The ultimate Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese. Cheesy, saucy macaroni topped with an irresistible buttery & golden crispy crumb topping. No dairy, no nuts & easily made gluten-free. Prepare to get saucy!
It’s the weekend, spring has sprung then unsprung this week, and comfort food is called for. And it doesn’t get more comforting than oozy, cheesy Vegan Mac and Cheese all baked up with a delicious golden and buttery, crispy crumb topping. ♡
This world has been conspiring against this recipe. I actually perfected it ages ago and shared a little teaser video on my Facebook page and Instagram. You all went nuts wanting the recipe and I promised it the week after, then not so good weird life things happened.
Now weeks and weeks later it’s finally here. Although, I am only posting it now due to the pressure you guys are putting me under! 😉
I have shot the photos for this recipe three times now and am still not happy with them. Today’s photos aren’t bad, but my pasta to sauce ratio isn’t great so it looks a little dry. That’ll teach me to just eye-ball the pasta rather than measuring it.
You’d think I would know to follow my own recipes. 🙄
Honestly though, if you follow the recipe and eat it right away, instead of standing over it with a camera for 2 hours first, yours wont be dry in the slightest. 😉
Enough is enough though. I am still getting daily emails asking me for the recipe so I have decided to just go with it.
THE BEST VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE PERIOD
Ok, so there are hundreds of Vegan Macaroni and Cheese recipes out there, but I have never found one that has truly done it for me. Of course I haven’t tried them all, but I have tried a lot, and I have made a lot of my own versions. Until now they have all fallen short of perfection.
You see, I was the hugest mac and cheese lover before I was vegan. It was probably one of my all time favourite meals and let me tell ya, I made the meanest non vegan mac and cheese on the planet. It was incredible. That’s why vegan versions have an awful lot to live up to.
For me, the ultimate mac and cheese should be saucy (but not too saucy) and buttery with a sharp cheese taste and it must be baked and it must have a crispy topping. It’s just not proper mac and cheese otherwise. I am very hard to please!
My incredible non-vegan version from years ago had a crispy, golden, broiled cheese topping and it was my favourite bit.
So with this Vegan Mac and Cheese you get meltingly soft cheesy (yes cheesy!) insides and the all important crispy, crunchy topping.
This right here is mac and cheese heaven! ♡
DAIRY-FREE, NUT-FREE & EASILY GLUTEN-FREE MAC AND CHEESE!
Unlike many Vegan Mac and Cheese recipes this one does not contain any nuts.
Often cashews are used as a base for vegan cheese sauces and although I love cashew cheese sauce, I wanted this recipe to be accessible to everyone. So, as well as being nut-free it can easily be made gluten-free too just by using gluten-free macaroni.
It also has hidden veggies lurking in the sauce.
Shhhh! Don’t tell the kiddos. What they don’t know won’t hurt them…..
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE
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!
STEP 1
Start by throwing all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blending until nice and smooth. It must be perfectly smooth otherwise it won’t taste as luxurious as it could.
I love my Blendtec for this 😍but any high powered blender will do a great job and if you don’t have a high powered blender you’ll just have to keep going for a little longer until it’s good and velvety.
STEP 2
Once the sauce is blended you just need to warm it through in a pan which thickens it up a bit and makes it more ‘real’ cheese sauce like in texture.
STEP 3
Cook some macaroni in boiling water, then stir the ‘cheese’ sauce through and spoon it all into a casserole.
STEP 4
Then comes the yummy, crispy topping. It takes two minutes to blitz it all up in a blender, then spread it over all the cheesy goodness and bake until golden and bubbling.
STEP 5
EAT!
This is why I am loving this Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese:
it’s the best tasting vegan mac and cheese I have tried
it’s nut-free!
the garlicky crispy crumb top is so good and brings a lovely combination of textures
it’s a real family favourite
you can make it in advance, keep it in the fridge then bake it up when needed
the cheese sauce is great in other recipes too, like cauliflower cheese, on power bowls, in lasagne, or anywhere else you need a cheese sauce…because everyone needs cheese sauce in their lives 😉
HOW TO SERVE MAC AND CHEESE
I usually serve my mac and cheese just as it is with a big squeeze of my guilty pleasure which is tomato ketchup but it is also great healthified up a bit with a big crisp salad or with some veggies. Broccoli and peas in particular are a great match.
You could also try adding some slices of tomato to the crumb topping before it goes in the oven for an extra special flavour/texture sensation too. It’s so good!
