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!
Hi Kate,
instead of cashews, can I use another type of nut, almonds perhaps or walnuts?
The sauce seems so creamy and delicious but I’ve never really tried cashews due to my peanut allergy. I can eat almonds and walnuts no issue.
Thanks in advance
Hi Francine, cashews work best for creamy sauces since they blend into oblivion. Could you try macadamia nuts, maybe? Walnuts or pecans would definitely taste more nutty; if you love their flavor, that might be nice. Almonds would need to be strained out so they won’t work.
Thanks Kate,
yes I can eat macadamia nuts and I don’t mind the nutty taste of walnuts or pecan.Would I soak these also or just blend them as is? I’m happy to told me about the almond I would tried that first, and another culinary disaster would ensue. lol!
I was going to ask the very same question! I’m also allergic to macadamia nuts, but maybe I’ll try with walnuts! :)
Soaking really depends on how well your blender works, and how well you can digest nuts (they’re supposedly easier to suggest if you soak them first). Those are all soft nuts so I don’t think they require soaking if you have a great blender.
I’ve had really good success with Brazil nuts in place of cashews in cheese sauces.
I use sunflower seeds and sometimes even pumpkin seeds in all my creamy vegan sauces and it works great. I do soak them first.
I use soaked sun flower seeds and they work well
I don’t eat white potatoes what will leaving them out cause? Thanks. Noa
Hi Noa, you can omit the potato, but the sauce won’t be as creamy without it. You might want to up the amount of cashews by 1/4 cup to be safe.
I actually like this recipe better using either sweet potato or butternut squash in place of potato. It leaves a hint of sweetness similar to dairy cheese.
Drooling…Looks delicious!!!
I hope you try it!
This looks great! Reminds me of one of my favorite dishes at Fud in KC! Thanks for sharing.
Oh, I didn’t even think of that! I’ll have to compare. :)
This looks wonderful! I’m looking forward to trying it soon since we’ve had to nearly eliminate dairy due to sensitivities. And I love the picture of Cookie with her broccoli stalk!
I hope this helps fill the cheese-sized hole in your life, Amy! And yes, Cookie is always making sure she gets in her veggies. ;)
thanks for the chance to win the spices! I am completely intrigued by the Chinese Cinnamon!
You’re welcome! It’s delicious, I hope you try some!
Well hello Kate, and may I say…I have failed YOU on the commenting front! One good turn deserves another, so today is the day I will make contact!! I am a big fan, and you have single-handedly helped me cook well for my newly vegetarian husband and teenage daughters. Thank you, thank you for recipes I love too–so much so that I’m considering trying to become a vegetarian again. (In the past, I’ve been able to go only so long without a beef burger! I’ll keep you posted…) Cheers to you and to that real doll Cookie, Carol from Canada
Carol, I have failed you with my slow reply! I’m sorry that you kind words slipped by me. I am so glad to hear that you all have been enjoying my recipes. Cookie sends her best!
Kate, I want to thank you for your thoroughness. Your recipes are tasty, photographed beautifully with clear, easy-to-follow directions.
You’re welcome, Beth! Thank you for the kind comment.
Yayy for vegan mac & cheese!! Can’t wait to try it :D
Let me know how it goes!
Such a neat giveaway! I’ve been curious about this brand of spices/seasonings since I read about them on your blog awhile ago.
Thanks, Katherine! Yep, I’m a Frontier Co-op enthusiast for sure.
This sounds amazing! I am neither vegan nor dairy free but a lighter option to the cheese heavy dense Mac and cheese that I usually make sounds almost too good to be true! Definitely trying this
Yes! I love cheese, but this is just as savory and creamy.
Im allergic to cashews is there a suitable substitute?
Forgot to mention in previous post that im allergic to all nuts and some seeds but not sunflower seeds so would they b a good sub for the cashews ?
Hey RW, yes, I’d go with sunflower seeds. I think I’ve seen a sunflower mac and cheese recipe by Isa Chandra that uses sunflower seeds so you might Google it to see how she does it exactly!
YUM!!! Loved your vegan queso recipe, so I am sure I will love this too!! :)
Yes, you should try it!
This looks amazing! Frontier’s spices are my favorite, and I’m excited to hear about their nutritional yeast.
