This vegan mac and cheese recipe features a decadent, dairy-free cream sauce.  


Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe: Tips for Making Vegan Mac

Vegan mac and cheese is an egg- and dairy-free version of traditional [mac and cheese](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wolfgang-pucks-homemade-mac-and-cheese-recipe). This pasta dish relies on various ingredients to evoke the flavors—and real cheese taste—of the original, which typically features a velvety béchamel sauce and a blend of rich cheeses. If you consume egg-based pasta, you can make this variation with regular macaroni, but egg-free pasta, like gluten-free chickpea pasta, is most commonly used to make this dish. 

The recipe may feature [miso paste](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-miso-paste) or nutritional yeast, which mimic parmesan and gouda’s sharp, cheesy flavor. Vegan butter, plant-based milk, and thickeners, like tapioca starch or potato starch, round out the vegan cheese sauce.

Vegan mac and cheese has a flavor reminiscent of traditional mac and cheese thanks to the nutritional yeast in the recipe, which imparts a sharp, cheesy flavor and yellow hue into the sauce. 

Some vegan mac recipes also feature [cashew cheese](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cashew-cheese-recipe)—a non-dairy cheese spread made with softened raw cashews rather than milk—to create a creamy texture that mimics the classic comfort food. 

The best vegan mac and cheese is silky smooth, rich in flavor, and full of healthy ingredients. 

1. __Find the right texture__. Vegan mac and cheese mimics the creaminess of a traditional cheese sauce thanks to a combination of plant-based milk, like soy milk, almond milk, <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-cashew-milk' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-cashew-milk","linkCopy":"cashew milk","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>cashew milk</a>, or [oat milk](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-oat-milk), and natural starches, like tapioca and potato, to act as binding agents. If you have a food processor or powerful high-speed blender, you can make your own nut milk by blending the raw nuts of your preference with a little water.
2. __Get creative with add-ins__. Like the original, vegan mac is a great foundation for various spices and vegetables, like butternut squash or sweet potato, which lend body and depth of flavor. Take mac and cheese from a side dish to a main meal with a handful of dark, leafy greens like kale or chard. Add a teaspoon of [turmeric](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-with-turmeric-plus-easy-turmeric-tonic-recipe-for-everyday-use) to give the sauce a classically sunny orange hue.
3. __Mix with a splash of water to reheat__. To restore the sauce’s creaminess after refrigeration, add a teaspoon or two of water to the pasta before microwaving or reheating over medium-low heat on the stove. 

This vegan mac and cheese recipe features a decadent, dairy-free cream sauce.

Vegan mac and cheese is an egg- and dairy-free version of traditional <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wolfgang-pucks-homemade-mac-and-cheese-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wolfgang-pucks-homemade-mac-and-cheese-recipe","linkCopy":"mac and cheese","category":null}'>mac and cheese</a>. This pasta dish relies on various ingredients to evoke the flavors—and real cheese taste—of the original, which typically features a velvety béchamel sauce and a blend of rich cheeses. If you consume egg-based pasta, you can make this variation with regular macaroni, but egg-free pasta, like gluten-free chickpea pasta, is most commonly used to make this dish. The recipe may feature <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-miso-paste' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-miso-paste","linkCopy":"miso paste","category":null}'>miso paste</a> or nutritional yeast, which mimic parmesan and gouda’s sharp, cheesy flavor. Vegan butter, plant-based milk, and thickeners, like tapioca starch or potato starch, round out the vegan cheese sauce.

What Is Vegan Mac and Cheese?

Vegan mac and cheese has a flavor reminiscent of traditional mac and cheese thanks to the nutritional yeast in the recipe, which imparts a sharp, cheesy flavor and yellow hue into the sauce. Some vegan mac recipes also feature <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cashew-cheese-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cashew-cheese-recipe","linkCopy":"cashew cheese","category":null}'>cashew cheese</a>—a non-dairy cheese spread made with softened raw cashews rather than milk—to create a creamy texture that mimics the classic comfort food.

What Does Vegan Mac and Cheese Taste Like?

The best vegan mac and cheese is silky smooth, rich in flavor, and full of healthy ingredients. <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Find the right texture. Vegan mac and cheese mimics the creaminess of a traditional cheese sauce thanks to a combination of plant-based milk, like soy milk, almond milk, <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-cashew-milk' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-cashew-milk","linkCopy":"cashew milk","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>cashew milk</a>, or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-oat-milk' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-oat-milk","linkCopy":"oat milk","category":null}'>oat milk</a>, and natural starches, like tapioca and potato, to act as binding agents. If you have a food processor or powerful high-speed blender, you can make your own nut milk by blending the raw nuts of your preference with a little water. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Get creative with add-ins. Like the original, vegan mac is a great foundation for various spices and vegetables, like butternut squash or sweet potato, which lend body and depth of flavor. Take mac and cheese from a side dish to a main meal with a handful of dark, leafy greens like kale or chard. Add a teaspoon of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-with-turmeric-plus-easy-turmeric-tonic-recipe-for-everyday-use' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cook-with-turmeric-plus-easy-turmeric-tonic-recipe-for-everyday-use","linkCopy":"turmeric","category":null}'>turmeric</a> to give the sauce a classically sunny orange hue. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Mix with a splash of water to reheat. To restore the sauce’s creaminess after refrigeration, add a teaspoon or two of water to the pasta before microwaving or reheating over medium-low heat on the stove. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

This vegan mac and cheese recipe features a decadent, dairy-free cream sauce.