Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- PREP 5min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 25min
My family loves this creamy mac and cheese made with non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and the perfect blend of spices. You can make this as a stovetop or baked mac and cheese! If you decide to bake this, add some breadcrumbs on top so they brown and turn crisp (I like panko or homemade breadcrumbs).
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) dried pasta like shells, elbows or penne
6 tablespoons (85g) vegan butter
6 tablespoons (48g) all-purpose flour
5 cups (1180ml) unsweetened non-dairy milk, like unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup (60g) nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste, optional for some spice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional for color
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and follow the package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package states. Drain.
Meanwhile, make the vegan cheese sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a large, high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk it together and around the pan until it smells toasted and looks light brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
While whisking, slowly pour in the warm, non-dairy milk. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce simmers and thickens. (The sauce only thickens after it has reached a simmer.)
Turn the heat to low, then stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. For a bit of spice, stir in the cayenne pepper. Add the turmeric for some extra “cheesy” color. Both cayenne pepper and turmeric are optional.
When the sauce is smooth and velvety, stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce looks wet/thin, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some extra moisture as it cools. Turn the heat off, and then cover with a lid. Leave for 5 minutes, stir once more, and then serve.
For baked mac and cheese, after adding the pasta to the sauce, spoon into a large baking dish and scatter breadcrumbs (optional) on top. Bake, uncovered, in a 375°F (190°C) oven until it is bubbling and browned on top, 25 to 30 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Then, bake, covered, in a 350°F oven for about an hour. Or, thaw overnight and reheat on the stove (if it seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of extra milk).
- Broccoli mac and cheese: Stir roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli into the pot before serving.
- Garlic mac and cheese: Fresh garlic and roasted garlic are excellent in this recipe. Add to the vegan butter just before adding the flour. For fresh, I’d use 2 to 3 cloves. For roasted garlic, you can increase it to 6 cloves or more. Here’s our roasted garlic recipe for reference.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.