This Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is so creamy, cheesy, and easy to make. Topped with a crunchy panko breadcrumb topping and baked to golden brown perfection, this recipe is a guaranteed family favorite!
FACT: Mac and cheese is not just “one of” the greatest comfort foods. It’s THE GREATEST! Then, someone had the brilliant idea to add a crunchy topping and bake that bad boy. And, let’s just say things went nuclear on the pleasure scale.
But, then some of us decided to ditch the dairy because we found out it kills you. So, now what?!? “WHAT ABOUT MY CHEESE?” Relax, everything is gonna be ok. This vegan baked mac and cheese will blow your mind. Why? Because it’s awesome!
Delicious elbow pasta covered in a rich and creamy non dairy cheese sauce that will satisfy any cheese lover. And, best of all it’s not just vegan, it’s healthy and whole. There’s no fake crap, no vegan cheese, and no vegan butter. Just simple, wholesome, and all-natural ingredients. Most importantly it is kid-tested and approved. Alright, let’s BAKE!
Ingredients For Vegan Mac And Cheese
- PASTA: Use any whole-grain pasta you like, but I prefer good old macaroni elbow pasta. Shell pasta works too if that’s what you prefer. If you want to make this gluten-free simply use gluten-free pasta.
- RAW CASHEWS: Your cashews need to be raw and unsalted. Boil them for 5 minutes or soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes. This will ensure they are extra creamy.
- NUTRITIONAL YEAST: This is the cheese essence of the dish. And, it’s also a great source of B-vitamins.
- LIQUID: Low-sodium veggie broth and unsweetened almond milk. You can use water, but I like the texture and flavor these two elements bring to the table.
- SPICES: Onion powder and garlic powder for the depth of flavor.
- LEMON JUICE: The acidic element of the cheese sauce. You can sub apple cider vinegar if you wish.
How To Make Vegan Baked Mac And Cheese
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. This means it will be slightly firm to the touch. But, the pasta will cook more in the oven and you don’t want overcooked pasta.
- Make the cheese sauce by adding all the ingredients to your blender and processing until smooth and creamy.
- Drain and rinse the pasta then add it to a 9×13 casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, mix it all together, cover with the panko breadcrumbs, and bake it for 15 minutes at 350˚F.
That’s all there is to making the best baked vegan mac and cheese! A deliciously saucy pasta dish with a golden crunchy topping that’s hot, creamy, and so freaking cheesy. And, so unbelievably comforting!
Vegan Baked Mac And Cheese FAQ
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
Yes! You can store this vegan mac and cheese in the freezer for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers.
Yes. Simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Absolutely! Assemble the entire recipe, cover it with aluminum foil, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking.
Special Tips & Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente so it is fairly firm. Remember, it will continue to cook in the oven and overcooked pasta is mushy and gross. Blah!
- Be sure and boil or soak the cashews, especially if you don’t have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. It will also make the cashews extra creamy.
- For a thicker sauce, you can add 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch to the cheese sauce when blending.
- You can skip the baking if you prefer and simply enjoy the mac and cheese as a stovetop dish.
How To Serve
Vegan baked mac and cheese is a great side dish for holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, it pairs up perfectly with Vegan Holiday Roast or Chickpea Vegan Meatloaf.
It’s also great by itself as an anytime dish. We love having this with roasted asparagus or maple dijon Brussels sprouts. But, my favorite is alongside my awesome baked beans. Oh, man!
More Amazing Vegan Comfort Food Dishes
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Vegan Baked Mac And Cheese
This Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is so creamy, cheesy, and easy to make. Topped with a crunchy panko breadcrumb topping and baked to golden brown perfection, this recipe is a guaranteed family favorite!
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Ingredients
Mac & Cheese
- (1) 16-ounce box elbow pasta
- 2 ½ cups cashews
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup of lemon juice
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
Topping
- 1 cup panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F and soak the cashews in hot water for 10 minutes while you wait.
- Place the cashews, broth, unsweetened almond milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt into a blender and process until completely smooth creamy.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package to make al dente. The macaroni will cook more in the oven.
- Drain and rinse the pasta and add it to a 9×13 baking dish. Then, pour cheese sauce over the pasta and gently mix making sure the pasta is covered.
- Whisk together the breadcrumbs and smoked paprika in a small mixing bowl and sprinkle over the mac and cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Cook the pasta al dente so it is fairly firm. Remember, it will continue to cook in the oven and overcooked pasta is mushy and gross. Blah!
Be sure and boil or soak the cashews, especially if you don’t have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. It will also make the cashews extra creamy.
For a thicker sauce, you can add 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch to the cheese sauce when blending.
You can skip the baking if you prefer and simply enjoy the mac and cheese as a stovetop dish.
May use regular whole wheat bread crumbs instead of panko.
- Prep Time: 15 mins.
