This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
The Ultimate Vegan Mac n Cheese ~ super creamy, rich & oh-so dreamy! It takes less than 30 minutes to make & it’s gluten-free.
I’ve been on a little comfort food kick lately, and I’m taking it all in before the warmer weather hits. I live in the desert, but it gets a little chilly during the winter.
I love having comforting foods to keep me warm & cozy, and this Ultimate Vegan Mac n Cheese is the perfect way to do it.
What makes it THE ultimate?
Well, it’s super creamy, velvety-smooth, rich, mouth-watering, and the cheesiest mac in town! This is a family favorite and we enjoy it at least once a week, along with Finger Lickin’ Good BBQ Cauliflower Wings. It’s the perfect combination and total comfort on a plate!
But it’s not cheese
Some people out there (a.k.a the meat & dairy industry) don’t like when vegans use words like meat, milk or cheese to describe our food because apparently, it confuses consumers into thinking they’re buying “real” animal-based products.
Ya know, like that “real” neon-orange block of cheese that doesn’t need to be refrigerated? That was more like a science project gone wrong.
Well, the utter truth is that consumers are waking up to the suffering and damage that animal-based foods are causing, and they’re choosing to buy the latter.
This Vegan Mac n Cheese is twice as delicious, 100% healthier, and 100% kinder than its animal-based counterpart. Maybe it’s not made with “real” cheese, but it sure tastes like it is, so why would I change the name to something else?
It’s not confusing… it’s damn delicious!
What’s in this Vegan Mac n Cheese?
There are lots of ways to make a vegan cheese sauce. I love using cauliflower, cannellini beans, and I especially love using butternut squash, like I did for my Spicy Nacho Cheese.
It creates a creamy, buttery texture, and a gorgeous color too. I have a Baked Butternut Mac recipe I’ll be sharing soon, so stay tuned.
For this Vegan Mac n Cheese recipe, I used potato to get that creamy & thick texture, like in my Fettuccine Alfredo. To create the cheddar cheese color, I tried something new and I used…
wait for it...wait for it…
CARROTS!
Normally, I’ll just use a blend of turmeric, paprika, nutritional yeast, and chili powder to get that cheesy color. I didn’t think of this genius idea up on my own, I saw it on Veg News Magazine a while back, and I’ve meant to give it a try.
The carrots worked out perfectly in this dish, and I’ve added another recipe to my arsenal now!
Woo-hoo!
To make the sauce extra creamy, I used unsweetened soy milk and raw cashews into the mix. When processed together with the potatoes & carrots, it makes an ultra-rich sauce base to drown your macaroni in.
The cheesy flavor is created with nutritional yeast (a.k.a nooch) and fresh lemon juice. For that cheesy stretch we all love, I added tapioca starch.
Nooch is a magical ingredient that turns your delicious cheese sauce into a melty, stretchy, vegan miracle!
More goodness
I sautéed fresh garlic in vegan butter before adding the cheese sauce to the pan. It makes everything more savory and gives a buttery-garlicky kick. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
If you aren’t into butter or fresh garlic flavor, you can definitely omit the step entirely. I would add at least 1/2-1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the sauce though, and stir it often, so it doesn’t burn.
Vegan Mac n Cheese is easy to make
Soften the cashews
Boil or steam the potatoes and carrots
Cook the macaroni until al dente
Blend up the cheese sauce ingredients
Sauté fresh garlic in vegan butter
Pour in the sauce and heat up until thick & stretchy
Add the macaroni to your sauce and combine
Now, Grab a fork and enjoy!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Mac n Cheese, I’d love to get your feedback. You can leave a comment below and let me know what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Mac n Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in very hot water for 10-15 minutes. Keep covered. *See note
- 16 ounces dried elbow macaroni, gluten-free or regular
- 1 cup potato, peeled & chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or any plant-based milk)
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons himalayan salt (or preferred salt), more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, more if preferred
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch *See note
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice , more to taste
- 2 med/large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
Instructions
- Steam or boil the potatoes & carrots until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Place macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook until al dente & according to package directions (about 9-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Drain & rinse cashews and discard water. Now place all ingredients in a high-powered blender (except garlic & butter). Blend until potatoes, carrots & cashews have completely broken down & sauce is smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat up butter in large pan over medium heat. When melted, add garlic & sauté for 1-2 minutes, until lightly brown (be careful not to burn).
- Pour in cheese sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes, until sauce thickens up and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent burning. If it's too thick, add a small amount of broth & stir. Taste for seasoning, and add more if needed.
