tried other recipes before. I cook every day, I’m a gourmet home cook, if I could say so myself, so ,my bar is high.
I made half of the recipe because it’s just the two of us, my hubby and I.
Soooo easy to make and straight forward healthy ingredients, love that!
I have made other plant based Cheese recipes and my repertoire is large. This recipe is a keeper!..so.so, so good. One advice, for those who find the sauce a little loose, I always cook my cashews cheese sauces for a few minutes on low /medium heat until it thickens, stirring constantly then I mixed it with the pasta.
I served it with peas and a side pf barbecue jackfruit….
Thank you so much!!, we’re literally resting after eating a big bowl 🍜 Lol but I couldn’t wait to post a review.
Yay! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and are loving it!
Delicious meal! I will say though I felt I needed to tweak the recipe. Still in the end felt like something was missing… Ended up throwing in more garlic, paprika, a little cumin, a little bit of lime juice,.. But once you mix it into the pasta I was pretty satisfied. Tastes almost nachoy.
I’m glad those tweaks worked out well!
I came here to say that this is, indeed, the best vegan mac and cheese you will ever eat. I’ve tried so many vegan mac and cheese recipes, and this one is my favorite. I am not exaggerating when I say I make this mac and cheese recipe at least once a week. In fact, I’m actually planning on making it for dinner tonight! Haha. Not only is it delicious, it is so simple and quick to make, too. Thank you so much, Monique, for creating and sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Thank you for this recipe…I love the way the sauce sounds! Making it tonight😋 I’ve been looking for a fabulous vegan Mac n’cheese recipe and I feel I’ve found it! Woo-hoo!
YAY I’m so glad you found it!! Hope it came out amazing 🙂
So good and creamy! This recipe was literally sooo quick and easy to make – and I added broccoli to the pot while I was boiling pasta for some added greens 🙂
Is there anything a person can substitute the cashews with? I have a severe tree nut allergy so can’t use cashews.
I haven’t tried anything else, but maybe something like sunflower seeds would work? I haven’t tested it though so I’d try googling a nut-free vegan cheese sauce!
Love this recipe! The last time I made it I added sauteed brocolli, peas, and mushrooms to the dish.
I have made this sauce a few times but find it always comes out grainy and I cannot figure out how to make it smooth. Any suggestions?
It takes delicious either way but I would love to figure out how to fix the texture. I am using a new, powerful Ninja blender.
Hi, Amanda! Happy you love it 🙂 How long are you soaking the cashews? And in room temp or hot/boiling water?
Love this recipe!
Great recipe! The jalapeno added awesome flavor, and this is a way better alternative to buying the non dairy boxed mac and cheese from the store. I just have two questions- my cashew sauce is still a tad grainy even after blending. Any tips for getting it to be a little smoother? I had a similar issue when I made the cashew sauce for the pasta primavera. Tried blending in my vitamix and my kitchenaid food processor. Also how long will the cheese sauce last in the fridge? I had some extra and couldn’t toss it just yet! Thanks Monique!
So happy you enjoyed it!! Hmm how long did you soak the cashews? And what kind of blender are you using? As for the cheese sauce, it should stay good for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container 🙂
This vegan cheese sauce is great!! This recipe tastes just like something you’d pay $$$ for at a vegan restaurant. I will be making it again and I think I’d even use this sauce over nachos!
DELICIOUS AND CREAMY! Our whole family loved it! I added some breadcrumbs to the top and baked in the oven before serving and it was amazing!
Yay!! So glad to hear that. Great idea to add breadcrumbs–yummmm 🙂
I made this and for me it was horrible. It has no flavor like no flavor. Luckily I didn’t mix it with the pasta so I was able to just use vegan cheese. I really wanted to like this but it’s a no for me today.
Oh wow I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it! I find it really flavorful. Did you use nutritional yeast? If so, what kind?
