My husband’s grandma used to say . . . actually, she still does, “the cheaper the meal, the better it tastes”. Mac & cheese was a staple in my husband’s house while growing up. That’s not surprising since mac & cheese is also one of the most popular (if not the most popular) comfort foods known to man – or at least any North American.
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Like other dishes referred to as comfort food, mac & cheese soothes more than our taste buds. It reaches much deeper into our psyche, all the way back to our childhoods. And there’s a subtle science to why we seek it out. New research has suggested that certain foods resonate with us not just because we enjoyed them in our childhood, but because of the feelings towards the people – often our parents or grandparents – who prepared the food for us. In other words, our love for certain foods is an extension of our feelings towards certain people.
Perhaps because of his childhood, my husband (Tanner) has been requesting mac & cheese for quite some time (ever since we got married, actually). So, here’s my vegan spin on this dish – it’s creamy, rich, and cheesy. The base for this vegan mac and cheese is made from yellow potatoes and carrots. If you’re a bit skeptical, trust me – this is the best vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever made. Instead of tasting potatoes and carrots, you’ll taste a lovely cheesy tang. This cheese sauce easily fools even a regular dairy consumer into thinking that this is the real thing. Even Tanner, who grew up on classic mac & cheese, prefers this version.
I’ve tried several other versions – using cashews, pumpkins, squashes, and sweet potatoes – but none of them came even close to this one. This potato-carrot “cheese” is seriously life-changing.
Tips for Making Vegan Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
I’ve been maintaining a plant-based diet for couple of years now. Do I miss the dairy-based creamy cheese sauces? No, but only thanks to some awesome vegan ingredients that mimic the taste of rich creamy sauces really well.
Cashews are probably the most poplar base for vegan cheese and creamy sauces. They are neutral in flavor, very creamy in consistency, and also soft and easy to blend. Put all of this together and you have an excellent base for plant-based creams and cheeses. The only reason I didn’t use cashews for this recipe is that they are quite heavy and high in calories. And since most people eat mac & cheese for dinner, I wanted a vegetable-based sauce.
Yellow potatoes and carrots are the way to go. While sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squashes are delicious as well, their sweet flavor simply overpowers the cheesy savory flavor of nutritional yeast. In case you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast, it’s an inactive form of yeast that provides cheesy flavor sans dairy. While nutritional yeast doesn’t taste exactly like cheese, it has the same umami flavor.
The final essential ingredient is olive oil. Many dairy sauces use animal fat to enhance flavor and consistency. Olive oil is a great alternative. You don’t need much to create a thick, creamy texture that resembles dairy sauces.
Technique
This vegan mac & cheese is one of the simplest comfort foods you can make. All you need to do is cook the root vegetables, put them into a blender together with the other ingredients for the cheese sauce and blend.
Tools You’ll Need
1. Blender (Vitamix 5200) | 2. Cookware Set (Calphalon, Stainless Steel) | 3. Knife Set (6 Pieces, Utopia, Stainless Steel) | 4. Cutting Board (24″x 18″, Michigan Maple Block, Maple) | 5. Measuring Cup (1 Cup, Pyrex, Glass) | 6. Measuring Cups(Set of 6, Stainless Steel) | 7. Measuring Spoons (Set of 6, 1Easylife, Stainless Steel)
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Vegan Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 10 oz macaroni pasta*
- 2 cups yellow potatoes, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup water, preferably from the pot of boiled veggies
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook macaroni al dente according to package instructions. Drain the cooking water and set the pasta aside.
- Boil the potatoes and carrots for about 15 minutes, until soft. Don't discard the cooking water - you can use it for the sauce.
- Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni and mix it well. Serve immediately.
- Store leftover mac & cheese covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on a stovetop, adding extra broth if it's too dry.