You have no idea how many times I have made and eaten this Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese over the last few months and I never get fed up with it. I am still making it frequently now and I think I always will. It’s a sure fire winner!
This is the Vegan Mac and Cheese you have been waiting for all your life! 👏
If you are a mac and cheese fiend like me though, you might also want to try this Mac and Cheese with Black Pepper and Broccoli . It’s also super yum!
If you did, be a ☆ and let me know what you think by rating it and commenting below. Tag me on Instagram too. I am @avirtualvegan and my hashtag is #avirtualvegan
Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
The ultimate Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese. Cheesy, saucy macaroni topped with an irresistible buttery & golden crispy crumb topping. No dairy, no nuts & easily made gluten-free. Prepare to get saucy!
Ingredients
- 290 g | 1 really packed cup yellow sweet potato cooked, cooled and skinned. If you can't find yellow sweet potatoes then use a regular white potato instead.
- 175 g | 1 packed cup | around ΒΌ of a small cauliflower cooked and cooled
- 4 heaping tablespoons | heaped ΒΌ cup white miso paste I use naturally aged organic Amano Shiro Miso (use chickpea miso to keep the recipe soy free.
- Around 1ΒΎ 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.
- ΒΎ cup | 12 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon prepared wholegrain or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour see recipe notes if you need to sub this
- 1 cup | 240mls unsweetened non-dairy milk NOT almond milk - the flavour comes through too much & takes away from the cheesiness. Not rice milk either as it's too sweet. I like cashew milk best as it's rich, thick & neutral. If you need the recipe to be nut-free, soy milk would be a good choice.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar you can use white wine vinegar instead but apple cider vinegar gives the best flavour
- ΒΌ teaspoon onion powder Do not omit, it makes all the difference with the cheesy flavour
- ΒΌ teaspoon garlic powder Do not omit, it makes all the difference with the cheesy flavour
- β teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional - and bear in mind that if you use my vegan butter it is NOT nut-free)
- 400 g | 14oz macaroni you can use other pasta shapes, and use gluten-free if necessary
For the crumb topping
- 3 slices bread white or wholewheat, gluten-free if necessary. White tastes better but it's your choice
- 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 (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400Β°F
Add all of the sauce ingredients except the optional butter and 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 the 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.
Fill a large pan with water and bring to a rolling boil then cook the macaroni as directed on the packaging.
Pour the cheese sauce from the blender into a pan and warm through over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it is hot, glossy and the texture of cheese sauce. It should only take about 5 minutes. Finish with the butter if you are using it. It adds a lovely richness and extra glossiness! Just stir it in then remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta, return to the pan and stir through the sauce.
Quickly wash out and dry your blender, then break the bread into pieces and place in the blender with the butter or olive oil. The oil/butter is recommended for a crisper, more golden and more flavourful topping but if you prefer not to consume oil you can omit it. 1 clove of garlic is optional too. Blend until crumbs.
Spoon the saucy macaroni into an oven proof dish, sprinkle over the crumbs evenly then place in the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until it is piping hot and the crumb topping is golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Tapioca flour is 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.
This mac and cheese can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a day or two before cooking if required. Just add an extra 5-10 minutes onto the cooking time. It also reheats well in the unlikely event you have leftovers. π
Ladavia says
Baked mac & cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. I’m excited to try this but am wondering if I can use Cassava Flour instead. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Tapioca flour give the best texture. Arrowroot is an ok sub. I have never used cassava flour though, so have no idea how it would work or taste.
Robert Grandy says
When you say mustard, do you mean ground mustard powder or the condiment traditional yellow mustard?
A Virtual Vegan says
Not mustard powder. Prepared mustard in a jar or squirty bottle. I use either wholegrain or Dijon when I make this. Yellow or powdered would be a little harsh. I just amended the recipe to make it a little clearer.
Kristen Hay says
Loved this recipe! My vegan daughter & her non vegan friends demolished it in seconds. The only change I made was substituting regular nutritional yeast for Pop Zestβs Artisan cheese flavored nutritional yeast seasoning.
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s awesome Kristen. I’m so pleased you all enjoyed it. Now I’m off to Google Pop Zest NY… never heard of that before!
Chloe Carter says
This is amazing! Except I forgot the cooked cauliflower and sweet pots and had to try to blend them up separately then mash it in half way through baking π turned out pretty well considering!
A Virtual Vegan says
Oh no! Ha ha! I always do things like that. I had to scrape cake batter out of the pan earlier because I forgot something crucial. I’m glad it turned out well regardless. It will be even better next time!
