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.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, vegan
Keyword nut-free vegan mac and cheese, vegan baked mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese without cashews, vegan stovetop mac and cheese
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).
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).
Stir with a whisk while cold.
Turn on heat to medium-low stirring frequently until it boils. Then stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
Mix the drained pasta with the vegan cheese sauce.
Stir well and serve hot.
Baked vegan mac and cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Follow the steps abovethen add an additional 1/2 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.
Melt 3 tbsp of vegan butter in a small bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic salt to the melted butter and stir well.
Top with panko breadcrumb mixture or simply top with shredded vegan cheese.
Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes until it starts to bubble and the breadcrumbs have turned slightly golden.
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Notes
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 of water in place of the milk.