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BAKED VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE (+ STOVETOP)

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creamy vegan mac and cheese bake in a bowl with steamed broccoli

Winner, Winner….Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese Dinner! This dairy-free, creamy vegan mac and cheese recipe is absolutely delicious, and SO easy to make. It’s a family favorite and I’m sure it will become yours too!

It’s all about the ‘cheese’! The ‘cheese’ is non-dairy and made with cashews, water, nutritional yeast, miso or dijon, lemon and a few spices, and blends up quickly using a high-speed food processor or blender. The result is a quick and easy, ultra creamy accompaniment for just about any pasta. No need for any flour, oil or butters, just wholesome cashews and a few flavorful add-ins!

This is kid tested and was a supreme hit with my 12 year old daughter who usually turns her nose up at almost everything I make. Now had I added veggies in the bake, it would not have passed which is why this is just a simple recipe, but feel free to add in veggies like broccoli, kale, peas, etc., whatever you may usually add into your favorite mac and cheese!

As for myself, I haven’t had a mac & cheese in I don’t know how long, and I seriously could have sat and ate the whole thing myself. I especially love the crunchy topping and paired mine with a side of steamed broccoli which was terrific!

If you’d like a version of vegan mac and cheese that’s cashew free, try this stovetop Easy Spicy Mac n Cheese, Mac and Cheese with Peas, or Creamy Broccoli & Pasta for a change.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

  • Use any pasta you like. I’ve used both penne and shell pasta, as well as the elbow macaroni shown here. Make this gluten-free by using gluten-free pastas made with rice, quinoa, beans or lentils.
  • Cashews should be raw and unsalted, whole or pieces. Feel free to soak your cashews in water before using, they only need to soak for 2 – 3 hours in cold water or 5 minutes in very hot water, drain cashews before using. Most of the time I don’t do this, but it does aide in digestion and can be very beneficial for some.
  • For the cheese sauce flavoring, the nutritional yeast will add a ‘cheesy’ flavor and nutrition, the miso (also healthy) will add an umami flavor, but if you don’t have it on hand 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard (or 1 teaspoon dried mustard) will be great too. Turmeric is used to add a nice light golden hue, but if you don’t have turmeric on hand, no worries, you’ll end up with a white ‘cheese’ sauce instead.

pasta and creamy cashew cheese in a baking dish before stirring

How To Make Vegan Mac and Cheese

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
  2. Make the cheese sauce by combining the sauce ingredients in a high speed blender/food processor and blend until creamy.
  3. Mix it all together, add it to baking dish, top with bread crumbs and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. And if you’d rather not bake it, feel free to eat is as is without baking!

And that’s it, once done, you’ll have a perfect mac and cheese with a delicious golden, crispy topping, and tender, creamy macaroni underneath. So wonderfully comforting and delicious!

creamy vegan mac and cheese freshly baked from the oven

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BAKED VEGAN MAC & CHEESE (+ STOVETOP)

creamy vegan mac and cheese freshly baked from the oven

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Kid approved, this cashew based mac and cheese is so easy to put together and will be ready in under 1 hour!

  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6 - 8
  • Category: Entree, Pasta
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. package pasta of choice (works with an 12oz package too)
  • paprika, garnish (optional)

For the crumb topping

  • two pieces of bread or 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • tablespoon olive oil
  • twist or two of the salt grinder

Cheese Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, preferably soaked (see notes *)
  • 1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed (see notes **)
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • juice of 1/2 large lemon or 2 teaspoons vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic or 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon white miso or 2 teaspoons dijon or 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot (will help keep it creamy), optional
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, optional*
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • dash of cayenne, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook your noodles and set aside.

Bread Crumbs: While waiting for the water to boil, start with your bread topping first. I toasted two pieces of bread we had on hand really well and processed them in the food processor until crumbly, a high speed blender will work too. Place the crumbs in a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil and a twist or two of the salt grinder, mix well and set aside. Quickly rinse the processor/blender bowl and move on to the cheese sauce.

Cheese sauce: In food processor/blender, combine all of the cheese sauce ingredients and blend until creamy. Add more water, a tablespoon or so at a time, and blend again. Taste for flavor adding anything extra to suit your taste.

Assemble: Once pasta is cooked and drained. Add pasta back to the pot it was cooked in, add the cheese sauce and combine well (you can also mix it together in the baking dish). In baking dish, pour mac & cheese and top with bread crumbs.

Bake: Place in oven for 20 – 25 minutes, check after 15 minutes if crumbs are darkening too much for your liking, cover with foil.

When done, let cool about 10 minutes and serve. The sauce will thicken upon standing.

Serves 8

NOTES:

*Two ways to soak cashews: Soak in cool water for 2 – 3 hours OR soak in very hot water for 5 minutes. Drain cashews and rinse before using.

**If not soaking the cashews, add up to an extra 1/2 cup of water when making the sauce. It may seem liquidy but will thicken while baking.

If you use a smaller baking dish or use ramekins, lessen the cooking time to 10 – 20 minutes depending on the size of dish you use.