Trish says
Stupid question: can I just double ingredients to make more? Feeding a larger family π Going to try this this coming week. Looks so yummy!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you can. Bear in mind that my portion estimations are never small though. I say this serves 4 but it would probably feed 6 “normal” people easily π
Holly says
Okay. Okay. I need a moment to gather myself.
…
If there is any way I can convince all of you out there, hesitating because βoh god, here comes another mac and cheese recipe that tastes like vegetables and nutritional yeastβ, to please make this recipe, Iβm going to make it my new life mission.
A little dramatic? Maybe. But boy, oh BOY, did this give me an existential crisis.
THIS RECIPE IS ALL YOU WILL EVER NEED. Nut free for my household, and vegan cheese free because we all know THAT tastes like feet too, this actually blew my mind. I tasted the sauce in the blender and I very nearly didnβt bake it because it took everything in me not to scoff it all there and then.
However, then I baked it: I didnβt even bother washing the blender out to make the breadcrumbs, and it STILL TURNED OUT CRISPY.
I canβt even.
Iβmma add some jalepenos and red onion and tomato and make a nacho topping next time (probably tomorrow, hehe), because, well, jalepenos.
Virtual Vegan, you are GENIUS!!!! I hope you get the recognition you deserve for this mastery, because I bet it took so much trial and error to get the sauce measurements exacty as they are. Iβm going to go and eat the cold leftovers now, even though theyβre meant to be tomorrowβs dinner…
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha..Vegan cheese that tastes like feet…you made me spit out my coffee! You’ve made my day Holly. Thank you. I am thrilled that you enjoyed the mac and cheese so much. JalapeΓ±os would make a great addition. I keep meaning to make a roasted jalapeno version. I love them so much and it would be amazing. I clearly need to get on that. Thank you so much for coming back to leave your brilliant and very funny feedback. I really appreciate it!
Stephanie says
I made this for dinner tonight and it’s my new favorite mac and cheese recipe! The only changes I made were to 1) add broccoli, 2) I used red miso instead of white because that’s what I have, and 3) reduce salt (kosher) to 3/4 teaspoon. Very tasty!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Stephanie and thank you for stopping by to leave feedback!
Leanne says
Can i use coconut milk?
Its either that or almond milk
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn’t personally use coconut milk or almond milk because their flavour comes through in sauces. If you are happy with that though feel free to use them. Cashew or soy milk are my favourites for sauces.
Amber says
How are you going to label this recipe as no nuts and then exclaim that the best milk alternative to use is cashew milk ??
A Virtual Vegan says
The recipe is nut-free if you don’t use nut milk. I don’t say cashew milk is the ‘best milk’. I clearly say that I like cashew milk best and also clearly say “If you need the recipe to be nut-free, soy milk would be a good choice”.
ZR says
The 4 TBS white miso paste adds too much sweetness for my family’s tastes. I use half the amount, 2 TB (I use a Japanese brand from H Mart (a Korean chain store in the US) — the label does not have an English language translation for me to provide the name). We also omit the bread crumb topping. This is an excellent recipe.
Elinor J Hardrick says
I like the recipe, but find it does not conform to my low sodium diet, how can you make this recipe with less sodium.
A Virtual Vegan says
The obvious options are to reduce or omit the salt and miso. You would need to check the sodium levels in the other ingredients though as I don’t have time to go through them all individually.
Moira says
Hello Mel, LOVE this recipe. It’s the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made.
Lei says
This sounds great. I can’t find white miso paste though. I was able to find a regular miso paste. Can I use it instead? Any other recommendations?
Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
I think it would be ok to use instead. Perhaps start with half the amount as it’s probably a bit stronger tasting than white miso then add a little more after tasting if you think it needs it. Don’t add quite so much salt either as your miso is probably a little saltier than sweet white miso. Add the salt to taste too. Enjoy!
Julie says
I was able to find organic white miso on Amazon. Hikari Miso is the brand. You can also find a large variety of organic nuts, flours, ect. Lookinf forward to trying this tasty looking recipe.
Alex says
Do we measure the potatoes and cauliflower before or after cooking?
A Virtual Vegan says
The measurements are done after the veggies have been cooked.
Bekah says
I have made this multiple times with multiple variations and it has become a family favorite. Tonight I needed a way to use up leftover butternut squash. There are lots of butternut macs out there but your ratio of other ingredients is our favorite. I simply subbed the potato and cauliflower with the squash and it was just lovely!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m so glad you are enjoying it! I bet it’s lovely with butternut squash. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know!
