This is the best vegan baked mac and cheese! Not complicated – comforting, rich, & delicious and can be whipped up in under an hour. To even bring it to the table quicker, you can skip the bake. It truly is the best vegan baked mac and cheese (IMO).
This recipe is great because it’s so easy to make! This recipe doesn’t require soaking any nuts, pressing any tofu, or any real prep at all! All you need is some macaroni type noodles on hand, vegan butter (or oil), non-dairy milk, and a non-dairy cheese of choice on hand.
Choose a butter, milk, or cheese that suits your dietary needs such as soy-free, nut-free, and refined-sugar free. If you want to know what I used, see below.
Vegan Products I Used:
I used a mix of mex-blend Daiya and Daiya cheddar slices as well as unsweetened macadamia milk. Using a combination of cheeses not only added to the flavour, but helped with the texture of the sauce.
To Make Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese:
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 375F with a rack placed in the middle of the oven.
The Noodles
I prefer tortiglioni (aka. scoobi doo noodles), but any macaroni noodle will do! The best part about the tortiglioni is that they have a lot of ridges and surface area, which helps the sauce cling to them, so consider buying some “fancy” (the same price) noodles to have on hand for macaroni and cheese.
First prepare the noodles according to package directions or until al dente. If you overcook them they will end up too squishy when baked. Please cook them in salted water; they taste better and this will prevent you from having to add a ton of salt into the sauce to make up for it.
Drain into a colander and rinse under cold water immediately to stop the noodles from continuing to cook. Set them aside – you may wish to toss with a small amount of oil or butter to prevent them from sticking to each other.
The Sauce
In a medium saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once it is melted and bubbling, add the flour and spices. Stir to combine, and continue stirring while cooking the mixture, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning.
Once the mixture has cooked for a few minutes, slowly add in the milk, a 1/4 cup at a time, whisking or stirring to combine each time before adding additional milk. If the temperature of the mixture changes too rapidly or does not match the milk, it will not combine into a smooth sauce.
Continue to add all the milk slowly, then add in the salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens, and dragging a spoon along the bottom will leave a long streak that is slow to fill in.
Now you can add in 2/3 of your shredded cheese and the nutritional yeast. Continue stirring over medium to medium-low heat to melt the cheese. Once it is incorporated, turn off the heat.
Baking the Mac and Cheese
In an 11×9″ heat safe dish, preferably a casserole dish, mix in the noodles and sauce. Stir well to combine, then top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle lightly with additional paprika. Use smoked paprika for a bit of a smoky kick!
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the noodles are just beginning to crisp up on top. Feel free to bake even longer if you like it extra crispy!
Enjoy.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Crispy Baked Tofu Sandwiches with Jalapeño Slaw
- Soft and Fluffy Vegan Savoury Breakfast Scones
- Smooth and Creamy Cashew Sauce
The Best Vegan Comfort Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
- 12 x 9″ high walled baking dish
Ingredients
- 12 oz dry tortiglioni noodles, or other macaroni noodle
- 4 tbsp vegan unsalted butter, (if using salted, just reduce the salt in the sauce)
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika, plus extra for topping
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
- ¾-1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
- 6 oz non-dairy cheddar cheese, save ⅓ for topping
Directions
- Before you begin, preheat your oven to 375°F. Set aside a medium sized oven safe casserole or baking dish.
Cooking the Noodles
- Prepare the noodles according to package directions or until al dente in salted water.
- Once cooked, drain into a colander and rinse under cold water immediately to stop the noodles from continuing to cook. Set them aside.
Making the Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once it is melted and bubbling, add the flour and spices. Stir to combine, and continue stirring while cooking the mixture, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning.
- Once the mixture has cooked for a few minutes, slowly add in the milk, a 1/4 cup at a time, whisking or stirring to combine each time before adding additional milk. If the temperature of the mixture changes too rapidly or does not match the milk, it will not combine into a smooth sauce.
- Continue to add all the milk slowly, then add in the salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens, and dragging a spoon along the bottom will leave a long streak that is slow to fill in. Now you can add in 2/3 of your shredded cheese.
- Continue stirring over medium to medium-low heat to melt the cheese. Once it is incorporated, turn off the heat.
Baking the Macaroni and Cheese
- In your medium heat safe dish, mix in the noodles and sauce. Stir well to combine, then top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle lightly with additional paprika.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the noodles are just beginning to crisp up on top.
- Serve hot as a main for 4 or as a side dish for 6.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 04/25/2021
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