Dairy free mac n cheese
This vegan mac and cheese recipe has an amazing cheesy flavor that your whole family will love. No cashews, no soy, no potatoes and no carrots and only five ingredients! Just straightforward, classic vegan comfort food. One pan, easy vegan weeknight lunch or dinner. Kid and budget friendly vegan recipe. Instant pot and stove top directions.
This creamy vegan mac is the ultimate comfort food!
I’ve messed around with many ways to make vegan mac and cheese. This is by far the easiest way possible.
This recipe has minimal ingredients, doesn’t require blending up a cheese sauce in a high powered blender or soaking cashews, boiling carrots and potatoes.
The best part is, it’s a one pot meal.
Perfect for a weeknight or lazy, I’m-not-getting-out-of-my-pajamas weekend meal.
Bonus points: no sink full of dirty pots and pans when you’re done making dinner.
If you want some more creamy vegan pasta dishes, check out my Creamy vegan orzo with spring vegetables recipe, or my easy vegan chick’n fettuccini alfredo. when you’re done with this.
Ingredients
This nut-free vegan mac and cheese is full of simple ingredients that are easy-to-find and great if you have a nut allergy.
- Non-dairy milk – Unsweetened and plain coconut milk or oat milk work the best in this recipe. Bonus points if you can find extra-creamy oat milk.
- Vegan cheese – Make sure that the brand you use is nut free! Vegan cheddar makes a great cheesy sauce. Vegan parmesan cheese is nice to add on top.
- Vegan butter – This will make the creamy sauce even more decadent. Make sure the butter you use is nut-free!
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Nutritional yeast
- Onion powder
- Pasta – Use whatever is your favorite pasta! Macaroni noodles are great! Use whole wheat pasta if you’d like it to be a bit healthier, or gluten-free pasta, like brown rice pasta, if you’d like it to be gluten free. Cook it al dente if you don’t want it to be too soggy. Use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Recipe tips
- Add vegan butter to the pot of dry noodles, water and salt. This helps prevent the starchy pasta water from foaming up when you quick release it.
- If you can’t find vegan butter, most margarines work as well.
- My favorite vegan milk to cook savory dishes with is So Delicious unsweetened and plain coconut milk. Oat milk work as well.
- I don’t recommend soy or almond milk. They always leave a weird, unpleasant after taste
- If cooking in the instant pot, quick release after cooking on high pressure for 4 minutes
- If cooking in the instant pot, use only 4 cups of water for 16 oz of pasta
- Don’t worry about draining the pasta after it cooks in the instant pot. The cooked pasta should have absorbed most of the water and the water that is left is starchy and will help to thicken the mac and cheese
- Set your instant pot to sauté after the pasta cooks and add in the milk, cheese, garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast and salt to taste.
- Feel free to add any more flavors that you’d like. Some good ideas are: smoked paprika, paprika and mustard powder. I also love adding frozen green peas.
Storing & reheating
Fridge – This dairy-free mac and cheese will last in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5-7 days.
Freezer – This recipe freezes well! The best way to reheat it, is to let it thaw out completely in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat – Add the creamy pasta to a small saucepan. On medium low heat It will need a splash of liquid to get it creamy again, since the pasta will have soaked up some of the cheese sauce. Add a splash of non-dairy and nut free milk or water. Add in a couple shreds of vegan, nut free cheese as well, to add in more flavor. Stir until it warms through. Should take about 5 minutes if it’s been in the fridge.
You can also reheat this simple vegan mac in the microwave. Just add a splash of non-dairy, nut free milk or water and stir. Cover with a damp paper towel.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVED THIS RECIPE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
Try these recipes next:
- Barley stuffed peppers
- Vegan mushroom stroganoff
- Vegan Swiss Fondue
- Instant pot vegan chili
- Dairy free lasagna
- Vegan bechamel sauce
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Vegan mac and cheese (no cashews no soy)
Equipment
- Pressure cooker optional
Ingredients
- 16 oz. pasta shells
- 4 cups water (if making in the instant pot)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegan butter (make sure it's nut free & made in a nut free facility)
- 1 cup unsweetened extra creamy oat milk
- 2 cups vegan cheese (make sure it's nut free & made in a nut free facility)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Instant pot directions
- Add the whole 16oz box of pasta, water, salt and vegan butter to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Quick release. Be careful of foam spilling over. The fat in the butter should prevent too much foam from spilling.16 oz. pasta shells, 4 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp vegan butter
- Set the instant pot to saute. Add oat milk, vegan cheese, garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast and salt to taste. Stir until the vegan cheese melts.1 cup unsweetened extra creamy oat milk, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, Salt and pepper to taste, 2 cups vegan cheese
- Bonus: Add steamed peas, broccoli or artichokes to make this even tastier.
Stove top directions
- In a large pot, add the pasta and cover with water. Cook until it's al dente, or the texture you prefer.16 oz. pasta shells
- Once pasta has cooked, save ¼ cup of the pasta water and strain the rest away.
- Return the pasta to the large pot. Add the oat milk, pasta water, vegan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and nutritional yeast. Stir on low heat until everything is melted and mixed together and the cheese sauce thickens up.1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp vegan butter, 1 cup unsweetened extra creamy oat milk, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 cups vegan cheese
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.
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