Get ready for a creamy vegan macaroni and cheese that is low in fat and quick and easy to make!
It’s a funny thing, but the recipe I’m asked for most often is the one I’m most reluctant to give out. Every time I mention that macaroni and “cheese” is one of E’s favorite dishes, parents wanting to wean their kids off the dairy stuff and onto something more healthy ask me for the recipe. For a long time, I had to tell them the hard, cold truth: The “cheese” that E loved above all others came from a package, and though I tried recipe after recipe, she wouldn’t eat any other mac and cheeze.
And then one day I decided I’d had enough. I was having to mail-order Road’s End Cheddar Style Chreese in bulk once every couple of months to keep E supplied with her quickest comfort food. (Her other favorite comfort food, lasagna, doesn’t fit into the make-it-on-the-fly category.) Each time I made it, I would look at the short list of ingredients and think that there had to be a way to recreate it at home and I just hadn’t hit the right formula yet.
So in the interest of eating more local and fewer packaged foods, I started experimenting. I took the sauce from the one cheezy recipe that she had liked, Scalloped Potatoes, and tried that on macaroni. No dice. What worked on potatoes didn’t work for her on pasta. So I tinkered with it and then tinkered some more. Finally, sometime last spring I hit on a formula that worked, and we’ve been Chreese-free ever since.
But I was still reluctant to share the recipe because vegans are notoriously picky about their mac and cheese. Look at any vegan bulletin board and you’ll see someone praising a m&c recipe and someone else declaring that the same recipe tastes like $#!+. What works for my family won’t necessarily work for everyone else, and I would hate for anyone to spend the time to make this recipe and then be disappointed. Plus I’m just sensitive enough not to want to read online that my recipe tastes like someone’s backside.
But enough people want this recipe that I’m issuing it with a disclaimer: If you are used to nutritional yeast sauces AND you like Road’s End Chreese, then this might be the recipe for you.
Notice that it’s not baked in a casserole dish with bread crumbs or anything fancy (if you want that, check out this recipe). It’s macaroni and sauce, period, though sometimes we do add frozen green peas to make it Macaroni and Peas. But it’s quick to throw together on a week night, and I have to admit that our whole family finds it addictive.
Easy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta regular or gluten-free, cooked according to package directions
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup plain fat-free soymilk may use other non-dairy milk
- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons tahini or raw cashews optional, but lends creaminess and flavor
- 1 teaspoon mellow white miso or additional salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions. While it’s cooking, blend water and all remaining ingredients together in a blender. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.
- If the sauce is not as flavorful as you’d like, add a little more mustard and onion powder.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Serving Suggestions: We like to have this with a bean dish, such as barbecued beans, and with steamed vegetables, most often a blend of broccoli and cauliflower.
Additional Uses: Heat the sauce alone until it thickens and use it to pour over baked potatoes or top pizzas. Or stir in some salsa and it makes a yummy dip for tortilla chips.
If you don’t love this recipe, maybe one of these will tingle your tastebuds:New Farm Mac and Cheese adapted by Jess of Get Sconed!
Tofu Mom gives us Vegan Cheese Sauce
Re-Vamped Mac N Cheese by Sarchan
Lauren’s Vegan Mac and Cheese by Lindyloo
Please pin and share!
LT
April 12, 2011 at 3:01 pmI just made this sauce and it’s delicious!
I sauteed mushrooms, lightly cooked some broccoli and added 1 cup white beans to the mix. All of that got covered in the sauce. Delicious!
Rachel
April 14, 2011 at 7:58 pmJust made this tonight and it is by FAR the best Vegan Mac & Cheese I have had so far. Didn’t have Tahini or Miso, and only had plain yellow mustard, but still it was so yummy. Just added a little extra onion and garlic powder. Thank you for sharing! Your blog has been perfect for me, as I am just in the beginning stages of vegan-ism.
mjdixon
April 18, 2011 at 6:46 pmThis was GREAT!!!! We loved it! It’s our first dish using nutritional yeast. We will DEFINITELY be eating this again! Thanks!
Anonymous
April 22, 2011 at 2:09 pmI can’t believe the comments on this page. I tried this recipe and it was horrible. Even my husband who will eat anything could not eat it. This was a waste of time and money, as we could not stand the taste and had to throw it out.
Sorry, but this one was a big 0/10 for us.
Fernanda
April 23, 2011 at 12:58 pmI was looking for a Vegan Mac and Cheese and found your recipe. I was so happy to find this recipe here, because I also wanted something that was more healthy. I made it and it’s SO EASY to make and SO TASTY!!!! Thank you very much for sharing this amazing recipe with us!!!!
Paul
June 3, 2011 at 11:17 pmI’ve already commented on this recipe a few times. Every time I make it I feel compelled to redeclare my appreciation to Susan for this recipe. Luckily I only actually leave a new comment about every 10th time I make the dish. 🙂 This is just too delicious and such a great comfort food. THANK YOU!
