Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese recipe is incredibly creamy and remarkably cheese-like! You won't believe how delicious dairy-free mac and cheese can be.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 22, 2024
Did you know that this seven-year-old vegetarian food blog did not have a macaroni and cheese recipe until today? It’s true. I’ve failed you on the mac and cheese front, but I’m making it up to you with this vegan (I repeat: dairy free) mac and cheese recipe.
From one cheese lover to another, I’m here to tell you that this mac and “cheese” is remarkably cheese-like and absolutely delicious.
I’ve been slowly working on this mac and cheese since I published my vegan queso recipe two months ago. The first time, I tried to use pasta cooking water instead of my queso’s secret ingredient (grated potato), and it was just ok.
Then, I added the potato back, and the potato starch makes this cashew-based queso super silky and creamy. It’s remarkable!
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Nutritional yeast is key, in addition to the grated potato. It offers some cheesy flavor and color. Frontier Co-Op just started offering it in smaller bottles, and after using it in this recipe, I really believe their product is superior. It has less funk than the regular store-bought brand, so if you haven’t enjoyed nutritional yeast in the past, please give it a shot.
I kept tweaking the amounts and spices until we had just the right amount of sauce for one-half pound of pasta. I’ve finally nailed it. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients list—it’s all basic pantry ingredients!
I couldn’t help but incorporate some broccoli for some extra flavor, color and health benefits. Keep it or leave it out—I’ve included guidance for either option in the recipe below.
Vegans, dairy-free friends, and cheese lovers who crave a more redeeming mac and cheese recipe, this recipe is for you. (And for those who also appreciate traditional, cheesy mac and cheese recipes, you don’t want to miss my new stovetop mac and cheese recipe.)
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! If you’re transitioning to vegan or dairy-free recipes, don’t miss my vegan sour cream and vegan Parmesan.
Watch How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese
Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese recipe is incredibly creamy and remarkably cheese-like! You won’t believe how delicious dairy-free mac and cheese can be. Recipe yields 2 large or 4 modest servings.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-grain macaroni elbows
- 1 head of broccoli, florets cut into small bites (about 1 ½ to 2 cups), optional*
- 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 cup peeled and grated russet potato (4 ounces, about 1 small or ½ medium potato), preferably organic
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
- Small pinch of red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup raw cashews**
- 1 cup water, more as necessary
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions. If using broccoli, stir it into the pot when just 2 to 3 more minutes remain. Drain, and transfer the contents to a large serving bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-to-large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the grated potato, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to enhance their flavors.
- Add the cashews and water, and stir to combine. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring frequently and reducing heat as necessary to avoid a rapid boil, until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Carefully pour the mixture into a blender. Add the nutritional yeast and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. If the mixture won’t blend easily or if you would prefer a thinner consistency, add water in ¼ cup increments, blending after each one.
- Taste, and blend in additional salt until the sauce is utterly irresistible (I typically add at least another ½ teaspoon). If it needs a little more zip, add the remaining teaspoon of vinegar. Blend again.
- Pour the sauce into the bowl of pasta. Stir until well combined, and serve immediately. Leftovers keep well, chilled and covered, for 3 to 4 days. Gentle reheat, adding a tiny splash of water if necessary to loosen up the sauce.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my vegan queso.
Make it gluten free: Simply use your favorite gluten-free noodles.
*On broccoli: You can omit the broccoli altogether, or replace it with finely chopped kale or peas (about 1 ½ cups). If you omit it, you might not need to use all of the sauce.
**Raw cashew notes: Most recipes like this suggest soaking the cashews for 4 hours in advance to make them easier to blend and to digest. I honestly never soak mine since I have a powerful Vitamix that blends them right up. The cashews in this recipe are cooked in hot liquid, so they’re softer and even easier to blend. However, if you don’t have a great blender or if you’re concerned about the digestibility factor, go ahead and soak them in advance.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This post was created in partnership with Frontier Co-op and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
For the nutritional yeast do you use flakes or powder?
Hi Allie! The flakes will work.
Can the sauce be frozen?
Hi Gitty! I don’t freeze all my recipes so I can’t say for sure what will work. I’m not sure this one would freeze the best. But, if you try it let me know!
