Perhaps the best baked vegan Mac and Cheese you will ever eat! This recipe has everything you crave: pasta tossed in a luscious vegan cheese sauce and baked to perfection with a crispy Panko breadcrumb topping. Itโs plant-based comfort food at its best!
Have you ever heard people say that vegan food is boring? Well, they clearly haven’t tried this vegan baked mac and cheese! Trust me, this dish is anything but boring. Why not give it a try and see for yourself? Hereโs why youโll love it:
- Creamy & Silky Smooth Texture
- Crispy
- Full of flavor
- Simple, Easy, and Quick to Prepare
- Dairy-Free
- Absolutely Delicious
What is Macaroni & Cheese? Mac and cheese is a beloved American classic, traditionally made with loads of cheese and butter. But in this vegan version, weโre swapping out the dairy for raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and a mix of tasty spices. Not only is it 100% plant-based, but itโs also a bit healthier and less fatty than the original.
You can make mac and cheese on the stovetop or bake it in the oven. Both methods are delicious, but if you top it with some Panko breadcrumbs and bake it for just 10 minutes, you get a crispy, crunchy top layer thatโs simply marvelous!
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Vegan Cheese Sauce
Making a vegan cheese sauce is surprisingly easy! Just blend a few ingredients in a high-speed blender until you get a creamy, cheesy sauceโno cooking needed! The main ingredients are raw cashews and nutritional yeast, staples in the vegan kitchen. Nutritional yeast is a fantastic source of B vitamins, including B12, which is often lacking in a vegan diet.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Pasta: Macaroni noodles are classic, but I love using medium pasta shells (Conchiglie Rigate) because they soak up the cheese sauce beautifully.
- Cashew Nuts, Nutritional Yeast, and Spices: These make the delicious dairy-free cheese sauce. Cashew nuts don’t need to be soaked if you have a high-speed blender. However, if you only have an immersion blender or a blender with low speed, presoak them for 10 minutes in hot water.
- Panko: Japanese breadcrumbs that are coarser and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. Perfect for the topping! You can find it in any Asian shop or the Asian aisle in any major supermarket.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried to season the Panko. Sage works too.
- Dairy-Free Butter: To toast the Panko. Olive oil works as well if you don’t have vegan butter.
Visual Step-by-Step Guide
This recipe is easy, quick, and simple to follow. Hereโs a visual guide to help you make it perfectly the first time:
- Cook the pasta in boiling salt water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. IMPORTANT: Don’t overcook. The pasta will bake for an additional 10 minutes!
- Heat the butter in a small saucepan. Add thyme and panko and roast until golden brown and fragrant (takes about 5 minutes). Set aside.
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- Meanwhile, add all ingredients for the cheese sauce to a blender and blend into a smooth sauce.
- Toss pasta with cheese sauce.
- Pour it into a baking dish (6 x 9 inches | 15 x 23cm) and sprinkle with the toasted Panko breadcrumbs.
- Bake mac and cheese for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. The vegan cheese sauce thickens quite a bit during baking. Serve with this simple green salad & Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Slightly undercook your pasta! Remember, the pasta will continue to cook in the oven with the cheese sauce for another 10 minutes, so it can get quite soft. To avoid overcooking, simply cook the pasta according to the package instructions but reduce the time by 1 minute. This method always ensures perfectly cooked pasta every time!
Variations
- Pasta: If you don’t have elbow pasta at hand, use other short pasta. I recommend elbow macaroni, pipe rigate, or cellentani.
- Panko: Can be substituted with regular breadcrumbs, although panko is the crispier option!
- Veggies: Boost the nutrition by adding some cooked broccoli, peas, raw spinach, or kale to the pasta before baking.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Store leftovers directly in the baking dish (e.g., covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil โ easiest for later reheating) or in an airtight container in the fridge. Stays fresh for 2-3 days.
Reheat for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 400ยฐF (200ยฐC).
You can easily prepare this vegan pasta bake in advance. Just follow the recipe instructions up to the baking step, then cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to one day. When youโre ready to serve, simply bake it straight from the fridge according to the recipe instructions for 10 minutes!
More Vegan Pasta Recipes Youโll Love
- Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
- Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
- Vegan Lasagna Bolognese
If you make this recipe, Iโd love for you to give it a star rating โ below.
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๐ Recipe
Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Click on the stars to leave a vote!
Save This Recipe! ๐
Ingredients
Mac and Cheese
- 7 oz medium pasta shells or elbow macaroni
- 1 tbsp dairy-free butter or olive oil
- ยฝ tsp thyme fresh or dried
- ยผ cup panko breadcrumbs
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashew nuts
- 1 ยผ cup water
- โ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ยฝ tsp garlic powder
- ยฝ tsp onion powder
- ยผ tsp black pepper
- ยผ tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder
- ยผ tsp ground smoked paprika or regular paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 395ยฐF (200ยฐC).
- Cook the pasta in boiling salt water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.ย โ IMPORTANT:ย Donโt overcook. The pasta will bake for an additional 10 minutes! If you reduce the cooking time to -1 minute, you will be on the safe side.
- Heat the butter in a small saucepan. Add thyme and panko and roast until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add all ingredients for the cheese sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Toss pasta with cheese sauce and pour into a baking dish (6 x 9 inches | 15 x 23cm). Sprinkle with the toasted panko breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. โ The vegan cheese sauce thickens quite a bit during baking.
- Serve with this simple green salad & enjoy!
Notes
- Cashew nuts don’t need to be soaked if you have a high-speed blender. However, if you only have an immersion blender or a blender with low speed, presoak them for 10 minutes in hot water.
- Panko: I highly recommend using panko for this recipe. Those Japanese breadcrumbs are coarser and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. However, if you don’t have panko at hand, replace it with regular breadcrumbs.
- Store leftovers directly in the baking dish (e.g., covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil โ easiest for later reheating) or in an airtight container in the fridge. Stays fresh for 2-3 days.
- Reheat for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 400ยฐF (200ยฐC).
Simple and easy, but it was the best vegan Mac-n-cheese recipe Iโve tried over the past 5 years. Have already marked the recipe as a favorite.
Happy to hear, Kathy! ๐ฅฐ
Hi Aline! Iโve not been thrilled with most of the vegan Mac and cheese recipes Iโve tried but Iโm looking forward to making yours. I ordered a special baking dish just for this recipe and it should arrive in a few days. Iโll keep you posted ๐
Oh the stakes are high, Joe! ๐ I hope you do enjoy this vegan mac and cheese recipe! โค๏ธ
It was great! I had to make a few minor adjustments to your recipe though. My new baking dish is 15cm x15, quite a bit smaller than yours, but all the macaroni and bread crumbs fit OK. Because I used the same amount of ingredients as you in my smaller dish the result was a greater depth. So I figured I should lower the temperature to 190ยฐC And cook it a few months longer to make sure it was cooked all through. Happily everything turned out great, even my last minute homemade bread crumbs.
Iโm embarrassed to say how much Iโve eaten already but after two days itโs almost gone. Thanks for sharing such a great recIpe and such wonderful instructions!
Hi Joe, I am so glad you finally found a vegan mac and cheese recipe you like! Thank you so much for letting me know. Being able to make adjustments to the recipe shows what a great chef you are! โค๏ธ
Sending you some hugs,
Aline
My husband and I loved this recipe. I think the mustard gives the extra kick ๐
Add mushrooms and red pepper too!
Hi Judy, I am thrilled to hear that you and your husband loved the Mac & Cheese! Thank you for letting me know! โค๏ธ