I tried to comment before but it doesn’t look like it posted. I think it’s SUPER important to note that you have to actually cook the sauce once you make it. For people who are saying yuck they don’t like it that’s probably why! I whipped it up stuck my finger in and was like huh, what am I missing?? Then I heated it up with noodles and bingo it was amazing! 😋
Totally–I’m so glad you found it delicious after cooking it!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and I love it. It has just the right amount of .. zing? My husband (who is skeptical of anything that pretends to be cheese) LOVES it and has even asked when we are having it next. Definitely a regular in our house now!
This tastes nothing like boxed Mac and cheese or homemade Mac and cheese. The raw garlic is very off putting and I like garlic. It tastes like a creamy nut butter sauce that has been seasoned. I followed the recipe.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this one! I agree that it’s not quite the same as regular mac and cheese because it doesn’t have dairy cheese in it, so it definitely tastes more like a creamy nut-based sauce. I’d recommend trying my Zucchini Mac & Cheese (with or without the zucchini!) for a more traditional version 🙂
Amazing!! This recipe HITS. Y’all are killin it, really making food allergies seem like no big deal!!!
I subbed GF Banza macaroni noodles (made from chickpeas!) and paired it with grilled lemon herb chicken from one of Gweneth Paltrow’s cookbooks and the combo was just perfect and so much protein!! 🔥
Omg YAY so happy you loved it!! Banza is the best, and that chicken sounds amazing, too!
So good 🙂 Definitely the best mac and cheese i’ve ever tried
😍 I’m SO happy you’re loving it, Sarah! Yay!
Made this today, very yummy and satisfying! Definitely saving for making again.
I’m so happy you tried and loved it, Sarah! Yay!
This was amazing! My whole family loved it! Even better than I imagined it would be! Perfect amount of sauce for the pasta too!
Yay! I’m so happy you guys loved this one, Kristen!
This recipe is pitch perfect. I made it for a cozy and delicious night-off. I am so grateful for this recipe. It feels luxurious, decadent, and cozy like a traditional mac & cheese but it’s way more nutritious and digestible for vegan/non-dairy people (like myself). I am so grateful thank you for your beautiful knowledge as always. This was so easy to make and a pleasure to eat!
SO happy to hear you’re a fan, Hannah! Excited for you to try it again! 🙂
So good! I’ve made this many times but most recently was out of non flavoured almond milk so I used dairy free cream cheese and water instead! Tasted the same but way thicker and creamier! Also made much more sauce than usual. Def recommend!
Such a resourceful idea, and I bet the cream cheese was delish in here. Glad you enjoyed it!
This actually is the best vegan Mac and cheese I’ve ever had! I didn’t have much hope when making it but I was impressed and it will definitely be a recipe I make often!
So glad you loved it!!
So good!! Love the jalapeño to add some spice. Not sure how non vegans would take to the texture of it but for me it 100% satisfied my gooey carby cravings.
So glad you enjoyed!
Honestly perfect. That’s all I have to say!
So glad you love this one!!
Oh. My. Goodness! I love trying new dishes and was curious how good this vegan mac n cheese would be. It did not disappoint! I was really impressed. It was easy to make, easy to add additions to (I added a bundle of spinach and some chicken) and my 19 month old son couldn’t get enough! He kept asking for more. Even my fiance loved it! Huge winner in my house and will be on regular rotation ❤👌
So happy to hear that! Such a great dinner for the whole family 🙂
This mac and cheese was so good! Addicted to it!
So happy to hear that!
Hi! I made this with my boyfriend one night when I realized I had the ingredients and it was so so good! Healthy but indulgent and kept me coming back for more
Love that! Such a great dinner 🙂
I CAN’T EAT CASHEWS AND RED SAUCE.
IS THERE ANY OTHER WHITE SAUCE THAT
YOU CAN SEND ME THE RECIPE FOR.
I WOULD REALLY APPERICATE IT.
THANK YOU. PAT.
Hi Pat! Hmmm I don’t have on in particular but I would suggest searching for a white bean sauce on Google.