I loved it! It really made this sauce cheesy and savory.
This recipe was really horrible. I’m always amazed at what vegans think cheddar cheese tastes like. It was pretty good (though nothing like cheese in flavor) until I added the brewer’s yeast. Then it was abhorrently bitter. I think maybe there is a typo and it’s supposed to say 1/4 tsp. instead of 1/4 c. I left out half of it, and it was SO bitter my kids could not eat it, and I got a tummy ache, and it was not like the picture at all – it was brown! The texture was really nice; I might try it again with 1 tsp. or less of brewer’s yeast. It still tastes nothing like cheese, but might be a nice potato-onion sauce in its own right.
Hi Jenni, I’m so disappointed that the recipe didn’t turn out well for you. The recipe specifies nutritional yeast, not brewer’s yeast, which is why the recipe went wrong for you. Brewer’s yeast is brown and bitter; nutritional yeast is yellow and somewhat cheesy in flavor (I’m not a vegan and it does taste cheesy to me, a cheddar eater). I recommend Frontier Co-Op brand for the best flavor of nutritional yeast. The quantity listed is correct (1/4 cup).
If you used instant yeast instead of brewer’s yeast, that would certainly explain your stomachache since it is an active yeast that needs to be deactivated with heat. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast and is not only safe to eat, but contains B vitamins and other nutrients. I hope this information resolves your issues!
I never knew there was a difference between nutritional yeast and brewer’s yeast – I’ve always used them interchangeably. I think the tummy ache was just from the bitterness. I’ll have to try it again with nutritional yeast and update with a happier comment!
I hope you really enjoy the next batch! :)
Kate, I want to applaud you for your kind response to a pretty rude comment. I’m in love with your recipes but recently became vegan, so I’m very excited to see some vegan cheese sauce options here!!
Same!!!! Great reply for rude comment!
Yum! I’m always on the hunt for a delicious, vegan mac and cheese! My dog, Loki, also loves to munch on broccoli stalks!
Loki is such a cute name! I hope you try the mac and cheese, Amy, I think you’ll love it.
A couple of months back I made the Quest dip(yum). I used the left overs for macaroni & ‘cheese’. It was “okay” but was lacking something. I will HAVE to try this!
YES, this recipe was made for you! You need to try it.
Hi Kate,
Would this dish be okay to freeze? I am about to start a new job that involves shift work and I am making a bunch of meals to freeze to keep on hand for both myself & my husband.
Hi, Tiffany. I’m not sure– I haven’t tried freezing this just yet! I think the sauce would be fine to freeze, but I’m not sure about freezing the pasta and sauce together. Perhaps if you’re going to reheat it in the oven, then combining and freezing them could work.
Update! I froze my leftovers. I actually used a gluten-free pasta for this recipe (that’s why the pasta noodles are crazy yellow in the photos) and the pasta did NOT reheat well. It turned to mush. The sauce might work to freeze separately, though. You’ll probably want to thin it with a little more water once it’s warm enough.
My super picky daughter even had seconds! I thought this was very good, and definitely the best “cheese” I’ve had. I usually steer clear of nutritional yeast based cheese sauce, but I pretty much love everything I’ve made from your blog, so I gave it a try. Served with your recipe of Apple Kohlrabi salad, and was a lovely meal!
I’m glad you enjoyed this, Sarah! The kohlrabi salad sounds like a great side for the macaroni.
WOW! I’ve made many vegan mac and cheese’s before and I have to say, this is the closest thing to the real deal as I have ever had. The “cheese” sauce was identical to that squeezable Velveeta cheese packet from my childhood. Absolutely delicious! (And you were totally right about the addition of the 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vinegar to make it absolutely irresistible!) My boyfriend couldn’t stop saying, “I can’t believe this has no cheese in it?!”
I also loved the addition of broccoli, as many vegan mac and cheese’s include peas, which I’m not the biggest fan of. We topped the dish with your crispy tofu, which was perfect for some added protein and texture!
Yum! It sounds like this made a really nice dish for you, Tory. I’m glad to hear it!
Can’t wait to try out this recipe! I found out I have a dairy allergy & mac n cheese is the comfort food I’ve missed most. Thanks for sharing!