What if you cannot eat cashews (or any nuts)? Is there a substitute? Thanks!
Hi Chris, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I haven’t found a great alternative yet for cashews.
I added katuk, okinawa spinach, and kale. It was so delicious! Kind of stodgy, so next time I’ll add tomatoes.
Hi! This looks delicious! Is there a good vegan substitute for the cashews? My son is allergic. Thank you!
Hi Jeannine! I wish I have found a great alternative for cashews, but I haven’t yet. Sorry!
Hi Kate, can I use cashew cream instead?
Thank you! Linda
Hi Linda, this is meant to be made as directed as other modifications won’t get to you the same cheese-like result. Sorry!
Thank you so much, Kate!
Thanks for reposting this recipe. I had some broccoli left over from making your Broccoli Cheese soup, and this recipe was the perfect way to use it. I usually buy box gluten free & dairy free mac & cheese and honestly it has no nutritional value! It made me happy to have this comfort food on a cold day and know that it is good for me too! I saw the suggestion from someone else to add Turmeric for color. I think I will try that next time. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Robyn! Thank you for your review.
I get migraines from nutritional yeast and from aged cheeses…any thoughts on what I could substitute?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. I wish I had a good alternative for you, but it helps get the cheese-like result.
Okay thanks anyway– I’ll just try another one of your yummy recipes :-)
I love macaroni and cheese all the cheese is not good for me. I found this recipe and tried it and LOVED it immediately. Had my husband try and also loved it. I have made it multiple times :) Thanks! Carol
I’m happy you loved it, Carol! Thank you for your review.
Hi is it possible to substitute butternut squash instead of potato? Thank you!
Hi! Unfortunately I don’t think you would get the same result as you need to starch to help get this to be cheese like.
Could powdered potato starch substitute for the grated potato?
Hi Marianne, unfortunately, it won’t get you the same result.
Wow just made this for dinner tonight and it SLAPS. The sauce is SO good and the most flavorful vegan “cheese” sauce I’ve had thanks to the onions and seasonings. I used banza chickpea pasta to up the protein intake and also added some truffle oil to give it a little extra something (not that it’s needed at all!). Loved this recipe!!
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Sharon.
I’m blown away by this recipe, so creamy, tasty and heathy! Thank you very much for sharing -this is indeed the best Mac and cheese!
On another note, I am really sorry about Cookie! I’m sending positive energies for you both.
Thank you, Muriel! I appreciate your review.
This didn’t work for me, I think it has too much nutritional yeast in it. Also thought it had too much sauce for the pasta, didn’t use it all. I’ve been vegan for a long time, so maybe “imitation” dishes aren’t as attractive as for those in early transition to plant-based eating.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Christina. Thank you for your feedback.
Tried to make this… I flowed the recipe to a T, the consistency was beautiful but omg was this ever awful. The apple cider vinegar and the yeast made this taste like beer. I HATE beer…. Kind of a waste of time… don’t try this. I’ve made creamy vegan sauces using other recipes and they have turned out amazing so like idk what went wrong here but omg gross.
Hi Stephanie, I’m sorry this one wasn’t for you. Did you use nutritional yeast?
This is a great recipe as long as you go in with the understanding that it tastes nothing like Mac and cheese. It is a good pasta dish with a creamy sauce and broccoli. It is zero cheesy, but it is also really tasty.
LUSH LUSH LUSH LUSH – thank you!! I added mushrooms to mine but it wouldn’t have made any difference to how nice this recipe was
5 stars from me x
It was delicious! I substituted the cashews for the same amount of Joi organic Cashew Base (butter).
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you loved it.
Making this the 2nd time today. Thank you so much Kate for this truly amazing dish. I feel light and not too full after and yet it’s 100% satisfying!
I made this recipe and it was really good! We added a few more seasonings and nutritional yeast. I was wondering if you could use this recipe to make baked mac n cheese? Would I have to adapt it somehow to make it more suitable for baking?
Hi Alex! That’s a good question. It definitely wouldn’t develop that nice cheesy top like real cheese does. It might just dry out. I’ve found that baked mac and cheese recipes continue to soak up the cheese mixture in the oven. Bottom line, I’m just not sure about that. So glad you enjoyed it as written!
