This super creamy and cheesy vegan mac and cheese recipe will take you straight back to childhood!
Vegan Mac And Cheese – The Ultimate Vegan Comfort Food
Growing up, my mom was usually the one who cooked for us, preparing elaborate and wholesome meals from scratch, with plenty of vegetables.
But every now and then, my dad would take over the kitchen. One of my absolute favorite lunches he’d make us was boxed Kraft macaroni & cheese, which I called “cheese soup” because he’d always add extra milk so there was twice as much cheese sauce.
Although I haven’t eaten the Kraft version in years, I still love my mac and cheese with A TON of extra cheese sauce.
Serve me a bowl of homemade macaroni drenched in so much creamy cheese sauce that you can’t even tell there’s pasta in the bowl, and you will never hear me complain!
Update —> Also be sure to try this recipe for Cauliflower Mac And Cheese!
How To Make Vegan Mac And Cheese
The vegan macaroni and cheese recipes out there are definitely hit or miss… and the bad ones are really bad.
I remember back when I first went vegan, trying a recipe that attempted to mimic the cheesy taste by using a combination of nutritional yeast and Dijon mustard. The recipe claimed to taste JUST LIKE REAL MAC AND CHEESE! Spoiler alert: it didn’t even come close.
I’ve also tried some restaurant versions or packaged varieties (not naming names) so far away from tasting anything like mac and cheese that I honestly don’t know how they ever made it onto shelves. With this simple vegan mac and cheese recipe today, I’m not going to tell you it tastes exactly like Kraft or Velveeta, but it is absolutely delicious in its own right and completely satisfies even my strongest mac and cheese cravings.
The recipe received a resounding stamp of approval from every non vegan who’s tried it, which is hugely important to note, because if someone who remembers what traditional mac and cheese tastes like says it’s good, you know it must be true!
I’m not saying vegans have inferior taste buds (obbbbviously my taste buds are super awesome), but I do admit that sometimes we can get excited about a dish simply because a plant-based version is offered. I can think of quite a few examples of this from over the years, especially with things I’ve ordered at restaurants.
(Those vegan cannoli that tasted like someone who’d clearly never been to Italy had simply stuffed vanilla frosting into a cannoli shell… were they they best cannoli I’d ever had in my life? No. But on the other hand, I got to order vegan cannoli on a restaurant menu!!!! So actually yeah, best cannoli ever!)
You May Also Like: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Notes
The cheese sauce can be used with much more than just pasta. If you’re on a keto or low carb diet or simply don’t feel like boiling noodles one night, feel free to use the sauce as a cheese dip or pour it over steamed veggies, rice, or even spaghetti squash.
(My recommended method for cooking spaghetti squash can be found here: How To Cook Spaghetti Squash.)
You can also bulk up the mac and cheese by stirring steamed or roasted veggies in at the end. I especially love adding steamed broccoli. Or give the pasta a protein boost by adding crumbled tempeh or your favorite protein of choice.
Pretty much any noodles will work here – I’m partial to tube noodles because they trap more cheese! For the photos, I really wanted the recognizable Kraft pasta shape but couldn’t find it anywhere, so I ended up buying boxed vegan mac and cheese and used my own sauce recipe instead of their packet.
Unlike many other dairy free macaroni and cheese recipes, this one has no butternut squash or cauliflower, although I do have recipes for both of those elsewhere on the blog.
To add thickness and creaminess without flour or heavy cream, I turned to cashews this time, which gives the sauce a rich and velvety texture. I’ve also linked a nut-free and soy-free Vegan Cheese Sauce. With mac and cheese, it’s good to have options.
Finally, if you’re crazy like me and want to drown your pasta in a gallon of cheese sauce, feel free to make a double batch!
Vegan Mac And Cheese
Adapted from Creamy Red Pepper Alfredo
Vegan Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or macadamias (Click for a Nut-Free version)
- 1 medium peeled carrot, steamed or roasted (80g)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, OR cheese style shreds as desired
- 1 tsp white or cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water, plus more for soaking
- optional 2 tsp buttery spread or oil, for richness
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 servings pasta of choice, or you can put the sauce over veggies or use it as a dipping sauce
Instructions
Completely cover the nuts in a bowl with water. Let soak anywhere from 2-6 hours, or refrigerate and soak overnight. Drain fully. Combine all ingredients (including 1/2 cup water, but not including the optional cheese-style shreds), and blend in a blender or with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Transfer to a small pot and heat to your desired temperature, stirring optional cheese shreds in at the end. Taste, and add extra seasonings (onion, salt, nutmeg, pepper) if desired – I like to add another 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch more nutmeg. Serve over cooked pasta, rice, veggies, etc.