- Now add pasta and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make things easier, you can prep ahead, and pre-soften your cashews by placing them in cool water for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Then they'll be ready to pop in the blender right away.
- I usually start blending the sauce 5 minutes before the pasta will be done. This way the pasta isn't sitting too long, and it will be hot & fresh when it goes into the sauce.
- I boil the vegetables and pasta at the same time (not same pot) to make it faster. They take about the same time to cook, so it works out perfectly.
- You could also cook the potatoes and carrots the night before and pop them in the fridge. This will make things even faster and easier at mealtime.
- If you'd like a thinner cheese sauce, use only 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch, or omit it altogether. The sauce will still be rich and creamy. Tapioca starch provides extra thickness and a slight "cheesy" stretch.
- The cheese has a very smooth and creamy texture. So, if it comes out a bit grainy, you may need to blend longer. If it's still grainy, your blender may not be strong enough to pulverize the cashews completely smooth. If you think your blender might not work properly, just soak the cashews for 8-10 hours or overnight in the fridge. This will make them soft enough for most blenders.
- If you'd like to add another layer of flavor to the sauce, you can try 1/2-1 teaspoon of miso paste or dijon mustard. Blend it up with the cheese sauce.
Nutrition
Veganforever
I followed this almost to a T and it came out amazing! My non-vegan family members loved it. I’d recommend adding more nutritional yeast and using regular noodles if possible. I’ve also experimented using sweet potato in place of regular potato and loved the result! Everyone should try this at least once.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lacey, thank you for making it and sharing your suggestions. The sweet potato sounds delicious! I must give that a try next time. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Christina
I’ve tried this and I’m gonna say it probably taste better with regular noodles. It was a little gritty. I’m gonna try it again. Now your potato and leek soup…i make a pot a week! Thanks for all your recipes!!! I’m a cook and I also work in a middle school kitchen. I’m working on a vegan menu. We have lots of kids with food inferences and allergies. And there menu is lacking pizzazz. Can’t wait to try some more recipes
Melissa Huggins
Hi Christina, Oh no… Do you mean the pasta was gritty? Was it gluten-free?
Thank you for making the potato leek soup too. I’m so happy you like it. It’s one of my favorites 🙂
I’m so glad the school is introducing a vegan menu. I think it’s going to be fantastic with your touch.
Caitlyn
My husband and I are easing our way into veganism for health and environmental reasons. I found this recipe and was very skeptical but gave it a chance… and I’m so glad I did! I made the sauce and used half of it right away in a cheesy rice/broccoli recipe and stored the other half in the fridge for later use. The next day I used it with pasta just as this recipe intends and it was so decadent! I loved every bite -thank you!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi, Caitlyn! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. I’m so happy you both loved it. It’s a family favorite and I make it at least once a week.
Congratulations on your new healthy journey. So nice that you and your hubby are both on board. It will make it a breeze that way.
Thanks again! Have a great week!
Kendra
Can you sub gluten free all purpose flour for tapioca flour in this recipe?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kendra, sure you can do that. It will be missing a slight stretch that the tapioca provides, but it will still be thick and creamy. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Yvonne
Hi Melissa, does this Mac and cheese reheat good. Would love to make it a d have for lunch or dinner for a couple of days. It’s just me. Thanks
Melissa Huggins
Hi Yvonne, it does reheat pretty good, but you may need to thin it out with vegetable broth while reheating. You can also cook the sauce and pasta, but keep them separate and store them in the fridge. Then just combine when you’ll be reheating. This will prevent the pasta from getting soggy. I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Andrea
Hi Melissa! I made this recipe last night and followed everything step by step but the sauce came out grainy 🙁 Do you know what could have caused this?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Andrea, I’m sorry this happened to you. It definitely shouldn’t be grainy. Was the sauce smooth when you blended it or did it become grainy after cooking? It’s possible that your blender may not be strong enough to completely pulverize the cashews. You can try soaking the cashews longer or use a good food processor. You can also try pine nuts which are softer. It’s also possible that you didn’t cook it long enough (hard to know, so just guessing). The tapioca flour needs to cook a bit. I hope this helps and you’ll try it again. It’s a very smooth and creamy sauce. Let me know if I can help with anything else 🙂
Rachel
Melissa,
I am thinking of bring this to a potluck, (hopefully will fool everyone), haha looks great.
