Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese (Without Cashews)
This vegan mac and cheese (without cashews) is the ultimate comfort food with a rich and creamy vegan cheese sauce. No need for cashews or expensive vegan cheeses in this recipe! You can make a delicious cheese sauce with some surprise ingredients…read below!
Why you’ll love this:
This is my FAVORITE mac and cheese recipe to date and I’m sure it will become yours too. I have made this probably over 20 times and am obsessed with the cheesy, creamy sauce that’s so easy to make (I actually sometimes make extra sauce to put over nachos or use as a dip).
This sauce is made without cashews or processed cheese shreds (unlike a lot of vegan mac and cheese recipes) but instead made with veggies, spices, and nutritional yeast to create a smooth, thick, cheesy sauce you will LOVE.
Try out another pasta recipe like this One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta , Vegan Sundried Tomato Pasta, 40 Clove Garlic Pasta or a vibrant Beet Pasta Sauce that’s perfect for spring.
🧀Ingredients
- Macaroni Noodles: You will need 8 oz (half a package) of large macaroni noodles. You can also use small noodles if you prefer! Substitute for gluten-free noodles if required.
- Yellow Potatoes: You can use Yukon or regular yellow potatoes. If you use red potatoes make sure you peel the skin off or else it will change the color of the sauce.
- Onion: This will add savory flavor to the sauce.
- Carrot: This contributes to the orange color of the sauce.
- White Flour: You will use this to make a roux- A mixture of flour and fat (such as oil or butter) that is cooked together and used as a thickening agent and used to thicken our sauce. For a gluten-free version use gluten-free flour.
- Olive oil: This will be used to make the roux with the flour. You can also use vegan butter or avocado oil.
- Nutritional Yeast: This adds to the cheesy flavor of the sauce. If you don’t have it, it’s okay to omit.
- Non-dairy milk: I recommend an unsweetened plant-based milk such as almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.
- Spices: Garlic powder and turmeric add flavor and color the dish.
- Dijon mustard: The tangy and sharp flavor balances the richness of the sauce.
- Lemon Juice: This also balances the richness of the cheese sauce. You can also substitute with apple cider vinegar if you do not have lemon juice.
How to Make Vegan Mac & Cheese (No Cashews)
Step 1: Cut your onion, potatoes, and carrots into small pieces. The smaller the better because it will cook faster. In a medium saucepan on your stove top, add vegetables with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, cover, and turn down to simmer for 8-10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.
Step 2: While veggies are simmering, begin to make your flour roux. (A roux is a mixture of flour, oil, and milk that helps thicken our cheese sauce.) In a small saucepan, begin heating olive oil over low-medium heat. SLOWLY add in the flour and whisk together until combined.
Step 4: Turn up stove to medium heat. SLOWLY add milk and whisk. In 1-2 minutes the mixture will start to thicken QUICKLY. Continue whisking until it forms a dough ball. Once the dough has formed immediately remove from heat so it doesn’t burn.
*At this time begin to cook pasta to package instructions until al dente. You don’t want to overcook your noodles or else it will be soggy with the addition of the sauce.
Step 5: Once veggies are fork-tender drain them but SAVE THE LIQUID. In a food processor or high speed blender, add in veggies, flour mixture, spices, dijon mustard, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and 1/4 cup veggie liquid. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth. If your sauce is too thicken add 1-2 tbsp of veggie liquid at a time until it’s at the desired consistency.
Step 6: Pour cheesy sauce over cooked pasta and gently stir until combined.
▶︎Love cheese (without the dairy)? Try out this incredible Vegan Queso!
❄️Storage
Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. FYI- this vegan mac and cheese tastes the best the day of!
You can reheat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The sauce will thicken a bit as it sits in the fridge but it will still taste great!
❓Recipe FAQs
Add in some spice like red chili flake, chili powder, and/or smoke paprika. Add herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary.
Top your mac and cheese with cheese shreds such as vegan cheddar or vegan parmesan.
Yes, use a gluten-free pasta such as brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta, or chickpea pasta. For the sauce use gluten-free flour (such as rice flour or cornstarch) to thicken the sauce instead of white flour. You can also use gluten-free bread crumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers for a crispy topping.