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Sarah says
13th August 2018 at 10:12 amThis looks absolutely amazing! Mac and cheese is my favorite food (guilty as charged) – will have to try this recipe out!
x Sarah
http://www.seasonsbysarah.com
Paige Cassandra Flamm says
13th August 2018 at 11:32 amThis looks so good! Totally making this with the kids for lunch today!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Heather says
14th August 2018 at 11:41 amdid you make this yet? I’d love to hear other’s comments on it.
Grant says
4th April 2019 at 9:02 amI just made it for dinner tonight. I keep dipping into it and hope there will be enough to cover the pasta now!😀 really nice (and morish!)
Tiffany says
9th December 2019 at 11:55 pmIn your opinion what’s the bet shredded cheese
Amy says
14th August 2018 at 10:05 amThis looks great. My daughter can’t have dairy & really misses Mac & cheese. We haven’t found a good cheeses style shred yet, & it was getting expensive to keep trying them. What brand do you or your other readers like? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Jason Sanford says
14th August 2018 at 10:07 amHi Amy! Have you tried Miyoko’s? Or Chao? Or Follow Your Heart? I’m guessing you’ve tried Daiya, and I know that one is either something vegans love or hate!
Nancy says
15th August 2018 at 10:26 pmFollow your Jeart is pretty good, Daiya not so good 😊
Sarah says
23rd September 2018 at 12:00 pmWe like the almond shredded cheese from Trader Joe’s. They also sell an almond cheese brand at Nugget Markets. I think it’s the best tasting out of all of the cheeses….and we’ve tried a LOT.
Emily says
17th February 2019 at 10:48 amThat’s because the almond cheese at Trader Joe’s still has Casein in it which is a dairy product. It may be lactose free but it is not 100% dairy-free.
Lisa says
23rd September 2018 at 8:10 pmAmy, if your daughter is lactose intolerant and not actually allergic to dairy, she should be fine with eating aged cheeses like Sharp Cheddar.
RenegadeRN says
19th October 2018 at 10:55 pmSo Delicious shreds! The best I’ve found, melts well too.
Lydia says
26th December 2018 at 5:46 pmAmy, somewhat ironically the company “Amy’s” makes an INCREDIBLE vegan mac ‘n cheese!
Lydia says
26th December 2018 at 5:56 pmAlso, Miyoko’s is AMAZING. All of their products are just incredible. I just tried their cream cheese and it is outstanding–their vegan butter is amazing too. They never use plan oil, either, so that is a huge plus to say the least. I’m really looking forward to trying their mozzarella as I’ve heard great things and this company has never failed to amaze me.
Chao is extremely good and now there’s another company similar to them that makes all kinds of vegan cheese products and they fortify it with B12 which I find really cool. I know chao is plan oil free and I believe the new company I referred to is, as well (sorry I don’t remember the name but it’s at whole foods all the time). Then you have nutritional yeast which is just awesome (and so healthy!)… you can make so many homemade vegan cheese recipes with it and it is AMAZING on popcorn. The website the vegan 8 or something like that, has the best vegan garlic alfredo sauce recipe ever! I don’t know why their site now says the nutritional yeast is optional because it’s absolutely necessary and they also now say to use more lemon juice as an option but use the lower amount they say because you definitely don’t want it too lemon-y.
Alyssa says
31st March 2019 at 7:43 pmChao vegan cheese is, by far, the best vegan cheese we’ve found (get the creamy original flavor). It comes in a block of slices, but we just treat it like a block, and shred it, when needed. The closest thing I can compare it to is a cross between american cheese and provolone. Does it taste exactly like regular cheese? No, but it is absolutely as close as we’ve found, and my daughter actually LIKES it. No other one we’ve tried even tasted remotely good. Sometimes it’s hard to find, and it’s expensive (as are most non-dairy foods), but Whole Foods carries it, and recently Walmart started to sell it as well. Walmart has it for the cheapest I have found anywhere.
