Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese 🌱 Comfort food made even better with your favorite pasta covered in a delicious and nutritious creamy homemade plant-based cheddar cheese sauce.
Being vegan does not mean you have to give up the foods you love, including cheese. By using the right plant-based ingredients to replace animal products, not only can you still enjoy your favorite dishes, you can make them better than ever, like mac & cheese made with this healthy & delish vegan cheese sauce!
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The secret to making this scrumptious dish is this fantastic plant-based cheddary cheese sauce. It has the tangy taste of sharp cheddar cheese with the smoothest creamiest texture. The combination of cashews, fresh lemon, carrots and potato blend together to make the richest cheesiest flavor.
It’s fun to get creative with macaroni & cheese. I baked this in the oven for a few minutes, topped with breadcrumbs and homemade easy vegan parmesan. The breadcrumbs and parm added a great toasty crispy crunch.
Simple vegan mac & cheese sprinkled with paprika for a bit of color & spice! It’s perfect paired with veggie burgers or a fresh green salad.
My favorite way to enjoy mac & cheese . . . with broccoli & toasted vegan parmesan! It’s a meal in itself!
How to make vegan cheese sauce
With just a few basic ingredients, you can whip up the most luscious, tasty & healthy vegan cheese sauce. This recipe makes a generous batch of cheese sauce, which is a good thing! Just think . . . tomorrow night – nachos! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
🥕 See the complete recipe for everything you need to know to prepare this easy vegan cheese sauce!
Gather ingredients 
Soak cashews 
Cut potatoes & carrots 
Boil until tender Blend everything until smooth & creamy 
Enjoy!
🥣 Equipment:
- High speed blender or food processor
- A colander or strainer
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Veggie peeler
- Citrus juicer
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
🛒 Ingredients
- One cup raw cashews – presoaked before using
- 1 cup non-dairy milk – we use rice, almond, or cashew milk
- 1 potato
- 2 carrots
- 1-½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
How to Make Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese
While you’re making the cheese sauce, it’s the perfect time to prepare your macaroni or pasta, which brings up the question – what’s the difference between macaroni and pasta? The answer . . . macaroni is pasta. The difference is the shape. Macaroni is a tubular elbow-shaped pasta – typically made with durum wheat – which is what I used in this recipe post. Often times, I’ll use whatever I have on hand in the pantry, like bowtie pasta or small shells. Want gluten-free vegan mac and cheese? Be sure to select gluten-free pasta.
Prepare your pasta according to the package directions. Be sure to drain it really well once it’s done cooking. Pour as much or as little cheese sauce as you like over your pasta and toss with a large spoon to thoroughly coat. Transfer to a large serving bowl or eat it right out of the pan. That’s the beauty of mac & cheese. This is casual fare!
🥕 See the recipe below for everything you need to know to make easy vegan mac & cheese!
🥕This easy vegan mac & cheese is perfectly paired with any of these delish dishes!
- Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Best Vegan Meatless Meatballs
- Easy Vegan Chili
- Vegan Jackfruit Tuna Salad
- Vegan Rustic Vegetable Soup
very vegan 🌱 very good
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it using stars in the comment section below the recipe. It helps other readers find it online & decide if they want to give it a try too!. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese
Equipment
- High speed blender or food processor
- 5 – 6qt stove top pot
- 4 qt stove top pot
- A colander or strainer
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup cashews raw – soak before using.
- 1 cup non-dairy milk I prefer rice, almond or cashew milk
- 1 potato
- 2 carrots
- 1-½ tablespoon nutritional yeast this is the type I use
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pasta
- 16 oz package macaroni of your choice
Instructions
Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Soak cashews covered in room temperature water overnight or cover in boiling water and allow to soak for 2 hours. Drain in strainer and rinse with fresh water.
- Peel potatoes and carrots and cut into large pieces. Place in 4 qt or larger stovetop pot, cover with water (about 2″ over veggies) and cover with lid. Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and drain in colander or strainer.
- Place cashews, potatoes, carrots, and remaining ingredients into blender or food processor. Run at high speed until thoroughly pureed and creamy.
Pasta
- Prepare pasta (macaroni) according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly.
- Place pasta in a large mixing or serving bowl. Pour cheese sauce over pasta, a small amount at a time, and stir until thoroughly coated. Add more if desired.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it in the comments below. Sharing your experience helps others decide if they should give it a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
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Do you have any suggestions for replacing the cashews with something else?
Hi Elsie, I haven’t tried this recipe myself, but it might be worth a look if you want a plant-based cheese sauce without nuts as an ingredient: https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-cheese-sauce/
OMG – that cheese sauce! It’s a delish & nutrish guilt-free pleasure!🧡