Vegan Mac & Cheese

How could one not love mac and cheese? It’s gooey, rich, and delightfully comforting. It’s almost as if children are inherently born with an affinity for this cheese-drenched, noodly goodness. Like it’s coded in their DNA. This mac and cheese was a time machine of sheer nostalgia, taking me waaaaay back, but this recipe is even better than the mac I remember as a kid. Why? Since it’s completely vegan, made from minimal ingredients, and can be made in just about the same amount of time it would take you to whip up a box of Kraft or Daiya mac. I love simple recipes, and I’m sure you’ll love this one too.

Inspiration

At least once every couple of months, I crave a big bowl of mac and cheese. There’s just something about it that’s so comforting and brings me back to my childhood days. I was looking for a way to make it at home more easily, and with common pantry ingredients, I almost always have. Plus it feels better to make it from scratch, rather than buying it in a box, considering I will know of all the ingredients that go into it.

How to make Vegan Mac & Cheese

This recipe requires no cutlery or cooking skills, just two pots, a can opener, and ten minutes of your time! The results are:

Creamy

Rich

Kid-friendly

& Comforting

Cook the pasta

Simple as that, just cook your pasta as directed. I used regular macaroni noodles which only took a couple of minutes to cook fully. Feel free to get creative and use whatever pasta shape you enjoy! Shell noodles would do such a great job trapping all that delicious sauce, but use whatever is best for you.

Make the “cheese” sauce

The “cheese” sauce used for this recipe is a result of the delicious synchronicity between coconut milk for creaminess, nutritional yeast and miso paste for a cheese-like flavor, tapioca flour mixed with veggie broth for a sticky cheese-like consistency, and a combination of spices such as turmeric, paprika, salt, and garlic powder. The spices create that lovely orangish-yellow color and add a deeper level of flavor to the dish.

Start the sauce by adding the coconut milk, nooch, miso paste, and spices to a saucepan on medium heat and whisk to combine. While it’s warming up, use a fork to combine the tapioca starch and veggie broth to form a slurry. When the coconut milk comes to a slight boil, slowly whisk in the slurry. You will notice that the cheese sauce quickly begins to thicken and appear sticky. At this point, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the lemon juice.

Combine the pasta and sauce

Pour the sauce onto the cooked pasta and bada-bing! Mac & cheese, my friends. It’s really that easy to make. And leaves minimal dirty dishes. Win? I think so.

Serving

This mac and cheese is best served fresh. Add a couple of cracks of freshly ground black pepper and you’re ready to rock a comforting and delicious meal. Mix in or pair it with broccoli or your favorite veggies of choice for an additional nutrient boost!

Reheating & storing

This mac can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. As it cools down, the cheese will start to lose that gooey consistency, similar to how regular mac and cheese behaves when it has been cooled. It will, however, bounce back when it gets warmed up again. Therefore, before reheating, it is recommended to mix in additional moisture, such as a splash of plant-based milk, veggie broth, or water to help loosen everything back up.

Did you try this bowl of decadence? If so, leave a comment and let me know how it went!

If you liked, this recipe, you might also like my recipe for a Coconut Milk Cheese Wheel!

💛 M