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!
love love love this mac & cheese, so delicious!
My 3 year old is allergic to milk and eggs as well as nuts, so I had to omit the cashews. But she loved this and asked for more. I couldn’t be happier right now.
I was looking for a cheese free Mac n cheese recipe because my husband has high cholesterol. We are neither vegan or vegetarians. I liked but my husband and my family were not fans at all. How can I make I make this taste like real cheese not the processed stuff like velvetta? We are not fans of processed cheese or boxed Mac n cheese so I’m looking for a substitute that doesn’t taste like those.
I made this tonight, was really tasty!! I soaked the cashews for a couple of hours beforehand, added an extra dash of yeast flakes while blending. Topped with fresh breadcrumbs and vegan margarine, then baked until crunchy on top. Sensational!
I made this without broccoli and it is amazing. I have been eating way healthier now that 99% of the food my partner and I eat comes from this blog. The recipes are consistently good and perfect for us. We actually don’t eat out anymore because we genuinely prefer Kate’s recipes to restaurant food even though we live in a hip city with plenty of great healthy options. Anyway, this was a fun comfort food option for us and I had to put a spin on it from my hometown and add chopped green chile and frozen-crumbled coconut “bacon”, but I tasted it before adding those and it was an excellent mac and cheese base. Next time I’ll add some sauteed chard and a squeeze of lemon. Divine!! Thank you so much for your hard work, it really shows.
Eve, belated thank you for your kind comment! That makes me so happy to hear. Your version chili-“bacon” version sounds EPIC andI hope to try it soon!
I made this last night. I’ve had a few bad experiences with vegan mac & cheese recipes so I was a little hesitant! It turned out well. I think it definitely needs the last teaspoon of vinegar though, I forgot about this and once mixing everything together it tasted a little sweet. I topped with breadcrumbs and paprika and grilled for a few minutes before serving.
My daughter and I loved the mac and cheese dish. She made sure I left her some of the leftovers the next day.
Thank you, so much for the comment and star review Meg! Having leftovers with this one is tricky because it is so good!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Those pics are looking amazing… I will definitely try it out :) Great idea to mix some veggies under the mac and cheese!! Love it!
Let me know what you think once you give it a try!
Could this be made with sweet potato instead of russet? I am trying not to eat white potatoes.
Sorry Rae, I’m doubtful that it will work but you might give it a shot. Or you can omit the potato altogether—it’s just that the starch offers a lot more creaminess.
WOW– this is great! I added a little more salt and fresh ground pepper for some more oomph at the end, but I adore this! It will become a go-to, and something I know omnis will love as well.
Thanks so much, Susan for your comment and review! Glad this will now be a go-to.
I made this tonight and it tasted pretty good.
Thank you, Holly! Happy you liked it.
Hello,
I am allergic to nuts, would there be anything i could substitute instead?
Thanks
I am sorry to hear that! I know that is a hard allergy. For this specific recipe to make it vegan, I don’t have another option unless there is a vegan cheese option you can do. Otherwise, I recommend dairy cheese. Hope this helps! Sorry to not have a direct 1-1 change out.
I totally understand that! Thank you for replying :)
First time using nutritional yeast/making vegan mac n’ cheese and it was delicious! I decided to use this recipes over some others I found because of the addition of potatoes and cashews – it gives the sauce more substance and creaminess. Overall, not hard to make at all! Good weeknight option as it doesn’t require much time. Oh and added mushrooms, broccoli and collard greens!
Those sound like great additions, Bri! I am so happy you tried it. Thanks for your star review. I appreciate it!
Can I make the sauce a day ahead of time? I would then add to cooked noodles on the next day.
Great question, Alice! I like it served immediately best. But if you need to make ahead of time, I recommend adding a splash of water(if it looks like needed) to loosen up the sauce when you reheat it.
My daughter (trying vegan recipes) introduced this to me, and we both enjoyed it. I’m wondering if/how it freezes.
I don’t freeze all my recipes, Elizabeth so I can’t speak specifically to that. Let me know if you try it!
I have frozen this lots of times – works great.
This sauce was so delicious! I’m one of those rare vegans that don’t like nutritional yeast, so I just left it out. I didn’t really need the recipe to taste cheesy, so I added two Tbsp Earth Balance instead and the sauce still came out really delicious. I served it at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner, and the people who ate it said that it was really good.
I want to make this with my preschool class!
do you think this recipe would work with a nutribullet?
This has to be the best mac n cheese I have ever had. I will be making this all the time.
I love to hear that, Erin! Thank you so much for your review and comment.
I was excited to try this recipe – I’m new to eating a plant based diet and this sounded like interesting ‘comfort food’. Although I think it’s tasty, mine isn’t cheese-like; more of just a flavorful (smells a bit like peanut butter) sauce. And when I looked at the nutrition info *gulp* I was surprised by the high calorie count for a 2oz serving. I’m really not sure what ingredient jacks up that number but it will make me think twice next time. Thanks again for the vegan idea – keep them coming!
