This is the best Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe you’ll ever try. It’s quick to prepare, and just as creamy as the traditional version. Everyone loves it!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s fast to make. This recipe is just as quick as cooking the popular boxed version, only this one is made without dairy. While the pasta cooks, you can whip up the sauce in a blender!
The ingredients are simple. All you need is a handful of pantry ingredients, plus nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor.
It’s truly satisfying. When you stir this simple sauce into pasta, most people can’t tell that it’s not a real cheese sauce! It’s perfect for those who need a dairy-free side dish to bring to a holiday party.
It’s allergy-friendly. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free pasta. Brown rice pasta and chickpea pasta are both easy options! If you need a cheese sauce made without cashews, try sweet potato mac and cheese or my nut-free vegan cheese sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in Vegan Mac and Cheese?
- Noodles
- Raw cashews
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Spices
Spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder can add extra flavor to the sauce, and I like to add a pinch of turmeric for an orange color. (But that’s optional!) Feel free to add a dash of smoked paprika or black pepper on top, too.
See the variation ideas below, if you’d like to try another flavor combination.
How to Make the Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
1. Cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Small elbow noodles will cook in just 5 to 8 minutes, while larger macaroni noodles will take closer to 10 minutes.
2. Make the sauce.
In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, and spices. Blend until very smooth.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a high speed blender, cover the cashews with 1 cup of boiled water and let them soak for 10 minutes. This should help to soften the cashews, so they will blend more smoothly. Pour the soaked cashews (along with the warm soaking water) directly into the blender, then add in the rest of the ingredients to blend.
3. Mix it together.
When the noodles are done cooking, drain them and return the warm noodles back to the large pot.
Pour the sauce into the pot, and stir over medium heat until the mac n’ cheese is warmed through and the noodles are well coated in the sauce.
Adjust any seasoning to taste, adding more salt, as needed. You can also add an extra few tablespoons of water, if you’d like the sauce to have a more runny texture.
Serve this vegan mac and cheese warm, with any extra toppings you love. It’s delicious with veggies added in, such as steamed broccoli or roasted butternut squash, or you can add any other toppings you love.
Leftover mac n’ cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may need to add an extra splash of water when you reheat it on the stove top, since the cheese sauce will thicken when chilled.
Variations
Prefer a baked Mac and Cheese? Add an extra 1/4 cup of water to this recipe, to thin out the sauce (because it will thicken when baked), then pour the cooked pasta and sauce into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. For a crumb topping, stir together a 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs with a 1/4 cup of melted vegan butter and a 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over the top of your mac and cheese. (Use gluten-free bread crumbs if you need to.)
Bake the casserole in an oven preheated to 350ºF for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn on your oven’s broiler and let the breadcrumbs brown for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the topping looks golden brown. Watch closely, so it won’t burn! For a gluten-free topping, try using chopped almonds or other crushed nuts, instead.
Green Chile Mac and Cheese. Replace a 1/2 cup of water with a 4-ounce can of green chilies. You can also add in a few slices of jarred jalapenos, for extra flavor and spice. (This is inspired by vegan nacho cheese, which is my favorite vegan cheese dip ever!)
Miso Mac and Cheese. Did you know that white miso tastes similar to Parmesan cheese? If you don’t have nutritional yeast on hand, you can add a teaspoon of white miso to this recipe to help bring out all of the cheesy flavorings in this recipe. It’s always a good idea to start small with miso, as it can start to overpower a recipe quickly, so start with just a 1/2 teaspoon if you aren’t sure about the flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this nut-free? You can experiment with using hemp hearts instead of cashews, if you like. (This works great for vegan ranch dressing, so it might work here, too.) Otherwise try Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese, as an alternative.
Can I use milk instead of water? Of course! I recommend using a non-dairy milk that has no added sweetener, but you can use oat milk, almond milk, or even soy milk if you’d like to add extra protein to this recipe. I don’t recommend using coconut milk, unless you don’t mind the added coconut flavor.
Vegan Mac and Cheese (Fan Favorite!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or ½ clove garlic)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard (optional)
- 16 ounces Elbow or shell pasta of choice (gluten-free, if needed)
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Be sure to add a tablespoon of salt to the cooking water, so the noodles will be well seasoned.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the cashews, lemon juice, water, salt, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne (if using), and mustard in a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of water and blend again.
