The ultimate Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese! Cheesy, saucy macaroni topped with an irresistible buttery, crispy crumb topping, all baked up in the oven until bubbly and gorgeous! This recipe contains no dairy, is easily made gluten-free, and unlike many vegan mac and cheese recipes it's made without nuts.
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FEATURED COMMENT
"Holy sweet smokes! I have just tasted the sauce, and am ready to declare your recipe the Holy Grail of Mac & Cheese. My search is over. The sharp cheesiness is there! Thank you, thank you."
- Laura ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Let me introduce you to a really good Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese that's "cheesy", creamy, saucy, and rich on the inside, and garlicky, crispy, and golden on the top.
It features a surprising mixture of ingredients that work together to create a really delicious sharp cheesy flavor and great texture without the need for any vegan cheese or nuts.
Yes, we're talking vegan mac and cheese with no cashews. We all know they can make a great creamy cheese sauce, but I wanted this recipe to be accessible to as many people as possible. So as well as being dairy-free and nut-free the recipe can also easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free macaroni and bread.
Don't be scared off by the veggies in the sauce because I promise you don't know they are there. It’s all perfectly buttery, cheesy, saucy, crispy, comforting, and satisfying in that way only mac and cheese can be!
Looking for more mac and cheese recipes? Give my Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese a try too!
Mel x
Let's Make Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese!
Can't wait to make it? Here's a quick visual walkthrough of how it's done. See the recipe card for the full and detailed version, or check out my recipe video to watch me make it:
1 - Blend up the sauce ingredients.
2 - Cook the macaroni, drain, then stir through the sauce.
3 - Pulse the garlicky breadcrumb topping in a food processor or blender.
4 - Spoon the saucy macaroni into a dish, top with the breadcrumb mixture then bake until bubbly and golden.
Prepping Ahead
To make ahead prep as per the directions, spoon the mac and cheese into the baking dish and cover tightly, but store the crumb topping in a separate container so it doesn't get soggy. Refrigerate both for up to 3 days, then top with the crumbs and bake when needed. You can also make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge or for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Flavor Variations
Make this vegan mac and cheese your own by adding yummy extras like:
- Sliced vegan sausage or frankfurters.
- Vegan bacon, ham, chorizo, pepperoni, or tempeh.
- Caramelized onions.
- Veggies like broccoli, peas, or cherry tomatoes.
- Jalapenos.
- Hot sauce (or give my Vegan Buffalo Mac a try instead).
Serving Suggestions
This Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is always popular during the holidays. It's great served up alongside your Easter vegan ham and Thanksgiving vegan roast.
For everyday dinner purposes, I really like to keep it simple and serve mine simply with a big squeeze of my guilty pleasure which is tomato ketchup. If you want to bulk it out it's really good with some vegan sausages or Beyond meatloaf, and veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and grilled tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Cook the macaroni as directed, then drain it. Blend the sauce, transfer it to a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes until hot. Then mix the sauce and macaroni together. Keep it over the heat for a few minutes so that it becomes piping hot, then serve.
You can either skip the crispy breadcrumb topping, or prepare the crumbs as instructed and fry them in a frying pan. You will need to do this in batches for ultimate crispy goldenness.
I don't recommend using almond milk in this or other savory recipes (except my broccoli almond soup). It has a distinctive flavor which tends to come through and detract from the intended flavor. I also don't recommend rice milk because it is too sweet. Unsweetened soy, oat, and cashew milk are my go-tos for this and other savory recipes because they are nice and creamy and their flavor is quite neutral.
Use it for drizzling over steamed veggies, or for making other recipes like lasagna, baked pasta dishes, cauliflower cheese, nachos, broccoli cheese, and cheesy casseroles.
Recipe
Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1lb (453 grams) macaroni , gluten-free if necessary
For the sauce
- 1 large (about 10oz or 290 grams) potato or white/yellow sweet potato , You can use orange sweet potato if you don't mind the extra sweetness.
- ¼ of a small (about 6oz or 175 grams) cauliflower
- 4 slightly heaping tablespoons white miso paste , use chickpea miso for soy-free
- 1¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon prepared wholegrain or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour , or cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca flour
- 2 cups (480 mls) unsweetened non-dairy milk , unsweetened & unflavored
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar , or white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika , or chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional but recommended for richness)
For the crumb topping
- 3 slices bread , gluten-free if necessary
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , or olive oil (optional but recommended)
- 1 clove garlic
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C).
- Cook the potato and cauliflower. Peel and dice the potato and place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the cauliflower. Cook until both are just fork tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain then return to the hot pan without a lid and allow to steam dry for a few minutes.
- Cook the macaroni. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a rolling boil then cook the macaroni as directed on the packaging. Drain when tender and return to the pan.
- Make the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. If you have a smaller blender you might need to do it in 2 batches.
- Combine. Pour the sauce into the cooked macaroni and stir together. Spoon into an ovenproof casserole dish.
- Make the garlic crumb topping. Wash out and dry your blender, (or use a food processor instead), then break the bread into pieces and place in the blender with the butter or olive oil and garlic. The oil/butter is recommended for a crisper, more golden and more flavorful topping but you can omit it if you prefer. Pulse until breadcrumbs are formed then spread evenly over the mac and cheese.
- Bake. Cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until piping hot and the crumb topping is golden brown and crispy. If you want the top even more golden you can broil it for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time.
NOTES
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Dee says
Hi! I am new to the vegan life. I made this recipe as written, and it was certainly very saucy! I used a bit less pasta and did not bake it. I will definitely try the tahini/amino swap because I am allergic to soy, although I used miso this time to make the original recipe. I am actually amazed at the cheesiness, however I've always made my mac and cheese from scratch before this diet transition, and I guess I'm just used to the way my own recipe tastes. I think I will add white pepper😊 Perhaps it takes awhile to get used to vegan changes? The creaminess was superb! I am so grateful for the help your site is giving me! Thank you!
Francis says
Amazing recipe! The whole family loved it.
Abby says
I made it for the first time today! It was way TOO SALTY for my taste buds. I did enjoy the flavor and will make it again without the added salt. The miso paste is already loaded with salt. Just something to keep in mind!
Abby says
Update:
My husband (not vegan) tired this sauce and said it wasn’t too salty for him at all. He said it had a rich flavor, like nothing he has ever had before, but didn’t remind him of Mac n cheese. Overall, I would make this again.
Marilee says
I'm getting ready to try this recipe and have never used miso paste. The nearest store has mellow miso paste. Will that do, or does it need to be labeled "sweet"?
Melanie McDonald says
I've never seen one labeled "mellow", but I just Googled and apparently it's the same as "sweet white". Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Emilie says
Excellent recipe! My new favourite mac and cheeze! I didn't have sweet potato, so I replaced it with white potatoes and a few carrots for a colour. Yummmy!
A Virtual Vegan says
So pleased you enjoyed it Emilie!
Sherry says
I don't keep white miso around since I have no recipes which use it. Is there anything I can safely substitute for it? And if so what amount should I use? I have all the other ingredients and am anxious to try the recipe.,
A Virtual Vegan says
The miso is really what makes this sauce so good. It won't be at its best without it and there's really nothing else you could use instead. If it makes a difference, because miso is fermented and high in salt, it keeps for months and months in the fridge. The brand I buy says it lasts for up to a year. Hope that helps!
Kathleen says
I have never used miso and made this recipe many times. I use tahini and coconut aminos instead. I think it’s still delicious! See my comment below from awhile back- “ substituted 1 TBSP tahini and 1 TBSP coconut aminos for the white miso paste”