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?
Below are notes about the main ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this easy vegan mac and cheese:
- macaroni noodles – It’s not mac and cheese without the mac! We using traditional macaroni pasta here
- butter beans – This is the base of our vegan cheese. It provides a creamy texture and you’ll be shocked that you can’t even taste them once everything is combined.
- vegetable stock – this allows for the sauce to get to the right consistency while adding flavor that you wouldn’t get with just water
- non-dairy milk – choose a neutral tasting unsweetened, unflavored variety for the best results. We love using creamier non-dairy milks like oat and soy.
- nutritional yeast – this helps us get a cheesy flavor without adding any processed vegan cheese
- vegan butter – adds richness and depth to this vegan beer cheese that you would expect from a cheese sauce
- lemon juice – A little acid helps bring the flavors of this dish together
- paprika – a little flavor, but also added to help with color
- vegan parmesan and cheddar cheese – the combination of vegan cheeses really helps to add a great flavor to the cheese sauce that you don’t get if you only add one
- chickpea (garbanzo) flour – This is to help thicken the sauce and give an even better consistency
- seasoned panko breadcrumbs – when making a baked mac and cheese, we like adding this for texture variation
Substitutions and variations:
- macaroni noodles – You can use any type noodle, we prefer tubular noodles or even gluten free pasta
- butter beans – Other white beans will work like cannellini or Great Northern. We don’t recommend chickpeas.
- nutritional yeast – add more vegan cheddar
- vegan butter – while we don’t recommend omitting, many people have and still liked the recipe
- lemon juice – white or apple cider vinegar could also work
- chickpea (garbanzo) flour – all purpose flour will also work as well as other gluten free flours.
- seasoned panko breadcrumbs – omit if desired
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 Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (30 Minutes, One Pot!)
- Vegan Cornbread
- 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
Pin this vegan mac and cheese for later:
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 9×13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups macaroni noodles, uncooked (Use gluten free if needed)
- 1 15oz can butter beans, drained
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup dairy free milk (we like oat for this)
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese (we use Violife for this recipe)
Additional Ingredients for Second Half
- 2 cups unsweetened vegan milk (we prefer oat here since it's creamier)
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup chickpea (garbanzo) flour
- ½ cup vegan parmesan Cheese (we used violife again here)
- 2 cups prepared cheese sauce from above
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 cups vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs (ensure dairy free)
Instructions
- Bring a salted pot of water to a boil.
- Cook macaroni noodles according to the package. Drain noodles once done and set aside.
- While noodles cook, add beans, stock, dairy free milk, nutritional yeast, butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and parmesan cheese to a high powdered blender.
- Blend this until very well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees if making a baked version.
- In a skillet, over medium low heat, melt vegan butter.
- Add in chickpea flour. Whisk together.
- Slowly pour in vegan milk. Whisk until a thick consistency happens, like a gravy.
- Stir in spices, 2 cups of the prepared cheese sauce and vegan parmesan cheese. Combine well.
- Add cooked noodles and combine.
For Stovetop Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Add in the shredded cheddar cheese, then remove from heat. Adjust salt and pepper. and Serve. *Use remaining cheese sauce in another recipe or as a dip.
For Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Pour half noodle mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and spread out evenly.
- Spread ½ cup of the cheese sauce over and spread out, then top with half vegan shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add the remaining noodle mixture and spread evenly.
- Top with another ½ cup of the cheese sauce over and spread out 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
*This recipe was updated slightly on 11/16/2021. Photos updated on 2/23/2022.
Brenda
Hi Larisha,
Is it possible to make this delectable looking mac and cheese without any vegan butter or oil? I am oil free but honestly this mac and cheese looks oh so yummy! Plus there are grandkids to feed!
Thanks Larisha!
Just found your website and everything looks delectable!
Thanks so much!
LarishaBernard
We’re so happy you found our site. There is oil with the butter and with the vegan cheese. We have not tried to make this without but we were told someone else did omit the vegan shredded cheese and it was still good. We would recommend increasing the amount nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor.
Vickie
BEST VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE EVER!! I’m not kidding y’all! My dad has been reluctant to try ANY vegan food but he ate this not knowing this was vegan. He’s literally considering eating plant based because of all these awesome vegan recipes I’ve been making from you guys. Thank you for creating these awesome, tasty recipes!! Don’t stop! Thank you for making me look good! 😉
LarishaBernard
That seriously makes our day! So happy he’s enjoying (and you!) We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. Have a great week.
Jenna Hochberg
This was our 4th vegan mac n cheese recipe try and we can now stop looking! Hands down the best vegan mac n cheese recipe and we have tried all the different variations( carrot & potato, cashews, nutritional yeast, etc.). Fed 3 non-vegan friends and they all requested the recipe. THANK YOU!
LarishaBernard
Well that was just amazing to read today. Seriously thank you for taking the time to leave this, we truly appreciate it.