Wow! This is something new for me. As a vegan, I haven’t tried this yet, Thanks to your post I could definitely try this one out maybe next weekend. Broccoli to mac and cheese is awesome, a nice combination.
Made this for Thanksgiving and my family loved it! They’re a tough bunch and aren’t really open to healthier and/or vegan dishes, but this recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!
That’s great! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
This is a very tasty meal if you do not think of it as mac and cheese. I’ve still not found a vegan mac and cheese recipe that tastes cheesy. Again though this is a really tasty pasta dish.
Loved it! I used probably 2 1/2 cups of broccoli and peas and it was delicious!
I made this for our dinner this evening….mine was grainy due to only having a food processor but it was still very tasty! My husband who has been struggling making the switch to Vegan/Plant Based with me even went back for seconds!! Thank you!!!
My sons are allergic to nuts. Is there a substitute to the cashews?
Sorry to disappoint, but I haven’t found a great substitute yet.
I got excited about the non dairy then saw the potatoes and cashews. Both are high in oxalates and not good for kidney stone formers like me. But it looks absolutely delicious!
Delicious! Made as written (with more nutritional yeast added) and then baked the leftovers the next day topped with panko/french fried onions. Amazingly creamy without any “fake” cheese and also made a great baked mac. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I recently had to go dairy-free, and I miss my boxed mac and cheese the most— this certainly satisfies that craving! I was amazed by how creamy the sauce was. I’ll be coming back to this!
Idea for any omnivores out there— I added in two strips of diced bacon (or pancetta or similar) in with the onions. Gave it some extra umph and made the most perfect comfort food!
This is the best mac and cheese I have had. It’s rich and satisfying, without being heavy and leaving you feelings sluggish like its dairy counterpart. It was so easy, quick, and delicious. I added a little dash of cayenne and black pepper to make it a little zippy, but it would still be amazing without. So good!!
Hooray! Thank you for trying it and leaving a review.
I’ve always seen cashew/vegan Mac and cheese recipes and for some reason I’ve been intimated to try. I am so glad that I finally tried this recipe! My husband and I eat fairly plant based but occasionally have cheese and fish. I didn’t tell him this was vegan Mac and he kept saying he was so excited for dinner (since I don’t typically make Mac and cheese) and I was getting nervous. However, he tried a bite and was sooo excited. I told him it was vegan and his response was “we could be vegans — who needs cheese!”. I will take that as a win! Thanks for another great recipe Kate!
I’m glad you tried it! Thank you for taking the time, Christine.
My partner and I are not vegan so were a bit skeptical about this recipe, but it is every bit as delicious as our regular cheesy mac and cheese. The only change I made was to add a crispy breadcrumb topping, and I put a little smoked paprika into the sauce. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. This is going to be a regular for us, thank you so much.
I’m delighted you tried it and enjoyed it, Holly! Thank you for reporting back.
This doesn’t taste exactly like cheese, but it is very, very delicious! I like to make it with roasted broccoli and cauliflower mixed in.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Janice!
I was intimidated by this one for a while, but it’s so easy! I recently got a new blender so it felt like the right time to try it. I don’t know if I’d necessarily confuse it for Mac and cheese but it’s delicious nonetheless.
I’m delighted you finally made it! Thank you for sharing, Cathy.
Last meal worthy.
The texture was amazing. I personally felt it lacked a little zing….I added the full 3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and an extra teaspoon of salt. Added cracked black pepper and finely chopped beans instead of broccoli. Not sure what more to add to get that zing
I’m sorry you thought it lacked something. I appreciate your feedback, Kim.
This recipe was really good to build off of. I would caramelize my onions, use vegetable broth instead of water and maybe use sweet potatoes instead.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe as is, Marielle. I appreciate your review.
Made this. And, I’ve loved a LOT of your recipes. This is very good but does not at all taste like mac and cheese. I’d def call it something else.
I’m sorry you weren’t in love with this one, Stacy. I appreciate your review.
I’m eating this right now – I’m on like bite three – and I think it’s delicious. I added a lot of pepper, which really seals the deal for me.
Great recipe! Thank you!!
