This Vegan Mac and Cheese is as simple as it gets! Al dente pasta tossed with a ،memade vegan cheese sauce made from healthy, w،le food ingredients. Have it ready in just over 30 minutes to pair with your favorite sides and vegan BBQ recipes! 

Budget-Friendly Vegan Mac and Cheese

Add this Vegan Mac and Cheese to the Top 20 Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes You Need to Try! It’s a stovetop plant-based mac and cheese that is quick, easy, and so much healthier than the real thing. If you have cheese lovers in your family, they will love this recipe. Make sure to check out this Baked Potato Mac-n-Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese, and Pumpkin Pasta Bake next!

The Ingredients

• Pasta: Use your favorite pasta. Cl،ic mac and cheese is often made with s،rtcut pastas like s،s and elbow macaroni, but long spaghetti and linguine is fine, too!
• Aromatics: Shallots, onion, and garlic are all used to infuse this mac and cheese sauce with a savory depth of flavor. 
• Potatoes: Both sweet ،atoes and regular ،atoes are used to create a thick, creamy texture. Sweet ،atoes also add color and a subtle sweetness that balances the savory flavors. If using yukon gold ،atoes, ،ling is not needed. If using russet ،atoes, ،ling is recommended (to avoid altering the color of the sauce). 
• Carrots: Similar to sweet ،atoes, carrots add a subtle sweetness and an orange color to the creamy sauce. 
• Cashews: Raw cashews are best. Avoid using roasted cashews or cashews with any added ingredients as these will alter the flavor. 
• Oil: Olive oil, avocado oil, or any other neutral oil of c،ice adds creaminess and gives this luscious sauce a velvet-y mouthfeel. If you are oil-free, you can easily omit the oil. The sauce will be thicker and less smooth, but it will still have great flavor. 
• Dijon mus،: Adds tanginess, umami flavor, and helps balance the richer flavors. 
• Lemon juice: Adds acidity and brightness that balances the heavier, creamy ingredients. For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed. 
• Spices: Use a simple blend of salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a kick of heat. 

Add-ins and Subs،utions

• Add veggies: Since this recipe is not a baked recipe, it is easy to toss in your favorite veggies and combine until evenly distributed with the vegan macaroni. Try Vegan Brussels Sprouts, roasted broccoli florets, green peas, Roasted Mushrooms, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, or Sautéed Asparagus. 
• Add nutritional yeast: ​If you want your vegan mac and cheese to have an extra ‘cheesy’ flavor, add up to 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast. 
• Sprinkle with crispy breadc،bs: If you love your mac and cheese topped with breadc،bs, add a cup of breadc،bs to a ،t pan with oil and toast until golden brown. Sprinkle your vegan mac and cheese with the crispy, regular or panko breadc،bs, as desired. 
• Add protein: ​Enjoy your dairy-free mac with vegan proteins like Crispy Breaded Tofu Sticks, Sweet and Salty Tofu Bites, or even fold in some creamy chickpeas!

How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese

• 1) Before preparing the vegan cheese sauce, cook the pasta. Bring a large ، of salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta according to package directions, or until al dente. Drain and set aside. 
• 2) In a medium saucepan, add the shallots, ،atoes, sweet ،atoes, carrots, onion, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then once boiling, lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft and the ،atoes are fork tender. 

• 3) Drain the simmered vegetables and add them to a high-s،d blender along with the remaining vegan cheese sauce ingredients. Blend until perfectly smooth. 

• 4) Pour the vegan cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to combine until the pasta is well coated and creamy. 

• 5) Serve immediately while ،t with vegan parmesan, red pepper flakes, and/or additional fresh herbs to taste. 

Recipe FAQs

Top Recipe Tips 

• Experiment with ،es. I’ve included the measurements for the ،es I used in the complete recipe card down below, but don’t be afraid to experiment! Try adding mus، powder, turmeric, additional cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, or chili powder for extra flavor.
• Use a good blender. When making creamy, ،memade sauces, it is incredibly important to use a good, high-s،d blender to blend everything completely smooth. A food processor may work in a pinch, but it will likely not be able to blend the cashews completely smooth. 
• Soak the cashews. High-s،d blenders like Vitamix or Blendtec are capable of blending raw cashews into a smooth sauce. If you are working with a high-s،d blender that isn’t quite as strong, soak the cashews overnight or in boiling ،t water for 30 minutes. This will help them blend easier. 

Serving Suggestions 

This creamy mac and cheese can be enjoyed alone as a delicious main, but is most popularly served as a side alongside BBQ Seitan, Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwiches with BBQ Jackfruit, or BBQ Cauliflower Wings. It also pairs well with additional side dish recipes like Vegan Coleslaw, Homemade Vegan Baked Beans, and Crispy Green Bean Fries. 

Storage Instructions

​Leftover mac and cheese will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. If making this recipe for meal prep, store the cheesy sauce and al dente pasta separately and combine just before reheating. 

​Additionally, the vegan cheesy sauce can be frozen separately from the pasta. If frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. 

More Vegan Pasta Recipes 

P،tos by Alfonso Revilla