Keturah
My meat loving husband always said he would know the difference. He said he would never eat vegan food. Jokes on him because he has eaten this recipe on two separate occasions and LOVE IT and still doesnt know its vegan. So happy i found his website and cant wait to try other recipes
LarishaBernard
oh man! LOL We appreciate you so much for taking the time to leave a review and so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipe.
Stephanie
I was curious to taste this Mac n cheese vegan mixture. I must say this dish was absolutely delicious 😋my family really enjoyed it! This is now a Favorite Dish in my household and I plan to make it for the Thanksgiving Holiday 😊
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear it was a hit, we appreciate you taking time out of your day to leave a review!
Jennifer Link
Love that you use butter beans and no cashews!
LarishaBernard
Thanks so much!
Jordan
I recently had to give up cheese for the foreseeable future and the hardest part has been losing some of my favorite comfort foods. This was AMAZING!!! Absolutely hit the spot. My whole family loved it, thank you for the awesome recipe!
LarishaCampbell
We are so excited to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We appreciate it!
Leslie R
Sometimes you need to look before you speak! I was commenting about your mozzarella tests and asked if you would please taste test cheeses to make mac and cheese. In my mind I knew I should search further on your site to see if you had a recipe for mac and cheese already, but no I just sent in the request! Well not only did I find your recipe, but I have read all of the positive comments and cannot wait to try it. So, when you see my comment asking you to taste test cheeses for mac and cheese, please ignore it! LOL
I do have a question about the mac and cheese. I am a household of one, the recipe serves 16, does it freeze well? I see in your comments in the recipe you suggest serving the baked version right away, does that mean it won’t freeze well or have you ever tried freezing it and are not sure? I know I can attempt to change the ingredient amounts to make a smaller portion, but find this does not always work, there is always something that is left out or maybe should not have been cut in half or to whatever portion I would need to get fewer services, etc. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated. Thank you.
LarishaCampbell
Hi Leslie, I literally laughed out loud reading your message. You can freeze this recipe. Hope that helps -Larisha
Leslie
Hi Larisha, I am happy I was able to make you laugh, all of us needs to have a good laugh everyday!! Thank you for replying to my question, so often I send in a request and it is never answered. Thanks again.
Now for another question, I L-O-V-E, LOVE, LOVE a good pizza. I have had a hard time trying to find a good vegan mozzarella or Pepperjack cheese that melts and taste like or close to the non-vegan mozzarella cheeses. I was using Go Veggie Pepperjack cheese and loved it, but now cannot find it, not even on the Go Veggie website. Any suggestions?
LarishaBernard
Hi Leslie, we try out best to answer everyone although we know some slip through the cracks. We would suggest you read our shredded cheese taste test! You can find it here: https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-shredded-cheese-taste-test/
Rachel
I can’t say enough good things about this recipe! It’s so creamy and tastes just like the real thing! I used follow your heart vegan cheddar and it was perfect! The only thing I’d add to the recipe is to broil for a couple minutes on high to brown the top. I would absolutely recommend this and make it again!
LarishaCampbell
We are so excited to hear that. Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment and review. Have a great day!
Chara Jasmine
SOMEONE CALL 911!!! THIS!!!! THIS IS THE ONE!! THIS IS THE BEST!! ALL OTHERS ARE TELLING STORIES!! OMG!!! I’ve been vegan for just 3 months and I was struggling trying to find a decent Mac n cheese recipe!! I’m in heaven! I can make this work with this masterpiece in my dinner rotation! THANK YOU!!
LarishaCampbell
You just made our whole day! Thank you for your awesome comment and taking time out of your day to leave a review, we appreciate it so much! Have a great week!
Lauren
Seriously the BEST vegan Mac and cheese recipe I have had….and I’ve tried MANY over the last 9 years!!! I used Arrowmills Stuffing breadcrumbs on top and used violife cheese shreds. I didn’t have oat milk so I used unsweetened almond milk. Definitely going to be in my rotation of keeper recipes!
LarishaCampbell
We’re so excited that you loved our recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate you! Stay safe!
Zari
Can we use a different kind of flour instead of chickpea?
LarishaCampbell
all purpose flour will work, we just prefer chickpea
Sandrine St-Pierre
just wow
LarishaCampbell
Thank you so much!
Cass
Absolutely the best mac and cheese I have tasted dairy and dairy free. Super simple instructions to follow too! My non-vegan mother loves it!
LarishaCampbell
Totally just made our day! Thank so you much for your comment!
Natkay
BEST VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE OUT THERE! My family loved it. I replaced Violife cheese with Applewood vegan cheese and it was amazing.
LarishaBernard
So glad that you enjoyed! Thanks for leaving a review!
Anita
I’m so glad I discovered this recipe especially since Thanksgiving is around the corner. Can’t wait to devour this Mac n cheese.
LarishaCampbell
We are so happy you found it too! Enjoy and let us know what you think!