Michelle McSwain says
3rd May 2019 at 7:45 pmI second your choice of Chao cheese. I think it’s the closest to the real thing, too. I also agree that Walmart carries this product at the lowest price. One of my local stores carries this cheese but for $2 more than Walmart. I like that the chao cheese melts like regular cheese when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Not a fan of Miyoko’s. I think the Trader Joe’s cream cheese taste better than Miyoko’s. I’m looking forward to making the mac n cheese recipe. It looks divine.
Nicole Holder says
12th November 2019 at 2:32 pmI’m fond of the Daiya mozzarella shreds, but not any of their other shreds. Their cheddar slices are okay fro grilled cheese if you combine it with other sauces. I used to use veganaise roasted garlic spread, but they don’t make it anymore. These things are also not great on their own, they definitely need to be combined with other ingredients and seasonings. The best thing I’ve heard anyone says comes very close is the non-dairy evolution cookbook. It’s inexpensive. I’ll warn you: most of the recipes require a high quality food processor or immersion blender, or strange ingredients you have to buy online, but I’ve read many comments that these recipes are the best people have tried.
Zoe says
14th August 2018 at 3:49 pmI REAALLLY want to start a food blog! Any tips?
Jason Sanford says
15th August 2018 at 9:03 amI’d recommend starting here! https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2016/08/20/how-to-start-a-blog/
Kirsten says
14th August 2018 at 5:55 pmThis looks really good, just like the stuff I grew up with but much better! I can’t wait to try it!
Emily says
16th August 2018 at 5:17 pmMade this yesterday and it was amazing, really creamy and tastes pretty close to the real thing. Thank you, Katie, for consistently great recipes 🙂
Shontel says
20th August 2018 at 2:42 amYummmmmy my 2 two boys 7 and 9 absolutely loved it , I also served it with broccoli and they didn’t even make a fuss about 😊
Julie says
21st August 2018 at 7:03 pmDo we add the nutritional yeast in the blender or when we are heating it up?
Gabriela says
23rd February 2019 at 1:13 amI add mine in the blender!
Lauren says
22nd August 2018 at 6:59 pmI saw on Instagram you used boxed mac and cheese noodles and your own sauce for the pictures. Which brand of vegan mac noodles did you buy? I’m dying to make them with the nostalgic noodle shape and I haven’t found any that are right yet. Thanks!
Shelly says
11th December 2018 at 11:03 amThe Creamette Ready Cut Spaghetti is like the Kraft noodles.
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
22nd August 2018 at 11:35 pmLOVE how rich and creamy this is…and LOVE that ingredient list too! 🙂
Miriam says
15th September 2018 at 8:12 pmThis is delicious! I substituted low sodium veg broth for the water and added in a quarter of a red bell pepper and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Will definitely be checking out more of your recipes! Thank you!
Jason Sanford says
16th September 2018 at 2:06 amLove the photo!
Amber says
19th September 2018 at 12:15 amI’m sorry but this did not taste like cheese at all. The only reason I even gave it 2 stars is it is creamy and rich. This is the first recipe from your site that I have ever not liked, and I’ve tried both sweet and savory. I have made vegan cheese recipes many times, with three different recipes as bases (depending on the ingredients in my pantry and what I’m making it for). I have done two different cashew cheese sauces and the one you referred to that uses potato, carrot, and mustard. All of them tasted better than this. I have never seen any cheese recipe using nutmeg before. Based on the taste of this recipe, I will never use it again. I had to add garlic powder, paprika, salt, and an ounce of goat cheese to make it taste decent (I’m not vegan, but use a lot of vegan recipes because I’m allergic to cow’s milk, and goat’s milk products get expensive very quickly).
Jason Sanford says
19th September 2018 at 7:48 amNot every recipe is for everyone, and that’s completely ok. I happen to really like this one (and I’m not vegan either) and have made it numerous times, but different people have different tastebuds and there’s no problem with that. However, I did want to mention that if you google mac and cheese recipes, many of them including Saveur, Food Network, and Martha Stewart do include a pinch of nutmeg. You don’t want too much, just a small pinch!
