Easy Spicy Mac-N-Cheese (Vegan)
Easy Spicy Mac and Cheese is a crowd-pleasing favorite that all types of eaters enjoy! Made with only 8 ingredients and ready in 20 minutes, this easy vegan recipe is perfect for a quick and healthy meal.
No frills here, just a simple plant-based mac n’ cheese with a kick. This is seriously the easiest recipe ever using pantry staples that results in a creamy, cheesy-ish macaroni!
This is my second mac & cheese recipe to date. My other one, Vegan Mac and Cheese Bake is supreme to any others I have tried and is an easy cashew-based recipe.
But, I don’t always want to use the high-fat nut-based recipes. So in comes this new easy vegan mac and cheese recipe, which is simply made from non-dairy milk, a little oil, flour, nutritional yeast, and a few spices.
It’s delicious and ready in a quick 20 minutes. Plus, the recipe can easily be doubled and is great for weekly meal prep!
I can see this version being made again and again in my kitchen, adding steamed or roasted vegetables for variety. It hits the spot completely and I think you’ll agree!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Using these key ingredients will give this mac n’ cheese lots of flavor! Plus, you’ll find ideas for varying the ingredients to suit your needs.
- Pasta – Any small pasta will do. You can even toss it with noodles for a change!
- Non-dairy milk – I used almond milk for mine, but you can opt for your favorite nut-free, non-dairy milk instead to make this nut-free.
- Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional yeast, aka ‘nooch’ or ‘savory yeast flakes’, has a savory/umami characteristic. With its nutty, cheesy flavor, which is an acquired taste, it’s great for mimicking cheese-flavored dishes. It’s a great addition to your plant-based diet! For starters, it’s a complete protein containing 9 grams of protein per serving, 2 tablespoons. It’s also low in fat and sodium and contains B vitamins. Some brands are fortified with B-12, like this Now (<affiliate link), so be sure to seek out those brands.
- Spices – This is a spicy mac and cheese (but not overly so), calling for just a little chili and chipotle powder for a little heat and flavor. Feel free to omit the chili spices, using just garlic powder, for a milder flavor.
- Oil – I used olive oil, but you can use your favorite neutral-flavored oil.
- Flour – All-purpose, spelt, gluten-free flour blend or rice flour will all work well.
How To Make Spicy Mac and Cheese with Nutritional Yeast
- Cook your pasta according to the package directions.
- Next, make the roux by heating the oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Slowly add the almond milk, continuously whisking, until the mixture thickens. Once it starts to thicken, feel free to add the spices.
- Remove from heat, stir in the nutritional yeast. I prefer to add the nutritional yeast at the end so it doesn’t lose any of the nutritional benefits.
- Add the pasta and cheese sauce together and mix well to coat. Taste for seasoning.
This is an easy, versatile mac n’ cheese that will win hearts!
How To Store
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: This mac and cheese is freezer-friendly and will last 2 – 3 months stored in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link). Let thaw in the fridge, or bake from frozen.
How To Reheat Mac n Cheese
- Stovetop: Warm on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of non-dairy milk or water to bring back its creaminess.
- Microwave: Using 30-second intervals, microwave until warmed through, stirring between each interval.
- Oven: Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
This savory mac & cheese is great alone and can be made even better when paired with any of these serving options for a healthy lunch or dinner.
- Serve with Vegan Collard Greens or Savory Sauteed Kale.
- Add in steamed broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
- Serve with a side of soup like this Vegan Cauliflower Soup.
More Recipes With Nutritional Yeast
If you’re wondering what else you can do with nutritional yeast, you can find a few more ways to use it here. And if this is new to you, it’s a flavor that you may have to adjust to. I’ve heard many do not like it at first, but it will grow on you, and you will find it to be a useful and tasty addition to your healthy diet.
- Winter Potato, White Bean & Kale Soup
- Spicy Kale Pesto
- Tofu Scramble
- Almond Parmesan
- Vegetable Frittata
- Cashew Ricotta Cheese
Lots of ways to put nutritional yeast to use in your kitchen. You may even try sprinkling some on your popcorn!
More Mac and Cheese Recipes!
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese (cashew based)
- Mac and Cheese with Peas (cashew based)
- Creamy Broccoli & Pasta (roux)
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (cashew based)
If you make this mac and cheese recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintEASY SPICY MAC-N-CHEESE
There are no frills here—just a simple vegan mac’ n’ cheese with nutritional yeast and a spicy kick! It’s 100% dairy-free and without cashews. Add steamed or roasted veggies to suit your taste.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 – 4 1x
- Category: Entree, Pasta
- Method: boil, simmer
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 8 oz. favorite pasta (I used quinoa pasta)
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour (spelt, rice, tapioca or all-purpose)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
- mineral salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Pasta: Cook your pasta according to package. Drain and place back in pot, set aside.
