The ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese! Cheesy, saucy macaroni topped with an irresistible buttery & golden crispy crumb topping, or omit the topping and making it on the stovetop. No dairy, no nuts & easily made gluten-free. Prepare to get saucy!
Let me introduce you to a really good vegan mac and cheese that's "cheesy", creamy, saucy and rich on the insides and garlicky, crispy and golden on the top.
And when you think of comfort food, mac and cheese has got to be right up there with the best of them, right?
This baked vegan mac and cheese features a surprising mixture of ingredients that all work together to give a really cheesy flavor and great texture.
You see, I have some requirements for my vegan mac and cheese and one of them is that it must be on-point texturally. For me, the ultimate plant-based mac and cheese should be saucy (but not too saucy) and buttery with a sharp cheesy taste and it must be baked and it must have a crispy topping. That's what the mac and cheese I grew up eating was like.
Jump to:
What is vegan mac and cheese made of?
You might be wondering how you can make mac and cheese without milk or cheese. Well, the base of this vegan mac and cheese sauce is made from cauliflower and sweet potato, then comes a combination of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, a tiny smidge of mustard and vinegar, plus some white miso paste. It's an unlikely collection of ingredients that really work, even though it might not seem like it at first glance. Trust me.
And don't be scared off by the veggies because you really do not know they are there once the sauce has been blended up and is mixed with tender macaroni and topped with crispy garlicky, buttery breadcrumbs. It’s all perfectly cheesy, saucy, crispy and comforting and satisfying in that way only mac and cheese can be. And, bonus, it’s totally dairy-free and nut-free.
Yes, we're talking vegan mac and cheese. No cashews. We all know they make a great creamy sauce, but I want this recipe to be accessible to everyone. This means that as well as being dairy-free and nut-free the recipe can easily be made gluten-free too just by using gluten-free macaroni.
This right here is mac and cheese heaven! ♡ It's got all the good things that I'm looking for:
- comfort food to the max
- family friendly
- all the textures - rich and saucy and crispy
- cozy and hearty
- cheesy but dairy-free
- packed with veggies but doesn't taste like it
- makes awesome leftovers!
How to make vegan mac and cheese from scratch
SEE MY VIDEO FOR A VISUAL GUIDE. FOR INGREDIENTS & FULL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
As well as tasting fantastic, this Vegan Macaroni and Cheese is pretty straightforward to make. Here's how it's done:
Step 1: Blend up all of the sauce ingredients.
Step 2: Cook the macaroni, drain then stir in the sauce.
Step 3: Make the garlicky breadcrumb topping.
Step 4: Spoon the saucy macaroni into a dish, top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake.
How to cook on the stovetop
This recipe can be made on the stove top. Here's how:
Cook the macaroni as directed, then drain it and return it to the pan. While the macaroni is cooking make the sauce, transfer it to a pan and cook over a 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.
When cooking it on the stove top you can either skip the crispy breadcrumb topping, or prepare the crumbs as instructed in the recipe, then fry them in a frying pan on the stove top. You will need to do this in batches though for ultimate crispy goldenness.
Then sprinkle the crispy garlicky breadcrumbs over the mac and cheese as you serve it up.
Success tips
- White sweet potato gives the cheese sauce a better flavor than orange sweet potatoes because they aren't as sweet. It's still ok when made with the orange ones but doesn't taste as cheesy and is much sweeter. Look out for sweet potatoes with lighter, golden-colored skin and white flesh like the Hannah variety. If you aren't sure you can scratch the skin gently to see the color of the flesh underneath or check out this article about sweet potato varieties. The Hannah is the 3rd one in the list and is the kind you are looking for.
- Make sure the sauce is blended completely smooth.
- Don't omit any of the sauce ingredients. They all work together to provide the ultimate flavor.
Is almond milk good in mac and cheese?
