Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese is so good because it’s incredibly creamy and cheesy, made with wholesome plant-based, dairy-free ingredients that deliver rich flavor and comfort without any dairy. Perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike, it’s a delicious, guilt-free twist on a classic favorite.
This dairy-free mac and cheese dish is one of my favorite comfort foods, and my version happens to be gluten-free too! The homemade vegan 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 my vegan meatloaf, this lentil shepherd’s pie, and even these vegan black bean burgers. This is one delicious food that the whole family can agree on!
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Ultra-Creamy Texture: This vegan mac and cheese delivers a rich, velvety sauce that rivals the traditional version, making it irresistibly comforting.
- Dairy-Free Delight: Made entirely with plant-based ingredients, it offers all the cheesy flavor you crave without any dairy, perfect for those with dietary restrictions.
- Nutrient-Packed: This dish is not only delicious but also provides a healthier option with added nutrients from ingredients like cashews, nutritional yeast, and veggies.
Ingredients you will need
- Pasta- Use your favorite pasta–whole grain, gluten-free, or whatever you prefer.
- Veggies- Potatoes, carrots, and onions are the vegetables that create the cheese sauce for this pasta dish.
- Cashews- Raw cashews are the base for the homemade cheese sauce, and white beans can be switched out or added.
- Nutritional yeast- This is an inactive yeast that is used for flavoring dishes because it has a cheesy, nutty flavor.
- Spices- Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper work to create a perfect blend of flavor.
Vegan cheese sauce substitutions
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, veggie lasagna, and so much more. That’s why I came up with this amazing Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce that creates an amazing dairy-free mac and cheese dish!
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.
How to make vegan mac and cheese
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: To make this delicious cashew mac and cheese, you’ll need to start by making the cheese sauce. 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.
STEP #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.
STEP #3: When veggies are tender, drain them and place them in a blender. Reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to the blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
STEP #4: I have a Vitamix blender, so I 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.
STEP #5: 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.
STEP #5: 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.
STEP #7: Serve immediately and enjoy. Sometimes, I add in a few stemmed green peas to add even more protein and nutrition. They give the color of this dish a pop too.
*Originally published February 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
Mac and cheese pairs well with a variety of dishes, including my Vegan Meatloaf, this Mixed Bean Salad, or our Dairy-Free Creamy Broccoli Salad. It also goes great with garlic bread or a side of sautéed greens for added flavor and nutrition.
Store this pasta dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. It freezes well too.
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!
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Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
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
- In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Don't overcook it!
- Once pasta is tender, but not overcooked, pour into a drainer and rinse with cool water. Set to the side.
Cheese Sauce
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
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.
I really love your cheese sauce, it’s so creamy and great tasting. You have the ingredients and quantities absolutely spot on. I am going to try the cashew/white beans next time. Thanks for another delicious recipe.
Terri,We use a lot of your recipes, but here’s avariation we found a few years ago for the sauce.
shy 1/4 C flour, 1/2 C nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp blk pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and1 1/4 C almond milk. I par boil broccolli and cauliflower in same water I will use for macaroni, scoup out the veggies after about 5 min and add macaroni. Drain veggies and macaroni together and hold while b r inking milk to low boil and add dry ingredients and whisk until well mixed and smooth. Add veggies and macaroni back in and mix well.
Depending on how much macaroni you have used, you may want to add a little more milk for a lighter and smoother sauce. We love it. I do not use any vegan butter and we try to keep oils of most varieties out of our diet usually. Thanks
I’ve made this recipe quite a few times. It’s my go to recipe for mac and cheese now, thanks so much for sharing!
Karine- I love that this is your go-to mac and cheese recipe! Thanks so much for the great feedback.
Hi Terri,
Just watched your interview with Chef AJ which was great! I came right to your site to try your ‘cheese’ sauce recipe. One question, is there any ‘room’ in the recipe to add white miso or does the lemon juice take care of that flavor?
Thank you. I am anxious to try many of your recipes!
Hi Cyd- I’m glad you saw the interview with Chef AJ! I was so excited that she asked me to be on her show. No need to add miso to the cheese recipe. I would suggest making it as is the first time to see what you think. Hope you will love it as much as we do!
I’ve put off trying this recipe for a very long time. It just didn’t seem possible to make the ingredients taste like cheese. Well, was I pleasantly surprised! This is soooo good!!! I made Mac n cheese topped with bread crumbs which I did bake for 15 mins at 350. Oh my goodness, my mind exploded with ideas for how I could use the “cheese”. Thanks for a great recipe, I will never doubt your recipes again!!!
Debbie- Ha! I’m glad you decided to give it a try. The cheese sauce is a real gamechanger, and we love it with nachos, tacos, lasagna, and so much more. It can even be made to be sliceable. Happy discovering! 😀 https://eatplant-based.com/vegan-cheese-recipe/
I just made this for dinner after getting the recipe by email from you. It is delicious, but I will add a bit of mustard powder next time to give it an extra kick. Great recipe though and I love your website. It’s one of the first places I check if looking for a recipe.
Hi Kat- I love the mustard powder addition! I will have to give that a try myself. So glad that you’re enjoying the recipes. 😀
When you mention using beans instead of nuts, are you talking about canned beans or dry beans? Thank you!
Looking forward to making the cheese sauce and using it in many different dishes!
Definitely use cooked beans. They can be from a can or cooked from dry. Either will work well. Hope you enjoy the cheese sauce!
How much breadcrumbs would you add to the top?
I haven’t added bread crumbs to the recipe before but, if you would like to, maybe use 1/2 cup to a full cup, depending on your preference.
Can I use butter beans for white beans In place of cashews? Not sure what kind of beans you meant.
Jenna, I haven’t tried butter beans, but I think they would work just fine. I normally use either Northern or cannellini beans.
Dear Terri – I am so grateful for your blog and your recipes! You are making my transition to no oil/plant based eating possible. This cheese sauce recipe is wonderful and the man I am dragging through this diet change, likes it. In fact, he said it was great! consider that high praise! I have used this sauce a number of ways and they all work! Cannot thank you enough! Olwyn
Thanks so much, Olwyn! It’s terrific to hear your health journey is going well and that you have company, even if you’re having to ‘drag’ him, lol! This cheese sauce is one our our favorites too because it can be used for so many different things. We use it to drizzle over pizza, top a baked potato or steamed broccoli, to make Cheddar Broccoli Soup, and much more. Thank you again for your kind words, and keep up the good work! 🙂
Hi, I want to make this delightful looking Mac and cheese dish. Can you use cashew meal in place of whole cashews? I have a lot of the ground cashews. I’d like to use them up..
Norma, I believe the cashew meal would work just fine. Would love to hear back about how it goes.
I grind my cashews first before adding to the blender. Have had no issues at all. This is so delicious! I’m still working on just how much a “pinch” of cayenne is, had a friend mention that it was a bit hot! Lol! I love it!!!