- Once the pasta is tender, drain and return it to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce, and adjust any seasoning to taste. Serve warm, with any toppings or add-ins you like, such as steamed broccoli.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The mac and cheese will thicken when chilled, so you may need to add a splash of water when reheating it on the stove top, plus an extra sprinkle of salt.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Mac and Cheese Nutrition per serving (calculated with pasta): Calories 350, Fat:11g, Carbohydrates: 50g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 12g
Recipe Notes:
- Need a Nut-free Vegan Mac and Cheese? Try my Sweet Potato Mac n’ Cheese recipe, or use my nut-free Vegan Cheese Sauce or Cauliflower Cheese Sauce recipes.
- You could possibly use a nut other than cashews, such as macadamia nuts or blanched almonds, but keep in mind that substitutions might change the flavor. Be sure to taste as you go.
- I love adding roasted vegetables to this dish to make it more of a complete meal. Try adding roasted broccoli and mushrooms for a more flavorful pasta dish.
- For a baked Vegan Macaroni and Cheese, preheat the oven to 350ºF while you prepare the pasta and sauce. Pour the pasta and sauce into a casserole dish, along with any add-ins you like, and bake until the top looks dry, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
- Don’t care for the extra spices? Feel free to leave out the chili powder, turmeric, garlic, or cayenne. I think they help give this recipe a more gourmet flavor, but you can keep it simple, too!
As always, if you make a modification to this recipe please leave a comment below letting us know what worked for you. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have another childhood favorite dish that needs a healthy makeover? Let me know in the comments below!
Well. That’s got to be the fastest a recipe has ever been bookmarked in this house… look at you go! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, good! Hope you get to enjoy it soon. 😀
Made this tonight, also with roasted broccoli and sautéed mushrooms. Delicious! Will become a staple for me. Thanks!
Wow, first of all, let me say this was amazing. The flavor is out of control good. At first I thought with all the spices that it was going to be HOT , but it wasn’t at all. It was more a zesty deliciousness that I loved. I decided to steam the broccoli instead of roasting it and it came out awesome. By the time the pasta was done I was too impatient to wait and bake it in the oven for a little longer, so I ate it as is and it was delicious. My mom was super skeptical about trying it because its vegan, but after trying just one small bite, she was hooked and wanted an entire bowl full. This recipe is a winner. Anyone who hasn’t, definitely needs to try it!
Made this recipe tonight for my family, added kale, spinach, tomatoes, and fried tofu. I used chickpea pasta too! Everyone loved it, even my skeptical dad. The recipe was pretty simple too which is a bonus!
Jah…
Chick oea pasta is amazing.. Ticks all the boxes, I’m low carb and my wife is Vegan! ZenB do the best pea pasta I’ve ever had.. Their yellow pea macaroni pasta, (used in this recipe), is nothing short of amazing!
Thanks for this recipe Detoxinsta..
5 stars! 😀
Rich..
This is so good!!!!! I honestly couldn’t believe how cheesy it tasted!!!
This looks foodgasmic, I want some now, send me a spoonful? 😉
I’d send you some, but the leftovers are already gone! Good sign, I guess. 😉
You are en fuego! That looks so awesome!
I really need to get a vitamix!
Before I got my vitamix, I used a good quality braun hand blender in a plastic juice jug (round with smooth, straight sides). It worked really well for stuff like this. When blending nuts, if you don’t have a vitamix or blendtech, don’t add a lot of water to start, make it into a thin paste and then add more liquid. It will come out smoother. (A tip I got from someone else, when learning how to cook vegan!)
Okay, definitely bookmarking this! I have always loved mac ‘n’ cheese but my sister? She is absolutely crazy about it and has been pushing me to make her a vegan version since she wants to start cutting back on dairy. This looks like it would do an amazing job of convincing her to FULLY give up dairy.. maybe. I can dream. 😉
Are you looking for a new job? Cause I’ll pay you to come be my personal chef…
Yes, I’d love to be your personal chef! I’m whipping up a batch of macaroons with YOUR name on it as we speak. 😉
Yes!!!!!
I hate to admit it but I used to LOVE the mac n cheese out of the box. But this version looks amazing! I’m going to try and give that recipe a shot this week!
Oh my! I made this today for lunch and everyone snarfed it! So good! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Can’t wait to make it again.
Well, another fabulous Sunday meal. We will definitely try the broccoli and rice with “cheese” sauce. When you turn on the blender. It’s like magic. Cashew and stuff= Cheese! Way cool.
