Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
This Creamy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is undeniably divine! Made with an amazing, cashew based ‘cheese’ sauce, it’s the perfect addition to any meal!
Hey friends! In my kitchen, aka Jessica’s kitchen, I’ve made many dishes. Everything from tacos to no bake chocolate pudding to ice cream to even cauliflower buffalo wings. I’ve even made vegan mac and cheese before, but it was very seasonal using squash and pumpkin. After ENDLESS requests, finally, I have an everyday, weeknight vegan mac and cheese that will satisfy your cheese cravings (truly).
Oh my, friends – you will LOVE this. It’s the closest you’ll get to the real thing, and the cheese sauce is OUT of this world. Friends, this Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is on POINT.
First of all, how am I just making this?! You may be asking. I’ve stayed away from vegan mac and cheese for a long while, because I knew that I would want to ABSOLUTELY perfect it. I wanted to make a vegan mac and cheese that had an explosive cheese taste that would make you want to share it with everyone.
I’m teaming back up with GreenLife Cookware, a healthy ceramic non-stick coating cookware company for this post and I couldn’t be more excited. If you saw my Thai Green Curry Recipe post, you know I fell in love immediately with this GreenLife Cookware because of these gorgeous turquoise pans, and also because its lead and cadmium free, and manufactured without PFAS and PFOA.
Making this vegan mac and cheese in the skillet also means you can just use the same skillet you cook in to bake it in = less dishes too friends! It also means cleanup is a complete breeze because the GreenLife Cookware pots and pan are really non-stick. If you’ve made mac and cheese before, it usually STICKS like crazy for cleanup – not here though. I am not exaggerating when I say that one quick swipe cleaned these right up.
Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese
- 3 cups elbow macaroni, gluten free if needed, 12 oz/340g
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil, 12.5g
- 1 large carrot, 112g, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, 72g, halved and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight, rinsed and drained OR just easily boiled for 5 minutes*
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
- Juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon
- 1/2 tablespoon tamari/liquid aminos
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
Breadcrumb Topping
- 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- salt & pepper to taste, for breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter/coconut oil
Instructions
Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese (Gluten Free)
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Prepare elbow pasta according to package directions. You can do this while the carrots are being cooked. Drain and pour into a pan (You can use the same pan as below - just leave the pasta in a colander, then after carrot mixture has been made, add to pan).
- In a pan over medium heat heat the oil add in the carrots, onions and the garlic, stirring to combine. Cover with lid and allow to steam/roast until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large high speed blender add the carrot mixture, cashews, salt and pepper, ground mustard, lime juice, tamari, nutritional yeast, paprika, ground nutmeg, and almond milk.
- Blend together for about 1 minute on a strong speed, until sauce is completely smooth and incorporate. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Pour the sauce over the Mac and cheese in a skillet. Stir to combine.
- Mix breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste and vegan butter in a small dish with a small whisk or fork until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the Mac and cheese, covering completely.
- Bake for 15 minutes until Mac and cheese is set, then broil for a few minutes until top is golden brown.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly then serve and enjoy!
Notes
To make this soy free, you can use coconut aminos instead of tamari or liquid aminos, and soy-free vegan butter. Prep time doesn’t include soaking the cashews overnight. If you try this Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen. This post is sponsored by GreenLife Cookware. All opinions and text are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Jessica in the Kitchen.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
That looks so rich and seriously delicious!
Thanks Angie!!
Thanks so much Angie!!
Mac ‘n cheese is the ultimate comfort food in my mind, so this vegan version looks SO good! I’m loving all of that cheese and the fact that it’s gluten free, too. Is it bad that I’m craving this for breakfast? 🙂
Thanks SO much Gayle!! Haha I totally totally had this as Mac and cheese waffles for breakfast!!
Tamarind is listed in the instructions but not the ingredients list. Is that a misprint!
Hey Amber,
Haha yikes! Yes totally – autocorrect! That should say tamari. Thanks SO much for pointing that out!! If you try I hope you enjoy!! 🙂
The crispy topping on your mac and cheese looks so delicious! It is total comfort food – I love this!
Thanks so much Alma!!
OMG!!! Jessica this was truly A-Mazing. I have never had Mac & Cheese before as I didn’t like the idea of it coming out of a box stinking like feet. But you my dear, I take my hat off to you. I freakin love this dish. So, so tasty. Keep up the awesome work. I am looking forward to cooking more of your dishes.
Hi Julieanne,
Oh I am just so happy to hear that!! Your comment means a lot to me haha. You’re so very welcome and thanks for sharing your feedback!
What about an alternative for the cashews and almond milk? We have allergies to wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts!?
Hi Jenn,
This recipe may be a bit better for you: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-caramelized-onion-mac-n-cheese/ you can use rice milk and gluten free breadcrumbs (just double check the gluten free breadcrumbs aren’t made with coconut flour or almond flour!). I hope that helps!
Does this dish freeze well?
Hi Cassandra,
Yes!!
This was really good. The lime juice had me worried but it worked. Many compliments
Tried the Baked Mac N Cheese tonight and it was delicious! It had a great flavor and was fairly easy to make. I would definitely recommend it and will make it again.
I made this for dinner tonight. Halved the recipe because I’m cooking for one and it was fantastic! Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Angelia,
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed!! You’re so welcome!