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Vegan mac and cheese on a green plate

Vegan Mac and Cheese

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Close your eyes and imagine sinking a fork into a creamy, golden bowl of mac and cheese. Now imagine that same velvety comfort—that rich, cheesy goodness you thought you had to give up—but it's vegan. Wild, right?
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 408
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 1/2 raw cashews
  • 2 cup water
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 oz elbow pasta
  • 7 oz bag vegan cheddar cheese shredded (Optional)
Optional breadcrumb topping
  • 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp vegan butter melted
  • 1/4 tsp paprika smoked

Method
 

  1. If planning on baking it with the breadcrumb topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a casserole dish (I used a 9×13 inch dish). Skip this step for stovetop mac and cheese.
  2. Soften the cashews by covering them in boiling water for 5 minutes. We do this by heating up water in the tea kettle and then pouring the boiling water over the cashews in a large glass measuring cup.
  3. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but do not overcook. Drain and set aside.
  4. Drain the soaked cashews and discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, fresh water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and bag of shredded cheese (if using) to a high-powered blender and blend until very smooth.
Stovetop version
  1. Simply return the pasta to the pot and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens and serve immediately.
Baked version (The best option)
  1. Make the breadcrumb topping by mixing the breadcrumbs, melted vegan butter and smoked paprika in a small bowl until crumbly and moist.
  2. Add the drained pasta to the prepared casserole dish, and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the noodles. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on the pasta and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes. I also broiled it for a few minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 408kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 20gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 389mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3g

Notes

  1. The bag of vegan cheddar cheese is optional. If you don’t want to use vegan cheese, reduce the water to 1 cup, especially if not baking it. This way, the sauce will be thicker and creamier.
  2. The cheese sauce freezes well, so feel free to make extra sauce and freeze some for a super quick meal or kid’s lunch option.
  3. Leftovers will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. The sauce does thicken when it cools or sits out for awhile, but there is an easy fix. Simply add a little warm water and stir, noodles and all, while you reheat it. The sauce will thin and it will be perfect again.
  4. Gluten-free – Use gluten-free pasta, any variety you like.
  5. Nut-free – You can make our version of Dairy Free Mac and Cheese, which is nut-free.

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