We taste tested 10 different vegan boxed mac and cheese brands! We’re dishing out all the details on which is the best in our vegan boxed mac and cheese taste test!
It’s no longer shocking to us that we can find multiple of the same products when we do a taste test. Still, it is. Contradicting much are we? We found 10 different vegan boxed mac and cheese varieties for us to try.
Even crazier is that we know there are even more out there.
I’m not even talking about different kinds with the same brand – like mozzarella vs cheddar or regular vs chipotle flavored. I’m talking that we were able to find 10 different brands that make a vegan boxed cheddar cheese mac and cheese.
I think the crazier part is that we found 9 of them at Whole Foods. While you can find them at more places than just Whole Foods, we were surprised to find so many different ones at one place.
We also have a vegan shredded cheese taste test if you are interested in seeing that. And also check out our vegan egg substitutes post!
Make sure that you leave a comment below letting us know what other types of taste tests we should do!
Watch our vegan boxed mac and cheese taste test:
PSA:
We know that everyone has different taste buds. What we may think is the best, may completely vary from what you actually like.
You may ultimately think our best is the worst and that’s okay. We created this video as hopefully a starting point for people and we can only go off our opinion.
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What vegan boxed mac and cheese brands did we try?
Despite trying out 10 different brands, we know that there are even more out there. We just didn’t find them local to us. The brands that we did find and try are:
- Modern Table Vegan Mac Classic Cheddar Style
- Banza Plant Based Mac with Chickpea Pasta – Shells and Vegan Cheddar
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Cheddar Flavor
- Annie’s Organic Deluxe Vegan Rich and Creamy Shells & Vegan Cheddar
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Gluten Free Cheddar Flavor
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Shell Pasta Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Creamy Sauce
- Upton’s Naturals Deluxe Ch’eesy Mac
- Howl Mac & Chef Deluxe Classic Cashew
- Daiya Deluxe Cheesy Mac Cheddar Style
- Pastabilities Vegan Organic Mac ‘N Cheese
I will be upfront that we had tried a few of these before. Specifically, one of the Annie’s and we believe the Daiya but couldn’t recall.
However, we had never tried any of them side by side with other brands which we believe is really important when it comes to taste testing.
How did we do the vegan boxed mac and cheese taste test?
It was really quite simple.
We made all the boxes according to the instructions listed on the box. Some of them were cheese sauces, but others were powdered.
For the powdered ones that suggestion using vegan butter and dairy free milk at the end, we used the same almond milk (Target brand) and the same vegan butter (Flora) for each recipe.
Then we let cool in order to taste it and compared from there.
Are these vegan boxed mac and cheese products allergy friendly?
Now, I know what some of you are going to ask next. What about the rest of the Top Allergens. You guys know we love to help, so Let’s get in to it!
All of these are dairy free and vegan already. As far as the Top 8 Allergens:
- Modern Table Vegan Mac Classic Cheddar Style
- None.
- Banza Plant Based Mac with Chickpea Pasta – Shells and Vegan Cheddar
- None
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Cheddar Flavor
- Wheat.
- Annie’s Organic Deluxe Vegan Rich and Creamy Shells & Vegan Cheddar
- Wheat, Coconut
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Gluten Free Cheddar Flavor
- None
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Shell Pasta Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Creamy Sauce
- Wheat.
- Upton’s Naturals Deluxe Ch’eesy Mac
- Wheat.
- Howl Mac & Chef Deluxe Classic Cashew
- Wheat, Cashews.
- Daiya Deluxe Cheesy Mac Cheddar Style
- Coconut
- Pastabilities Vegan Organic Mac ‘N Cheese
- Wheat. Made in facility that processes milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, wheat and soybeans.
Vegan Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Test Thoughts
- Modern Table Vegan Mac Classic Cheddar Style
- We liked this one overall. It had the best noodle texture out of all the boxes which was shocking since this is gluten free pasta. We think the taste could be improved but overall it’s good.
- Ingredients: Elbows (Red Lentil Flour, White Rice, Pea Protein), Sauce (Palm Oil Powder [Palm Oil, Rice Syrup Solids, Pea Protein, Sunflower Lecithin], Maltodextrin, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Natural Flavors, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Lactic Acid Powder, Sunflower Lecithin, Annatto Extract [Color] And Paprika Extract [Color]).
- Price: $3.49
- Buy It Here
- Banza Plant Based Mac with Chickpea Pasta – Shells and Vegan Cheddar
- This was had a nice texture in the noodles; however the overall taste was just not our favorite. You could definitely taste the chickpeas.
- Ingredients: Chickpeas, Tapioca, Xanthan Gum, Sweet Potato, Nutritional Yeast, Sea Salt, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Annatto Extract, Turmeric Extract and Paprika Extract (color), Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Organic Natural Flavor, Onion, Garlic.
- Price: $3.49
- Buy It Here
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Cheddar Flavor
- The most classic of the Annie’s versions; however it lacked flavor to us in an overall taste test. It wasn’t horrible and could have things added to make it taste better.
- Ingredients: Organic Pasta (Organic Wheat Flour), Organic Vegan Cheddar Flavor Seasoning (Organic Rice Syrup Solids, Organic Palm Oil, Sea Salt, Organic Corn Starch, Organic Pea Protein, Organic Natural Flavor, Lactic Acid, Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Annatto Extract [For Color], Silicon Dioxide [For Anticaking], Mixed Tocopherols [Vitamin E] And Organic Rosemary Extract To Protect Flavor).