The chili pepper adds a really nice flavor without being too powerful. If your worried about the spiciness, especially for the little ones, I would suggest using the smaller amount, taste and add more if desired.

To make this gluten free use gluten-free pasta.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. I made this the other night and it turned out great! It was a lot easier to make than I expected. It made so much that I think I'll only do half the recipe next time. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  4. Made this for dinner last night and I must say, probably the best mac n cheese I've ever had. I'm new to the vegan lifestyle and this helps with the transition. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Marsha! Sorry for the long delayed response. Are you talking about adding me to your blog roll on your site. Here is a good tutorial on how to add a blog roll to your blogspot. Hope that helps. Cheers :)

      Reply

  6. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm taking baby Vegan steps at the tender age of 59 – what better time? I really appreciate all the delicious-looking recipes posted, and this weekend or next, I'll try the "White Bean & Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce," which looks superb!!!

    Reply

    • Wonderful Carla! Baby steps are fine…it's a process of changing almost everything we have become accustomed to. I'm so glad your embracing this and giving it a try. Hope you love everything and I would love to know what you think. Cheers to new things. :)

      Reply

  7. Thank you so much! I've tried another mac and cheese recipe with nutritional yeast before – but it just wasn't that great. This was amazing. I made it gluten-free by using rice pasta and gluten-free breadcrumbs. I'll definitely be making this again!!

    Reply

    • Thank you, and your welcome! I have tried a few and this was the best of all 'so far'. So glad it worked for you too. And your gluten free additions are perfect. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! :)

      Reply

  8. SO glad I found this site! Making this deliciousness this weekend. My Mother and stepdad are Vegans and I'm supposed to be a young hipster in the throes of my risky youth of my early 40s and I'm JUST catching on! My husband is convinced that pasta is the devil, so I wonder how this would be converted to a vegan scalloped potato or cheesy risotto garnished with some coconut bacon and a garden salad with your creamy lemon & herb dressing! I have shared your site with my Mother and I'm so glad I found you! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much! I love the great feedback..it truly let's me know that others are really getting some use out of my recipes I test and share. I'm truly grateful!!

      As for the sauce, it would great in scalloped potatoes or a risotto! And pasta, there's a lot of new ones on the market that are not the old school pasta. I've been lucky to find quinoa pasta that is pretty amazing, it's full of protein and fiber while acting the same as the pasta I used to eat growing up. The side salad and creamy lemon herb dressing sounds perfect! I hope you like this however you make it.

      Welcome to the wonderful world of plant based/vegan eating, and thank you for sharing the love. :)

      Reply

    • Thanks so much for the response. I am loving your site and am so excited to try your recipes. I just bough Veganomicon as well and own a few other books. I am blown away by all the recipes and delicious looking foods that are available. I don't know how old you are but back in the 70s, the only available Vegan foods were like, bean cakes, soybeans, brewers yeast, popcorn, maple syrup and lentils. There ya go, come up with as many combinations as you can! I have to pick out which recipe I'm making for us for dinner tonight! I will let you know which one I choose and how it goes over :-)-Monica

      Reply

  10. Hi!
    I made this tonight for dinner and added a chipotle seasoning to the cheese sauce and to the breadcrumbs. I omitted the olive oil, added 2 cloves of garlic, no onion powder (cause I didn't have it), and a little more nooch. I posted a picture on Instagram (@theveganchemist). This was SOOOO good! Thanks for sharing!! :)

    Reply

    • I love your additions! The chipotle, extra garlic and nooch sounds perfect. Glad you liked this and love hearing your take on it. I will try some chipotle next time. Thank you for stopping to share. :)

      P.S. I tried looking at your Instagram profile but it's private.

      Reply

  11. I made this tonight for friends (non-vegans) and they both took second helpings and one said she almost liked it better than regular dairy mac and cheese. I cheated and sprinkled in some cheddar Daiya as well. I will cover it with foil next time because the top pasta got a little dry and crunchy.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • I'm so happy this came out so well for you, except for the dryness of the top of course (the foil will do wonders next time). I love it when people that eat dairy cheese try this and love it! Thank you so much for sharing. Cheers :)

      Reply

  12. Hi, wondering if there's anything I can use to substitute the white Miso?
    I have everything else in the recipe except for that! lol.
    I'm hoping to make it for dinner tonight. : )
    I read all of your comments and this recipe sounds like a winner!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Natalie

    Reply

    • I wanted to let you know that I made it without the white miso and LOVED it! My boyfriend loved it too! I'm making it again tonight. : ) Yay! Thanks so much for a delicious recipe!

      Reply

    • Hi Natalie, sorry for the late response. I've been on vacation and away from internet service for a week. There is no substitute for miso but this will be great without it if need be. You have found that out on your own. So glad you both loved it! It is a favorite. You just may like to up the salt amount since miso adds a saltiness but the flavor of the miso is irreplaceable. Hope you enjoy this often! Cheers :)

      Reply

  14. I made this the other day and my husband said it was the best dinner I've ever made! I added broccoli, and if you're not a vegetarian you could add chicken too. I also added a tiny bit of truffle oil, and extra of all of the spices. Thank you for this recipe – I really couldn't believe how much it tasted like actual mac & cheese!

