Vegan Mac & Cheese Recipe
About the Author: Anja
Anja Cass is a popular vegan cook with a passion for creating healthy plant based recipes that taste amazing!
Having lost over 50 pounds, beating early onset heart disease and having more energy than when she was 20, she is motivated to share her new lifestyle with you. Enjoy her delicious recipes to get you, your family and your friends on the path to healthy living!
Hi Anja, thank you so much for this recipe! I haven’t had mac ‘n cheese since giving up dairy four years ago! Can’t wait to try this out! Your ‘cheese’ recipes are fantastic and your presentation is so brilliant! I’d love to hear more on your blog/website about how going vegan has transformed your health. Did you suffer any detox symptoms/die-off or digestive issues when transitioning? Or was it a painless process? BTW, you look amazing…so well & healthy! Warm wishes, Caitlin XXX
Thanks Caitlin. So glad you like the recipes. There is some info about my vegan journey on the About Me page of the site. Also, I will do some videos soon about my journey 🙂
The written recipe does not include the nutritional yeast. I wondered why it was not in the ingredient list, and then I saw it in the video.
Thanks for letting me know Alice. It was an oversight and has now been added to the list 🙂
Thank you Anja!!! My noodles are cooking but I just finished making the sauce. I can’t use sweet potato because my teenager can’t handle the tummy distress so I only used the white potato and I’m a little frugal on the spices and miso and I did use the tahini. The sauce is fantastic!!! This plant based mom truly loves you.
Hi Annie. So glad you like the recipe 🙂 You can always use carrot or pumpkin instead of sweet potato 🙂
When I was a kid, my mom used to make a fantastic mac-n-cheese. I made it for my kids when they were growing up, and they still ask for it when they come home. I’ve been looking for a plant-based mac-n-cheez, but none were the same as my mom’s …. until I made yours! It’s exactly the same consistency and tastes GREAT! You’ve revived a childhood memory for me, and I thank you so very much!
I added a couple tablespoons of oats to make it a bit creamier, and I think I’ll probably add a little more nutritional yeast next time for more “cheese” flavor, and we love the smoked paprika sprinkled on top. It’s wonderful, and I highly recommend it!
Thanks for the wonderful feedback. It’s so great to hear that this recipe brings back such fabulous childhood memories for you. That’s what I enjoy most about making traditional recipes vegan – that they can taste just as goo and be healthy for you at the same time 🙂
Hi Anja,
I’m a new vegan (1 month & going strong), I’m just loving the recipes & easy to follow videos. Was wondering if you could tell me where I may find Nutritional yeast? I live in a country town & the Coles & Woollies doesn’t stock it. Thanks in advance.
Coles or Woolies should be able to order it in for you. If not a health food store or online 🙂
I had no idea you could ask Coles Or Woolies to do that. Thank you for the tip
Good luck 🙂
Hi. First let me say how much I enjoy your videos and your recipes I’ve tried have been fantastic. I am planning on making a vegan spinach lasagna and I am thinking about using this sauce from the mac and cheese recipe but am unsure how it will hold up during baking. Will it stay creamy or will it dry up and become crumbly? Please let me know if you also have any other recommendations. I’ll be cooking this for non-vegans as well and want to make a good impression. Thank you
I would use this one for lasagne… https://www.cookingwithplants.com/recipe/nut-free-vegan-cheese-sauce/
This sauce is amazing. Thank you so much
So glad you like it 🙂
Anja,
Thanks so much for this wonderful mac and cheese recipe. I have been a vegan for two years and have never had a recipe as good as this one. It is so creamy and delicious. Next time I will add 1/2 cup nutritional yeast just to give it more cheesy flavor but it is amazing! It does not dry up and stays creamy days later whether it is hot or cold without having to add anything additional to it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have really missed mac and cheese. I am also looking forward to trying your no knead pizza dough recipe. That looks delicious as well. That is another item that is my all time favorite and I am hoping that this recipe can bring back that favorite food to my list of acceptable foods to eat. Thank you again for all you do. I love watching your videos. You’re great!!!
