Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese uses a sauce of boiled potato, carrot and cashews blended with nutritional yeast until smooth and glossy. Potato starch gives the sauce its stretch, carrot gives it a cheddar-orange colour, and cashews add the richness that dairy usually brings. Lemon juice, mustard and garlic provide the tangy, savoury notes that make it taste cheesy.
By Luca Ferraro
Published
- Prep Time
- 10 mins
- Cook Time
- 20 mins
- Total Time
- 30 mins
- Servings
- 6 servings
How do you make Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese?
For vegan mac and cheese, simmer 300 g diced potato, 1 carrot, 1/2 onion and 75 g raw cashews in water for 12-15 minutes until very soft. Blend them with 250 ml unsweetened plant milk, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder and salt until silky, then toss with 450 g (1 lb) cooked egg-free macaroni.
- Total time
- 30 mins
- Calories
- 470 per serving
- Protein
- 17 g
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Boiling and blending
Ingredients
Pasta
Sauce
Equipment
Medium saucepan · Large pot · Colander · High-speed blender
Quick Directions
Simmer the vegetables and cashews
Put the potatoes, carrot, onion and cashews in a medium saucepan and cover with water by about 2 cm.
Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente.
Blend the sauce
Blend the vegetables and cashews with the plant milk and seasonings until silky.
Combine and serve
Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes, until hot and evenly coated.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these detailed steps to make the perfect creamy vegan mac and cheese.
Simmer the vegetables and cashews
Put the potatoes, carrot, onion and cashews in a medium saucepan and cover with water by about 2 cm. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potato and carrot are very soft when pierced with a knife.
Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain it and return it to the pot.
Blend the sauce
Scoop out 250 ml (1 cup) of the vegetable cooking water, then drain the vegetables and cashews. Put them in a blender with the plant milk, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until completely smooth and glossy, adding some of the reserved cooking water if it is too thick to blend.
Combine and serve
Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes, until hot and evenly coated. Thin with a splash of the cooking water or plant milk if needed, taste for salt and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use yellow, waxy-to-medium potatoes such as Yukon Gold. Very starchy baking potatoes can turn the sauce gluey when blended.
- A high-speed blender gives the smoothest sauce. With a regular blender, soak the cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes before simmering them.
- The sauce thickens as it cools, so keep a little cooking water or plant milk on hand to loosen it.
Variations
- Nut-free: leave out the cashews and add 2 extra tbsp olive oil and another small potato.
- Baked: spread it in a baking dish, top with panko tossed with olive oil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
- Stir in steamed broccoli or peas, or add 1/2 tsp chili flakes for heat.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 470 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbs | 74 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated fat | 2 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 510 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also keep the sauce on its own for up to 5 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze the sauce alone for up to 3 months. Mixed with pasta it freezes too, but the pasta softens.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave with a splash of plant milk, stirring, until hot to 74°C (165°F).
Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese FAQs
What is vegan mac and cheese sauce made of?
This one is made from boiled potato, carrot, onion and cashews, blended with plant milk, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and spices. The potato thickens it, the cashews make it rich and the nutritional yeast gives it a savoury, cheesy flavour.
Can I make vegan mac and cheese without cashews?
Yes. Leave out the cashews, add another small potato and 2 extra tbsp olive oil. The sauce will be a little lighter but still smooth and creamy.
Why does vegan cheese sauce turn gluey?
Overblending very starchy potatoes, like russets, releases too much starch and makes the sauce sticky. Use yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold and blend only until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
What does nutritional yeast taste like?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast sold as yellow flakes or powder. It has a savoury, nutty flavour that reads as cheesy, which is why it is used in most vegan cheese sauces.
Is all pasta vegan?
Most dried pasta is made only from durum wheat and water, so it's vegan. Fresh pasta and some dried egg noodles contain egg, so check the label before you buy.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