but will it hold in a hot pan/crockpot for the trip there?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work just fine. Just bring a small amount of vegetable broth, in case it gets a little thick. I’d love to hear how it turns out. Enjoy the party! 🙂
Mina
I was looking at a few Vegan Mac and Cheese recipes and read comments like “it doesn’t taste like cheese”, “taste more sweet potato” which I found unpromising until I came across this recipe; not a single comment I felt put off by, so I made it and it’s a winner! Absolutely delectable and OH SO CREAMY AND DREAMY. Even my meat and cheese eating toddler asked for bowl after bowl. It truly tastes close to the real thing. It’s a super simple recipe with no frills. I wouldn’t leave out a single ingredient. Kid tested mother approved. Only Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe I’m ever making needless to say.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Mina, this is the best compliment ever. I’m so happy you liked it….especially your toddler. Kids seem to have a strong sense when their food is different. I’m glad this recipe passed the test. Thank you so much for making it! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Linda
Oh my goodness!! This was delicious!! This will be my go to mac and cheeze from here on out. No joke — outstanding!! Thank you so much. 🙂
Melissa Huggins
Hi Linda, This is so nice to hear! I’m glad you liked it. We eat it a lot around here. Thank you so much for making it, and for your feedback. 🙂
Josephine
This looks fantastic! I am eager to try this recipe.
Would it be ok if I took out the nutritional yeast? I live in a small town and do not have access to it. Also, can I use corn starch instead of tapioca?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Josephine, The nutritional yeast gives it that extra “cheesy” flavor. I haven’t tried this recipe without it. However, If I couldn’t find nutritional yeast, I would use vegan parmesan. Can you find that in your area? The cornstarch will work fine to thicken, it just won’t give that slight stretch in the sauce. A few readers tried it with cornstarch and loved it. You can omit the tapioca or CS altogether. The sauce will still be great. It just adds extra thickness. I hope this helps. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Thank you you for stopping by 🙂
Cassidy
What could I replace the cashews with? I’m allergic to cashews.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Cassidy, You can use macadamia or pine nuts. Also, you can skip the nuts altogether if you’re allergic. It will still be creamy and delicious. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
kimmythevegan
Holy moly girl! This will definitely up my vegan mac n’ cheese game! I love the extra step to sautée the garlic in vegan butter – it really would add some pizzaz. I can’t wait to try this glorious dish out!
Thanks so much for sharing with Healthy Vegan Fridays! I’m pinning & sharing. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kimmy, thank you so much. It’s definitely my favorite comfort food.
I’m happy to be a part of Healthy Vegan Fridays. Thank you for having me 🙂
Kara
This will be my go-to macaroni and cheese from now on, it is fantastic. Thank-you.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kara, yay! Thank you for making it! So happy you liked it 🙂
Kate
Oh yum! I’m always eager to try new versions of vegan mac n’ cheese and yours looks really creamy and amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kate, Thank you. I love trying new versions too. It never gets boring 🙂
Uma
These looks flavorful and delicious:) going to try this soon!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Uma 🙂 Enjoy!
Linda from Veganosity
Vegan mac n’ cheese was one of the first recipes I made when I went vegan. It convinced me that I wasn’t going to have to give up any of my old favorites, because vegan cheese is amazing. This looks so good!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Linda, it was one of my first veganized dish too. I knew that everything would be fine after that. My relationship with food was better than ever, after going vegan. 🙂
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition
This looks so creamy and delicious Melissa! I’ve been playing around with a similar recipe but I’m loving the look of yours! Excited to try it! Vegan mac & cheese is my fav!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Mary Ellen! Mac n Cheese is my favorite comfort food. 🙂
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
Melissa, your mac n cheese looks amazing! So creamy and delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Amy! So easy to make too 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Can never turn down some cozy Mac and cheese!
Melissa Huggins
I’m the same…impossible to say no.
Sarah
Hello! Your recipe looks delicious. What would you suggest if:
-No nuts at home because my boyfriend is allergic. Can I ommitt the cashews? Replace with something else to keep the sauce really creamy?
-My blender is really shitty and I don’t have money to buy a better one. It does not make smooth sauces… Is it easy to blend?
Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sarah, Is your boyfriend allergic to seeds too? Some seeds would work. However, I have made this without the cashews all together and it was still delicious. It’s just not super creamy, but definitely still creamy. I’m not sure about the blender though. I have made this with my Vitamix, but also with my regular blender and it came out smooth. It should be easier without the cashews, but I’m not sure if your blender will make it super smooth. You can give it a shot. Thank you for stopping by 🙂