This super easy vegan mac and cheese for one is the perfect meal for your kid’s lunch or a comfy evening alone on the couch! There’s no need to buy expensive pre-made mixes or individual frozen meals when you can whip this up in minutes with a few simple ingredients!

A top view of a white bowl filled with vegan mac and cheese for one.

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Sometimes my kids want some mac and cheese for a snack, but I don’t feel like making a full meal for the whole family.  I just need a serving or two for them that I can make quickly. 

I came up with this quick and easy vegan cream cheese-based mac and cheese recipe. It’s truly the easiest way possible to make some dairy-free mac and cheese!

❤️ Why I love this dairy-free mac & cheese

This mac n cheese is crazy easy to make! You can whip it up in less time than it takes to boil the macaroni. The cheese sauce is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free! Plus, you can make as much or as little as you would like.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Macaroni – or any other shape pasta that you wish.
  • Vegan Cream Cheese – you can use any store-bought brands like Tofutti Trader Joe’s or you can use my recipe for homemade tofu cream cheese. (It’s very easy and can be made in about 5 minutes).
  • Water – to thin out the cream cheese mixture.
  • Nutritional Yeast – for a cheesy flavor.  Nutritional yeast is a yellow flaky powder that is sold in most health food stores or large grocery stores.  It’s not the same as brewer’s yeast.
  • Salt – for flavor.
  • Tumeric – for color.
A bowl of vegan mac and cheese in a white bowl  with parsley on top.

🔪 Helpful tools

You just need a bowl and a fork to make the cheese sauce, plus a pot to boil the macaroni.

🥄 How to make mac & cheese with vegan cream cheese

Step 1 – Boil your choice of macaroni according to package directions.

Step 2 – Mix vegan cream cheese with some water, nutritional yeast, and spices listed below, and you have your cheesy sauce ready to go.

Step 3 – Drain the macaroni.

Step 4 – Mix the hot macaroni with the sauce, and serve.

A collage of 4 images showing the process steps for making an individual serving of vegan mac and cheese.

In about 10 minutes, you can have a bowl of dairy-free mac and cheese for one!

Make it a totally kid-friendly meal and add some veggies dipped in my homemade vegan ranch!

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • This is a fun recipe for kids to make themselves!  They will just need some help with boiling and draining the pasta, but they will love making the cheese sauce on their own.
  • You can just scoop out a tablespoon of the boiling cooking water to add to the cheese sauce.

❓ Frequently asked questions?

How to make a larger batch?

I like to whip up this easy mac and cheese if my kids just want a quick lunch or snack, but if the whole family wants mac and cheese, I take a few extra minutes and make vegan mac and cheese, coconut milk mac & cheese, or vegan pumpkin mac & cheese.

How to make vegan mac and cheese with cashews?

Pour my cashew cheese dip overcooked macaroni for a rich and creamy alternative made with cashews.

How to make healthy mac and cheese from veggies?

If you want a healthier alternative, use my veggie cheese sauce recipe to make a cheese sauce from carrots and butternut squash. Make a protein-packed version using my tofu mac and cheese recipe.

🌾Gluten-free casein-free mac and cheese for 1

If you need it to be gluten-free, simply use gluten-free macaroni.  Be sure to buy a gluten-free vegan cream cheese too, and you will have a gluten-free and dairy-free meal your kids will love!

An individual serving of vegan mac and cheese in a white bowl with a fork scooping some out.

Check out all of my vegan cheese recipes and my vegan cheese cookbook too!

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Vegan mac and cheese for 1 recipe

A bowl of easy vegan mac and cheese with parsley on top and a fork in it.
5 from 6 rating

Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese for One

An easy way to make vegan mac and cheese for one person in just minutes with a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Boil macaroni or your choice of pasta according to package directions.
  • Mix 2 TBSP vegan cream cheese, 1 TBSP water, 2 tsp nutritional yeast, a dash of turmeric, and a dash of salt in a serving bowl.
  • Drain the macaroni, mix the hot macaroni with the sauce. Stir well and serve.

Notes

  • This makes 1 individual serving.  
  • Adjust the blue number of servings in this recipe card to help calculate larger amounts.
  • Scoop a tablespoon of boiling pasta water to add to the cheese sauce.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 362kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 160mg, Potassium: 239mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!

*This recipe was originally published on August 15, 2017.  It was updated on February 17, 2020, to include new images and more detailed information.