Hi! I’m unfortunately allergic to cashews (and walnuts, pecans, and pistachios) but do you think there’s another nut substitute that could replace the cashews in this recipe? I’m dying to try it, it looks so amazing!
Hmmm… can you have other tree nuts, like Brazil or Macadamia nuts? I would think those would work well.
I’ve tried using almonds before and the sauce wasn’t quite as creamy as the cashew-version, but if you soak the almonds for 4-6 hours before hand, they should blend pretty smoothly! I’d say any nut (other than peanuts… that could be gross) would work, though the flavor might be slightly different– but still good!
This looks simply wonderful. I’m on an anti-candida diet right now and unfortunately cashews are a no-go, so I am so excited to try this with almonds! I have whole almonds and slivered, which do you think would work best? Thanks for posting!!
Made this tonight and used Brazil nuts (store didn’t have raw cashews. ) it was great!
did you soak them?
Because I’m a rebel and I love the taste of peanut butter and cheese, I want to try it with peanuts! 😉 Different can be tasty! (But thanks for the idea because I miss peanut butter and cheese sandwiches now that I’m trying to go vegan. I’ll put some nutritional yeast on my peanut butter and be happy!) Will try original version too, though!
you can also try sunflower seeds.
Do you think hemp seeds will work? I, too, cannot have cashews.
You never know until you try! The hemp seeds may affect the flavor and texture, so you might have to experiment a bit… but it’s worth a shot!
Let us know how it goes! 🙂
I never followed a recipe before and I still haven’t… I replaced the water with vegetable broth and added some Hemp seed milk to make it more creamy… Best Mac&Cheese I ever had.
Try chickpeas instead of the cashews….I didn’t have enough cashews so I added some chickpeas and it was very good and had the creamy texture you would desire for “Mac and chese” 🙂
There is a great recipe with sunflower seeds and veggies. Its from Isa Chandra. Its delicious. Sunflower Mac. Google it!
I bet you could do it with pepitas! I boiled mine for 15 minutes last time I made a cheese sauce with them.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made this the other day and me and fiance wolfed it down. I call it crack mac n’ cheese..it’s that good:)
Oh good! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!! 😀
Great Website, Info, Recipes, and Illustrations! It seems you have put a good amount of work into your blog. Props!
My main issue is that it seems that some of your recipes violate proper food combinations. I read your section on it so I understand you are aware of them.
For example: In this recipe, please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the pasta, a starch, and the nuts, a protein ? Which is a staple bad combination ?
Also, In my research I have also read that tomatoes inhibit the digestion of starches and is a bad combination. This is because the enzyme, ptyalin, acts only in an alkaline medium; it is destroyed even by a mild acid.
Right now I am assuming maybe you are just loose with your food combining rules but maybe you know something i don’t. If so, enlighten me so I can make some of your delicious looking recipes!
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
– from a fellow Artist & Health Conscious Individual
Hi Michael!
Yes, some of my recipes don’t take food combining rules into consideration, as my husband doesn’t follow these rules and many of my readers don’t, either. I feel that upgrading from traditional mac n’ cheese to this healthier version is still a great improvement for many people!
I do try to note when a recipe isn’t properly combined, though–> as I did at the bottom of this recipe for Mac n’ Cheese. I try to recommend ways to keep it properly combined, too, like serving this “cheese sauce” over spiralized zucchini noodles instead. I usually enjoy it over a bed of steamed veggies, myself, and it’s delicious!
Also, I don’t get into super-specifics with food combining. My body simply isn’t sensitized enough yet to feel a difference on how tomatoes affect my starch digestion. (of course, I rarely eat grains, so this isn’t an issue for me very often) I find that keeping the major food categories separate– starches, flesh, nuts & seeds, etc– is simple enough for me to practice regularly, and keeps me feeling great.
Hope you enjoy the recipes!
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but i”m putting my grocery list together very eagerly. Thanks so much for inspiring me to try something new and healthy. It’s such a blessing to find new recipes that can feed my body, soul, and eyes! and I love reading your awesomely dignified clapbacks. This makes me a fan if both else…well besides that curried red lentil dish I tried last month.
Rude.
I don’t think I would have been quite as polite with my response as Megan was.