Recipe Notes
*I used quinoa macaroni pasta. This recipe has been adapted from Veggie on a Penny.
how long does the sauce last in fridge
It should keep for 2-3 days in the fridge 🙂
Just made this. Doubled the recipe. This tastes fantastic. Haven’t even cooked pasta yet and I should be careful not to eat it all straight from the pot.
Another amazing Nutritionrefined recipe.
Thank you, Petra.
Haha, that’s awesome! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Ellen! Thank you so much for the feedback!❤️
can i make this ahead and just warm it up to pour it over the pasta?
Yes, you absolutely can 🙂
Can i use sweet potatoe instead of carrots? that sounds better to me even i have never tasted this before.
HI Sally, I’ve never tried it. However, I’ve seen recipes for vegan mac and cheese where the cheese is made out of sweet potatoes only (no carrots, no regular potatoes). So you could try that or you could try what you suggested – subbing just the carrots for the sweet potatoes. Please, let me know how it goes if you give it a go 🙂
Have tried this and it tastes great, I would double the nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powder though.
Do you think I could freeze the sauce to use for a later date?
Hi Martha, I have tried freezing it! It freezes and thaws fairly well, however due to the potatoes the texture changes slightly after thawing. It becomes a tiny bit grainy maybe, but it’s very slight. If you try it out I’d love to know your opinion. Hope this helps!
Ive tried it out. Its still pretty good.
Thank you for the feedback, Ada! I am happy you liked the recipe 🙂
We made this last night. Very quick and easy and usually everything we have at home already. Those are the perfect kind of recipes. Thanks for sharing. Hubby love it too.
Diana
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it – thank you for the feedback, Diana. I really appreciate it. BTW, my husband loves this recipe too. It’s one of his favorites on the blog 🙂
My boyfriend and I both love this mac and cheese! I am allergic to nuts and always thought sauces made primarily from squash was too overpowering. This one is perfect, thank you so much!!
HI Emma – I am so glad you found a recipe that will work for you! My husband is pretty obsessed with this mac & cheese (and he’s not even vegan) so I hope you enjoy it as well 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment – I really appreciate it.
Can I use a half of a cup of cashews to make it a little cheesier or would it mess it up?
Hi Jennifer – you could certainly add cashews. However, just adding cashews won’t make the sauce cheesier. Cashews on their own don’t really have any flavor. So, on the contrary – if you do use cashews, you will need to amp up the spices and nutritional yeast so the sauce isn’t too bland. The cashews will make the sauce creamier, but not cheesier. Hope this makes sense 🙂
Petra, your taste buds must be different than mine because I can taste the difference when I put cashews in my food.
Oh no, I totally agree. I can taste cashews when I add them to my food (I talk about it in the blog post). What I was saying is that cashews don’t really impart any “cheesy” or even savory flavor.
That’s strange to me because I can taste a “cheesy” flavor when I have cashews in my vegan mac and cheese. Oh, well.
That’s great that you found what works for your taste buds 🙂 Do you still add nutritional yeast into your mac & cheese with cashews?
Thank You
You’re welcome 🙂
I had to adjust my palate for the flavor but after adding some Italian breadcrumbs and a little bit of pepper, it wasn’t too shabby. I’ll definitely make again because my stomach doesn’t like dairy products.
Hi Kesha – thank you for your comment. I am glad you made the recipe work 🙂 Unfortunately, dairy is one of those food groups so many people are intolerant to 🙁
My daughter is allergic to cashews, so I had to comment here with a huge THANK YOU, for posting this specific recipe. I haven’t made this yet but I’m going to try it without the family knowing what the ingredients are. They are very picky as I’m preparing more vegan dishes. We are not vegan, but we are allergic to gluten, dairy, beef, pork, sugar, and chicken. I know…!!!
OH MY! I am so sorry to hear this Nettie. Allergies and food sensitivities are so hard to deal with sometimes! I am so happy this recipe will work for you. I have a 3-year old who has a few dietary restrictions as well and it’s been so hard to explain to her why she can’t have certain foods. Fortunately, my family isn’t all that picky 🙂 I hope your family loves this recipe. My husband, who grew up on regular mac & cheese, LOVES this dish for instance (and no, he’s not a vegan 😉
Do you know the nutritional values/facts for this recipe?