Kelly says
18th November 2018 at 10:42 am👋🏽 I stumbled upon this blog looking for a vegan Mac & cheese to prepare for thanksgiving. Did you use cashews? I’ve found that I do not like the use of cashews AT ALL in sauces and people rave about. Cashews leave a weird after taste. I will try using macadamia nuts to see if that makes a difference 😊
River says
21st October 2018 at 11:52 amI made this sauce for the first time yesterday (substituting real butter I had on hand as I’m lactose-intolerant, not vegan) and here’s my non-vegan input:
it certainly doesn’t pass as cheese but I could understand it being called “cheesy” by vegan standards. That being said it’s incredibly delicious in its own right and I scraped every last bit to lick off the spatula! I’ll definitely make this again!
Jason Sanford says
22nd October 2018 at 4:32 amAs another non vegan, I feel the exact same way as you about this recipe!
Jason
Tracey Meyers says
29th October 2018 at 2:01 pmI’ve never been a fan on Mac n cheese but now I have stopped eating dairy I decided to give this version a try!
WOW!! Its delicious!! I made double the cheese sauce and poured extra on my 2nd helping! Everyone loved it!
Thank you!!
Gabby says
29th October 2018 at 10:01 pmKatie! Your recipes are amazing, and this one is no exception. Seriously, the best vegan Mac and cheese I’ve ever made! I mixed in Daiya shredded cheeze and a little bit of nooch, and it was a great combo. I did double the recipe so my fiancé and I could have lots of leftovers. Thank you for creating and sharing such tasty recipes. You’re wonderful!
Rach says
5th November 2018 at 8:07 pmThis was really yummy and not as many ingredients as some vegan cheese sauces. I made the version without cheese shreds, but did use the buttery spread. I think that’s what sold it 🙂
Deirdre says
15th November 2018 at 2:51 amOK, this looks AMAZEBALLS! Can’t wait to try it. I clicked on it after seeing it on Instagram yesterday and on a vegetarian and vegan Facebook group today, because it looked so like the Kraft macaroni and cheese which I adored. I normally never buy nutritional yeast, even though I love it, because here in Spain it’s really expensive, but you’ve inspired me to go get it!
Plus it must have been the hardest subject to get a good photo of! Kudos for the great food photography, as usual!
Grace says
30th November 2018 at 5:07 pmI’ve made this twice and I love the flavor but I can’t get it creamy! The first time I thought maybe soaking the cashews longer would do the trick although it didn’t make a difference the second time (I soaked for over 6 hours). Any ideas??
dawn says
1st February 2019 at 2:09 pmtry blending the cashews and water first. then add the other ingredients to the blender.
Mommabear says
23rd March 2019 at 5:28 pmI agree with Dawn. If you don’t have a high speed blender, it’s harder to get the nuts really smooth and creamy without. Before I got a vitamix, someone said starting with a smaller amount of water also helps get them creamier.
marina says
1st December 2018 at 3:44 pmOmg this was soooo good! Really similar taste to Kraft mac n cheese and definitely one of the best vegan mac n cheeses I’ve ever had!
Becca says
11th December 2018 at 5:50 pmHi. You said a serving of of the cheese for the Mac and cheese is 1/3 of the recipe so got much is that for just the sauce?
Alexa says
4th January 2019 at 9:51 amMade this last night and the best part is that the kids loved it. Thank you for helping us start the new year in a more healthy way.
Amanda Stear says
6th January 2019 at 10:52 pmNon Vegan here. Made this for family that’s doing plant-based diet.
They, my 9 year old son and I really liked it!
My picky 4 year old was not happy it tasted a little different than his usual boxed Mac and opted for plain noodles.
But the rest of us had seconds and the recipe was shared!
Warning: it did smell a little bad while blending. But it was worth the taste! It really did taste like cheese. I followed the recipe to a tee (nutritional yeast).
Yummy. Plus, one person noted that their air fried cauliflower was good in the sauce as well! Will definitely do this again. So much healthier than the other stuff. Thank you Chocolate covered Katie!
Jennypoo says
14th January 2019 at 9:59 pmThis was a hit with my cheese crazy husband. I used olive oil instead of butter because that’s what I had on hand. And I used garlic powder instead of onion. I added a little bit of the pasta water to make it a little silkier. It was definitely gourmet quality. We’ll be eating this again for sure.