AikoVenus
June 8, 2011 at 3:15 pmOoh that looks good! I make a similar one except I don’t add miso (can’t find it in the store).
Michelle
June 18, 2011 at 1:25 pmI’m not vegan, but this is so tasty that I crave it whenever I’ve gone too long without eating it.
Tricia Ballad
July 1, 2011 at 5:53 pmForgive me if this is a dumb question, but I’m completely new to this type of cooking. What is the nutritional yeast for? Is it a texture thing, or just to add extra nutrition? Thanks!
SusanV
July 1, 2011 at 5:59 pmIt gives it a cheesy taste while providing vitamin B12. But it’s really there just for the flavor–the nutrition is just a bonus.
Julie & Marty
July 16, 2011 at 4:00 pmThis was good and easy. I will keep trying different mac & fake cheese recipes, but I would eat this one again.
Dublin Reviewer
August 30, 2011 at 8:47 amI’ve just made this and it’s great. I’ve only ever had the Kraft version and never had mac and cheese during my childhood, I think (I’m Irish, it seems to be a North American thing?). Anyway, I don’t know how it compares to the “real” thing, but it’s very enjoyable as is. Thank you for sharing it.
Meggan
September 19, 2011 at 4:05 pmThank you!! I have been trying to find the perfect substitute for chreese FOREVER (one of many attempts documented here http://vegangirlswag.com/2011/07/27/vegan-mac-n-cheez/) And I cant wait to try this one….
Thanks again!!
Aash
September 28, 2011 at 3:25 pmIs it possible to use any alternative to yeast in this recipe?
SusanV
September 28, 2011 at 3:31 pmNot really. That’s the whole basis for the flavor. If you can’t use nutritional yeast, I would try to find a recipe that doesn’t use it, which will be hard because most vegan cheese recipes rely on it. I wish I had better news for you!
Tina
September 28, 2011 at 9:26 pmI have tried cheese sauces before and all were horrible. We can’t have nuts or oil. When I came across this recipe, I was a bit leary…..I’m glad I tried it….It was the BEST!!! Thank you….
L
September 29, 2011 at 2:13 amI am a vegetarian and am thinking about trying to make some vegan recipes, but my BIG thing is cheese, it’s difficult for me to give up. I’m so excited to try this, KD is seriously one of my fave comfort foods and this would be so much healthier. I was wondering, could you possibly use a vegan margarine (like Earth Balance) to give it a more ‘buttery’ flavour? Or would it not melt well? Thanks 🙂
Sara
October 2, 2011 at 1:00 pmFor me, miso is an essential part of vegan cheese recipes. I live in the UK and it is very expensive. It used to be 6 dollars (I’ve converted) for a smallish plastic pouch which I considered rather indulgent but necessary. This brand has now gone from the only shop I can find that sells it at all, to be replaced by one that costs 9 dollars!! I just can’t justify it any more but without it recipes are no where near as good. I’m trying out different sauces which is how I’ve ended up here. Your recipe sounds good but until I find a source of miso I’m not going to try it. Miso offers the slightly sweet but salty taste. So some recipes use cashews which sound good, but I also think that the bitterish nuttyness of tahini makes for good tasting cheese subs. If I used other nut butters or nuts instead, I think I would be getting rid of another component that I like. Finally, I like cheese to have a tang – lemon juice does that.
I wish I could find somewhere to buy cheaper miso!
p.s. Cheese is salty. Cheese subs will not taste so cheesy without it.
Ty/Cameraphonevegan.com
October 3, 2011 at 1:17 pmThanks for the recipe, Susan! SO EASY & so creamy!
I used more water instead of non-dairy milk, added extra nutritional yeast and some other small tweaks. My post about it is here: http://wp.me/pR1Fv-12Q
~Ty : )
Vail
October 3, 2011 at 9:15 pmHad your Mac N Cheeze for dinner tonight ! http://immune4me.blogspot.com/2011/10/lunch.html
Susan
October 11, 2011 at 12:56 pmI just tried this recipe, and it is definitely a keeper! So creamy and tangy and wonderful! I’ve tried a lot of vegan mac and cheeze recipes over the years, and this is one of the best I’ve had. Plus, it is SO EASY that even a slowpoke in the kitchen like me can have the sauce ready by the time the pasta is done cooking! I love that you don’t have to wait for it to bake; you just heat the sauce for a couple of minutes and it’s ready to eat. I’m sure if you wanted a crunchy, breadcrumb top you could bake it, too. I did add a lot of extra nutritional yeast because I LOVE nutritional yeast, but I tasted the sauce first, and the recipe has tons of flavor as it is written! This is my first recipe I’ve made off of this site, and I definitely intend to try more! Thank you for posting this!