Interesting you got a peanut butter taste. Are you sure you used cashews for the base? Cashews have a higher calorie content as they are a great source of protein and fat. I am sorry this one didn’t seem to work for you but I am excited it help spark plant based meal ideas! I appreciate the review.
Kate, I can’t wait to try out your recipe. I am dairy free and having been eating Amy’s nondairy Mac and Cheese since my hip surgery. I am really looking forward to cooking again and this will be the first thing I make! Looks amazing and I know will be quite superior to Amy’s frozen food!
Let me know what you think of it Julie when you do!
Oh my gosh, I don’t know how you figured out what to put together to make it taste like creamy (real) cheese but YOU DID!!! I am a 56 year old women that is just now trying vegan/vegetarian eating life style so you know that I have had a lot of Mac & Cheese in my years! I fixed this for dinner last night for my husband and two adult children…we all loved it! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Glad to hear you liked it! Good luck on your journey. There are a lot great recipes to help your transition! If you are looking to go vegan, most of my recipes can be made vegan and I have a note at the bottom with suggestions. My cookbook is also a great resource. Thanks for your review, Renee!
Yum! Just used your recipe for a Christmas Eve dish and I love and love the creamy cashew blend . Being vegan I usually make a puttenesca but wanted a change. This is yummy! Thanks so much.
What a great dish for Christmas Eve! Thank you for your comment and review.
Hi! This looks amazing! Would red potatoes work instead of russet?
It might, but I haven’t tried to be sure. Different types of potatoes have different types/amounts of starch. I’d stick with Russets for the best results!
I have made vegan mac and cheese recipes for decades, always hoping the recipe would live up to the descriptions. FINALLY, here is a recipe that does! Many of the other recipes have similar ingredients to this one, with the exception of the potato, and I think that is the crucial difference. Brilliant! The only change I made is to add more nutritional yeast and a couple more cups of broccoli, but I do not believe that made any substantive difference to the structure of the dish at all….I just like nutritional yeast and broccoli.
Hooray! Happy you were able to find this one and love it so much. Thank you, Jeanne for the review.
I have been craving Mac and cheese throughout my pregnancy but am trying to cut back on my dairy intake. This recipe satisfied all my cheesy pasta needs and was simple enough for a clummsy pregnant Momma to make! Thank you Kate!
Congratulations! Happy to hear both baby and you enjoyed it :)
Yummy! My 8 year old son loved it!
Wonderful!
Hi Kate!
I’ve made this recipe as directed several times and it comes out wonderfully. I recently made it using slivered blanched almonds instead of cashews, and I doubled the potato. It came out just as good. Keep up the good work!
Great! Thank you, Morgan.
Hi Kate
I havealot of cashew butter on hand. Is there any reason I couldnt substitute this for the whole cashews?
Would love to try this out. But don’t have mustard powder. Would it would without that or with a sub??
I would keep it in there as it adds great flavor to the ‘cheese’ sauce. You should be able to find it at your local grocery store. I hope this helps!
I don’t live in the USA (I’m from The Netherlands) and it was hard to get (not anywhere in the supermarket!) but I found it in a little store and will make it tonight.
This is delicious! You know it’s good when both kids ask to have leftovers for lunch at school. One daughter is gluten & dairy free (the rest of us are not) and we all loved it! Really nice to have a healthier version of mac and cheese – thank you!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy this worked well for your daughter and the rest of your family enjoyed it. I appreciate the review!
This was delicious! I used shallots because I didn’t have an onion around, and commercial Dijon mustard in place of the powder. Then I just tweaked the vinegar and yeast a bit as I blended. I have a Hamilton Beach Wave and it blended to a cream just fine … my cashews were soaked a bit, but only for as long as it took me to chop and cook everything else I was making up to that point. I am kind of a dry eater, so the sauce recipe covered double the amount of pasta for me … I like that thin spread, cooked in flavor of gravies and sauces on whatever I put them on. Then I ate it with almost the exact same thing I would have as a kid: a mock tuna salad sandwich! Thanks so much for a delicious meal!
Thank you for sharing what you did, Alex! I’m happy you liked it.
I made your Vegan Mac and Cheese using gluten free elbows. When it was first all done it looked all creamy and tasted so good the elbows were whole. I made it early in day by the time I serve it at dinner the pasta was mushy and the sauce was so absorbed into pasta and didn’t taste as creamy as first time. What did I do wrong
Hi Donna – Great question! Sometimes gluten free noodle can soak up a lot of the moisture. What type did you use? I find brown rice gluten free noodles work the best.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but have tried a few of your others and they were delicious so I know this one will be too! I’m always patiently waiting for your book to arrive in the mail! I do have a question, sometime when recipes call for water I use broth or stock instead to add more flavor. Any idea on if this change the recipe much? Thanks so much.