I hope this is what you’re looking for, Serena!
I made this as a side dish and so skipped the broccoli. Even my mac and cheese obsessed 4 year old was a fan! The sauce reminded me of a tangy cheese dip and made me want to play around with it and cook the veggies and cashews in beer next time and serve with soft pretzels instead of on pasta. Great recipe as is, though and one I will make again.
Ooh, the beer cheese version of this sounds interesting! Let me know if you try it.
Looks super delicious! One question: do you grate the potatoes raw or do you use boiled potatoes? :)
Just realized that you boil the grated potatoes… So that answered my question ;)
Hi, Louise! I grate the potato raw, and then I add it in with the onions and cashews to boil for a bit.
So easy and yummy! I left out about 1/3 cup of the onion/potato mixture and added it in at the end with the sauce to add some texture!
Delicious! Thanks, Jen.
I’m going to use my food processor to try this since I don’t have a blender. Do you think I’ll need to soak the cashews? I never really understood the difference between FP and blender for these purposes. I have a very sharp and strong magimix food processor which I use to puree soups too.
Hi, Asako! I think a food processor would be fine, as long as it’s a powerful one. I just say blender because my Vitamix is super powerful, so I prefer to use it. I’d say quick soak them with boiling water for about 15 minutes just in case.
Once more, I am amazed by your creativity! Just made this and it is freaking awesome, I scraped every last bit from the blender and licked off the spatula :) So good!
I added a tiny bit nutmeg and a small bit of maple syrup… Instead of broccoli I used spinach and wome cherry tomatoes…heavenly!
Thanks for saving my dinner! ;)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Your version sounds amazing.
allergic to all nuts except almonds. What can I replace it with? I love Mac and cheese.
Hi Julie, I haven’t tried, but maybe sunflower seeds would work?
We are so excited to try this recipe…just curious, if I soak my cashews ahead of time (I have a fussy blender!) do I still add the full cup of water to the cashews and grated potatoes? Thank you so much! :)
Yep!
Do drain the soaking water off beforehand, though.
Best vegan mac n cheese I’ve made (and I’ve made a few!). I’m vegan and my husband isn’t–we both loved it. Devoured it. And then I made it again! Thank you!
Success!! Thank you, Jenna!
Must a russet potato be used? May seem like a silly question, but when my favorite restaurant gave me their Rosti recipe, I used a different potato than was called for and it wasn’t nearly as good. Given that the only ingredients are potato, onion, parsley and salt, it was definitely due to the potato substitution.
I think Russet is the best kind, for sure!
Thanks, Kate and I’m so glad I asked!
Love your recipes!
ANY recommendation on a replacement for cashews (allergy) – would almonds work? Or any non-nut ingredient?
Thanks!
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING. Totally delicious. A keeper for sure. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kate!
How can I make this nut free? my son has severe nut allergies.
Can’t wait to try this at home!
Do you think that an immersion blender would work ok, along with soaking the cashews? I don’t have a blender and just have a tiny food processor. I can’t wait to try this!
I’m sorry Colleen, I’m not sure! I tried making it with un-soaked cashews with my immersion blender (maybe yours is better than mine) and it turned out quite lumpy. Please report back if you try!
Hi Kate and Colleen, I just made this with an immersion blender after soaking the cashews overnight. It still wasn’t silky smooth, but it was close! I think an immersion blender works well if you soak the cashews first. Thank you Kate for a great recipe! I appreciate it so much!
I made this and it tasted amazing but the sauce didn’t come out creamy. Could it be that I used a food processor instead of a blender?
Yes, I think so! I’ve tried it both ways, and the blender did a much better job of making it a creamy texture. I found the food processor kept it grainy.
Hi Kate, I have had good luck making a creamy sauce with my food processor.
SOAK the cashews overnight
PROCESS for a Minimum of 5 minutes. The longer you run it the creamier it gets.
And I made a delicious cashew cream without potato by using just soaked cashews and water. I suspect it was less water to cashew.
