The best vegan cheese sauce
Dairy free and can be made gluten free. This delicious vegan smoked gouda mac and cheese is quick and easy to make. If you feel like you could never ever stop eating cheese, this recipe is sure to satisfy your cheese cravings.
My oh my, what do we have here? This, my friends, is a certified mouth-gasm in a bowl.
I probably make this recipe about once a week. You know those days when you’ve just had enough of everything and you need a big bowl of comfort food to make the world seem right again?
Well, this recipe hits the spot and it cleans off those rose-colored glasses again.
I love how easy it is to make as well. You boil some pasta, throw some shit in a blender and, Voila, instant homemade, soul warming food.
Tips for making the best vegan mac and cheese
- If you have left overs the next day, when you re-heat this bad boy, add a little bit of water. It thickens up the longer it sits or the more you heat it up.
- If the sauce is too thick for you liking, add a splash of water. The longer the sauce is heated up, the more thick it becomes.
- You don’t need to soak your cashews over night. You can do a quick soak by boiling some water and soaking the cashews for 10 minutes
- Always use raw cashews.
- If you want this to be gluten free, then just use gluten free pasta. The sauce is already gluten free.
- I love eating this with steamed broccoli or peas. It adds some greens to your meal which is always a good thing.
- If you need some extra comfort or decadence, add in a tablespoon of vegan butter when blending the cheese sauce. You can also leave it out and it’s still very tasty and a bit healthier.
This vegan cheese sauce is so simple. It doesn’t even require buying store-bought vegan cheese. It’s only made up of cashews, water and spices.
This vegan cheese sauce is a hell of a lot healthier for you than dairy mac and cheese because it contains no cholesterol.
Plus, it’s full of good fats from cashews. Cashews have been linked to “ benefits like weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and a healthier heart.” according to healthline
What if I’m allergic to cashews
I haven’t tried this recipe any other way, but you may be able to substitute a half a carton of silken tofu for the cashews. It won’t be as thick and creamy, but it will do the trick. I have made a creamy vegan alfredo sauce this way and it turned out wonderful.
How long will this last
This lasts about a week in the fridge, if you can manage to not eat it all in one sitting. You can also freeze this and reheat it. It may be a little mushy, but it’s not too bad.
What to serve vegan mac and cheese with:
Other amazing vegan cheese recipes:
And I think that’s it! I hope you enjoy this delicious, comforting vegan smoked gouda mac and cheese. It will definitely knock your socks off!
Leave me a comment below and tell me how you liked this recipe, or if you have any questions.
I love hearing from you.
And as always, sharing is caring, so share this recipe with a mac and cheese addict who says they could never ever give up cheese. I am up for the challenge!
Happy munching!
Creamy, vegan smoked gouda mac & cheese
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1½ cups of water
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke or smoked paprika
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1½ teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 8 oz of dry pasta shells (Use gluten free pasta if wanting to make this recipe gluten free)
Instructions
- Soak your cashews in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Drain after soaking.
- Bring salted water to a boil on stovetop. Cook the pasta shells and drain.
- Pour all of your cheese sauce ingredients (everything except the pasta shells) into the blender and blend until smooth.½ cup raw cashews, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1½ teaspoon salt, Juice of ½ lemon, 1½ cups of water, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke or smoked paprika, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1½ teaspoon corn starch, 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- Pour cheese sauce into a pan on low/medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens (about 5 minutes)
- To make extra decadent add another tablespoon of vegan butter to cheese sauce and let melt.
- Once cheese sauce is thickened, add the pasta and mix it all together. If it thickens too much, add a drop of water until you get the consistency you desire8 oz of dry pasta shells
- Add steamed broccoli, salt and pepper if needed and Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Christy
Thank you so much for this recipe! My daugter found it on Pinterest and it has quickly become a family favorite! 🙂
Damn Tasty Vegan
That’s wonderful! It’s one of my favorite recipes as well because it’s so easy and minimal ingredients. Thank you for the kind comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Andrea Verhulp
I absolutely love this recipe. I have a few friends that are allergic to nuts as well as dairy… do you know if this could be made using an alternative to cashews? Maybe an oat milk? Or coconut milk?
Maria
So glad you love the recipe! Here is my nut and dairy free mac and cheese recipe. If you want to make it a smoked gouda, just use vegan smoked gouda cheese or add in 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke https://damntastyvegan.com/instant-pot-vegan-mac-and-cheese/
Ruth
This is the best cheesy vegan sauce I’ve ever made, thank you!
LM
Can you make this without the vegan butter??
Damn Tasty Vegan
Yep! It will be a little less rich but still delicious
Kimandcaz
This is delicious. My husband couldn’t believe it didn’t have real cheese. I added roasted broccoli. Try it you will love it!!
Damn tasty vegan
So glad you loved it! I love the roasted broccoli idea! Thanks for that tip
Miranda
This is without a doubt the BEST vegan mac/cheese sauce recipe I have ever tried – and I’ve made many! This recipe has totally become a staple in my house. I made with vegan seitan ribs and bread pudding for a vegan southern meal that reminded me of home.