Let me know what you think! And yes, to the broth vs water question. It all depends on the recipe. But, most times that will work. Thanks, Jessica!
Can you reheat this in the oven so that it is somehow crispy on top, with paprika and something else? Thank you so much.
Sure! Give it a try. Love to hear what you think.
Well I made it following your recipe. But I didn’t have all the ingredients, in fact I was short of 5 of them such as salt pepper and mustard. I varied it, I used Oat milk instead of water. The outcome? Quite nice considering. Next time I’ll get the missing ingredients purchased. I also used non-wheat macaroni. As I’m sensitive to wheat. Thanks for the recipe all the same.
This was delicious! Even my adult daughter who doesn’t skew toward vegan chow went back for seconds. Thank you for sharing this.
Amazing. Thanks for the comment and review, Terry!
I am not a vegan; I was intrigued by this recipe. I hovered around it for a while- finally deciding to do it for a dinner party for a crowd that enjoys healthy food but is not vegan. They liked it more than me. I enjoyed that it was healthy. I think it is really hard to mimic a common comfort food that has been enjoyed by most non-vegans. That being said- my guests enjoyed it and asked for more. My toddler whom loves mac and cheese (non-vegan) was not fooled for a second. I think this is great for those looking to be healthy, but are not really young, picky, etc.
This recipe turned out GREAT! I as well did not soak the cashews, however, I do not own a Vitamix, so to speed up the process, I poured boiling water over the cashews in a bowl and let soak while I prepped everything else. It worked perfectly!
When blending, I used the pasta water as a thinner for the sauce. For added flavor! I could not be happier with how this turned out. Thank you!
Interesting way with the cashews! I’m glad you liked it so much, Hilary. Thank you so much for the review.
I’m slowing converting to a vegan diet and I just tried this today. It’s fantastic! I didn’t have a russet potato, only some yellow potatoes, because that’s normally what I buy. I was worried it might not turn out, but it was so tasty. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m glad you liked it Vicky! Thanks for sharing and for your review. Good luck with your transition and be sure to keep and eye on the blog! I typically have a lot of vegan friendly recipes and/or vegan recipes. I know it can be challenging making adjustments to your lifestyle and eating.
Fabulous! That’s all I can say. I love it. Didn’t have potatoes but I had a can of pinto beans which did the trick nicely! My kids (who are sick and fussy at the moment) settled right in to this dish and loved it. Bought your book and every recipe I’ve made is fantastic! I cannot tell you how much I love cooking now and how simple yet flavorful you’ve made our dinner table! Thank you so, so much!!
Thank you, Amy! I appreciate it and your review.
OMG!!! This is SO SO SO good! I am eating leftovers right now and wish I had more!
Leftovers are the best! Thank you, Laura for sharing.
tried Thug Kitchen’a recipe for mac and cheese…no nuts (hurrah!, as leftovers are horribly goopy and thicker than sludge)
and no potatoes. cauliflower is the thickener of choice and it is phenomenal in the recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is soooo tasty!!! I roasted broccoli and mushrooms to mix in with the pasta and sauce and it was delicious! My husband was skeptical, but he tasted it and was completely won over. This will be added to my regular rotation. Thank you!!!
Hooray! That’s great, Alex. Thanks for your star review.
I LOVE this recipe! The sauce is so creamy and delicious. Even my cheese loving boyfriend devoured two huge bowls. Everything I’ve made so far from your blog has been A+ – keep the recipes coming!
Hooray! That’s great. Just what I wanted this mac and cheese you be. Thank you, Alli for sharing. If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it.
Wow! So DELICIOUS! When will I learn that I should just trust your recipes instead of being skeptical. I seriously LOVE everything I’ve ever made from you, and I’ve been a follower for at least 5 years! This was delicious. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow… :)
Haha, thank you. :) Thanks for your support Barb! I really appreciate it.
Made this yesterday – delicious! I then put everything in a dish, covered in bread crumbs and baked for 20 min to have a crispy top.
Great! Thanks, Sophie.
Oh wow this was DELICIOUS!
Thank you!
Thank you! Now I won’t need to buy boxed. I will, however, cook my onion in a bit of veggie broth. I try to avoid most fat as per Dr. Michael Greger.
Thanks for sharing!
Not a single bad thing to say about this recipe. My girlfriend and I could not shovel enough in our mouths, which is impressive considering how thick and creamy the sauce was!
Love to hear that, Jenn! I appreciate your star review.
Hello. This recipe sounds wonderful! I will definitely make it for my family. I wonder if you can tell me if it would freeze well? I am part of a food share and have to make a large amount that will be frozen. Thanks! Sandra
Unfortunately, I don’t freeze all my recipes. You can search through other reader comments to see if they have had success!