I used the cashew cream plus goat Gouda cheese as I avoid cows milk products, but do tolerate goat well
I’m Looking forward to making this recipe and experimenting with soaked sunflower seeds, maybe even soaked sprouted sunflower seeds and no potato to keep some of the raw food enzymes. Hmmm
I made this at my daughters request and have to admit I was skeptical as we are neither vegan or vegatarian. It was awesome, all three of my children and my wife raved about it, we will definitely be making this again.
Great! Glad to hear this exceeded expectations, Patrick.
Made this last night and brought it in for lunch today. It was quite creamy and tasty. I did feel like it needed…something though. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I did add the extra vinegar and some black salt. Both helped it along, but I feel like it still needs something. I might try a splish of lemon juice with the leftovers (of which there are a lot!) I have shoved a bunch of the sauce into the freezer, hopefully it holds up!
I think it should hold up just fine, Krithika! Maybe try adding some red pepper flakes, or paprika to the mix?
Trying with pumpkin seeds instead of cashews as I was halfway through making this and realised I was all out of cashews!! Hopefully it works.
How did it go, Dani??
It would have been really good but I forgot vinegar and didn’t blend it well. Haha I am going to try it again with pumpkin seeds and add all of the right things this time, and I bet it will taste great!
Well, unlike most of the posts here, I actually made this. I scrolled throught them first to see if anyone made it and liked it but most never came back and gave a rating which was disappointing. A few did, so I gave it a try. I found this to be a very good substitute for actual mac-and-cheese. I used a gold potato that had previously been baked and refrigerated and I put peas in it instead of broccoli because that’s what I had, and we liked it a lot. Other than that I followed the recipe to the letter. I think the broccoli would be good as well. I will definitely make this again!
Great, I’m glad you enjoyed this, Nancy! For newer recipes like this, it takes some time for readers to report back on how their versions worked out.
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the sauce because I used a pound of pasta and ended up with extra.. planning on using it for a white lasagna! Thank you!! Will make this again and again!
You’re welcome, Lizzi! I’m glad you could find a good use for the leftover sauce, too.
Hey Kate!
Is there any way to substitute anything for the cashews? I have a really bad nut allergy.
Hey Kate, I have a peanut and nut allergy. Do you think it would work if I replace the cashews with almonds? It is the only nut I am not allergic to! Please let me know, as I am trying to transition into a more vegan lifestyle, which has its challenges when you’re allergic to most legumes, nuts, and seeds.
I made a few changes to the recipe…I omitted the potato, used a total of 1 cup cashews instead, added 2 Tblsp bottled (drained) pimentos, 1/2 tsp tahini and 1/16 tsp dill seeds (all additional spices added during blending phase of recipe). I probably could have added more but was in a hurry. It turned out well–just ask good as the Daiya cheese-nutritional yeast concoction I usually make. I will try this again. BTW, my husband is crazy for your queso recipe. :)
This got the ultimate double thumbs up from an “Annie’s” Mac and cheese lover. This was easy to put together and easy to double batch. I sprinkled with Panko crumbs and baked slightly before serving. The only ingredient I didn’t have was dried mustard, so I added a little vegan dijonaise. This recipe is the closest I’ve found to real Mac and cheese flavor. Thank you!!
I should have mentioned that the thumbs up came from my daughter, who can be a picky eater. Her two friends also loved it. This is officially kid-approved. ❤️
Excellent! I’m a huge fan of Annie’s, too, so that’s quite the compliment for me. Thanks, Melissa!
Could I double the recipe by just doubling all the measurements? We like to have a lot of leftovers to last us a couple days.
For sure, you could!
I thought the flavor was awesome, but mine did not turn out as creamy! Maybe I will try my nutribullet next time. My daughter liked it too!
Yes, try the nutribullet, and try soaking the cashews, too! That always helps.
Is it possible to substitute tahini for cashews in this recipe and if so, in what amount? Would water need to be reduced as well?
Thank you so much for this very interesting recipe!
Hi Cheryl, I’m really not sure! It might be worth a try, but I would wait to add the tahini until you’ve had a chance to blend up all the other ingredients. Then add tahini, to taste. Please let me know if you give it a try!
The starch release from the grated potato made the thickness of the sauce perfect, the broccoli was an excellent addition, next batch I plan on adding cauliflower too. My whole family loved it.
Thank you so much for sharing this Kate!