This recipe was good, but more like an Alfredo sauce than a cheddar macaroni sauce. I would definitely use half the garlic cloves and garlic powder next time. Also, it was to ACV forward maybe reduce to 1 tsp or use lemon juice as others have suggested. One more thing- next time I might sub some carrot or cauliflower for half the potato to lighten up the sauce a bit. I made this without broccoli, which probably would have helped to make it less heavy!
My husband’s thoughts- half the garlic and no ACV. Stir in some beer after blending to make a good vegan beer cheese dip for soft pretzels :) Can’t wait to try his idea!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipes as is. I don’t think you would accomplish the same creamy texture with the carrot of cauliflower, but I would be interested to hear if you try it!
THIS WAS DELICIOUS!
I am eating vegan for all of March because I have always thought about going vegan but never really dared to do it. So I thought a this would be the way to get a feeling for the whole thing. If every meal will be as good as this one, it will be a piece of (vegan) cake!
I used half a tablespoon of real mustard since I did not have mustard powder. Also I used a bit more fresh onion and fresh garlic since I didn’t have those either. One cup of water left it a bit too thick (due to the added onion and garlic I guess) so I added a bit of oat milk.
Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing how you changed it up, Birgit.
My mom has dementia and has become very picky about her food. I made this sauce for her and gave it to her with quinoa. She devoured it! Thank you!
Not bad. Sauce came out a great, smooth consistency. Omitted the broccoli but did blend a little cooked cauliflower in. Tastes pretty good but a bit heavy on the garlic flavour for me. Not the recipes fault necessarily but both my kids didn’t eat more than a bite :’(
Hi, I’m sorry you didn’t love it. Thank you for your feedback and sharing how you changed it up.
Mmmm mmm mmmm!! This is my go-to plant based Mac and cheese recipe! It never fails and hits the spot just right. I’ve been known to make it multiple a week on consecutive days :)
I want to make this for this week, but quick question: is dry mustard powder the same thing as ground mustard? Ground mustard is all I can find in stores near me. Thanks!
Hi! Yes, if it is a powder that should work just fine.
This is better than regular Mac n cheese! Great vegan option and my two year old loved it!
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your review, Cynthia.
Perfect. Nothing left.No leftovers. Substituted cashews with blanched almond flour.Deeeelicious.Xoxo
Great! Thank you for your comment, Muriel.
I made this for lunch today and its the BEST mac and cheese i’ve ever had even better than the real thing. This is going to be a favourite of ours as we really missed mac and cheese after going vegan. Thanks alot !! Just a question, can we fridge the extra sauce or does it go bad if not consumed at once?
Hi! I haven’t saved extra sauce. I would be interested to hear how it may keep for you. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Rajee!
I call this creamy pasta – for it is! Doesn’t taste like Mac and cheese to me, so I’d rename it, but still really enjoy it. I don’t have a fancy blender but soak the cashews briefly in hot water and it works great. My tip is to reserve a cup of pasta cooking water and use some of that to thin the sauce – because of its starches, it makes it more creamy. Last time I made this I threw fresh spinach on top of the potato/cashew mix in the pan to steam and then threw it in the blender to make a lovely green pasta dish! This recipe makes enough sauce for me for a pound of pasta.
I’m happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your feedback, Ema.
I made this a few days ago as a meal prep, and it’s one of the best vegan pastas I’ve had! I’m actually vegetarian and I do eat dairy, but I’m trying to cut back and have at least half vegan meals. Macaroni and cheese is my achilles heel, so it’s nice to have a good substitute! I subbed lemon juice for apple cider vinegar (personal preference), and it came out fantastic! It also wasn’t that time consuming to make – I used frozen veggies I had on hand (frozen peas and cauliflower florets) to add into the pasta water at the end. I was surprised at how similar the sauce tasted to real cheese! It’s not the same, but again, it hits that craving. I divided it into 3 meals, and honestly I could have done 4 meals, because it was SO filling (hidden potato and cashews probably contribute to that!). The one thing that was challenging was consistency after being refrigerated, but I solved that by adding oatmilk before microwaving – you need a lot more liquid than you think to loosen it up enough. Overall, a 5 star recipe! :)
I’m glad you enjoyed it and were able to make some substitutes to fit your tastes, Samantha. I appreciate your review!