There’s nothing quite like the taste of macaroni and cheese. You won’t miss out on the flavor with this Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe.
It’s an easy dish to whip up on a Sunday evening and will be loved by both adults and kids. Pack it in for lunch the next day to keep the Monday blues away.
For more cheesy dishes, try our: Vegan Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
What makes this dish a vegan mac and cheese?
Mac and cheese pasta dishes usually contain loads of dairy and sometimes eggs. Recipes vary, but you can find dishes that contain cream, various cheeses, and even meat products like bacon. This is always a challenge when buying pre-made mac and cheese because unless it specifically states that it’s vegan, it’s most likely not.
We’ve taken out the dairy and swapped them for vegan-friendly alternatives. The pumpkin purée gives this dish it’s bold, yellow color. No need to worry about artificial colorants in this dish! Nutritional yeast brings a cheesy flavor, and we’ve used tapioca flour to thicken our plant-based-milk white sauce.
How to make this mac and cheese
This recipe is very easy to make. It’s ideal for beginners and easy enough for children to make. Always remember to supervise kids in the kitchen!
Here are a few tips that will help you make your own vegan-friendly mac and cheese pasta.
For vegan gluten-free mac and cheese, use gluten-free pasta instead
If you are gluten-intolerant, use a gluten-free pasta like Barilla’s Gluten-Free Elbows instead of traditional wheat pasta. If you don’t have elbow noodles, any other shape will do.
Follow the instructions on the packet and make sure you don’t overcook the pasta. The pasta should be cooked but slightly firm.
Use a large pot to make the sauce so that you have plenty of space to mix
For this recipe, we add the pasta to the sauce. Be sure to use a large pot so that you can mix everything without mushing the pasta. The slightly firm pasta will also hold its shape when mixing.
Serve warm with a fresh garden side salad
Serve this dish warm and add a mixed fresh garden salad on the side to complete the meal.
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups macaroni pasta
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée
- 1 T tapioca flour
- 1 T garlic, finely chopped
- 2 t onion powder
- 1 T Dijon mustard
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook as directed on the packaging.
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a large saucepan, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the milk, onion powder, and tapioca flour. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the nutritional yeast, the pumpkin purée, and Dijon mustard to the sauce. Mix well to combine everything.
- Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan, and mix well to cover the pasta with the sauce.
- Garnish with green onions or herbs of choice and serve warm.