Vegan Mac and Cheese (Baked and Stovetop)

This is the best vegan mac and cheese recipe ever! Directions for stovetop version and the most delicious baked vegan mac and cheese ever! Not cashew based, so allergy friendly!

Let’s get straight to the point in this post. We created the best vegan mac and cheese. And guess what? It’s super allergy friendly. 

We wanted to sit and create something that was truly reminiscent of the baked mac and cheese that we were used to before being vegan. Finally, we think we have done that. 

And it wasn’t without a lot of thought and consideration.  I think we may have mad at least a dozen versions over the past year before finally settling on what we think is an absolutely amazing dairy free mac and cheese. 

We had the bar set really high. Mac and cheese was the dish that was requested that we bring for the holidays. 

We also knew that going into this recipe creation that we wanted this recipe to be allergy friendly, or at least be able to be made allergy friendly in the way that it was written. 

Thankfully, we were successful on all accounts and now we are just so excited to share this delicious vegan macaroni and cheese recipe with you. 

We will be sharing two versions – 

1- how to make this stove top vegan macaroni and cheese 

2- how to make this baked vegan macaroni and cheese

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What ingredients do you need for vegan mac and cheese?

This isn’t going to be one of those super simple ingredient lists; however, we don’t think that it’s super expansive either. The ingredients that you will need for this delicious dairy free macaroni and cheese is: 

• macaroni noodles (or other tubular noodle – use GF if needed)
• butter beans
• vegetable stock
• nutritional yeast
• vegan butter
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• paprika 
• vegan parmesan cheese
• unsweetened dairy free milk 
• chickpea (garbanzo) flour
• vegan shredded cheddar cheese
• seasoned panko breadcrumbs

So 14 total ingredients. Which, in our opinion, isn’t that bad!  Let’s get to the recipe. 

How do you make vegan mac and cheese?

To start this recipe, you want to get a salted pot of water on the stove. And then cook your macaroni or preferred noodles, according to the package. Drain your noodles are set aside once done. 

While that is cooking we are going to make a cheese sauce. 

You are then going to add the beans, stock, milk, nutritional yeast, butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and parmesan cheese to a high powdered blender. Blend this until very well combined. We let our Vitamix go for 5 minutes. 

We are going to continue with the recipe by setting that cheese sauce off to the side and grabbing a large skillet. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees if you are making the baked version. 

Over medium low heat, melt your vegan butter.  Then, add in the garbanzo bean flour. Whisk that together. 

Slowly pour in your vegan milk. Whisk until a thick consistency happens, like a gravy. 

Stir in your spices, 2 cups of the vegan cheese sauce we set aside and vegan parmesan cheese. Combine well. 

Add in the cooked noodles and combine. 

If making a stovetop vegan mac and cheese-

If you are making a simple dairy free mac and cheese on the stove and you are not worried about a baked version, then you are done here. Remove from heat. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking and serve. 

If making a baked vegan mac and cheese – 

Pour half your mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish. Sprinkle half the vegan shredded cheese. 

Then, the remaining noodle mixture and spread out evenly. 

Top with remaining vegan shredded cheddar cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until breadcrumbs have started turning golden brown on top. 

Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving. 

Can I make this Top 8 Allergen Friendly Mac and Cheese?

Yes!  

One of our main goals for this besides making just a delicious vegan macaroni and cheese was to make it allergy friendly as well. 

There are a few ingredients that we need to look out for in how our recipe is written, but let’s get to it. 

To start, you want to use a gluten free pasta.  There are so many choices available now, so just use the one that you like the best.  Gluten free pastas tend to be chewier, so if you are doing the baked version, we would recommend that you cook it a few minutes less on the stove. 

For the vegan butter, ensure that it is soy free.  We prefer earth balance soy free when it comes to this. It comes in a red tub. 

Then, we have dairy free milk. We actually prefer oat milk for this because it’s creamier. Most dairy free oat milks are certified gluten free, so just double check your labels. 

And then we have the vegan parmesan cheese. We are use Violife in this recipe, which does contain coconut oil, but no other allergens.  If you have a coconut allergen, you can use Follow Your Heart parmesan. 

We also have a vegan parmesan on our site that you can make with sunflower seeds; however, it doesn’t melt well which is why we recommend using one of the store bought brands. 

Make sure if making the baked version that you pick a shredded dairy free cheese that is safe for your allergies.

Also, you can omit the breadcrumb topping or use a vegan, gluten free breadcrumb. 

Hopefully that helps you create the perfect vegan macaroni and cheese that is suitable for your allergies. 

Can I prep this vegan mac and cheese ahead of time?

This vegan mac and cheese is best served right out of the oven; however, we know with holidays and such, you may be wondering about prepping ahead. 

You can make the cheese sauce ahead and leave in the fridge up to 7 days in advance. That goes for the cheese sauce in the blender and then continue sauce for the baked version. 

The stove top or baked version are still good heated up for the next few days; however, if you are trying to wow a crowd, we recommend making and serving it without the first few hours. 

What are other vegan side dishes to try?

There are endless possibilities, but here are some of our favorite vegan side dishes that we think everyone will like: 

• Vegan Cornbread
• Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (4 Ways)
• Vegan Green Bean Casserole 
• Italian Vegan Pasta Salad
• Vegan Potato Salad
• Vegan Green Bean Salad
• The Best Vegan Baked Beans
• Vegan Glazed Carrots
• Vegan Scalloped Potatoes 

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