How to make vegan mac and cheese on the stove
The absolute best creamy vegan stove top mac and cheese recipe. Quick, easy and healthy-ish vegan comfort food recipe. Kid friendly, easy weeknight dinner idea.
HOLY SHIT, I finally perfected my easy, creamy vegan stove top mac and cheese. Y’all are gonna fucking LOVE it!
I make this every single week, sometimes twice a week because it’s so easy and comforting and it’s not terrible for you either.
I love to add in some frozen broccoli or peas because this cheese sauce makes everything you eat it with taste like god’s pussy (divinely delicious).
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT, CREAMY VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE
Use your favorite pasta. Mine are shells. If you’re a health Queen, choose whole wheat pasta, or that fun lentil pasta to add some more protein.
If you’re allergic to cashews, you can easily sub for raw sunflower seeds, or silken tofu.
Throw in a handful of frozen peas or broccoli.
If you want to up the protein, sometimes I also add some chickpeas or kidney beans to this. I know it sounds weird, but it’s more filling.
My favorite cheeses are Violife mature cheddar, or any of their flavors, honestly. Chao is also really good and Daiya cheddar is my last choice, but it’s easy to find and will get the job done
When you re-heat this, add a few splashes of water or coconut milk. It thickens up as it cools off.
If you use the slices instead of the shreds, just chop them up before adding them to the pan. You can also use whatever vegan cheese you fancy, you don’t have to follow my rules. (I hate following rules too)
Use unsweetened plain coconut milk. Like So Delicious green box. I don’t recommend soy or almond milk as it ALWAYS leaves a funky after taste.
If you can’t find that coconut milk, water works just as well, it just will be a little less creamy, but still damn good.
Buy your cashews or sunflower seeds in bulk online. It’s way cheaper
Make these recipes next:
Best creamy vegan stovetop mac and cheese
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews – can also sub for raw sunflower seeds if you're allergic, or ½ cup of silken tofu. But I recommend the raw cashews
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.25 cup unsweetened plain coconut milk – if you can't find this, water works as well.
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheese of choice. I like using Violife or Daiya cutting board series shredded cheddar
- 1 lb dry pasta shells
- Handful of frozen green veggie of choice like peas or broccoli optional
Instructions
- Boil water and pour over raw cashews (or sunflower seeds if you’re subbing) – let them soak for 10 minutes while you prepare everything else. Drain them once they’re done. If you’re subbing silken tofu for the cashews, skip this step and just add tofu to the blender with the other cheese sauce ingredients.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and cook your shells according to package.
- Once your shells have one minute left of cooking, add your frozen veggie of choice to the pasta water with the shells. This will cook the veggies without having to use another pot. Drain when done
- While shells are cooking, add coconut milk, cashews (once they’ve soaked and drained) nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and salt to a blender (everything but the shredded cheese and pasta basically)
- Blend on high until smooth – about 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low on the pan you drained the pasta from and add the cashew mixture and the cup of shredded vegan cheese
- Stir and let it thicken a little. About one minute.
- If it gets too thick, just add a splash of the coconut milk or water
- After about a minute, add the pasta shells to the pan and mix it all together
- Add more salt if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
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Best creamy vegan stove top mac and cheese
Francesca Stafford
What gets you a closer true Mac n cheese flavor? The silken tofu or the cashew?
Damn tasty vegan
Cashews. That’s how I originally intended the recipe. I provided the tofu or sunflower seeds as an alternative for people with allergies. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Damn tasty vegan
Cashews. That’s how I originally intended the recipe. I provided the tofu or sunflower seeds as an alternative for people with allergies. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Francesca Stafford
Great, thank you! I’ll be doing the cashew for sure then 🙂