Easy Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- PREP 5min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 25min
The whole family will love this ultra-creamy mac and cheese made with non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and the perfect blend of spices. You can make this as a stovetop or baked mac and cheese!
You Will Need
1 pound dried pasta like shells, elbows or penne
6 tablespoons vegan butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk, we use unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup (60 grams) nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste, optional for some spice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional for color
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, follow package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package states. Drain.
Meanwhile, make the creamy vegan cheese sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a large high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk the butter and flour together and around the pan until they smell toasted and look light brown; 2 to 3 minutes.
While whisking, slowly pour in the warm non-dairy milk. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce simmers and thickens. (The sauce only thickens after it has reached a simmer.)
Turn the heat to low, then stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. For a bit of spice, stir in the cayenne pepper and stir in the turmeric for some extra “cheesy” color. Both cayenne pepper and turmeric are optional.
When the sauce is smooth and velvety, stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce looks wet/thin, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some of the extra moisture as it cools. Turn the heat off, and then cover with a lid. Leave for 5 minutes, stir once more, and then serve.
For baked mac and cheese, after adding the pasta to the sauce, spoon into a large baking dish, scatter breadcrumbs (optional) on top. Bake, uncovered, in a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven until it is bubbling and browned on top; 25 to 30 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Then, bake, covered, in a 350-degree F oven for about an hour. Or, thaw overnight and reheat on the stove (if it seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of extra milk).
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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