    Reply

  15. Looking forward to making this tomorrow night! This maybe a silly question, but do the cashews have to be "raw", I currently only have the roasted ones… whomp whomp :( And I must say that I absolutely love your heart shaped dish.. that is so stinkin cute!

    Reply

    • I've only used raw cashews in all my recipes. Not sure how it will be but I imagine it won't be bad at all but I must add my disclaimer that I could be wrong…lol. Also, if they have salt just be sure to cut the added salt in the recipe or taste before adding too much. Would love to know how it goes with the roasted cashews!

      Thanks, I love that dish too. :)

      Reply

  16. Made your vegan mac & cheese recipe a couple days ago – absolutely delish!!! I used 16 oz of rice penne noodles – I think next time I might use about 14-15 oz to make it slightly creamier, but fantastic. Thank you for another vegan delight!

    Reply

  17. Thank you for your veganism insight at the end of the recipe. I completely agree and couldn't have said it better myself. Family is making our traditional family mac & cheese tonight. It is made exactly the same as yours (except using tillamook cheese) so it will be easy to make mine at the same time and time it just right. :)

    Reply

  19. Your site is my favorite of all the raw/vegan sites out there! Whenever I need any type of inspiration or get stuck in a food rut, I come here and you always deliver. Can't wait to make this tonight! :)

    Reply

  20. This is RIDICULOUSLY good! I have tried several vegan mac n cheese recipes and I have honestly enjoyed them all, but they were not the perfect substitute for the creamy, rich baked mac n cheese I grew to love as an omnivore. This recipe is so good though – I don't think anyone will even realise it is vegan! My vegetarian husband is crazy about this and asks me to make it at least once a week. thanks so much!
    Dr T

    Reply

  21. Random question: do you think cashew butter would work as well as blended cashews? They seem to be the only cheese ingredient that needs a food processor, and if it was cashew butter made just from cashews (no salt or anything added) surely it would be the same end result? I love macaroni cheese but have never tried making one with nuts before, only with blocks of vegan cheese – this recipe sounds awesome!

    Reply

  22. I've made this twice now; once using cashew butter (I had one made from roasted cashews, but it worked well enough!), and once discovering my smoothie-maker could blend the soaked cashews really well. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe! I would never have thought of using cashews on my own (even though it seems obvious now!), so thank you.

    Reply

  23. Wow, fantastic! I'm not vegan but I made this for some friends who are. It's uncanny how much it tastes like the real thing. I agree with a previous comment to kick up the spice level a notch. Will definitely make again.

    Reply

  25. I made this Sunday night and it was so good I had it for breakfast on Monday!! Even my non-vegan husband enjoyed it!! I also make the chickpea cranberry walnut sandwich on a regular basis and love it!!! So glad your recipes are easy and satisfying!

    Reply

    • I haven't tried it with any other nuts and can't recommend a substitute. I would suggest making the Spicy Mac n Cheese recipe I have in the archives, minus the spice if you like. I hope to work on a new seed based mac n cheese recipe in the future.

      Reply

  28. I was wondering about the nutritional content breakdown? Calories etc.. Although it doesn’t matter because i have made it about 30 times already. It is delicious!

    Reply

  29. This was a really yummy, satisfying mac & cheese! Everything mac & cheese should be – saucy, comforting, delicious – without all that yucky cheese. And like the recipe states, it might look like there is way too much liquid when you first mix the sauce in with the cooked macaroni, but it truly does absorb every bit of it once it has baked. I added chopped green onions and a teensy squirt of mustard to the sauce, because my mom used to make hers with those two ingredients included, and I wanted to make it resemble hers as much as possible. I did not have miso, so I substituted it with soy sauce. It worked out just fine. I have never attempted making a sauce using something like soaked cashews, but I am totally sold on it now. Even though my little Bullet blender did totally achieve that ultimate creaminess that I would like, it was still delish. I really love this.

    Reply

  30. My first stab at vegan mac and cheese and because of this recipe I’ll never go back to the dairy version! Only thing I’d recommend is to add more liquid, it does turn really thick when cooking. Next time i make it I’m going to try to go a bit more creamy. Otherwise a great base to make a “buffalo chicken” (tofu/hot sauce) version or to just add some extra veggies. Thank you for this awesome vegan version of mac and cheese.

    Reply

    • Isn’t it the best! I swear it just as good if not better. So glad you loved it. It does it thicken up so adding a bit extra liquids will work great. Love your other ideas for the mac and cheese. Thank you so much for your input and inspiration! Cheers :)

      Reply

  31. I just made this for my daughter. She is recovering from wisdom teeth removal and really wanted a mac and cheese that she could easily eat, and vegan, of course. I left the bread crumbs off to avoid any issues with them, and used coconut oil instead of the olive oil (our family’s preference). It is incredible! I’ve made other vegan mac and cheese before and this ranks as one of the best. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  32. So creamy! I was definitely surprised how much this tasted like regular mac and cheese. Will definitely be making again! Thanks!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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