This truly is the BEST Vegan Mac and Cheese and it’s easy to make! The stovetop version is ready in less than 20 minutes, or bake it for a few minutes with a buttery breadcrumb topping. Irresistibly cheesy and creamy without a hint of dairy!
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 plant based 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 or salad. My favorite add-ins are: thawed frozen green peas, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, roasted asparagus or cooked kale.
Stovetop or baked macaroni and cheese
I’ve included both a simple stovetop version (ready in less than 20 minutes) and a baked version. If you have a few extra minutes, the baked version is out of this world amazing!
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. I also created Dairy Free Mac and Cheese, which is nut free.
- 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 – For flavor. A little bit of onion powder also works well here.
- Salt
- Vegan cheese – I added a bag of Follow Your Heart cheddar shreds. This is optional, but I loved the extra cheesiness and creaminess it added.
- Elbow noodles – Or your favorite pasta. Use gluten free if needed. But for classic mac and cheese, use white elbow noodles.
- Panko bread crumbs – Make sure they are vegan friendly. Optional for the baked version.
- Vegan butter – Also for the buttery crumb topping.
- Smoked paprika
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, salt and vegan cheese if using.
- Blend until very, very smooth! This will take a few minutes, perhaps a little longer if you are using a regular blender.
- If making the baked version, mix the breadcrumbs, butter and paprika in a small bowl until crumbly.
If making the stovetop version, simply drain the pasta, add it back to the pot and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir until it thickens somewhat, then serve immediately.
For the baked version, add the drained noodles to a casserole dish and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir so the noodles are coated.
Sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the top and bake for about 15 minutes. Do NOT over bake or it will dry out. I also broiled it just for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs turned a golden brown.
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. This won’t work well with the baked version, but I found these leftovers saved better anyhow.
Tips for the best vegan 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.
Frequently asked questions
- Does it freeze well? 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. I don’t recommend freezing the pasta + sauce, as it gets very thick and mushy.
- How to store and reheat leftovers – 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. The baked version won’t need any additional water. Reheat in the microwave until warm and enjoy.
- Can you make vegan mac and cheese without nutritional yeast? You can, yes. If you leave it out, make sure to add the bag of vegan cheese. Nutritional yeast gives vegan cheese sauces a wonderful cheesiness, but some people don’t care for it.
More drool-worthy pasta recipes
- Vegan Baked Ziti
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Creamy Vegan Carbonara
- Vegan Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Mac and cheese
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 2 cups water or less if not using vegan cheese, see Notes
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 (7-oz) bag shredded vegan cheddar cheese, optional
- 12 ounces elbow pasta
Optional breadcrumb topping
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prep – 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.
- Soak the cashews – 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 pasta – Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but do not overcook. Drain and set aside.
- Blend cheese sauce – 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
- 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!)
- Make the breadcrumb topping by mixing the breadcrumbs, melted vegan butter and smoked paprika in a small bowl until crumbly and moist.
- 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!
Video
Notes
- 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.
- 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 – Go make my Dairy Free Mac and Cheese, which is nut free.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted in August 2018 and has been updated November 2021 with new photos and better instructions. I also added an optional bag of vegan cheese and an optional topping for baking.
Would using cashew butter solve the issue of not getting a good blend on the cashew nuts?
Hi Ethan. I’ve never tried using cashew butter, so am not sure how that would work. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Hi! Do think this would freezes well?
Hi Ken. The cheese sauce on its own is freezer-friendly. I don’t recommend freezing the pasta and sauce together as it can become thick and mushy. If you choose to freeze the sauce, you will see tips in the recipe post about reheating. Hope this helps!
Can I use unsweetened cashew milk instead of soaked cashews?
If so how much?
The blended cashews make the cheese sauce super rich, thick, and creamy. The sauce will be too thin if you use cashew milk instead of the soaked and blended nuts.
This is delicious and so easy to make! I had a party recently and made this for the kids. I was a little weary about making mac and cheese, because kids are often picky about only liking ‘their’ Mac and cheese, the one they’re used to. But, no complaints! Everybody loved this! The adults too. 🙂 I will definitely be making this again!
That’s great, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback!
