When it comes to this Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese recipe, it is by far more than a fork full of goodness! Super creamy, 'cheesy', and loaded with flavor, this 'Mac + Cheese" is made from organic shells, savory seasonings, nutritional yeast, and cashews soaked overnight (which makes the cream cheese base). A beautiful twist on a classic dish that it sure to be a staple in your household. Completely vegan. Gluten-Free + Nut-Free options.
Now, if you've been an avid follower of Orchids + Sweet Tea, then you'll know that I'm a Southern girl at heart who LOVES flavor! So, of course Mac + Cheese is on my top favorites list.
Growing up, I use to love this stuff. I mean, eating an entire bowl of Mac + Cheese was nothing for me. Plus, in the South, this stuff is almost always prepared during every cookout, gathering, or occasion, so how could I not be obsessed, right?
Whelp, I must say that making a vegan version was by far AMAZING! Now, the twist is that I chose to use cashews as my 'sauce' versus vegan cheese, which is rather interesting by the way.
When using vegan cheese (which is ever so often), I enjoy using So Delicious Dairy-Free or Violife's non-dairy shreds. The great thing is that the shreds come in a variety of flavors--cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, and classic.
Personally, although I use the shreds in certain dishes, I'm just not a huge fan of the way they often melt.
The texture is just weird for me, or of course I just need to get use to it. However, when I'm able to use an alternative, I'm generally happy! Haha.
If you’re used to making mac and cheese from solely melted cheese, this recipe may be a bit different from what you’re used to. It’s base comes from a cream vegan cream cheese sauce that is made from blended cashews and then the remaining ingredients are stirred together for a nice creaminess.
The ingredients for this vegan mac and cheese are pretty standard, and you may have most of them at home right now!
This silky sauce is spectacular when paired with macaroni. The sauce is thick and rich thanks to homemade vegan cream cheese made with soaked raw cashews. It is seasoned with apple cider vinegar, lemon, and rosemary. The next step to the perfect vegan cheese sauce is to make a roux. I made a roux using vegan butter and flour before adding almond milk and the homemade vegan cream cheese.
These two sauce methods combine to make the perfect silky sauce. Cheesy flavor is added with a homemade Cajun spice mix and nutritional yeast. You can’t make a vegan cheese sauce without nutritional yeast! For extra cheesy flavor, you can always add in dairy-free shreds.
YES! Feel free to use this creamy sauce for other vegan dishes that require a cheese sauce. You can also keep the vegan cream cheese in the fridge for gluten-free bagels.
Some vegan dishes you can use this sauce with are:
If you'd like to add additional crunch to the top of your mac and cheese, then I recommend adding breadcrumbs. Store-bought breadcrumbs will work just fine on your baked mac and cheese. But it’s also very easy to make your own!
Here’s how I make breadcrumbs at home:
You can store leftover breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
To make your seasoning, combine:
Together, these herbs and spices strike the perfect balance of savory and fresh with a bit of smoky heat.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free shells or elbow pasta, flour, and gluten-free breadcrumbs. Or make your own with gluten-free bread. Everything in this dish is already dairy-free and vegan.
You can serve this vegan mac and cheese as an entree all on its own (with a tall glass of Southern Strawberry Iced Sweet Tea or Traditional Southern Iced Sweet Tea) or treat it like a side dish. It’s great with Baked Sticky Orange Cauliflower + Quinoa, Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, or Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie.
If you're allergic to nuts or just don't want to add them to your mac and cheese, that's totally fine. Simple omit the "vegan cream cheese" ingredients and substitute with 4-5 cups of a high-quality dairy-free cheese shreds. Continue with the steps for cooking the sauce over the stovetop and add in the cheese shreds, whisking until everything becomes nice and creamy.
Mac and cheese that is both vegan and gluten-free?! Yes, please! Baked Vegan Buffalo Mac + Cheese is a spicy side dish perfect for any occasion. A creamy buffalo and cashew cream sauce coats gluten-free macaroni before topping with a crispy GF breadcrumb topping. This will be a new family favorite!
Just omit the buffalo sauce to keep things traditional.
If you make this The Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese, be sure to tag me on Instagram @orchidsandsweettea!
Tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea
The Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese.
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LOVE THIS RECIPE?
LET US KNOW!
This mac & cheese looks amazing– can't wait to try it!!
Hi Katherine! Thanks so much! I do hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Love this! I also love cashews but i've never tried vegan cheese, will be trying this.
This looks delicious. I've been looking for a vegan mac and cheese recipe that didn't call for vegan cheese. Thanks for this one!
You're super welcome! I'm not a HUGE fan of the vegan cheese either, so when I can--I use cashews as a great alternative. I hope that you enjoy this one!
This looks so good! I must try more dishes for the vegans in my family! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Katrina! You'll definitely enjoy this one, even if you aren't a vegan. I do hope that you get a chance to try it!
THIS is my kind of recipe. I love everything about it, I haven't used my nutritional yeast in over 6 months, stuck for recipes but will try this for sure.
Yes, this recipe is definitely amazing, especially because of the nutritional yeast! I haven't fully utilized mine as well, but I'm starting to incorporate it more.
This looks delish. Almond milk is one of my favorite non-dairy milks, too!
Thanks so much, Jazz! Yes, I go hard for Almond milk. Haha!
I have a few vegan friends who I will try this for. Pretty certain they'll absolutely love it!
I'm sure your friends will love you! Haha! Be sure to let me know how it turns out and how they love it, Valentina! 🙂
I would SO love to dig into a big bowl of this right now-yum! It's my daughter's 17th b-day this weekend, and she has requested my homemade mac and cheese which has loads of butter and cheese-she might not want this version for her bday, but for sure I will try making it ASAP. Yum!!!
Yes, this vegan Mac + Cheese is really really good! I'm sure that you'll enjoy it for sure! Be sure to let me know how it turns out! And Happy Birthday to your daughter when it comes! 🙂
I'm always fascinated by vegan mac & cheese and your version looks incredible!!
Thanks so much, Chris! Yes, vegan Mac + Cheese is amazing!
This sounds like the perfect dish for my family! I make a cashew alfredo that they all love so I bet this recipe with the cashews for the cream cheese as well as the nutritional yeast will be perfectly "cheesy" and creamy. Thanks for sharing this great alternative! I love your other healthier option recipes as well so just signed up for emails and will definitely be following you on Instagram. 🙂
Wow, thanks so much Sally! I definitely love using cashews and now that I've experimented with nutritional yeast, it's my new favorite as well. I do hope that you continue to enjoy my recipes and I'm sure that your family will love this one! My family sure did! 🙂
Hey there, Ms. Shanika! I just love your blog!!! Your Vegan recipes for Southern food are amazing. You are my favorite place to look for Vegan recipes anymore!!
Hi Heidy! Wow! That means so much! I'm so happy that you find my vegan recipes to be so helpful and tasteful! I do hope that you get a chance to try out some of them! 🙂
I’m always amazed by how fabulous cashews can be as cheese! So much more delicious than vegan cheese. This dish looks absolutely delicious (and that’s coming from a non-vegan!).
Thanks so much, Sues! I really love using cashews instead also! I'm not a huge fan of vegan cheese yet, although I use it rarely, but using cashews has definitely been my new favorite!