Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Vegan Mac ‘n cheese that is rich, creamy, and secretly healthy for the ultimate comfort food. It is made completely dairy-free without milk or cheese. It is the perfect lunch or dinner that your whole family will enjoy!
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Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Hello everyone! Today I am bringing you a vegan version of a childhood favorite, mac ‘n cheese! I think it is very hard to find affordable pre-packaged vegan mac ‘n cheese that also tastes good. I have tried a few, and none of them hit the spot.
Therefore, I decided to make my own version that I could fully enjoy. It is nutrient dense with healthy veggies and cashews acting as the “cheese sauce”. I hope you’ll try the recipe out. It is really the only mac and cheese I have ever made from scratch!
Growing up, I only ever made the boxed kind. It was definitely quick and simple to make, but this vegan macaroni and cheese from scratch is way better!
Once I went vegan, I actually started cooking a lot more meals at home, mostly because my own recipes taste way better than pre-packaged vegan products from the store. Plus, cooking at home saves me a lot of money. I do rely on some pre-packaged products, but I’m glad I fell in love with cooking and recipe creating. It’s just so fun! And I get to share my creations with all of you 🙂
This vegan macaroni and cheese is a great example of a healthy meal that is rich, creamy, and delicious. So, let’s take a deeper look at the ingredients you will need to make it.
Creamy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese – Ingredients
- Pasta – You can use whole wheat noodles, chickpea noodles, or whatever other noodles you want. If you don’t have macaroni elbows, that’s ok. I was fresh out, so I used pasta shells, which worked out perfectly! For gluten free, you could always go with gluten free brown rice noodles, chickpea pasta, red lentil pasta, etc. There are many good gluten free pastas on the market that I have tried, although I am not gluten free myself.
- Potato – This might sound weird, but this sauce includes some delicious vegetables. We are going to boil them all down in a pot, so don’t worry, that will make everything nice and soft so it will blend up to a nice and smooth vegan cheese sauce.
- Carrots + Onion – These will also add some weight and thickness to the sauce. This cheese sauce is definitely healthy and yummy. And all these vegetables help pack in some extra nutrients.
- Water – The water will be taken from the veggie pot so that it is a bit more flavorful. It will aid with the blending of the vegan cheese sauce. So, don’t be too quick to drain the liquid when you are getting your vegetables out of the pot. You need some of that water first.
- Cashews – The cashews are what really give this cheese sauce some richness and creaminess. You can’t have a creamy cheese without some cashews. They have healthy fat, and when you soak them first, they blend up super easily.
- Nut Milk – The unsweetened almond milk used in this recipe helps the cheese sauce blend into a smooth and creamy sauce. I would suggest using the original flavor if you have it, so that you don’t get a vanilla flavor.
- Nutritional Yeast Seasoning – This is the other star of the show. Nutritional yeast seasoning is a yellow colored seasoning that comes in a bottle. It is sold at most grocery stores, but you may have to ask where it is. Sometimes it is kept with the spices, other times it is just with some more general baking supplies. Either way, it is crucial for this recipe.
Nutritional yeast is a staple for me as a vegan. I put it on top of so many foods, including pasta, baked potatoes, avocado toast, and even salads. It has vitamin B12, which is often overlooked in vegan diets, so I definitely recommend it. It also has a slight cheesy/nutty flavor which is perfect for this sauce.
- Spices – The salt and garlic powder give this dish some additional flavor. The paprika does the same, but it also gives the dish some vibrance. I love to sprinkle a bit on top of the dish as well because I feel like it just looks beautiful.
- Vegan Cheese Shreds – Vegan cheddar cheese shreds are technically optional but I highly recommend them for a true cheesy flavor. I like a number of different ones, but Daiya cheddar shreds is one of my favorites in terms of texture, flavor, and ability to melt/stretch.
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Creamy Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups pasta of choice (dry)
- 1 cup peeled and diced potato
- 1/2 cup soaked cashews
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped carrots
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt to taste (I used Himalayan pink salt)
- dash of paprika (for garnish)
- vegan cheddar style shreds (to taste)
- 3/4 cup water (taken from pot of boiled vegetables, see directions below)
- 1/4 cup almond milk
Instructions
- Boil the pasta on the stove top until al dente. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the carrots, onions, and potato to a small pot and bring to a boil. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Save 3/4 cup of the boiled water from your pot of carrots, onions, and potato for your cheese sauce. Drain the rest.
- Place your drained vegetables, 3/4 cup of water, soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and almond milk in a food processor or high speed blender.
- Process until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved.
- Add salt to taste.
- Pour the cheese sauce over your cooked noodles and stir to combine.
- Top with paprika, black pepper, vegan cheese shreds, more nutritional yeast, or whatever else you'd like.
- Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
This is the perfect comfort food to make on a chilly day, or even a rough one (we all have them lol). I hope you guys enjoy and I will be back with another post soon.
Sending happiness & light your way!
-Alyssa 🙂