Hi! I just followed a different mac and cheese recipe from another site. Made a whole pan of creamy deliciousness….. and discovered that none of us can tolerate the aftertaste from nutritional yeast!! It’s this a common thing? Should I leave it out when I try your recipe? THANK YOU!
You can absolutely leave it out if you really don’t like it. I can’t really taste it in this recipe, some mac and cheese recipes taste of it super strongly and I’m not a huge fan of that either. But if you are sensitive to the taste I’d leave it out. The cashew sauce is quite cheesy, especially when you add the optional vegan cheese. Hope you enjoy it!
This is my favorite mac and cheese recipe! In my 6 years of being vegan I’ve made a LOT of difference cheese sauces.. but this one is also incredible. I add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and black pepper and it is also so delicious.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and feedback!
I’ve made this twice ! I added a bit of truffle oil too . This recipe is such a piece of cake and is so yummy . I’ve blended the sauce the night before and it makes dinner prep so fast ! Such a fabulous recipe . Thank you !
You are welcome! It’s fun to see that you are having fun with my recipes! I appreciate your amazing feedback and review1. Thank you!
Instead of butter, would it be possible to use a vegetable broth or applesauce with the panko breadcrumbs for the baked version – or would you recommend to just leave the breadcrumbs off?
Thanks
I haven’t tried the breadcrumb topping with an oil free method, but I would not use applesauce as it will be sweet. Broth might possibly work, but I don’t know for sure. I’d probably just leave it off myself. Thanks!
The best Mac and Cheese I have ever made or tasted vegan or non vegan. Moist Cheese Sauce.
I swirled water in remains of sauce left in blender to use after the bake. I used it for last stir before I out in oven.
The panko I mixed with coconut oil as I had no vegan butter. Delicious alternative. And I soaked cashews overnight.
10+
Thank you for taking time to share your fabulous feedback, Ellen! I am thrilled you loved the recipe!
Make this all the time and modify it with my family recipe seasoning! Even when I mess up the seasoning the texture is always perfect!!!! CAN NOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH!!!
Thanks, Holly, for your wonderful feedback and review! Glad you are loving the recipe!
Is the macaroni measured cooked or uncooked?
I made this recently (guessing it was cooked) and instead of serving it up as-is, I formed the mac-n-cheeze into balls, froze them, then coated them with substitute eggs and almond flour and deep-fried them in peanut oil. They were truly the hit of the party.
Hi Justin. The measurement is for uncooked. macaroni. I love the idea of Mac and cheese balls! Thank you for sharing that, and for your great feedback and review!
Could you please add a serving size to your nutritional information? The numbers aren’t useful without it.
Hi there! There are 8 servings total, so if you divide into 8 servings, that is your answer. But keep in mind that nutritional calculations are an estimate only.
Truly the best mac and cheese recipe… And I’m not even vegan but had to make this cos I’m currently dairy and egg free. Loved it!
Thank you for sharing your great feedback and review! I’m thrilled you loved the Mac and cheese! This is for sure a favorite recipe in our home!
Is a serving size about a cup?
Hi Peggy. This recipe makes 8 servings. You would have to divide the recipe by 8 to obtain one serving size. I hope this helps!
Best vegan Mac and Cheese recipe I’ve come across. Even my picky eaters loved it. Thanks Nora 🙂
I followed the recipe carefully and mine didn’t come out creamy! Flavor was great but the sauce just stuck to the noodles and they were a bit dry. Any suggestions?
If the sauce wasn’t creamy, then it’s possible that not enough water was used, the cashews weren’t fully blended/still grainy, or the pasta soaked up the liquid as it was baking. Make sure the cashews are fully blended and/or try adding another 1/2 cup of water or milk to thin out the sauce. Hope this helps!
Yummy recipe, will definitely make this again ❤️
I’m thrilled you loved it! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and review!
Added some roasted butternut squash (because….VEGGIES!), and a bit of onion powder, a splash of sriracha, and only 1c water. Used 2c elbow pasta, there was enough sauce leftover to use on my cauliflower tomorrow, YAY!
DELICIOUS! Like Bob’s Red Mill recipe, but better!
Husband says this is the best Mac-n-cheese EVER! He is definitely NOT vegan, so I struggle to find recipes he likes. He LOVES yours, Nora!