Yum! The texture wasn’t creamy enough for me so I blended in q tablespoon of chia seeds and it made it PERFEFT! It even gave it a little bit of that coveted “cheese pull” 🙂 plus adds some fiber and extranutrients. I only made a third of the recipe because that’s all I had pasta for so if I made the full recipe I would probably add 3 tbsp of chia seed. This is a new staple for me!.
Ooh what an interesting idea. Did you alter anything else? Did you soak the chia seeds? Thanks in advance! Would love to get me some cheese pull. 😂
First off, let me note that I am a huge fan of nutritional-yeast based cheeses. I’ve tried tons of recipes (and I like everyone of them) but yours is the best! Thank you! I will be linking back to it on my blog to spread the love. Love you site too by the way and your outlook on food!
Thanks for letting me know, Alyssa! Glad you love it as much as I do. 🙂
Hi! How long does the cheese sauce last for in the fridge? Thank you!
I think this is my favorite thing to have come out of my vitamix EVER!!! I have an 8yr old (huge fan of boxed Mac and cheese) and a 15mo old and all our plates were spotless!! We had leftovers for breakfast (we couldn’t wait for lunch) my 15mo old even clapped when it came out of the fridge. WINNER!!! We aren’t vegan but I am trying to go natural and unprocessed and I do love a good vegan recipe!! How would I make this just a cheese sauce for maybe veggies?? Do I bake alone or casserole it??! Thanks this is my 3rd recipe I’ve made of yours and I have loved every one!!!
I’m glad it was such a hit!! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I’ve served the cheese sauce directly over a bed of steamed veggies, and have also baked it as a casserole– both ways work really well!
Haven’t tried ye but SO excited to. Has anyone tried freezing the sauce? I’m wondering if I can make a big batch for my daughter.
After the sauce is made in the blender does it have to cook for 30 min?? Or is it ok right out of the blender? I’m making batches and freezing so I have a quick no fuss meal!
The sauce can be enjoyed raw– no need to cook it at all– I just warm it up before serving. 🙂
Hello, I was wondering if this will stay good in a crock pot on low for a few hours? I want to use in a dip for a party.
Thanks!
Andrea, did freezing this recipe work well for you?
Oh no…you’ve done it again. Put another thing on my to-make list! AHHHH!!!!
Made it tonight, and loved it! Funny enough, I will never get my kids to like a “fake” mac-n-cheese, but it was a winner for me…and I’m pretty tough to please, too! 🙂 I also loved adding the roasted broccoli…I’ve never tried roasting it before…wonderful!! Thanks again!
Hi, is there are good substitute for cashews? I can have all other nuts but not cashews!
Sunflower seeds may be a good option, as would Brazil or macadamia nuts. Each may lend a slightly different flavor to the sauce, so make sure you taste it as you go, and adjust it to your liking!
I’ve used almonds with a little less lemon juice (2tbsp) and added a teaspoon of smoked paprika. It was good too.
This is one of our favorite recipes, even of my cheese-loving daughter. I’m taking it to a potluck next week, and even before she tasted it, the hostess wanted the recipe.
Thanks for letting me know! I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi Megan, question for you. About how much cashew butter does 1.5 cups of whole cashews yield? I want to try your recipe but go the lazy route and use premade raw cashew butter. Thanks!
In my experience, 1 cup of nuts = 1/2 cup nut butter. So, I’d use 3/4 cup of cashew butter for this recipe.
Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I have always wondered if you could just use a nut butter or flour for these recipes! I do not have a powerful enough blender to do a lot of these vegan mac recipes.
Made this for lunch and I thought it was soooo goood! My main concern was my children since they’re a little more picky than me. My most picky my 5 year old didn’t like it but my six year old, three year old, and one year old each had three helpings. When I asked my six year old if he liked it he said, “no, I LOVE it!” Now that is high praise indeed! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Hi there! Had to comment on this, because I think this recipe has saved my life. I’m a paleo girl who is allergic to gluten, eggs, beef (sob!), almonds, and dairy (both lactose and casein, and both cow and goat), and I was despairing of having anything left to eat. I had a flip-out the other day and ate one of the frozen mac and cheese dinners left in my freezer from my pre-paleo days, and almost didn’t have enough antihistamine to prevent breathing difficulties. The next day I found this recipe, and gave it a try. No more frozen dinners for me, now whenever I get the food blues I have this to cheer me up! To add in some meat protein and fat I sauteed onions and nitrate-free ham and mixed them in with roasted broccoli and cauliflower as the base of the casserole (leaving out the noodles), poured the sauce on top, sprinkled extra nutritional yeast on top to make a breadcrumb-like topping, and baked as directed, and this was absolutely stunningly delicious. Thank you!