Hi Sam – sorry, I don’t have it on hand. Every time I want to figure out macros and calories, I use an app. Is there anything particular you’re looking for? I can calculate it and let you know.
How many calories per serving does this contain?
Hi Cara – the whole meal has 1,724 calories so one serving would be around 431 calories. (Note: I calculated the calories using regular macaroni pasta. The calories will vary depending on what type of pasta you use).
I was skeptical when I saw that recipe, but I thought : “oh well, what do I have to lose. At least, I’ll know that this kind of stuff is no good.” Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. It was yummy! The only thing I did that was different was that I tripled the amount of lemon juice. I poured that sauce on top of broccoli and kale.
I made this for dinner tonight and it is pretty good. It definitely looks like yummy Mac and cheese! I used canola oil because I didn’t have olive oil. I also didn’t have onion powder so I added a couple tablespoons of raw onion. It’s a bit oniony but I love onions so it’s all good. My two year old is super picky and hasn’t tried it yet. I’ll keep offering it because I think he’ll like it. He’s allergic to dairy and nuts (including coconut) so this is the only Mac and cheese he’ll be eating anytime soon. I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe and will definitely try it again. Thanks!
Thank you for your feedback Amanda! My 3-year old loves this mac and cheese (she never had dairy-based mac and cheese). Hope your little one likes it too! ❤
Thanks so much for this recipe! My (adult) daughter has had food sensitivities since she was a baby. The only thing I had to change was to substitute 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and turmeric for the onion and garlic, as she can’t eat these. It also gives a nice “cheesy” color to the sauce due to the turmeric. Also, if you keep the sauce separate and freeze leftovers, you can just re-blend the thawed sauce and it gets rid of the “grainy” texture. I served it over gluten-free penne pasta. She loved it! She must have thanked me at least a dozen times, so I sent her a link to your website. Thanks again!
Aw, your comment just made my day, Ruth! I am so happy your daughter enjoyed the mac & cheese. I am not sure if your daughter follows a low-FODMAP diet (since you mentioned she can’t have onions and garlic), but if she does, you could also add ground chives (it’s a powder that offers the flavor of scallions and garlic). Thank you once again for taking the time to comment. It means a lot! ❤
Fab recipe. I love this Mac n Cheese, the cashew version is just too rich. I doubled nutritional yeast and spices a bit, and that last 1/2 teaspoon dash of cayenne gave it Pow! Thank you. Next time I am making Shitake Bacon to go on top. Yum. All your videos are so inspiring and Tyler’s taste testing is adorable.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Joanie! Thank you so much for the feedback ❤ I love the sound of shiitake bacon. Do you use liquid smoke for the bacon?
can you tell us the nutrition facts of this meal?
Hi Ohud – for sure! The entire recipe as is written has 1,700 calories. Total fat: 33.9 g, total carbs: 302 g (fiber 27.8 g), protein: 61.1 g.
I’m loving your blog since I’ve discovered your YouTube channel a couple of days ago! I have a very, very small blog where I share my own recipes, my children’s lunchboxes and healthy options. I’ll be trying your recipe in the next week and I was thinking about mixing some broccoli in the sauce…just a little bit to give it a greener touch. Do you think that will alter the texture? Love your videos and healthy lifestyle.
Hi Maria – are you thinking of blending the broccoli right in or just adding steamed broccoli into an already made sauce? I think that the texture would be fine if you wanted to blend it in, but the color might not be as appealing. My daughter LOVES broccoli, so I always steam some for her and serve it on the side. Hope your children enjoy it 🙂
I think I’m going to try with steamed broccoli! Just one question: for making coconut yogurt (another amazing video that I checked on YouTube!) which probiotic capsules do you recommend? I’m ordering from amazon…thank you!
