The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
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This truly is the BEST Vegan Mac and Cheese ever! Made with just 7 simple ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes. It’s as easy as making boxed mac and cheese!
My favorite thing about this recipe is how easy and quick it is to throw together. It’s ready in the same time it would take for you to make a box of regular mac and cheese!
When I’m craving comfort food, I turn to a big bowl of noodles, and this vegan mac and cheese hits the spot. The luscious sauce is oh-so-creamy, cheesy and mild with just a little tang. It’s sure to become a staple meal in your home!
I highly recommend pairing it with some sort of vegetable. My favorite add-ins are: thawed frozen green peas, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, roasted asparagus or cooked kale.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Raw cashews – This is what makes the sauce so delightfully creamy and cheesy at the same time. There isn’t a good substitute for this recipe, but if you need a nut free cheese sauce, try this Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce instead and pair it with noodles.
- Water
- Fresh lemon juice – From about 1 large lemon. Use fresh squeezed for the best flavor. I love my lemon juicer and use it daily.
- Nutritional yeast – If you really dislike it or don’t have it, you could leave it out. But it adds a lot of cheesy flavor.
- Turmeric – Mostly for color!
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Elbow noodles – Or your favorite pasta. Use gluten free if needed, whole grain or even a bean based pasta. But for classic mac and cheese, use white elbow noodles.
How to make Vegan Mac and Cheese
It’s so easy to prepare, you won’t believe it!
- Pour boiling hot water over the cashews in a bowl or measuring dish. I usually heat water in my tea kettle or a small pot, then pour it over the nuts. Get your pasta cooking as well.
- Let the nuts soak for about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a Vitamix, you may want to let them soak for an hour or even overnight so they will get smooth when you blend them.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a blender, along with the fresh water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder and salt.
- Blend until very, very smooth! This will take a few minutes, perhaps a little longer if you are using a regular blender.
- Drain the cooked pasta and add back to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce on top of the noodles.
- Stir very well; the cheese sauce will thicken slightly from the hot noodles. Serve immediately for best results!
How to thin the sauce if it’s too thick
Serve the mac and cheese right away for the best texture and flavor. The sauce will thicken as it sits, even after 20 minutes. But I have a solution! Simply add some additional warm water (a few tablespoons at a time) and stir it in well. The sauce will thin perfectly – problem solved!
Do the same thing with leftovers. When reheating, add some more water and stir until you reach the desired consistency.
Tips for the best mac and cheese
- Classic elbow noodles – While other pasta is totally fine to use, classic elbow noodles will give the dish that certain mac and cheese feel.
- High powered blender – This is probably the most important thing. It might work okay with a regular blender or food processor, but to really create a cheesy, perfectly smooth sauce out of cashews, you need a Vitamix or other high powered blender.
- Fresh lemon juice – The flavor will be much better with fresh squeezed lemon juice than if you use bottled.
- Add in some vegetables! I think this makes mac and cheese amazing. My favorite is stirring in some roasted vegetables, yum.
- Sprinkle some vegan bacon for extra flavor and protein – Try my tempeh bacon or tofu bacon.
Leftovers and freezing
The sauce itself freezes wonderfully, and is great for freezing, then taking out small portions for single meals or kids lunches. You could even freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag.
If you want to freeze the pasta + cheese, that is fine but the noodles will be a bit mushier. If you are planning to freeze it, I would undercook the noodles by a few minutes, add the sauce, then freeze in a container. You can reheat the dish on the stovetop from frozen, or bake it in the oven. You could even microwave it if you wanted.
The dish will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. And like I said above, add more water to the leftover pasta so it’s not too thick.
More drool worthy vegan noodle recipes:
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Creamy Vegan Carbonara
- Vegan Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked)
- 1 cup water
- 1 large lemon, squeezed for juice (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 12 ounces elbow pasta (use gluten free if needed, or whole grain)
Instructions
- Soften your cashews by covering them in boiling water for 5 minutes. I do this by heating up water in my tea kettle, and then pouring the boiling water over the cashews in a large glass measuring cup.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but do not overcook.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the soaked cashews, 1 cup water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder and salt to a high powered blender and blend until very smooth.
- When the pasta is done, drain and return it to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce, and serve!
- Optional veggie add ins: Thawed frozen peas, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, cooked kale or roasted asparagus.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- Gluten free - Use gluten free pasta, any variety you like.
- Nut free - This recipe won't work for you, but you might want to try my Nut Free Vegan Cheese and pair it with pasta, it's really yummy too!
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted in August 2018 and has been updated November 2020 with new photos and better instructions. The recipe itself is the same. Thank you!
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165 Comments on “The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese”
Love this recipe and it’s so quick to make. Perfect for the “I don’t feel like cooking” days.
Hi Brianna. I agree it’s always great to have a quick and easy recipe that you love! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried so many vegan Mac n cheese recipes and never have I been thrilled by the results until tonight!!! I had 3 servings and then ate straight out of the pot. Best recipe hands down!!! I will definitely be making this for my guest! Thanks Nora
Hi Nichole. I’m really glad you love the mac and cheese recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Omg how is this soooo easy and so divine?! Been craving Mac and cheese for so long and nine of the recipes ive tried come close. Thank you so much! Im gonna be so fat and happy 🤣
Also love your amazing tofu butter chicken. Its a weekly fave. Will definitely be trying your recipes every week now xx
Hi Louise. I’m so glad you love my mac and cheese! Thank you for using my recipes. May you have fun and enjoy them! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried making a couple of other vegan mac and cheeses and haven’t been a fan of them. This one was AMAZING—even my carnivore boyfriend loved it!
Hi Marissa. I’m so glad you and your boyfriend loved the Mac and cheese recipe! Thank you for sharing!
We made this last night and it was perfect! We were scared of the sauce being too watery but seriously it thickens up perfectly! We’ll definitely be keeping this as a go to recipe, and it’ll make its way to our table on Christmas night.
That’s so great to hear!
Best Mac n cheese recipe EVER! My boyfriend’s favorite food is anything involving cheese, and when I first told him I would be making a Mac n cheese out of cashews he was extremely skeptical. Fast forward to now, we make this recipe at least once a week and he thinks it is the best Mac n cheese he has ever had, saying that ones with real cheese don’t even compare! The best recipe and the lemon juice adds so much flavor. I usually use cauliflower gnocchi for the pasta and add some toasted breadcrumbs on top😊
I’m so glad to hear that!
I truly appreciate this recipe! Basic ingredients, easy to make, tastes divine