The Ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese (Daiya)

Published Oct 29, 2018 – Updated Dec 22, 2019

Creamy, Cheesy, and Dairy free! This Vegan Mac and cheese recipe is OUTSTANDING! Simple ingredients and ready in 20 minutes! Delicious comfort food! Easily gluten free.

You want a crazy good Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe?! You have come to the right place!! It’s better than the dairy version! I am not kidding. So rich and full of flavour! 

The main ingredients in the Vegan Mac and Cheese sauce are Daiya cheese, cashews, nutritional yeast and plant milk. And then you have your spices, vegetable bouillon, lemon juice, etc… and then of course the macaroni noodles, reg or gluten free, your choice. Super easy to make, there’s no butternut squash, potatoes, carrots or cauliflower to cook so the recipe comes together in no time and doesn’t take a year to make lol!

My grandkids go crazy for my homemade Vegan Mac and Cheese. I usually make the stovetop version when they are over for lunch, and my healthy chocolate brownies for a treaty dessert! If I am making it more of a meal say for dinner then I will make the baked version! This pasta is Easy Peasy folks! Takes minutes to prepare and it’s so worth it! Enjoy! Vegetarians and non vegans love it!

So Just say no to boxed Mac and Cheese and the powder packet! And make this vegan version instead!😊

What to serve with Vegan Mac and Cheese?

• Steamed broccoli and or cauliflower 
• vegetables like green peas or cooked spinach stirred right into the pasta!
• Green salad
• Garlic bread
• or Enjoy with your holiday dinner as a side dish!

Can you freeze Vegan Mac and Cheese?

I suggest portioning and freezing just the pasta sauce for a quick and easy lunch, just cook some noodles and reheat the sauce in the microwave or stovetop. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the pasta as the noodles get mushy once defrosted.

How to make Vegan Mac and Cheese:

Really easy guys! Soak the cashews in boiling water, 5 minutes, drain and add to your  Nutra bullet or blender with water, blend until smooth.

Now add the cashew cream and the rest of ingredients to a pot. Cook on medium heat until the cheese is melted. Add your cooked noodles, mix it all together. There you go lunch is ready, YUM!

To bake the Mac and Cheese: add the pasta and sauce to a lightly greased casserole dish, cover with your bread topping and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. (My bread topping consists of panko bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, vegan butter, and miso) For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below.

You’ll love this Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe, it’s:

Easy

Dairy free

Cheesy

the ultimate comfort food

Creamy

Easily gluten free

My grandkids favourite

A great Family meal

Enjoy you Guys. Happy Day? Feel free to comment below and rate this recipe. I’d love to hear from you!
Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based and Vegan Recipes ❤️

Want more Vegan Pasta Dish Recipes? Check these out!

• Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine
• Vegan Lasagna – The Best Recipe!
• Hearty Vegan Bolognese
• Vegan Hamburger Helper (Instant Pot or stovetop)

The Ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese (Daiya)

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Verna
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Mains, gluten free, Snacks & Sides
• Method: Stovetop or Oven
• Cuisine: American, Canadian, Vegan

Print

Pin

---

Description

Creamy, Cheesy, and Dairy free! This Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe is OUTSTANDING! Simple ingredients and ready in 20 minutes! Delicious comfort food! Easily gluten free.

---

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soaked cashews & 1/2 cup water
• 2 and 3/4 cups unsweetened plant milk, like cashew or almond milk (I like cashew for this)
• 1/2 cup Nutritional yeast
• 1 block medium cheddar Daiya cheese, 200 grams (grated)
• 1 tsp  “Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base“
• 2–3 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Braggs or Lite Tamari
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 and 1/4 cups regular or gluten free uncooked macaroni noodles

BREAD TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

• 1 and 1/2 cups bread crumbs reg or gluten free ( I like Panko)
• 2 tbsps nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp miso ( optional see notes*)
• 3 tbsps vegan butter, (melted)

---

Instructions

1. Add cashews to a soup bowl and cover with boiling water, and let sit for 5 minutes or so. drain the cashews and add to your Nutra bullet or blender with the 1/2 cup of water , blend till smooth.
2. Now add the cashew cream and the rest of the sauce ingredients ( not noodles) to a medium sauce pot and cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring until cheese is melted. I usually let it simmer for a minute and then remove from heat.
3. While sauce is cooking, cook your pasta according to package instructions. Don’t overcook, and if you are baking the pasta make sure to undercook the noodles by at least a minute.
4. Drain your noodles and add to the sauce, stir and Enjoy!!
5. For baked version: Preheat oven to 350° Lightly grease a 2 & 1/2 or 3 quart casserole dish,  add in the pasta and sauce
6. Combine the melted butter and miso in a medium bowl, then add in the breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast. Mix by hand
7. Sprinkle the Panko bread crumb topping evenly over the noodles.
8. Bake 350° uncovered for 15 minutes. If you’d like the top of the casserole browner broil for a minute or two, just watch it browns really fast! Enjoy! Step by step photos in above post

---

Notes

• If you don’t have miso, no biggy, just add a pinch of salt instead
• Nutritional chart does not include bread topping
• Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days
• If freezing I suggest I suggest portioning and freezing just the pasta sauce for a quick and easy lunch, just cook some noodles and reheat the sauce in the microwave or stovetop. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the pasta as the noodles get mushy once defrosted.
• If you’d like to purchase straight cut macaroni noodles you can find them here .This brand is excellent!!
• Catelli Brand also sells the straight cut but you can’t always find them in the store.

Keywords: vegan mac and cheese, ultimate, cashews, baked, easy, best, gluten free, Daiya cheese, nutritional yeast, simple, dairy free, recipe, ever,