Christine says
Hi Mel,
wanted to make your vegan Mac & Cheese for ages now. Did it yesterday, using regular potatoes and omitting both onion and garlic due to allregy issues.
We totally LOVED it! The entire pot was gone within half an hour :)))
This so is a keeper, thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s awesome Christine! I am so glad you were able to adapt it to suit and that you enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me know!
Julie says
This recipe looks wonderful and I love the idea of all the veggies. My question is what id I can’t find a yellow sweet potato? Can I use a red sweet potato instead? Will it just change the color and not the taste? Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! You could use a red one instead, although I think a regular white potato would probably give a better result. When testing I found that the red/orange sweet potatoes made it a little too sweet.
Wendy says
Mel, wow! That’s a lot of calories per serving
Where do all the calories cone from besides the macaroni? It sounds good though and I’ll definitely let you know how I like it after I make it.
A Virtual Vegan says
Really? I don’t think it’s a particularly high number of calories per serving but I don’t personally count calories. It’s 600 ish calories if I remember rightly. The average person needs about 2000 calories per day. So if you ate 600 calories per meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner you would only come in at 1800. That’s pretty reasonable and allows for some snacks here and there. I don’t think it’s excessive at all.
The calories in this mainly come from the pasta, bread and butter. The sauce is full of veggies so will be naturally quite low in calories and fat. You could cut the calories considerably if you left off the crumb topping although if you do that I wouldn’t recommend baking it as it will dry up without the crumby protection. It’s really yummy as it is though so if you can make it as is I would recommend it! π Enjoy!
Bev Thompson says
Wouldn’t the cashew milk make it not nut-free? Also, the calories – is that for the entire recipe or per serving? Thanks. it sounds delicious and I will try it very soon.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Bev, I don’t specify to use cashew milk, just that it’s my particular favourite to use in this recipe. Any plant-based milk will be ok, just preferably not almond or rice milk as I mention because they have flavour profiles that will affect the flavour of the cheese sauce. You could use soy milk, oat milk, hemp milk, buckwheat milk, any milks that you regularly use at home. And the calories are per serving.
I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think! π
Heather says
Color me impressed!
I made this recipe tonight, and I’ve made a ton of vegan macaroni and cheese recipes but none compare to this. It’s everything I’ve been missing! It’s somewhat sharp, it’s smooth, it’s a little salty (in the best way possible!), it’s delicious, and best of all it’s easy!!!
My only regret is seeing this recipe on Easter Day, when I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed!!
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Oh wow! I’m so glad you loved it and thank you for the glowing review. I too have tried loads of recipes and none came close to a non-vegan mac and cheese. That’s what spurred me into creating this. I am so pleased it’s going down well and that we no longer have to live without a decent mac and cheese! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leave your feedback Heather. I really appreciate it!
Heather says
You’re so welcome! I’m also a huge fan that it’s healthy and there is an optional butter. I used Panko on top which did the job. π
Wendy Boissevain says
I made this last night, Mel, and it is delicious! Thank you for this! This will absolutely be my go to recipe for mac’n’cheese.
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s awesome! Thank you Wendy. So glad you enjoyed it. π I am always nervous waiting for feedback when I publish a new recipe and you are the first person I have heard from. I can relax now! π Have a lovely Easter weekend.
Wendy Boissevain says
I’m sure you’ll be getting many good reviews on this! I’m loving having the leftovers today too! β₯ Have a wonderful Easter! Mel.
Danielle C says
This looks yummy! But isn’t miso paste made from soy beans?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes! Thank you so much for spotting that. When I said soy-free I forgot about the miso. I have removed all traces of soy-free from my text.I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Amanda says
Any subs for miso paste? Or can you omit it?
A Virtual Vegan says
It’s a really crucial ingredient. It’s what gives it the sharp cheesiness. Nothing else will work as a sub. I tried so many options when I was developing it. If it’s an issue with soy you have you can get chickpea miso. Whole Foods usually carry it. You can omit it though if you want. It wont affect how the recipe works but the flavour won’t be as good as it would be with it. As long as you are happy with that then go for it. I have made it without while testing the recipe and it was still nice, just not as nice. Hope that helps! π
Casey the College Celiac says
YUM! I haven’t had mac n’ cheese in ages, so this recipe is def calling my name! Love the bread topping!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it π