Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese

This Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese dish is one of my favorite comfort foods, and my version happens to be gluten-free too! The cheese sauce can also be used in lots of other recipes and dishes as well.

Mac and cheese is a dish that pairs well with so many meals like vegan meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, and even black bean burgers.

This is one delicious food that the whole family can agree on!

We love this vegan mac and cheese because it’s…

• Made with wholesome ingredients
• Creamy
• Cheesy
• Comforting
• Packed with flavor
• Delicious

Vegan cheese sauce

When I first switched over to a healthy plant-based lifestyle back in 2013, one thing that I really missed was CHEESE.

Cheese for pizza, tacos, baked potatoes, lasagna, and so much more. That’s why I came up with this amazing Creamy Vegan Cheese’ Sauce!

Incredibly some of the ingredients used to make this amazing cheese sauce are…

• potatoes
• onions
• carrots
• cashews (and/or white beans)
• nutritional yeast flakes
• lemon juice
• spices

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

How to make mac and cheese without dairy

To make this delicious cashew mac and cheese, you’ll need to start by making the cheese sauce which is surprisingly easy.

Dice up potatoes, carrots, and onion.

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in a pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.

When veggies are tender, drain them and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.

I have a Vitamix blender and so don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn’t jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes before adding them to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy. 

Use cashews or white beans

Originally, I made it with 1/2 cup of raw cashews. Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more.

Nowadays, I mostly make it with a combination of 1/4 cup of cashews + 1/4 cup of white beans. It has a warm creamy texture with less fat.

Pasta options

Other than the cheese sauce, the only other ingredient needed to make this plant-based mac and cheese recipe is pasta. There are lots of different pasta options.

Though I am not gluten-intolerant, I like the taste and texture of brown rice pasta, which just happens to be gluten-free.

Normally, I like to use brown rice elbow pasta with this dish. Another great option is whole wheat elbow macaroni.

Whichever pasta you choose, cook it according to the package directions. Once it’s done, drain the water from it and run cool water over the pasta. The cool water helps to stop the cooking process and rinses off the starchy covering.

Add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl and pour the cheese sauce over it. I like to add a little turmeric powder to enhance the orangy color. Stir together well.

Serve immediately with any of your family’s favorite meals.

*Originally published February 2015.

Your dairy-free mac and cheese questions answered:

• Q: What is vegan mac and cheese made of? This healthy mac and cheese sauce is made from potatoes, onions, carrots, nutritional yeast, cashews (or white beans), and a few spices.
• Q: Can you make the cheese sauce without nutritional yeast? To me, nutritional yeast is a pretty important ingredient because it is what gives this sauce its cheesy flavor. It can be made without it, but the flavor of the recipe will change somewhat.
• Q: Is this recipe gluten-free? If you decide to use rice pasta or other gluten-free pasta, this recipe can be made completely gluten-free.
• Q: Can this be made into a macaroni pie? Sure! I would just add some bread crumbs to the top and brown it in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.

What to serve this dairy-free dish with

• Vegan Meatloaf
• Mixed Bean Salad
• Creamy Broccoli Salad

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

Continue to Content

Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This gluten-free vegan mac and cheese dish is one of my favorite dairy-free comfort foods! The cheese sauce can also be used in lots of other recipes and dishes as well.

Print

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

• 1 cup potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup broth from veggies
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, unsoaked, (or 1/2 c. white beans)
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional

Pasta

• 8 ounces pasta, brown rice, if gluten-free
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Instructions

Pasta

1. In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Don't overcook it! 

1. Once pasta is tender, but not overcooked, pour into a drainer and rinse with cool water. Set to the side.

Cheese Sauce

1. To make this delicious cashew mac and cheese, you’ll need to start by making the cheese sauce which is surprisingly easy. Dice up potatoes, carrots, and onion.
2. In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in a pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
3. When veggies are tender, drain and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
4. Originally, I made it with 1/2 cup raw cashews. Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more. Nowadays, I mostly make with a combination of the two–1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup white beans. It has a warm creamy texture with less fat.

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Pure Natural Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 
  Tinkyada Organic Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta 3 Shape Variety Bundle: (1) Elbow Pasta, (1) Spirals Pasta, and (1) Penne Pasta, 12 Ounce Ea.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 6gCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gProtein: 9g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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