Hi Maria – if you go to the actual recipe post for the coconut yogurt (https://nutritionrefined.com/vegan-yogurt/) and scroll all the way down to the recipe ingredients, you will see a link (it is an Amazon link) to the exact probiotics I use for making yogurt. The brand is called Renew Life.
Can you omit the oil?
Hi Monica – yes, you can. The “cheese” sauce just won’t be as smooth and creamy.
Is there anything aside from oil that can be substituted to keep the sauce creamy, smooth and not grainy. That’s the main problem that I face when making any version of vegan cheese sauces. I want a smooth consistency but always end up with a grainier looking sauce 🙁
Hi Mandy – you can certainly make creamy sauces without oil. However, I do admit that making creamy “cheese” sauces without oil is tricky. The one ingredients that increases creaminess and is usually on the ingredient list for vegan cheese sauces is nutritional yeast. Other ingredients that increase creaminess in general are nut and seed butters (tahini, cashew butter, and peanut butter are my favorite), avocados, plant-based yogurt, nut and seed creams (cashew cream is my favorite), full-fat coconut milk, and frozen fruit (especially bananas). Also, a powerful high-speed blender helps a lot!
Wasn’t crazy about this when it first came off the stove. There was some flavor in there not agreeing with me. However, the next day I added freshly ground pepper, paprika, and a bit of Vegenaise. It was delicious! I will be making this again.
Thank you for the feedback, Diane! Glad you enjoyed it the next day 🙂
My boyfriend (vegan/allergic to nuts) and I (allergic to most things) have made this recipe twice now, and will probably make it a million more times. It is amazing! It comes together so quickly and I appreciate how simple and healthy the ingredients are. Thank you so much!!!
Yay! You don’t even know how happy that makes me, Sarah! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and share your feedback ❤️
Okay, I made twice as much sauce as I needed ( I knew it would be good and it is). Now what to do with the leftover sauce? I am thinking a Tex Mex; zucchini, black beans, spinach, onions, shaved brussels sprouts, all sautéed with spices. Layered with tortillas and yummy leftover sauce with salsa. I think this sauce with do more than macaroni. Thank you for the inspiration.
Hi Jeaneen – thank you so much for the comment! The sauce is truly versatile. Other than the mac & cheese, I also use it as a nacho dip. It’s also wonderful drizzled over roasted broccoli or cauliflower 🙂
Delicious! My husband and I enjoyed this very much. My first vegan cheese attempt and I was delighted. We used red lentil pasta to boost the protein and served sliced fresh tomatoes to make it a classic dish. (I did forget the lemon juice, but will remember it next time!)
Thank you so much for the feedback, Sheri! ❤️ So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi Petra! Thanks a lot for this recipe!
Thank you for the rating, Olga! I really appreciate it ❤️
I am new to your site but so excited to try these recipes, they all look fantastic and especially good for the way I eat. Thank you for sharing and making videos that are easy to follow.
Thank you so much for the kind comment, Beth! ❤️ So happy you’re enjoying the recipes.
Hi there, I just found your blog and i’m in love! Have been really enjoying looking through your recipe archives <3
I have a question for this recipe-
If I am unable to eat nutritional yeast is there a substitution I could use to help give this a creamy cheesy flavour?
Thank you so much for your recipes! xx
Thank you for such kind words! So happy you’re enjoying my blog. Hmm, substituting nutritional yeast is really tricky. To be honest, I haven’t found a good substitute yet. I have tried a few things (mustard, mustard powder, dehydrated mushrooms, ground cashews …) but nothing quite replaces the creaminess and cheesiness of nutritional yeast. Sorry! 🙁
Delicious!!! I used penne pasta since I didn’t have elbow pasta. I also added sauteed onions & peppers and steamed cauliflower in honor of my Mom. She always added extra veggies to her mac & cheese. Then I baked the dish for 30 mins in the oven. Thank you for posting this recipe!!