Yes you can! It will give it a crispy, golden-brown topping and make it even more delicious. Make sure it’s in an oven safe dish. Top with breadcrumbs or vegan cheese shreds and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. You can also broil at the end to make it even crispier on top.
Cook with pasta made from lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, or other high-protein ingredients. Add in some meat-alternatives like vegan chicken or sausage. Add beans or lentils to boost the protein content. Nutritional yeast is also high in protein with 2 grams of protein in just 1 tbsp. Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast on top or mix more into the sauce for a higher protein vegan mac and cheese.
How about some veggies? Broccoli, spinach, butternut squash to just name a few and can add some heartiness (and more nutrients!) to this dish.
🍽️When to Serve
Is there really not a time for mac and cheese? This is perfect for a lunch or dinner but also great in a large batch for a picnic or party. Serve this creamy mac and cheese as a side at a holiday gathering like Christmas or Thanksgiving!
Serve with some tasty sides:
- Moroccan Sweet Potatoes
- Thai Brussel Sprouts
- Crunchy Kale Caesar Wrap
- Vegan Flatbread pizza
- Roasted asparagus and carrots
Pro Tips
- Cook your noodles al dente to ensure that the pasta maintains its texture and doesn’t become too soft or mushy.
- For a crispy top bake your mac and cheese with some breadcrumbs on top. Bake at 350 F or 176 C for 15 minutes and turn to broil at the end for a few minutes.
- Add some other spice to your vegan mac and cheese: smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano and more!
- FYI- This recipe is extra saucy to create the creamiest, dreamiest mac and cheese! If you want it less saucy, save some of the cheese sauce for nachos, dips, burritos, tacos, and more!
- This vegan mac and cheese without cashews is a great option for as a main meal, a side dish for a big gathering like Thanksgiving, potluck or a party, or anytime you’re craving comfort food!
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Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese Without Cashews
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Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow potatoes unpeeled, chopped in small cubes
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled, chopped in small pieces
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz macaroni noodles or noodles of choice
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk such as soy or almond
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- Pinch pepper
Instructions
- Dice your onion, potatoes, and carrots into small cubes and pieces. The smaller the better because it will cook faster.1 cup yellow potatoes, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/4 cup onion
- In a medium saucepan on your stove top, add onion, potato, and carrots with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, cover, and turn down to simmer for 8-10 minutes until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.1 cup water
- While veggies are simmering, in small saucepan begin heating olive oil over low-medium heat. SLOWLY add in the flour and whisk together until combined.3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- Turn up stove to medium heat. SLOWLY add milk and whisk. In 1-2 minutes the mixture will start to thicken QUICKLY. Continue whisking until it forms a dough ball. Once the dough has formed immediately remove from heat so it doesn't burn.1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- Begin to cook pasta to package instructions until al dente or your preference.8 oz macaroni noodles
- Once veggies are fork-tender, drain them but SAVE THE LIQUID in a bowl.
- In a food processor or high speed blender, add in veggies, flour mixture, spices, dijon mustard, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and 1/4 cup veggie liquid. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth. If your sauce is too thick add 1-2 tbsp of veggie liquid at a time until it's at the desired consistency.1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp turmeric, Pinch pepper
- Pour sauce over cooked noodles. Gently mix and enjoy!
Notes
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- Cook your noodles al dente to ensure that the pasta maintains its texture and doesn’t become too soft or mushy.
-
- For a crispy top bake your mac and cheese with some breadcrumbs on top. Bake at 350 F or 176 C for 15 minutes and turn to broil at the end for a few minutes.
-
- Add some other spice to your vegan mac and cheese: smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano and more!
-
- FYI- This recipe is extra saucy to create the creamiest, dreamiest mac and cheese! If you want it less saucy, save some of the cheese sauce for nachos, dips, burritos, tacos, and more!
- For a gluten-free option: use GF pasta and GF flour
- You can use red potatoes instead of yellow, just make sure to peel them or your sauce will be a different colors.
- You can omit nutritional yeast if you don’t have it or don’t like the taste.
This recipe was really easy to make, which is great because I’d consider me a beginner. And on top of that it has become one of my favourite noodle dishes! 🙂