Stephanie says
21st January 2019 at 7:03 pmMade this for dinner tonight and put over a baked potato with beefless crumbles- delicious!! Thank you!
Terje says
25th January 2019 at 2:35 pmA bit of background – I’m doing veganuary so not usually vegan (I’m veggie though).
This was pretty good! Tastes like Cheetos (the crisps). I think my blender isn’t very good so the sauce was a wee chunky but overall a solid 7/10
dawn says
31st January 2019 at 4:35 pmi really like this sauce. how i like it most is as a dip for vegetables or as a nacho cheese sauce. looking forward to discovering what else i like it with!
Marnee says
1st February 2019 at 7:17 pmWow the sauce for this is amazing!!
This is going to be made quite often.
Erin says
3rd February 2019 at 1:19 amI’m not sure what I did wrong but the taste of this was not palatable. I expected it to be delicious but it was yeasty and both my cousin and I, crestfallen, gave up on our late night mac n’ cheese dreams.
Jason Sanford says
3rd February 2019 at 3:41 amYeasty? Nutritional yeast definitely has a flavor that not everyone is a fan of. Just try it with the non-nutritional-yeast option if you aren’t a nutritional yeast fan 🙂
Taylor says
14th February 2019 at 4:26 pmJust made this and thoroughly enjoyed it. I used apple cider vinegar, roasted carrot, added a little garlic powder and paprika, left out the nutmeg because I just don’t like it (and my taste buds pick it up from a mile away), and completely spaced on using the butter substitute. It came out great. I followed the advice I read in a comment to mix the cashews and water first, and the sauce came out a perfect consistency. Even made that mac ‘n cheese snicky sound when stirred. Such a nice, savory, warming dish on this cold and rainy day. I’m going to enjoy making this again, and trying different variations – thanks so much for posting.
Coral says
15th February 2019 at 6:17 pmThis came out AMAZING! Soooo good!
Boyfriend seal of approval!
Jason Sanford says
15th February 2019 at 6:47 pmThat looks amazing!
Elizabeth says
19th February 2019 at 6:32 pmI stopped eating dairy two years ago and have tried to find a good Mac and cheese recipe. This is the BEST. It’s so creamy and gives me the satisfaction and comfort of eating Mac and cheese. I find that the best vegan cheese substitutions don’t taste like the original cheese but are a delicious replacement in their own right. This recipe will be a regular at my house. I can’t wait to use it on veggies.
Cindy says
28th February 2019 at 10:45 amIt was very good, not a mac and cheese replacement by any stretch, but worthy as a sauce in its own way. My daughter also enjoyed it but could tell right away that it was a vegan cashew cheese sauce (I’m vegan, she’s not so she gets a mix of sauces). I’ll make it again for sure as it was very enjoyable.
Melissa Brunoehler says
28th February 2019 at 1:19 pmThis was so good! I’ve made other vegan “cheese” sauces but this one is my absolute favorite! I served it over GF brown riice pasta- yum!
Amy H says
6th March 2019 at 4:15 amI just made this tonight and oh my god I was so shocked at how cheesy and delicious the sauce is! I added roast cauliflower to the pasta and added bit more water to the sauce to make it thinner. Thanks so much for the recipe it’s way better than my other vegan Mac and cheese recipe! Yum yum yum
Zoe says
8th March 2019 at 4:48 pmI won’t compare this to The Blue Box – because even that doesn’t taste like I remember it, since they made the recipe healthier. But I just served this to a group – none of us vegans, two vegetarians – and we all thought this was really tasty. I did not use vegan cheese, just the cashews. I would definitely call it both creamy and cheesy.
Kristy says
9th April 2019 at 9:19 pmThis is THE BEST vegan mac and cheese ever!! Both my kids, 10 & 12 loved it!! I didn’t tell them it was vegan and homemade because they love the packet stuff. They had no idea and thought they were eating the packet stuff. So happy that I can give this healthier version and that it’s vegan!! Thank you for the recipe 🙏🏼✌🏼
Jason Sanford says
9th April 2019 at 9:51 pmThat looks so good!