Thank you for your lovely feedback Cindy 🙂
This recipe is amazing and SOOO good! I use this cheese sauce as my main cheese sauce for all kinds of pasta, baked potatoes, nachos, pizza, tacos, salads, anywhere you would use a good cheese sauce including casseroles. I dont use the tahini or pine nuts because I never seem to have them and I omit the lemon juice because it seems to make the sauce to tangy for me. Instead I use one tablespoon of paprika. Instead of one whole red bell pepper in vinegar I use frozen chopped red bell pepper slices that have been steamed. When I want a really spice nacho cheese flavor I add more red bell pepper, less for a less spicy flavor. Any way, that’s how I use this recipe. It is so awesome! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Fantastic! So glad you like this recipe as much as I do 🙂
Anja,
I have been following you and your recipes for many months now. Your recipes really are wonderful.
I have made this sauce before and it was delicious but I was wondering…can you freeze the sauce?
I was thinking of making a big batch and then I can have mac and cheese on tap….
I have never tried freezing it because I always eat it all. It should be ok. Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Ok, I’ll report back!
Thanks 🙂
Looks so yummy i think i will make this for when my mom visits. is there any sort of miso substitute?? thanks for posting
Glad you like it 🙂 You could use some celtic sea salt and tahini as a miso substitute.
BEST vegan mac and cheese EVER! (And I’ve tried a lot!) I skipped the tahini but did add the pine nuts.
Thanks! So glad you like it as much as I do 🙂
Anja, what would happen if I didn’t add the miso paste at all? Tried looking for it in my corner grocery store but no go. They didn’t have it. I also don’t have any Tahini. I so want to try this recipe today.
It will still work but the flavor will be a little bit different.
Oh My God Anja!!! I did manage to find something called Soybean White Paste and tried that in lieu of Miso Paste. I was nervous because I am trying to get my husband to eat plant based foods and told him I would be making this for dinner. I haven’t cooked for him in ages. Well, Good Lord! I am so in love with this dish. You are amazing!!! Not sure if he is in love with it BUT he’s eating it and not complaining.
Fabulous… so glad he likes it 🙂
Hi Anja!
I made the cheese sauce from this recipe and have been using it to smother steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and serving it all over a bed of brown rice! It’s like a plant-based, cheesy broccoli bake. Super Yummy!
So glad you like the recipe as much as I do Megan 🙂
Oh man, you sold me!
My life is complete…
I can officially say I don’t miss cheese anymore now 🙂
This is way better than all the recipes I tried with cashews.
Fantastic! So glad I could help 🙂 x
Wow! Delicious recipe! I’ve only just made the sauce (and can’t keep from continually taste testing) – love it! I make a lot of nut based sauces so it’s great to have an alternative. I did use some nuts as per your recipe – only had cashews on hand – but keen to try it without. I watch a lot of your YouTube videos and keen to try many more of your recipes. I love the simplicity of most of them … great for when you’re short on time or money. Thanks again, please keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for the fabulous feedback Louisa. So glad that you are enjoying the recipes.
Hi,
Lovely and tasty recipe! I love it. As I live alone, I always make too much. And I don’t want to eat cheese every day so I found anfantastic solution to the problem………I dry it in the dehydrator and blend it to a powder! Now I have the cheese ready whenever I want it. Add a bit of water to t and I have a lovely sauce for pasta, veggies etc.
I just now made AND LOVED this recipe. As much as I love it, there are only 2 of us and I’d like to freeze 1/2 the sauce for another time. Can you freeze it without changing the texture and how long can it be frozen?
What a delicious cheese recipe. The consistency is perfect to those we used to love. Thank you so much for sharing this. I have tried a good many, this is my favorite.
The changes I made…
I skipped the miso (because I I didn’t have any)
I used 3/4 nutritional yeast (because we love that stuff)
I added more because of the yeast.
And I opted to used a handful of cashews.
You’re the best… Love your recipes. I use so many of them all the time. Thank you for all you do. Much love from Austin Texas
I added more water (it should have said)
I’ve tried several vegan cheese sauce recipes but this one is now my favorite! I made one adjustment. I used 1/4c cashews instead of pine nuts. It reheats so well and remains creamy. I’ll make mashed potatoes, top it with steamed broccoli, carrots, and corn and top with this sauce. I feel like I’m cheating!
