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A spoonful of vegan mac and cheese being held overtop of a bowl filled with vegan mac and cheese.
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4.28 from 22 votes

Vegan Mac and Cheese

The best vegan mac and cheese made with cashews, potatoes and nutritional yeast! It’s easy to make, creamy, cheesy and so delicious. This comfort food classic turned plant-based is guaranteed to be a new family favorite.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Soak Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan mac and cheese
Servings: 8
Author: Brittany Mullins

Ingredients

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni cooked (or any pasta of choice)
  • 2 medium yellow potatoes peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (about ½ cup)
  • 1 small yellow onion quartered
  • 2 large cloves of garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice I used almond milk
  • ¾ cup raw cashews soaked for 2-4 hours or overnight
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder optional
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

  • If you haven’t already soak your cashews for 2-4 hours. If you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix you can get away with soaking for only 30 minutes-1 hour.
  • Fill a large pot with about 1 inch of water. Add potatoes, carrots and onion to a steamer basket or metal colander and steam for about 15 minutes or until soft.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Drain and transfer the pasta back to the pot.
  • Place all the vegan cheese ingredients in a blender (including the cooked potatoes, carrots and onions) and blend until smooth.
    A blender with ingredients to make vegan cheese inside.
  • Pour the vegan cheese over cooked pasta, adding up to 1/2 cup pasta water to loosen the sauce, as necessary. Stir to fully combine.
    Vegan cheese being poured into a pot of cooked macaroni noodles.
  • Season to taste and serve.
    A close up of vegan mac and cheese after being mixed together.
  • Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat it, add a little bit of milk or water to thin out the sauce. When reheating, stir often to avoid burning.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of recipe | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g