A friend made this for me and it was amazing! Looking to make it for my gluten and dairy free nieces and nephew but I have dry roasted cashews. Will they cook up the same as raw? Or will it mess with the consistency or something? Wonderful recipe! May need to make another quick trip to the grocery!
Hi Amy. How wonderful you loved the Mac and cheese! You can use dry roasted cashews if you really need to, but it will taste different. It will taste more nutty. I hope this helps!
So good! I added some broccoli florets. Something this delicious has no business being so easy! Thanks for another great recipe, Nora!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Jade!
Another outstanding recipe. It’s so awesome when you make something new and it’s so good that you don’t feel the need to look for any other recipes.
I think might put some of the cheese sauce on a pizza crust later.
Thank you Chef Nora 🙂
Hi Nora,
I’m alex from Argentina also a chef and veggie. You have rally good recipes here I have tried some of them and fantastic flavors.
I wanted to share my opinion with you and congrats for this site.
cheers
Bye byee
i’ve made this recipe so many times – it’s so good and easy to make! my daughter requests it as her come home from college special meal and we all love it. added half of a head of chopped cauliflower to the boiling pasta with 5 min left. thank you thank you for this recipe!!
HI Stephanie. You are welcome! Sounds like the perfect meal to come home to! Thanks for Sharing your great feedback and review!
Tried and true! I have used Nora’s recipe half a dozen times for this Mac and Cheese and it always turns out great/reheats well. I find myself making just the cheesey sauce on its own from time to time as well for use on nachos/burritos/burgers. It’s so versatile, tasty, and easy to whip up. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and review! I’m so glad you loved the mac and cheese (and the sauce 😉 )!
I found several half boxes of elbow macaroni in my cabinet and decided to use it. Since I don’t have a Vitamix, I wasn’t sure how this would come out. Most times my cashew cream comes out grainy. The cream wasn’t perfect, but after I put everything together and baked it with plenty of panko, OMG! Delicious! I am not even a vegan, but I’m not a big meat person for sure. I have found that Nora’s recipes never fail!
Hi Christine. It’s so awesome this turned out delicious for you! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review! I’m thrilled you are enjoying my recipes!
I was going to skip the extra cheese since I am not generally a fan of vegan cheese but I trusted Nora (always trust her recipes lol) and I was not led a stray. Loved the topping as well. I will definitely be making this again!I was going to skip the extra cheese since I am not generally a fan of vegan cheese but I trusted Nora (always trust her recipes lol) and I was not led a stray. Loved the topping as well. I will definitely be making this again!
Hi Jen. How fantastic that you loved the Mac and cheese! I appreciate your faith in my recipes, and am glad you are loving them! Thanks for your great review and feedback! Happy cooking!
On a Sunday night, I made this for some of my lunch meal-prep for the week. After I finished baking the mac n cheese, my fiancé saw what I made and we ended up eating it all for dinner that night. It did not survive very long after being made, and I was without some lunches for the week ahead 😂
I’m glad the Mac and cheese was a hit, however, bummer you missed some lunches for the week! Thanks for sharing your fun and fabulous feedback and review!
Great basics. Added spices to my taste. Also used my cooked pasta water to blend the mix. Might boil a potato next time to theow in the sauce blend for some extra gooeyness. Thanks
Thanks for sharing your great feedback and review, Deb!
My daughter loves “regular” macaroni and cheese, but she’s been having issues digesting dairy lately, so I tried this recipe instead. It came out delicious and she loves it! Thank you!
How fabulous your daughter can continue to enjoy Mac and cheese! Thanks for sharing your fabulous feedback and review!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday party with gluten free pasta and it was amazing! This time I added a few tablespoons of vegan butter to the blender and that made the sauce even creamier and helped keep it from thickening too much as it cooled. Our vegan guest asked for an extra plate of mac and cheese to take home with her, which was the ultimate compliment! The best part of this recipe is that it’s easy and nutritious too!
Absolutely incredible! Best version we’ve ever eaten, bar none! One question for those of us watching our calories: is the posted nutritional info for the basic version or the one with park and butter topping?
Thanks for creating this recipe!!!
The nutrition estimate is for the more basic version without the panko/butter topping. Thank you!