I don't recommend almond milk for making vegan mac and cheese. It has a distinctive flavor which comes through in the sauce. I also don't recommend rice milk because it is naturally sweet. Unsweetened soy, oat and cashew milk are my go-tos for this and other savory sauces because their flavor is so neutral.
Tips for prepping ahead and freezing
This vegan mac and cheese is great for making ahead. The best way is to cook then cool the macaroni, cook and cool the sauce, then toss the two together. Spoon them into an oven proof dish and add the topping. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, then bake when needed. Or wrap well then freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as per the recipe.
You can also just 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.
Storage and reheating tips
Storing leftovers - Cover or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating leftovers - Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave or in an oven. When I reheat it I like to add a little drop of water or plant milk into the macaroni to loosen it up as it heats.
Ways you can adapt this recipe
When mixing the cheese sauce and macaroni, make it your own by adding some yummy extras like:
- sliced vegan sausage or frankfurters
- vegan chorizo pieces
- vegan pepperoni
- sautéed onions
- sautéed bell peppers
- peas
- cherry tomatoes
- steamed broccoli
- steamed cauliflower florets
- chopped vegan steak
- vegan ground round
- sautéed mushrooms
- vegan bacon pieces
- tempeh
- leftover chili
- jalapenos
Feel free to switch up the kind of pasta you use too. Any pasta shapes are fine instead of macaroni. Just use whatever you have at home. You can also switch out the sweet potato in this vegan mac and cheese for butternut squash.
How to serve
As a side dish vegan mac and cheese will compliment most things and is great at festive gathering like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas served up alongside a great vegan roast or vegan meatloaf.
For everyday dinner purposes, I really like to keep it simple and serve mine with a big squeeze of my guilty pleasure which is tomato ketchup, but it is also great when served alongside my Easy Tomato Basil Soup, Instant Pot Tomato soup, chili, massaged kale salad, vegan sausages, veggie burgers, or a big crisp salad or veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, peas and grilled tomatoes.
Other ways to use the cheese sauce
The cheese sauce part of this recipe is really versatile. Make it on its own, warm it through in a pan then use it for drizzling, pouring over steamed veggies, or for making other recipes like lasagna, baked pasta dishes, cauliflower cheese, nachos, broccoli cheese and cheesy casseroles.
Hungry for more?
If you love this vegan mac and cheese recipe and you are looking for more "cheesy" meals, you might also enjoy my:
- Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese with Black Pepper & Broccoli
- Vegan Mac and Cheese Bites
- Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole
Subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too. Also be sure to check out my cookbook Vegan Comfort Cooking for even more recipes!
Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g / 14 oz macaroni , use gluten-free if necessary
For the sauce
- 1 really packed cup / 290 g white sweet potato , cooked, cooled and skinned. (see notes for alternatives)
- 1 packed cup / around ¼ of a small / 175 g cauliflower , cooked and cooled
- 4 heaping tablespoons sweet white miso paste (see notes)
- Around 1¾ teaspoon salt , It might seem like a lot of salt but it really helps bring out the 'cheesy' flavour. Add it gradually though to get it just right for you.
- 12 tablespoons / ¾ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon prepared wholegrain or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (see notes)
- 2 cups / 480 mls unsweetened neutral non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar , or white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder Do not omit, it makes all the difference with the cheesy flavour
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Do not omit, it makes all the difference with the cheesy flavour
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional - and bear in mind that if you use my vegan butter recipe it is NOT nut-free)
For the crumb topping
- 3 thick slices bread , gluten-free if necessary
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil (optional but recommended and bear in mind that if you use my vegan butter it is NOT nut-free)
- 1 clove garlic
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C).
- 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.
- Add all of the sauce ingredients, starting first with just half of the salt to a blender and blend until completely smooth. If you have a smaller blender you might need to do it in 2 stages. Add more salt gradually to taste and blend a little in between each addition, tasting as you go. Salt really brings out the cheesiness so it is important to be generous with it. I use the full amount.