Thank you for the kind words, Evelyn! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. ❤️
This is my go-to recipe for making mac and cheese. Literally so delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Yay! Thank you so much for your feedback, Madhvi. So happy the recipe is a hit 🙂
Hey Petra your recipes are literally life changing. Thank you so much. I don’t have any nutritional yeast neither can I find any. If there any way I could make this recipe without it . Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for such a kind comment, Erhum! So happy you’re enjoying the recipes. Is there a possibility for you to get nutritional yeast online? There are a lot of places that carry it. The nutritional yeast is really important for the cheesy flavor. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a suitable alternative yet 🙁
Thank you so much for replying Petra i really appreciate it❤️❤️
You’re welcome!❤️
Hi Petra! I tried the recipe today, but mine turned out tasting exactly like mashed potatoes instead of that classic Mac n Cheese taste. I added all the seasoning and nutritional yeast and the flavor is there, but it still had a strong potato taste. The texture was also very mashed potato like, so I’m not sure if yours came out this way as well?
Hi Ashley, I am so sorry to hear that! Hmm, that’s odd, but I am sure we can figure it out.
1. What type of potatoes did you use? (Russet, Yukon Gold, white, fingerling, …)
2. How many potatoes and how many carrots did you use and how did you measure?
3. Did you use a blender to blend all the ingredients? If so, what type of blender?
4. Was the sauce smooth and pourable?
Hi Petra,
Sorry for the late reply!
1) I used Russet potatoes
2) 2 cups potato (around 2 large potatoes) and 1 cup carrots (around 1 large carrot)
4) I used the KitchenAid food processor.
5) It but very thick. I added more water but the mixture still has a very grainy texture that you would normally have with a potato.
Hi Ashley, from your comment, I am pretty sure I know where things went wrong.
1. Russet potatoes are starchy potatoes. They are firm, dry, and obviously, starchy. So, they are ideal for french fries or baked potatoes. For this mac & cheese, I highly recommend Yukon gold (yellow) potatoes, which are soft with a velvety, creamy texture when mashed/blended.
2. Yup, that is correct.
3. A food processor will not work. Not only that but, it will make the potatoes pasty and gummy. You do need to use a blender for this recipe to work.
I hope you will enjoy the recipe more the next time you give it a try 🙂
Hi Petra! Wow, thank you so much for all the details! I didn’t know a food processor would yield a different result from a blender, but I’m glad I’ve now learned something! I really appreciate the help 🙂
You’re very welcome, Ashley 🙂 Glad it was helpful.
Do you the nutrition information for this recipe please! Thank you!
I meant, do you have the nutrition information for this recipe? Thank you!
For sure! I just added the info 🙂
Hi Petra
Just made this amazing recipe. I replaced the garlic and onion powder with mustard powder and sweet paprika. I use an extra 1/2 cup of the water as the blender could not get a grip on the sauce. I only used 1/4 cup of the nutritional yeast. Previous tries with making a vegie base cheese sauce i soaked 1/4 cup cashews and then added it to the pot to cook with the veg, it gave the sauce a very rich texture. Are you sure this recipe is for 4 people, with the taste of this meal it could be for 3 people. ♀️. Have to agree with Tanner this is better than the usual mac and cheese.
Aw, thank you Geraldine! So happy you enjoyed it so much!❤️
What alternative can i use for Nutritional yeast?
Hmm, that’s tricky. The nutritional yeast is what gives the sauce the cheesy flavor. I honestly don’t know of any good alternatives. Sorry!
Hi Petra, Wow! The Mac and Cheese is excellent! The flavour is rich and the texture is so creamy and cheesy. This is an amazing recipe. I am so grateful that you created tasty, dairy free, plant-based cheese sauce. Thank you for sharing! I am going to enjoy this meal more often.
Hi Nicole – thank you so much for the wonderful review! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!