A creamy, nut-free vegan mac and cheese is made with simple ingredients like roasted vegetables. They are baked in the oven and it tastes just like the classic mac and cheese
This mac and cheese recipe has been 3 years in the making!
Over the last 3 years, I have tweaked it, changed it, dumped it, trashed it, cried over it, burnt it, but, finally….
…. I have the BEST vegan mac and cheese recipe ever!
It has no artificial ingredients, no nuts were harmed in the making of this recipe and it needs just a few ingredients. Trust me, a cheese lover won’t miss the real cheese in it!
This vegan mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food that your taste buds won’t forget! It’s become a family favorite pasta recipe!
Tips for making this recipe
- I outlined how I chose the perfect sweet potato from your grocery store. Getting the right sweet potato is important because it will bake perfectly in the oven
- Use carrot sticks and not baby carrots to roast because the baby ones are sweet.
- The vegan cheese sauce is a big batch which you won’t use all of. Freeze the sauce in an airtight container and use it in the future.
- For baking the vegan mac and cheese, I used a stoneware casserole dish. 8in in length 5.75in wide and 2in for height. If you have a bigger dish, use that.
- If you can’t find elbow macaroni, use small macaroni. If you can find gluten-free pasta, that would be even better.
- The panko bread crumbs add a nice crunch to this recipe, so, use them over regular bread crumbs.
Why this is the best vegan mac and cheese recipe
This is the best mac and cheese recipe because it’s made with all-natural ingredients.
The creamy sauce has a delicious cheese taste. It is my secret to a good vegan macaroni and cheese.
The cheese sauce is Made with freshly roasted veggies: Sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and carrots. Together, these 3 veggies pack quite a nutritional punch.
Additionally, I add nutritional yeast to the sauce for that cheesy flavor. It’s a vegan’s best way to get B1 vitamin. It also has tons of other B vitamins. You will also get a few trace minerals in nutritional yeast**
** Source – Healthline and Livestrong
The sauce I made for this recipe tastes just like the real thing! This vegan “cheese” sauce looks like the real thing and tastes like it too.
But, don’t take my word for it. Make it yourself and see why it’s the best.
Answering Common Questions
Yes, you can freeze it. However, I suggest just freezing the ‘cheese’ sauce. Don’t freeze the recipe after you bake it.
I wanted to make a nut-free version because I had friends whose kids can’t eat nuts. You can always add soaked cashews in the blender.
I only use coconut milk in this recipe. That’s because it’s thick and creamy. Plant milk like soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk, and oat milk are on the runny side. Coconut is the only non-dairy milk I recommend.
I baked the vegetables at 400° first. Place the casserole dish in a 300° pre-heated oven. I prefer a baked vegan mac over a stovetop version. Do you prefer baked mac and cheese too?
In a small bowl, I mixed dried parsley, dill, and 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil with the bread crumbs. For a buttery breadcrumbs, add tiny pieces of vegan butter. You can also add vegan parmesan.
How to freeze the best vegan cheese sauce
I like to freeze the ‘cheese’ sauce in Ziploc freezer bags. First, I write the date I made the sauce on the bag itself and then gently pour the sauce into it. For best results, remove any air bubbles before sealing.
Or, use (Affiliate Link) silicone trays to store the sauce. I like the ones with lids and I can also save them in single servings.
To reheat, heat in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook pasta on one side and melt the cheese sauce on the other. Place them in the casserole dish, top with panko, and bake the pasta.
Use it up in 6 months. Can be used in recipes like vegan cowboy queso. You can also pour it on a vegetable side dish like broccoli or green beans.
How to make vegan mac and cheese
Preheat oven to 400°
Spray a baking tray with oil and set aside
While oven is heating, peel 2 sweet potatoes and chop them. They don’t have to be perfect cubes because they will be blended.
Place the chopped sweet potatoes on the oiled tray
Take a medium red bell pepper and cut into to half. Save one half for future recipes. Place the other half on the baking tray (cut side down). For extra flavor, place a few carrot sticks in the pan.
Use a cooking spray to lightly spray the veggies on the baking tray
Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the sweet potato pieces can be mashed easily with the back of a spoon
While the veggies are cooking, add uncooked elbow noodles into hot water. The water is in a large pot of salted water. The boiling water will splatter, so set it to low heat and gently add the dry pasta.
Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Drain the pasta, but, save about 1/4 cup of the water to be added to the baking dish
Remove the baking tray from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Set the oven temperature to 300°
Remove the skin of the roasted red bell pepper
Place the 3 roasted veggies in a high-speed blender (or food processor) and add 1.5 tsp red pepper flakes (or black pepper). You can adjust this according to your taste
Add salt, oregano, nutritional yeast, and yellow mustard (or vegan Dijon mustard). The yeast is a key ingredient, so, if you can stand it, add a ¼ cup of nutritional yeast.
Finally, add 1 can of coconut milk. I also ended up adding about 2 tbsp more of coconut milk, but, it’s not necessary.
Using a high-speed blender, blend the ingredients until you have a sauce consistency (about 2 minutes). The cheesy sauce is now ready to be enjoyed. Doesn’t it look like the perfect vegan cheddar sauce?
In the baking dish, add the cooked macaroni and 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
To this cooked pasta, add half of the sauce we blended earlier. You can add more if you want a creamier mac and cheese. A good mac and cheese always has a healthy amount of sauce. Mix well.
For the best texture, top with a 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Remove and serve this easy recipe immediately.
I recommend this is the (Affiliate Link) high speed blender. It works so well and lasts a long time.
Get to understand complete vegan proteins! And, I have a whole bunch of healthy vegan recipes that you will love.
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Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments (under the recipe card). Let me hear your opinion on this baked version of a vegan mac and cheese recipe. Do you agree that it’s better than the traditional mac?
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 13X9 Baking tray
- Blender
Ingredients
For the vegan ‘cheese’ sauce
- 2 sweet potato
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 8 carrot sticks
- 1.5 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1.5 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 can coconut milk 2 tbsp more of coconut milk, but, it’s not necessary
- 5 carrot sticks
For the pasta
- 1 cup large elbow pasta
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the topping
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp dill
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Spray a baking tray with oil and set aside
- While oven is heating, peel and roughly chop the sweet potatoes into cubes
- Place the chopped sweet potatoes, bell pepper (cut side down) and carrots on the oiled tray
- Use a cooking spray to lightly spray the veggies on the baking tray
- Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 40 min, See notes
- While the veggies are cooking, make the pasta
- Drain the cooked pasta, but, save 1/4 cup of the water
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes
- Set the oven temperature to 300°
- Remove the skin of the roasted red bell pepper
- Place the roasted veggies in a blender the red pepper flakes, salt, oregano, nutritional yeast, yellow mustard and coconut milk
- Blend the ingredients until you have a sauce consistency (about 2 minutes)
- In the baking dish, add the cooked pasta, pasta water and half of the sauce we blended earlier
- Mix well and add more sauce, if needed
- Mix the panko ingredients and top it on the mac and cheese
- Cover the baking dish with foil
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes
- Remove and serve immediately