Cheryl Maurice says
22nd September 2019 at 6:19 pmI must not have cooked carrot enough, mine cam out of the vitamin with tiny bits of carrots, no matter how long I blended it, never got creamy like your. What did I do wrong?
Jason Sanford says
23rd September 2019 at 2:26 amYes, just sounds like the carrots were not cooked enough – a vitamix should be powerful enough to completely pulverize cooked veg!
Lucy says
16th April 2019 at 2:11 pmThank you soooo much for sharing – I just made this for dinner and it’s so delicious! Satisfied my cravings!
Jennifer Marino says
9th May 2019 at 2:24 amI made this recipe for the second time this week. 😭❤️ So so so very delicious and creamy and amazing. Thank you!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
9th May 2019 at 2:40 amThank you so much for making it! 🙂
Taylor says
23rd May 2019 at 11:05 pmI’m not vegan or even vegetarian but I’ve made this 3 times in the past month and love it! The first time I made it with penne and use onion powder. I would definitely recommend making sure that the pasta you use is macaroni, as the the penne was just too big and chunky to use with this sauce. I now use garlic powder instead of onion powder and find the taste much nicer with the garlic. Also, make sure you add enough water, the first time I made it I didn’t use enough and it was very gluggy.
TeenChef says
26th May 2019 at 7:15 pmWow! This is so good! I went into this with no expectations, but it turned out amazing! Honestly, it’s a passable imitation of cheese— if I hadn’t been the one to make it, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell it was vegan. I’m really impressed!
sydney says
28th May 2019 at 1:05 amThis recipe is the best!! dont like the ones that have potato in it. I just added a tad of smoked paprika and it was the shiz
Shawna Hoffman says
1st June 2019 at 10:10 pmI just made this and all I can say is OH EM GEE!!! This is awesome! I used whole wheat rotelli noodles and added shredded cheddar vegan cheese. I used less noodles so I would have more sauce. Bravo!
Mary says
18th June 2019 at 6:45 pmIt is SO GREAT to read that many many families love this recipe! I like it too 🙂
I called this “Mac & Cheese” when I served it for family dinner.
“Where’s the Cheese??” is the question they all asked… 😂 😂 😂
If I replaced the word “cheese” with a different word, maybe they would have liked the flavour because they didn’t expect Cheese…? 🤔 🤷♀️
Elizabeth Dobson says
30th June 2019 at 10:10 pmThis recipe was really good!! After making your secret ingredient peanut butter cookies I thought, “this girl is onto something! Gotta try her Mac!” It did not disappoint. I think I’d just eliminate the salt next time. It was a little salty for me as is and I think the nooch was salty enough! Thanks for a great recipe!
Kathie says
2nd July 2019 at 12:08 pmQuestion – Do you have a favorite brand of nutritional yeast? I’ve never used it but have heard taste and quality can vary greatly. thank you!
Jason Sanford says
2nd July 2019 at 12:21 pmThe important thing is to look for a brand that has B12, because not all of them do. The brand that Katie uses the most often is Bob’s Red Mill!
https://amzn.to/2RNW7yN
Jason (media relations)
Clare R says
4th July 2019 at 12:31 amOh man, I was SO hesitant while cooking this. I’ve only been vegan for a few months and have never tried vegan Mac and cheese, so seeing the ingredients I wasn’t hopeful. But oh man, this is so good!! I added a pinch of smoked paprika and it’s amazing! My sauce was a little grainy, just cos I was inpatient and only soaked the nuts for 1 hour 45, but it still tastes great. Thanks for the recipe!
Claire says
5th July 2019 at 12:36 pmThis was great! After trying this there is no need to try any other vegan mac and cheese recipe. The comments gave me the impression that it wouldn’t actually taste like cheese, but I thought it did!
Suz says
13th July 2019 at 8:03 pmI just made this sauce. It is fabulous and full of flavor! The steamed carrot gives it that wonderful cheesy color. Excited to try it on macaroni tonight. I made the version with just the nutritional yeast. I may add some shreds for serving but it certainly doesn’t need anything added to it 🙂
Thanks for posting!!
Steve says
28th July 2019 at 11:08 amDoes the taste of the carrot come through? I ask because I don’t like carrots (taste or smell). I’m the only vegan I’ve ever known who dislikes them.