Vegan Cheese Sauce: In a small/medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat, add flour and whisk to incorporate. Continue whisking and cook for 2 minutes, mixture will be bubbly. Add milk slowly, whisking constantly. Add the garlic powder, chili & chipotle powder and salt. Turn heat to low and cook until sauce thickens, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in nutritional yeast. Stir until everything is incorporated and smooth again. Taste for flavor.
Assemble: Add sauce and pasta together, tossing well, add more milk as needed and serve right away.
Serves 3
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 – 5 days in a covered container.
Notes
This recipe is just a template. Add as much of the salt and spices to suit your taste. You may even like to omit the chili and chipotle opting for a mild mac n’ cheese. Or use either the chili or chipotle powder alone.
For the nutritional yeast, if using powder form reduce the amount to about 1/4 cup. You can try playing around with the amount. I have used less, 1/4 – 1/3 cup, and still had a nice cheesy flavor. You may opt to start with less and add more to taste.
Toss in steamed or roasted vegetables of choice with the pasta…broccoli, brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes, spinach, kale and corn are a few that come to mind that will work with the flavors. I’m sure I missed a few and would love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.
To reheat, add a small amount of milk and heat over low until warmed.
You may also like to top with some almond parmesan!
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This spicy cheese is delicious!
I “invent” a lot of vegan recipes, including many “cheeses”. Due to a recent move, I’ve misplaced my many-years developed cookbook and wanted a quicker “cheese sauce” than using heavier cashews. I used the unsweet almond (seed) milk, and made the roux w/ gluten free flour w/ Earth Balance butter. Added fresh garlic, 1/16th tsp chipotle pepper and 1/8th tsp ancho chile pepper plus about 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt. 1/4 c. plus 1/8th cup large flake nutritional yeast. I was in a hurry and used the milk cold but quickly made it creamy by using hand beaters right in the sauce pan. Added chunks of veggie chicken to simmer in the sauce. Sauteed onions in olive oil and steamed some baby asparagus….used gluten free thin spaghetti, which I cut up. I must say the spice heat I used was just right for me, and I LOVED it! The roux makes it much richer but so delicious when you’re “that hungry”. I will try it another time w/o the roux. I almost never follow recipes but use them as jumping-off points to tailor my tastes or what I have on hand. Looking forward to taking this to another level because it was that awesome! Thank you, Veganista. :)
Wonderful! I agree sometimes you just want a quick cheese without using cashews. I love your take on this, sounds like perfection to me! Thanks for the yummy inspiration! Cheers :)
This spicy cheese is delicious! I make this every week to pair with quinoa and roasted vegetables. It’s nice and spicy and I get all my b vitamins. Thanks for this recipe!
I’m writing this as I’m eating and it’s delicious! I served it with red lentil pasta and used some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce and I also added peas. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I’m supposed to be doing a 14 day vegan challenge and this is the easiest mac ‘n’ cheese recipe I have found so far….
Since I normally eat cheese and dairy products, this did not satisfy my palate in my vegan endeavors.
The search continues for something that tastes like normal mac ‘n’ cheese but without dairy. (Or something that just tastes good.)
(Note: this is not a personal attack on you or your food, I’m just a picky eater who grew up on dairy products.)
Made 2 attempts to make the sauce. The first one ended up extremely lumpy, so bad in fact, that we had to throw it out and start over. Very frustrating and what a waste of ingredients. The second batch is slightly lumpy.
Any idea why this would happen? My heat was low-medium. Used olive oil, gluten free all-purpose flour, a whisk, but we did double the recipe though. Otherwise, followed directions to a “T.”
Second batch is currently sitting on low, waiting to thicken with frequent stirring. Hope it comes out! :(
My best advice would be to make sure the milk is at room temperature. If the milk is chilled when added, it could seize up the flour and oil mixture creating a lumps. If the milk is at room temp or slightly warmed, the consistency of the creamed oil and flour with stay intact when the milk is added. Also, try adding the milk gradually.
I sure hope this helps. I’m so sorry you’ve had a bad outcome, but keep trying, you’ll get it right and it will become easy as can be.
Used soymilk, less chilli, added frozen chopped spinach, peas and two teaspoons of wholegrain mustard. Absolutely delicious – my first vegan mac n cheese!
Sounds wonderful! I love the addition of mustard, perfect. Cheers :)
I made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it. I added a bit of vegetable broth right before serving because it had thickened up quite a bit sitting in the pan with the lid until he got home from work. I served it with a side of roasted brussel sprouts and it was perfect. I did add a few chives to the pasta. Thanks for the great recipe.
Never knew mac ‘n cheese could taste so good, without the cheese. This is incredible and should win a prize! Thank you so much!
I did a smaller serving with this, i only had coconut flour and unsweetened coconut milk at the time(very desperate for mac & cheese) I added daiya chesse and almond chesse. It ended up being delightful!