- Pour the sauce into the cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole.
- 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 in the casserole.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until piping hot and the crumb topping is golden brown and crispy. If you want the top even more golden broil it for a few minutes but keep a close eye on it because the breadcrumbs can turn from ok to black as a cinder very quickly! Serve immediately.
NOTES
If you can't find white sweet potatoes then use a regular potato or an orange fleshed sweet potato if you don't mind the sweetness. SWEET WHITE MISO PASTE - Lots of people ask what miso I use and it's a naturally aged organic Shiro Miso made by Amano. It's common across Canada and the US. Any sweet white miso will be fine though and use chickpea miso if you want to keep the recipe soy free. MILK - I like cashew milk, soy milk or oat milk for this recipe as they are very neutral.
The milk used must be unsweetened and unflavored. I don't recommend almond milk because the flavour comes through too much in savory dishes & takes away from the cheesiness in this recipe. Rice milk is naturally sweet and does not work well i savory sauces. BREAD - White or wholewheat, gluten-free if necessary. White tastes better in my opinion. TAPIOCA FLOUR - My thickener of choice in this recipe because it gives the sauce a texture like a sauce made with cheese. It really is the best option. However, if you need to sub it then I think arrowroot powder would be the next best option, followed by corn starch. TO COOK ON THE STOVE TOP Cook the macaroni then drain it and return it to the pan. While the macaroni is cooking make the sauce, transfer it to a pan and cook over a 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.
When cooking it on the stove top you can either skip the crispy breadcrumb topping, or prepare the crumbs as instructed in the recipe, then fry them in a frying pan on the stove top. You will need to do this in batches though for ultimate crispy goldenness.
Then sprinkle the crispy garlicky breadcrumbs over the mac and cheese as you serve it up.
NUTRITION
This recipe was published originally on 14th April 2017 and was updated on March 9th 2020.
Kristen says
AMAZING, I make this all the time! The miso is a genius ingredient here. I also love that there’s a generous sauce-to-mac ratio. It was also a hit with chopped jalapeños stirred through as suggested.
billy rivers says
I made this a week ago, it's bloody delicious!! I am about to make it again for dinner. Tonight I will mix through some left over kale pesto just to green it up a notch...
Very happy to have found your site, it's always a go to if I need some inspiration...
keep doing what your doing... love it...
happy regards,
billy
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Billy! I'm really pleased you're enjoying it and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review/rating. It's much appreciated!
Shellye says
I made this, it was so good! However the color wasn't orange, it looked more of pale green/tan weird color that didn't make it look appealing. I used Jersey potatoes, regular yellow mustard because i was out of dijon mustard. How can i make it look more orangey color?
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it! It's never turned out anything but pale yellow or darker yellow/orange if I use an orange sweet potato when I make it. Everything in it is beige or yellow so I have no idea what happened to make yours green. Did you add some fresh herbs?
Michael Harrold says
Turmeric is a great addition for color and the flavor is subtle enough to add to your cheesie sauce and not e distracting.
Laura` Wigggs says
Carrots add to the color and don't have a strong taste. I prefer cheese sauces that do not have cauliflower; the cauliflower taste is strong.
A Virtual Vegan says
Have you actually made this recipe though? You can't taste the cauliflower at all and it really helps boost the cheesy flavour. I wouldn't advise using carrots in this recipe because they make it too sweet.
Kathleen says
Thanks for an amazing recipe! This was rich and delicious. Used canned coconut milk, added fresh spinach, and substituted 1 TBSP tahini and 1 TBSP coconut aminos for the white miso paste. Omitted onion and garlic powder because of food sensitivities but added a pinch of hing which gives a garlicky/onion flavor. Didn’t use vegan butter and didn’t oil/butter the bread crumbs but it tasted amazing anyway!
Nina says
Hi can I substitute average sweet potato Ie Maris Piper (UK variety) a normal White potato. I cannot find white sweet potatoes and I don’t think I would like the sweetness of orange sweet potato in the sauce.
Thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes that's fine, just use a regular potato.
Kathy says
I made your Mac and cheese today. It is yummy. I have another recipe vert similar that I I have made for several years; but your recipe sounded really good and I’m so glad I gave it a try. Just one question: I used a box of elbow macaroni that was just a fraction of an ounce under 14 oz and my end product turned out quite dry; definitely NOT saucy! Any suggestions? I was really looking forward to a very saucy Mac & cheese with the crunchy topping (the topping was perfect, by the way!) . It was just hubby and me for dinner so I do have some left over. Do you think if I just poured in so additional cashew milk when I reheat it it would work? Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
There could be a few factors. Did you cook it a bit longer? Is there a chance your oven runs a bit hotter? Did you eat it right away? If it sits around the pasta can suck up the moisture.
I'm actually re-shooting this recipe tomorrow and my assistant is redoing the video because both desperately need updating, so we'll check to see if anything should be adjusted.
If you make it again and want it saucier you could reduce the macaroni by 50 - 100g, or increase the sauce by 1/4 or 1/3.
Regarding leftovers, for sure add a bit of milk. I always add a bit of liquid (water or plant milk) to pasta dishes when I reheat them.I usually pour it in the dish and mix it as well as I can without disturbing the topping too much. Then cover it in foil or with a lid while it heats up to keep the moisture in.
I hope that helps!
Kimiko says
This is THE BEST vegan mac n cheese. I’ve made it so many times I don’t even look at the recipe anymore. I tell everyone about it and I’m even making it as a favor for my neighbor’s family holiday celebration—and they’re not even vegan. Well done! It’s better than the mac n cheese at any place I’ve been to that sells/makes vegan mac n cheese. And my picky five year old agrees.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome! I'm really pleased you are enjoying it!
Laura says
Holy sweet smokes! I had already started making a different recipe I had for mac & cheese, when I came across yours -- it sounded amazing, so I pinned it...then kept looking at it. I'd already made a roux for my sauce, but I wondered if I could "switch over" to your recipe mid-process. I know that's crazy, but your recipe just sounded SO GOOD! And by golly, 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. And I promise to make it in all its full glory next time!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Laura! I'm really pleased you found my recipe and gave it a try. I am totally addicted to this mac and cheese too. A week doesn't go by that I don't make it!
Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Deena says
Just wondering if this recipe can be frozen and thawed at a later date.
A Virtual Vegan says
I've never tried it but it should be ok. The crumb topping freezes really well in a bag or sealed container. I'd keep it separate to stop it getting soggy, then add just as you are about to bake it straight form the freezer. It doesn't freeze solid so is easy to pour on.
For the mac, put it in a freezer-to-oven baking dish and cover well. It should be ok for up to 2 months in the freezer. I'd bake it from frozen but at a slightly lower temperature. Put it in a cold oven so you don't risk breaking the dish. 350°F, for about an hour - 1 hr 10 mins'ish should do it.
Nicki says
Hi! Two questions: is a yellow sweet potato the same as a Hannah sweet potato? Light tan on the outside and off white inside? Second, does it give the sauce a noticeable sweet flavor? I tried a mac recipe that used butternut squash and I didn’t like the sweetness combined with the cheese flavor. If so I’ll just use a white potato. Exited to try this recipe, I knew I had to make it when I saw the full 3/4 cup of nooch, haha.
Melanie McDonald says
I just googled Hannah sweet potatoes and that is exactly what you want. I've never seen them called that here. They aren't overly sweet like the other kinds and no where near as sweet as a butternut squash.
I totally agree about butternut squash mac. It is too sweet and I don't think it works in mac and cheese either.
This mac and cheese isn't noticeably sweet. You would never know it has sweet potato (or cauli) in it once it all gets baked up and especially with all of that nooch! I think you will really like it, especially as it seems we have similar tastes!