This is the best vegan mac and cheese you will ever eat! Rich and creamy, cheesy, and stretchy, comfort food made without nuts, dairy, gluten, or soy. Kids and adults alike will love this pasta dish and may never even guess that it’s vegan! Make it quick and easy on the stovetop or bake it for extra cozy comfort food!
You'll love this vegan mac and cheese recipe because it's
- Rich, creamy, and cheesy!
- Gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free!
- Easy to make in just a few minutes!
- Kid-friendly.
Everyone I know loves a classic bowl of mac and cheese! This vegan version is surprisingly similar to the real deal and even non-vegans with love it!
I've been tweaking and perfecting this vegan mac and cheese recipe for over 20 years now. I've adapted it from a recipe in an old school vegan cookbook called "The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook." (It was my vegan bible years ago before blogs and online recipes were a thing).
Ingredients for stovetop vegan mac and cheese
- Pasta – Macaroni, shells, or any small pasta shape works great. Use gluten-free pasta if need too.
- Plant-Based Milk – Any PLAIN flavored plant milk like soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk, will work great in this recipe. For an extra rich and creamy mac and cheese, you can also use 1 1/2 cups of canned coconut milk or cashew cream plus 1/2 cup water in place of the 2 cups of milk.
- Nutritional Yeast – Aka nooch. This is a yellow powder found in most health food stores. It has a cheesy umami flavor and without it, your vegan mac and cheese just won’t be cheesy tasting. You can learn more about nutritional yeast here.
- Tapioca Starch – Aka tapioca flour. This is essential for a creamy, stretchy texture that won’t get gloppy once it cools off. You can sub it with corn starch or potato starch, but nothing else gives your cheese sauce the same great texture as tapioca starch.
- Corn Starch – This helps to thicken up your sauce and make it the right consistency. (You can swap potato starch for this equally if you prefer).
- Garlic Powder - for flavor (optional).
- Salt – for flavor.
- Turmeric - Just a dash for color.
- Oil - To give it a richer flavor (optional). Refined coconut oil, vegan margarine, or my vegan butter recipe all work great in this mac and cheese.
- Miso or Tahini – (optional) For a cheesy bite. If you want your mac and cheese to have more or a cheddar taste, add 1 tsp of white miso paste or tahini to your cheese sauce.
Helpful Tools
- Saucepan – To cook the “cheese sauce.”
- Pot – To boil the macaroni or pasta.
- Whisk - To stir your vegan cheese sauce into a creamy masterpiece!
How to make vegan mac and cheese on the stovetop
- Boil pasta of choice according to package directions. (Cook it al dente if you are going to make baked mac and cheese).
- Put all the cheese sauce ingredients in a saucepan. (Plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, corn starch, salt).
- Stir with a whisk.
- Turn on heat to medium-low stirring frequently until it boils, then stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the vegan cheese sauce.
- Stir well and serve hot.
How to make baked vegan mac and cheese
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
- Follow the steps above then add an additional 1/4 cup of water to the stovetop mac and cheese. (To account for evaporation in the oven).
- Pour the mac and cheese into a lightly greased casserole dish.
- Top with panko breadcrumbs, or crumbled vegan crackers mixed with melted vegan margarine and 1/4 tsp garlic salt or simply top with shredded vegan cheese.
- Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes until it starts to bubble and the breadcrumbs have turned slightly golden.
Add-ins for extra flavor
- Add 1/2 cup of vegan buffalo sauce at the end of cooking for an amazing buffalo mac and cheese!
- Make it spicy with a few shakes of siracha or cayenne pepper or try my Vegan Southwest Spicy Mac and Cheese with salsa and beans.
- About 1/2 teaspoon of miso or tahini added in will give your cheese sauce a little cheesy cheddar style bite.
- Bacon bits give your mac and cheese a great smokey flavor and a little crunch. Most varieties of bacon bits are surprisingly vegan or you can easily make homemade vegan bacon bits.
Pro Tips
- Make sure to use plain plant-based milk. Vanilla flavored milk will ruin your dish.
- Don't turn on the heat until you have mixed the dry ingredients with the milk. (It will get lumpy if you add starch to warm liquid).
- Stir your cheese sauce frequently. It will firm up quickly once it reaches a certain temperature and goes from a runny liquid to a thick sauce in just a few seconds.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave for 2-4 minutes depending on the amount that you are reheating. You can also add a splash of vegan milk to the cold mac and cheese and reheat it in a pan on the stovetop.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat according to the directions above.
How can I make this vegan mac and cheese healthier?
- You can add 1/2 cup of boiled and pureed carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes to the cheese sauce for extra hidden nutrients.
- Macaroni and cheese is also delicious with added steamed broccoli, peas, or kale.
- If you want this mac and cheese to be fat-free, simply leave out the oil or margarine. It is not essential in this recipe.
- Use my veggie cheese sauce to make a super healthy mac and cheese!
I hope you enjoy this family favorite for years to come too!
Cheesy Vegan Sauces
- Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk
- Vegan Bechamel Sauce
- Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce - Cheddar Style
- Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta Sauce
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Subscribe to my email list to get my free eBook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese and other vegan staples, check out my cookbooks.
The best vegan mac and cheese recipe made without gluten, dairy, or nuts! Pour this cheese sauce over any shaped pasta for a quick and easy meal.
- 8 oz macaroni pasta or any other small-sized pasta (Use gluten-free if desired).
- 2 cups vegan milk like soy milk or any other plain plant-based milk you choose
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch aka tapioca flour (or use corn or potato starch instead)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter or vegan margarine (melted)
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (Gluten-Free or regular)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
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Boil pasta of choice according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside. (Cook it al dente if you are going to make baked mac and cheese).
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Add all the cheese sauce ingredients to a saucepan. (2 cups Plant-based milk, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp tapioca starch, 1 tbsp corn starch, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp turmeric).
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Stir with a whisk while cold.
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Turn on heat to medium-low stirring frequently until it boils. Then stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
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Mix the drained pasta with the vegan cheese sauce.
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Stir well and serve hot.
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Pre-heat oven to 350°F (177°C).
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Follow the steps above then add an additional 1/4 cup of water to the stovetop mac and cheese. (to account for evaporation in the oven).
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Pour the mac and cheese into a lightly greased casserole dish.
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Melt 3 tbsp of vegan butter in a small bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic salt to the melted butter and stir well.
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Top with panko breadcrumb mixture or simply top with shredded vegan cheese.
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Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes until it starts to bubble and the breadcrumbs have turned slightly golden.
Recipe Video
Tips for making perfect vegan mac and cheese:
- Make sure to use plain plant-based milk. Vanilla flavored milk will ruin your dish.
- Don't turn on the heat until you have mixed the dry ingredients with the milk. (It will get lumpy if you add starch to warm liquid).
- Stir your cheese sauce frequently. It will firm up quickly once it reaches a certain temperature and goes from a runny liquid to a thick sauce in just a few seconds.
- To make a richer tasting mac and cheese add 2 tbsp of vegan butter to the sauce after cooking.
Make the mac and cheese healthier?
- You can add 1/2 cup of boiled and pureed carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes to the cheese sauce for extra hidden nutrients.
- This macaroni and cheese is also delicious with added steamed broccoli, peas, or kale.
- If you want this mac and cheese to be oil-free, simply leave out the oil or margarine. It is not essential in this recipe.
* For an extra rich and creamy, oil-free mac and cheese, you can also use 1 1/2 cups of canned coconut milk or cashew cream plus 1/2 cup water in place of the milk.
*This was originally posted on February 13, 2019. It was updated on January 12, 2021, to include new images and more detailed instructions.