This looks awesome! Does it taste like kraft? I hae been trying to find an alternative to Kraft that actually tastes like it 🙂 Is this spicy?
Thanks!!!
It is possible to spice it to your liking! Add some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes or even a jalapeño or two. Give it a try! Play around with the ingredients a bit if it doesn’t fit your taste.
I’ve made this for my family three times already and we looooove it better than “regular” Mac n cheese! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Made the whole shebang with the broccoli & shitake shrooms. The pseudo cheese sauce was very impressive & thie overall taste was delicious. Great keeper for vegans. Thanks!
Megan, this dish is WICKED.
Now, that statement is coming from a nutritionist and passionate cook with views/”beliefs” that are identical to yours 🙂 I will never say something is AMAZING if it’s not really perfect. This mac & cheese tastes so cheesey and cheddar-y, it’s unbelievable. I topped the casserole with some stale sourdough crackers that I made (ground in a coffee grinder) to please my crumb-topping-loving husband. And my 3 year old said, “Mommy, this is really yummy in my tummy”. She’s not picky at all, but that is not a statement she makes all the time!
I am so happy I found your blog, and I will definitely try more recipes from here. Especially since all ingredients are what I use anyway and our tastes seem to be really similar. Next up, I’m going for the macaroons!
Keep up the wonderful work!
Sarah (all the way on the other side of the globe in Israel)
Just made this for dinner, saw it today rushed out to get pasta the whole family loved it! SOO GOOOD!
Thank you! You are very creative!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I’ve been waiting to get a Vitamix to make this recipe. Purchased one three days ago, and I made it today. Holy moly, this sauce is so good! I served it over shaved zucchini for a raw pasta dish. It was a very happy dinner 😀
I was blown away by how
Good this turned out ! I added brocoli mushroom Califlower and artichokes which I highly suggest you trying since you love them so much ! My boyfriend thinks we should trick our unhealthy eattin friends w this dish and pretend its real cheese. I also topped it w Cheddar Daiya at the end to give a extra cheesy vibe. I made your chocolate chip cookies for dessert ! Highly recommend doing that as well. I’m making the stuffed peppers and muffins tonight ! Love your site!
I can’t have any nuts, cashews or seeds. My body just can’t digest them well at all so I get sick from them. So is there any Vegan and Gluten Free substitution that I can use instead of the cashews in the cheese sauce? Thanks
You might want to try this recipe instead: https://detoxinista.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-mac-n-cheeze/
Thank you so much! I will definitely try that! It looks really good!
Made this with grated zucchini tonight… strained it and got a lot of the moisture out. It was so good and authentic tasting, almost like angel hair pasta. It brought me right back to childhood… yum! Thanks Megan!
This is hands down the very best vegan mac & cheese recipe available ever. THANK YOU.
you deserve a fucking award for this recipe. my mind is blown.
LMAOOOO!!! This is indeed my queue to make this dish!
This looks awesome!! I see that you talk about Candida on your website. Is the nutritional yeast in this recipe ok to eat for those concerned about Candida? If not, is there a good substitute for the nutritional yeast?
Just made this. Wow so far all your recipes ive made come out great! I used my plain old blender, not anything fancy like a vita mix. I blended the cashews first into powder then added the rest. It came together really well and quickly. At first i found the sauce a bit sweet from the cashews so i added bit more chili powder and salt. Also once i mixed it with the noodles and baked it, it really came together. I am not vegan and my husband usually HATES when i try recipes like these b.c they don’t usually come out tasting good. This time around when he tasted it, he really liked it! Even said i can make it again! Thats a huge deal! He had a plate of this and also some noodles with the oil free walnut pesto. He loved both. I am really excited about this, if you can’t tell 🙂 Thanks so much and i really cant wait to try more recipes!
I can’t wait to try this, it looks amazing! I always have an issue reheating gluten-free pasta- it comes out hard and tasteless. Assuming there is any leftovers mac and cheese, how do you suggest storing and reheating? Thanks, Lisa
We don’t own a microwave anymore, so I re-heat using my oven. Depending on the portion size, it usually takes about 10-15 minutes at 350F to warm up, and I find adding a splash of water to the sauce (you can stir it up to incorporate), and keeping the dish covered keeps it moist!