- Price: $2.79
- Annie’s Organic Deluxe Vegan Rich and Creamy Shells & Vegan Cheddar
- The worst one out the the four vegan Annie’s flavors we tried. The taste was completely off and we compared it to tasting like soap.
- Ingredients: Organic Pasta (Organic Wheat Flour), Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Rice Flour, Salt, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Natural Flavor, Inactive Dried Yeast, Lactic Acid, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Annatto Extract (For Color), Xanthan Gum.
- Price: $5.29
- Buy it Here
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Gluten Free Cheddar Flavor
- The texture of the noodles was gummy and chewy. Overall, the taste was still just okay. It was the worst out of the gluten free varieties.
- Ingredients: Organic Rice Pasta (organic white rice flour, organic brown rice flour), Vegan Cheddar Flavor Seasoning (organic rice syrup solids, organic palm oil, sea salt, organic corn starch, organic natural flavor, organic pea protein, lactic acid, sunflower lecithin, organic annatto extract [for color], silicon dioxide [for anticaking], mixed tocopherols [vitamin E] and organic rosemary extract to protect flavor).
- Price: $2.79
- Buy It here
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Shell Pasta Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Creamy Sauce
- We surprisingly preferred this one out of all of the Annie’s flavors. We didn’t think we would because we don’t like most vegetable/potato based sauces for mac and cheese but compared to the others this was good
- Ingredients: ORGANIC PASTA (ORGANIC WHEAT FLOUR), ORGANIC PUMPKIN POWDER (ORGANIC PUMPKIN, ORGANIC MALTODEXTRIN), ORGANIC SWEET POTATO POWDER (ORGANIC SWEET POTATO, ORGANIC MALTODEXTRIN, ORGANIC CORN STARCH), ORGANIC CORN STARCH, ORGANIC TAPIOCA STARCH, SEA SALT, ORGANIC NATURAL FLAVOR, ORGANIC PAPRIKA, ORGANIC ONION POWDER, ORGANIC GARLIC POWDER.
- Price: $2.69
- Buy It here
- Upton’s Naturals Deluxe Ch’eesy Mac
- This was the easiest out of all 10 to make. The pasta comes precooked and it can be ready in just 60 seconds. The taste of this dish wasn’t bad but it wasn’t mac and cheese either.
- Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina, nutritional yeast, rice bran oil, sea salt, corn starch, mustard, onion, garlic, paprika, turmeric, sugar.
- Price: $4.49
- Buy It Here
- Howl Mac & Chef Deluxe Classic Cashew
- This tasted like lemon pasta and not reminiscent of mac and cheese at all to us.
- Ingredients: Durum Wheat Semolina. Sauce: Water, Cashews, Nutritional Yeast, Salt, Lemon Juice, Corn Starch, Vegan Lactic Acid, Organic Gum Acacia, Organic Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Garlic
- Price: $5.99
- Buy it here.
- Daiya Deluxe Cheesy Mac Cheddar Style
- Like many Daiya products, this one stuck to the roof of our mouths a bit; however, the overall taste and texture of the noodles was good.
- Ingredients: Brown rice pasta (whole grain brown rice, rice bran, water), filtered water, tapioca starch, non-GMO expeller pressed: canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, sea salt, vegan natural flavors, pea protein isolate, tricalcium phosphate, cane sugar, lactic acid (vegan), xanthan gum, yeast extract, titanium dioxide (naturally occurring mineral), annatto (color), onion.
- Price: $4.99
- Buy It Here
- Pastabilities Vegan Organic Mac ‘N Cheese
- Hands down the winner. The texture, taste, and flavor was the closest to dairy mac and cheese that we remember.
- Ingredients: Organic Pasta (100% Durum Wheat Flour), Organic Vegan Cheddar Cheese Seasoning (Organic Palm Oil Powder (Organic Palm Oil, Organic Rice Syrup Solids, Organic Pea Protein, Silicone Dioxide, Sunflower Lecithin), Organic Rice Syrup Solids, Sea Salt, Organic Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Sunflower Lecithin, Lactic Acid Powder, Organic Annatto Extract For Color.)
- Price: $4.99
- Buy it Here
Who was the winner?
Okay. I put you through all that just to make you wait until here until I announce the winner. You know, wait with baited breath, type of thing! HA!
Overall we were underwhelmed with this taste test. We thought it would be much better than it was.
Now, without further ado!
Our top 3 brands would be:
- Pastabilities Vegan Organic Mac ‘N Cheese
- Annie’s Organic Vegan Mac Shell Pasta Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Creamy Sauce
- Modern Table Vegan Mac Classic Cheddar Style
Rounding out the top 5 would be Daiya and Uptons.
We think you will be happy with these brands.
Do you agree with us? Have you tried any of these ? Tell us below!
Want to make your own from scratch? We absolutely love our homemade 10 minute mac more than any of these boxed brands.
To make it we cook 2 cups elbow noodles to al dente. While that is cooking we make our 10 minute vegan cheese sauce. Then combine the two and serve
Marissa
Your favorite mac n cheese is also my family’s favorite!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that that your family loves it too!