- Cook Time: 15 mins.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 372
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 183.5 mg
- Fat: 14.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.9 g
- Fiber: 6.5 g
- Protein: 13.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: baked vegan mac and cheese, vegan baked mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese cashews, easy vegan mac and cheese
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This was sooooooooooo good! Hands down the best vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever had (and I’ve tried a few!). I love, love, LOVE that this recipe doesn’t use coconut milk. I have looked and looked to find a recipe that doesn’t use it, yet gives that same creaminess. This is it! We used chickpea elbows to make it gluten free and high in protein, and baked it in the oven. We followed the recipe as written. The flavor is outstanding and the texture is wonderfully creamy out of the oven. I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. My search for the perfect mac and cheese recipe is over. Thank you, Shane.
★★★★★
Thank you so much and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our faves as well:)
I had the leftovers today and just want to say that, unlike other recipes I’ve tried, this one was just as creamy on day 2, after being refrigerated, as it was on day one out of the oven. Simply amazing! We’ll be enjoying this often. Thanks again.
★★★★★
This is the very best Mac & cheese I’ve ever eaten and I’ve tried a lot recipes through the years. So easy , very creamy with a super flavor! I did add a tablespoon of hatch peppers. Next time and there will be plenty more next times, I’ll brown my panko lightly and quickly on stove top before sprinkling on top of Mac & cheese. Thank you Shane , I’m loving your recipes. Nancy
Thank you so much!!!
Shane,
My husband is allergic to nutritional yeast. Do you a suggestion for a substitute?
Thank you
splunky
There really isn’t one. But, miso will sometimes work.
Excellent and so much tastier and healthier than store-bought vegan mac n’cheeze. I halved the recipe and added some frozen peas. It still was a huge portion. I’m going to try freezing part.
★★★★★
Awesome, Ali!!!
Hi Shane,
So simple, so good, so healthy…thank you
★★★★★
My pleasure.
Just finished having this for dinner. My husband’s comment “I would have this again. “ added 2 bags of cooked frozen broccoli. While we we were eating we added some crushed red pepper and black pepper. This will be going into our meal rotation. Thank you Shane!
★★★★
Thanks so much, Dale! Happy New Year!!!
I made this recipe after getting your good advice on how to correct all the problems I was having making baked mac and cheese that isn’t dry. If I had started with this recipe it wouldn’t have turned into such a challenge. It was wonderful, creamy, and tasty. Next time I am going to try the cooking time for making it with cheese sauce just to see how it turns out, but I can’t imagine it could be any better than this recipe was. THANK YOU
★★★★★
I need your advice. I have had lots of trouble making baked macaroni and cheese. I have done it with various vegan cheese sauces and it always ends up too dry after I bake it, even when I put in a huge amount of sauce. I have looked at this recipe and your cheese sauce recipe and was thinking of making it with the cheese sauce recipe but I don’t want to end up with another one that goes to feed the goats. Would I be better off using this one to avoid the dryness? Which do you prefer and why?
Hi, Sunny! I feel your pain on that one. That is why I made the cooking time like it is on this one. So, you should not have any issues. However, if you prefer to use the cheese sauce, I would only bake it for 5-6 minutes.
★★★★★
Hi Shane, what brand of Panko do you use? The ones I’ve seen either have sugar and/or oil in them? What makes them “panko” vs plain old bread crumbs, the seasonings? I see your note about using regular bread crumbs, would you season them first? Thanks, can’t wait to try this, it looks amazing!
Hi, Lucy! Panko are very crispy almost like crisp rice cereal. Concerning brand, it’s just whatever is on the shelf and doesn’t contain oil. But, regular bread crumbs would works for you as well.
★★★★★
My son is allergic to nuts. Can I replace the cashews with something?
You can try subbing with this cheese sauce. It’s completely nut and seed free.
https://shaneandsimple.com/vegan-cheese-sauce/
Dear Shane,
I really don’t like the taste of nutritional yeast! Have you tried different brands? And do you like Anthony’s the best? Please let me know!!
Thank you!
Helen
Hi, Helen. Anthony’s has been my favorite thus far. I use it almost exclusively.
★★★★★
This recipe popped up in my email today and I had to make it tonight! We were too hungry to wait to bake it so ate it as mac n cheese! It was very similar in taste and consistency to my old homemade mac n cheese (pre-vegan). I did boil the cashews and next time I would cream them longer because my sauce had a sort of parmesan alfredo consistency, which I liked but my 12yo didn’t. Delicious and easy and I will add it to my go-to recipes! The best vegan mac n cheese recipe we’ve tried so far!
★★★★★
Hi Shane,
Unless I am missing something, the milk, broth and nutritional yeast are left out of your written directions. You have water listed in the directions, but no water listed in the ingredients.
Thank you for sharing your recipes, Cheri
Hi, Cheri! It’s updated and should be the broth and milk. All fixed now. Thanks!!!
★★★★★