It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes too Yaffa 🙂 x
Amazing cheese sauce!!! Thank you
The cheese sauce is amazing!! total game changer – thanks!!!
WOW! Soooo good!
This was a really lovely dish, thank you for sharing. I made this into a casserole with a few additions: I simmered home canned tomatoes and added kale. To the cheese I merely added a couple of more tablespoons of nutritional yeast. I then layered it in a dish with the tomato sauce, gluten free noodles, cheese sauce (x 3 layers), with the final layer of vegan breadcrumbs mixed with basil, and then baked it for 30 mins uncovered. It was delicious!
So glad you like my recipe. Your way of serving it sounds delicious!
Anja I’m new to Vegan food and I love Mac and Cheese but I wanted to know when you say cup what do you mean, I’m from England and I have many different cups, or am I just being stupid
Gary
Hi Gary, the cup size I use is 250ml.
Hi! This recipe looks and sounds delicious but I have two questions. I’m confused by one of the measurements – 4 17/75 tbsp? I’ve never heard of measuring in 75ths of a spoon. How is one to do that? Also, I can’t eat oats – could I substitute quinoa flakes instead or something else? Thanks. So many of your recipes sound wonderful and the videos are great – can’t wait to try them out!
Just use about 4 1/4 tbsp. My conversion software on the website isn’t the best at times. Yes, quinoa flakes should work.
I want to make this tonight I have some gluten free noodles and was wondering if I could add some of your hamburger meat to it to make a really filling.vegatble meal. Thank you
Oh my gosh, this is delicious!! And easy! I am eating it right now! I did use the pine nuts and tahini. Soooo creamy and decadent! Also used whole grain macaroni. This could be served to non vegans and they wouldn’t know the difference!
What kind of oats do I need. All I have is Old Fashion Oat Meal?
Just no steel cut oats
I love this recipe. I have been using it for a while and decided to change it up a bit. I used 2 cups of sweet potato and 1 cup butternut squash. I diced and roasted them with some salt pepper thyme sage and rosemary. I also roasted a whole head of garlic.
I used veggie stock and a bit of the pasta water. I did also use 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast.
Amazing recipe !!!!
I’m so glad… Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, I really appreciate it 🙂 Your variations sound amazing!
Anja, this looks divine! Entering my third month of vegan eating, and really starting to miss cheese. I am looking forward to experimenting with your other plant based cheese recipes… I have added them all to my Pinterest for easy access!
During the demo I noticed the fabulous blue saute pan that you had your macaroni waiting in. I know this video is two years old, and the pan may be even much older, but is there any chance you have a link to where you acquired the most beautiful pan I have ever laid eyes on?
I’m so glad… Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, I really appreciate it 🙂 I no longer have that pan and not sure of the brand. Sorry.
What about greens ?
You can have greens with it 🙂
Just came across your website. Recipes look delicious. Can’t wait to try some soon!
Welcome Monika 🙂 Great to have you here.
Anja love your channel, you saved my sanity when I was attempting to go WFPB, and you’re still doing miracles today! There is so much “vegan” crap out there to sort through, so a true joy to have your lovely recipes that care for our welfare too! If veganism is about sparing animal suffering, why do so many vegans forget they are animals too? A junky diet WILL catch up with anyone… youth is a free ride and very forgiving, past that… you’re eventually gonna pay! lol
I can’t wait to try this recipe, I first need to pick up some ingredients. The standard potato/carrot recipe out there is okay, but just doesn’t really cut it for me. Whenever I crave mac and cheese, my quick, easy, healthy go to was savory, coarse old fashioned oats, lightly cooked in soy milk, with a spoonful of miso, lots of nooch, and a TBS of ground flax or walnuts stirred in after for the omega 3’s. The creaminess of the liquid, semi firmness of the grain, mixed with the cheesy flavors was and is a guiltless bowl of comfort, but this sounds even tastier! Thank you so much for all your efforts! Hugs from Florida!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I really appreciate it and I’m so glad that you are here and part of this community. We are all here to help and support each other and I’m glad that my recipes are a hit for you. Enjoy!!!