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
Let’s see your creations!
Share to Instagram and tag us @makeitdairyfree so we can see and share it!
*This recipe was updated slightly on 11/16/2021. Photos updated on 2/23/2022.
Cindy
This is amazing! My vegetarian husband who is trying to kick the dairy loved this. Really delicious, loved the crunchy topping—nice to have a cashew free version, too. Thank you guys!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that it was a hit!!!
Dee
This is incredible!! I’ve tried so many mac and cheese recipes and although good, they have never satisfied my hankering for the dairy mac and cheese I remember. This is the only recipe I need from now on. The flavor and texture are on point! I can’t wait to makr this for Thanksgiving next week,
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe ! Thanks for sharing!
Nicole
This recipe (and numerous others actually), is just divine. Whenever I make it, EVERYONE is hunting for more, especially the non vegans! It is now a staple in our household without question.
Thank you for creating and sharing!
LarishaBernard
That’s such a big win!
Natalie Bartosek
BEST THING IVE EVER MADE AS A VEGAN, and I’ve made a lot of amazing sh**! 🙂 Make this for vegan skeptics! Thank you thank you thank you Larisha and Andrew!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing. Best compliment ever!
Mary
I accidentally came across this recipe even though I’m not new to your site. I must say, I was hesitant because of the use of butter beans. After reading the raving reviews, I decided to give it a try. OMG!! This is the best vegan Mac and cheese I’ve had! It’s soooo delicious!! This will be a keeper in our home for sure. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Brittney
This recipe is so simple and delicious I’m kicking myself for taking so long to make it. Can’t wait to make this for my family on the next holiday!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!
Denise
I’ve been vegan since March of 2021, and I’ve tried several mac & cheese vegan recipes. This IS by far the best mac & cheese vegan recipe. Thank you for sharing.
LarishaBernard
YAYY!! We love to hear that! Thanks for sharing
Jess
Mine is a question I don’t have a comment bc I’ve never tried it but I will after this.
When you use the butterbeans in any of your recipes, do u strain them or use the water from the canned beans?
LarishaBernard
Drain and rinse first
Janelle
Hello! I really want to try this recipe….but I will need to make some substitutions because where I live doesn’t have a wide selection of vegan products. Vegan cheese (parmesan and shreds) isn’t available here, so could I leave it out or do you have a recipe where I could make my own? and also vegan butter? Thanks!
LarishaBernard
Hi! All of these substitutions will change the recipe taste, so please keep that in mind.
For the parmesan, you can use this, but it doesn’t melt as well so be aware of that: https://makeitdairyfree.com/dairy-free-parmesan-cheese/
You could try adding more nutritional yeast in place of the shreds, but since we haven’t done this, I don’t have an exact measurements.
There have been people who have left out the vegan butter, so I suppose you could try to omit that.
Mary Ann
I had my doubts, but this was a hit, and super yummy!
LarishaBernard
We’re so happy to hear that! Thank you for leaving a review!
Neha
I was so excited to try this recipe after seeing all the reviews but I honestly didn’t like it. I’m a new vegan so it could just be because I remember what real mac n cheese tastes like but this didn’t taste like Mac n cheese at all and I honestly didn’t like it. I’m not a picky eater and love vegan food even if it doesn’t taste like the non vegan alternative, but this didn’t quite hit the spot for me and I just wanted to be honest. I LOVE this channel and blog, so it hurts me to write this but I do want to be honest. This could be a good alternative for someone with allergies, but otherwise I don’t think this is the strongest recipe on the blog.
LarishaBernard
Thanks for the feedback
Ida
This was honestly incredible! I’m transitioning into veganism and I’m trying to find ways to recreate my favorite meals and this was just so easy and great!! With a few modifications to the spices (added Creole seasoning, garlic and onion powder, and cayenne), it tasted exactly how my old recipe used to! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe 😊💘
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!
Elizabeth
Hi what can I substitute for Lima beans? Lima beans are not readily available in my area :))
LarishaBernard
Any white bean (not chickpeas) so Great Northern, Cannellini, that sort of bean
Jaye
I used gluten free pasta, Great Northern Beans (couldn’t find butter beans), and added a block of Violife cream cheese to my batch. What an amazing recipe! Also, let me add that as a Black woman, I love seeing a beautiful Black couple in this arena. There is definitely a need for me to see others like myself in this space.
LarishaBernard
We’re so happy to hear that the recipe worked out well with your substitutions. We do appreciate your thoughts, but we always are transparent and feel the need to let you know that Larisha is not Black. We hope that you continue to enjoy the content and find inspiration in our work.
Matthew Titus
Best vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever made.
LarishaBernard
wow, thank you! We’re so happy to hear this, thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We really appreciate it.
Rebecca
Literally so delicious!! So glad I found out about you guys through YouTube 😃
LarishaBernard
Happy to hear you’re enjoying this one! Glad you found us too 😉 We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! Have a great day!