Caroline
October 18, 2011 at 3:11 pmI can’t be trusted with 8 servings of Mac and Cheeze so I’ve been afraid to try your recipe! Do you have any tips on how you would scale this back to one or two servings for those of us who are mathematically challenged? 🙂
Katie kay
October 19, 2011 at 12:52 pmWOW!! awesome!!
I didn’t have a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon so might be he reason… but mine had a mustardy tangy flavor. It was soooo delicious served over baked onion, broccoli, potatoe mix. My husband and I absolutely loved it. I love your above idea about adding salsa for a chip dip.
Jennifer
October 27, 2011 at 7:10 pmThis was amazing! I was skeptical even after reading everyone’s reviews of it as I have tried many vegan cheese recipes that were kind of gross. My 3 boys even enjoyed multiple serving of this. Thank you so much for a healthier alternative to regular mac n cheese!
Heather
October 30, 2011 at 12:04 pmI have to tell you I have made this recipe countless times and it is amazing. I’m am a vegetarian, but I also don’t eat cheese because (to put it politely) it messes with my digestive system so I was looking for something to fill my mac and cheese craving. This didn’t do it at first, but it had it’s own amazing flavor. Now that I’m not eating cheese anymore I crave other things including this recipe! I love it! It’s a new staple recipe in my family! Thank you!
Stephanie
October 31, 2011 at 8:44 amI miss cheese and want to try this so bad today! Can something else be subbed for miso, or can it just be left out without effecting the “cheezy” goodness?
SusanV
October 31, 2011 at 8:46 amStephanie, you can just add extra salt to taste instead of the miso. It won’t affect it a huge amount. I hope you enjoy it!
Daisy
November 8, 2011 at 10:24 amHad some left over soya minced all cooked up and spiced, but didn’t know what to do with it… So I checked on this site for something quick easy and yummy to make – so glad I came across it! I just chucked it all together! I tried making the portion smaller (just kind of half everything until it seems right) and came out DELICIOUS!! Thanks!
Question though, you have any ideas how to make it more sticky/stringy like real cheese will make it?
Daisy
November 9, 2011 at 3:00 amIt just occured to me… what if you add some guar gum or xanthan gum for the stringy melty cheese effect… would that work?
Susan Voisin
November 9, 2011 at 8:44 amYou could give it a try. My fear is that would make it congealed rather than stringy, but you never know until you try!
Nick
December 8, 2011 at 1:53 pmThank you so much for posting this! I follow Dr. Esselstyn’s heart attack proof diet, eliminating meat, dairy, fat, and oil. I’ve tried the name brand Chreese, and was sadly unimpressed. I tried this recipe, minus the tahini (fat content), and it was so good I did a little happy dance. I’m planning on trying to use it for other things, like cheezy rice wraps with peppers and onions. Thanks again for putting this out there. I’ll be making it regularly.
Nick
Olympia
December 24, 2011 at 1:45 pmSusan – I made this last night and it is AMAZING!!!!!!
Even my picky, picky, skeptical husband kept asking me for more. WOW!!
You get an A+. Your recipes are FABULOUS!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Marthaeo
December 24, 2011 at 3:50 pmQuestion about the nutritional yeast. Does it make a difference if it’s the powdered kind or the flaked kind? I usually have the powdered kind, but your photo in your nutritional yeast post looks like flaked. Thanks for your reply!
Susan Voisin
December 24, 2011 at 3:58 pmYou only need half as much if you use the powdered kind.
Amy
February 5, 2012 at 8:16 pmMade this tonight, even the pickiest eater cleaned her plate 🙂 Winner!
amber
February 13, 2012 at 3:26 pmOMG, I’m hooked on this, and I was a total mac and cheese snob, no kidding. It is better with just a little Natural Ballance. I used twice the amount of each spice in the recipe. One nice thing is if you bake it in the oven it gets all neat and crispy on the top. I had it with whole wheat pasta. I don’t recommend trying it unless you have been off cheese products for at least a month. The flavors are actually more complex than with usual mac and cheese. I dump hot sauce on almost everything I eat but you can eat this without it. Kinda wondering if adding a little tomato powder would be good. I have been off dairy for a little more than a month, and when I fist tried this I was a bit “meh” but a few hours later I started craving it. Really grows on you, or at least it did for me. Thanks for the recipe!
Angela W
March 9, 2012 at 11:00 amTHIS STUFF ROCKS! It is so delicious. I’d say it’s almost too delicious! I have absolutely no self control with a big old bowl of this–good thing it is so low in fat! Thanks again for your great work.
Jackie
March 13, 2012 at 10:06 pmThis was the first time I tried cooking with nutritional yeast and this Mac n cheese dish turned out wonderfully! My 6 and 9 yr old gobbled it up. Followed the recipe to the T and was great. Next time I might add sautéed onion and garlic for more punch, but the written recipe was superb. I have made Mac n cheese using the Daiya cheddar cheese and it tasted terrible and fake, but using the yeast tasted soooo good. Thank you for posting this!!