The men in the house, who are serious gourmet (used loosely here) Mac n cheese addicts gave the recipe 2 thumbs up. The layers of flavor were impressive. Thank you!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! 🙂
We came across your site last week and I have made so many recipes already- and this is one of our favorites- (we add sauteed mushrooms and chopped kale) In fact my 12 year old son made it today by himself! I left the cashews soaking on the counter and when I came home from the store, he had already made the sauce! I have to admit it was even better when he made it! He accidentally used Chipotle chili powder instead of reg. chili powder! Thank you for sharing a healthy substitute for his guilty pleasure!
Wow, lucky you! Sounds like you’ve got a personal chef in the making. 😉
So you don’t soak the cashews at all before blending? I do have a Vitamix, so it can handle it I’m sure. But I often see recipes where the cashews are soaked for 20 minutes or an hour or four hours.
I’m usually too lazy to soak the cashews, but it probably is better to soak and rinse them first.
This recipe is AMAZING. This may be the most delicious vegan cheese sauce ever. My baked mac and cheese just came out of the oven, and I have already nibbled at it, I just can’t help myself. Thank you for your wonderful recipe, you are a food goddess! I am so overjoyed I found your blog, and can’t wait to try more mouthwatering yumminess from your site.
I wonder if you’re still getting comments from this post? I’m up for a new recipe and on the fence between this and your creamy pumpkin sage sauce. Either way I will probably use spaghetti squash “noodles”. What’s your have?
Hi Laura! I couldn’t possible pick between those two recipes– we love them both! This “cheese” sauce is probably a little thicker and heavier, so it just depends on what you’re in the mood for. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Made this recipe last week (added roasted broccoli and sauteed kale and shiitake mushrooms) and absolutely loved it!
I was just wondering if it might help to soak the cashews before making the cheese sauce, since soaked nuts are easier to blend (not to mention easier on digestion)? Or would that make the cheese sauce too runny?
Either way, thanks for a great recipe! 🙂
Oops, probably should have looked through the other comments before submitting mine! Will try soaking the cashews next time. Thanks again!
WOW! Made this tonight and hubby and I are obsessed! So delicious! Neither one of us has had a bite of macaroni and cheese since the 1990s, but now we are back to enjoying one of our old favorites in an entirely new, healthy way! Thank you so much for the recipe and all of your nutritional wisdom and scrumptious ideas :)! I used brown rice pasta shells (tinkyada brand) and after boiling it, then mixing in the “cheese” sauce, it was already perfect and good enough to eat. But we baked it anyway, as you suggested. It was tasty this way, but a little dry and clumpy (stickier) than it was before baking. So maybe next time we’ll just dig in before baking it. Is there a certain reason it needs to be baked that we are unaware of? Well, either way, this is extremely good and will become a regular addition to our table. Thank you again!
OK, I hate to be Debbie Downer here, but after all the rave reviews, I decided to try this recipe with my new Vitamix. I’m not vegan, but I am trying to add some more healthy recipes to my current rotation. I didn’t like this. At all. The consistency is great, but the sauce just tasted like spicy mustard to me.
Sorry to hear you didn’t care for it! Hope you have better luck with some of the other recipes.
Hi there! I came across your site via Yoga teacher Tara Stiles. She recommended the Mac n cheese, and I’m so glad I listened! I am not a vegan, and I love real cheese! Too bad real cheese doesn’t love me back. I followed the recipe exactly, and I’m super impressed with this dish! I think if you follow the measurements perfectly, you will like the taste. It’s even better reheated! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Katy! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
http://tarastiles.com/blog/vegan-mac-cheese/
🙂
is there another nut you could recommend trying? i can’t have cashews or peanuts.
Macadamia or Brazil nuts may work well. Please let us know if you have any success!
I had something like this in a vegan cafe in LA last month and vowed to find a good recipe. this looks fantastic. going to try it tonight and will make several small sized casseroles to freeze if its as good as it sounds. thank you!
If you don’t like mustard, replace it with miso!
Best mac n cheese I have ever made! And I have tried a LOT of recipes. This one is just perfect. Super easy to throw together too which is a huge plus. Added it to our New Years Eve dinner and I was super impressed. My hubby is a new vegan so he is still missing some of his favorite meals… so for him to say this was the best mac n cheese he has ever had, well, that’s awesome! Huge highfives to you!! Thank you for posting this recipe 🙂