Jason Sanford says
29th July 2019 at 12:17 pmI don’t think it tastes like carrot at all, but you could always do this one instead and add vegan cheese or nutritional yeast: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2019/01/07/creamy-vegan-garlic-pasta/
Jim says
17th July 2019 at 11:57 amHello! I love this recipe and make it all the time. It really is the best vegan cheese sauce. I was wondering if you had ever tried freezing it, and if you did, if it was ok after. Thanks!
Jason Sanford says
17th July 2019 at 1:08 pmYou can, it will have a different texture but still good taste 🙂
Andy Ross says
10th August 2019 at 2:40 pmSuum Cuique but this is NOT Mac and Cheese, it’s Mac and a Cheese substitute and tastes nothing like a traditional Cheese sauce.
I’m fed up with Vegans calling foods by their traditional names when in fact they are nothing like the non-vegan originals.
Cheese is made from the pressed curds of milk anything else is a substitute
Dee says
20th August 2019 at 10:06 amHello, I haven’t made this yet but just wondering if the sauce freezes ok? I’m only one person and would love to make loads of Mac and cheese in one go to enjoy at a later date. Thanks in advance for your help!
Jason Sanford says
20th August 2019 at 10:58 amWould probably be not as creamy but taste still good!
Jill says
22nd August 2019 at 12:25 pmSo, I made this for the first time last night. I must say, I was SUPER skeptical because the ingredients for this alone sound weird when mixed together lol, however, I don’t know how, but they work together. I followed the recipe to a T and it is the most SIMILAR to kraft mac and cheese vegan version I have made. Nothing vegan will ever (to me) taste exactly like the non-vegan version, but this is a way healthier version and it does taste delicious and reminds me a lot of the kraft version
Jim says
31st August 2019 at 10:08 pmI made this exactly as written (using nutritional yeast) and it was so amazing!! I love Mac n cheese and always looking for a healthier version (I’m vegetarian trying to be more vegan). Will definitely make this again, wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you!
Heather says
15th September 2019 at 4:08 pmI made this tonight. It’s very tasty! I served it over GF macaroni.
Katie says
11th October 2019 at 2:08 pmWe LOVE this cheese sauce! We have used it on pasta, but we also like it as a dip for chips, crackers, carrots, peppers, etc. I especially like to mix it with pick de Gallo and dip tortilla chips in it. My husband, my 9 year old and I eat this sauce at least once a week!
Marie says
26th October 2019 at 11:58 amI’ve made this more than a handful of times now and it’s super easy and delicious. I don’t put any non-dairy cheese and I skip the butter spread/oil as well and it’s perfect every time. Thanks for the perfect recipe.
cc says
26th October 2019 at 12:29 pmThis is absolutely worth trying, whether or not it “works” is mostly up to personal taste. I think it’s a winner! I added 1/2 tsp of Crystal hot sauce (any vinegar based hot sauce will suffice) which didn’t add any heat but got it closer to that tang that the boxed stuff has. Let’s be honest, Kraft boxed M&C doesn’t taste like cheese, so it shouldn’t surprise us that this doesn’t really, either. It’s gooey, creamy and hits the spot!
The Missing Link says
10th November 2019 at 7:15 pmI’m an anti-vegan and this recipe is better than any other Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had. Ever. Period.
This recipe might bring me over to the dark side…
Pressure cooking the carrots made for an exceptionally creamy sauce. A smidge of mustard and/or sriracha takes the flavor up a notch. Using aquafaba for the rest of the thinning liquid helps with the cheesey-gooey texture. Leave out the fake cheese.
Jason Sanford says
11th November 2019 at 6:30 amI’m also a non vegan who loves the recipe, but I’ve never tried it with aquafaba. Thanks for the recommendation, I am so interested to try that now!
Jason
Julee says
20th November 2019 at 7:45 pmI left out the vinegar by accident, still came out delicious. Next time I will definitely double the recipe, it doesn’t make enough for my big eaters.
Jennifer says
21st November 2019 at 2:19 pmI LOVE this recipe! It might be an addiction. The only thing I’ve changed is that I use nut milk instead of water, but both ways are delicious!
Jason Sanford says
21st November 2019 at 3:26 pmThat’s so gorgeous!