Mind-Blowing Vegan Mac and Cheese

a gooey slice of vegan mac and cheese with crispy topping on a green plate.

4.91 from 243 votes

Mind-Blowing Vegan Mac and Cheese

This crispy baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Macaroni is coated in an easy and creamy cheese sauce, then topped with buttery breadcrumbs and baked in the oven for the perfect creamy-crispy contrast. So good it'll be gobbled up by vegans and non-vegans alike.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Resting Time10

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

1 small carrot ~50g
8 oz (227g) Yukon gold potatoes (see Note 1)
115 g raw cashews (this is ¾ cup + 1 TBSP)
2 cups (480 mL) water
50g nutritional yeast (this is ½ cup + 2 TBSP)
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp turmeric for color
3 to 4 tsp soy sauce
1 ½ TBSP dill pickle brine (don’t use brine from sweet pickles, see Note 2 for sub)
2 ½ TBSP (35g) extra virgin olive oil (or vegan butter, melted)
Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (see Note 3)

Crispy Topping

2 ½ TBSP (35g) vegan butter, melted
65g panko breadcrumbs (this is ~ ¾ cup + 2 TBSP)
1 TBSP (5g) nutritional yeast
⅛ tsp smoked paprika

Macaroni

12 oz (340g) elbow macaroni
1 ½ TBSP (21g) vegan butter

Instructions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the macaroni.
Peel the carrot, then slice into ¼” coins (6 mm). Peel the potatoes, then cut into 1” chunks (2.5 cm).
Add carrots, potatoes, and cashews to a medium saucepan and cover with enough water to submerge. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are soft and easily smash with a fork. Drain and let rest until no longer hot.
Pick out the potato pieces and keep separate from the cashews/carrots.
While the cashews/veg boil, make the Crispy Topping. Add 2 ½ TBSP (35g) butter to a small bowl and melt in the microwave. Mix in the panko, 1 TBSP (5g) nutritional yeast, ⅛ tsp smoked paprika, and 2 pinches of salt, stirring well until the butter is evenly distributed and there are no clumps. Set aside.
Cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it generously. Cook the macaroni 1 minute less than the time indicated on the box, or until just shy of al dente.
Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Return the pasta to its pot, and toss with 1 ½ TBSP (21g) vegan butter (or olive oil). Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Lightly grease a 3-quart (3L) baking dish with softened/melted butter or olive oil.
Make the cheese sauce. In a high-powered blender, combine the 2 cups (480 mL) water, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, turmeric, 3 teaspoons soy sauce, pickle brine, olive oil, several twists of black pepper, and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt. Add the boiled carrots and cashews (but not the potatoes).
Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy and all cashew bits have been pulverized, scraping down the sides as you go.
Now add the boiled potatoes and blend on medium-low for 15 to 30 seconds, just until combined and pureed.
NOTE: The sauce will be looser than seems right, like the consistency of a smoothie.
Taste the sauce, adding more pickle brine for zing/tang, more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, or more soy sauce for savory saltiness (I usually use 4 teaspoons total). If adding any additional ingredients, blend on medium-low just to combine.
Pour the cheese sauce into the pot of cooked macaroni, tossing well. NOTE: It will feel like too much sauce now, but it thickens as it bakes.
Transfer the mac and cheese to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the Crispy Topping evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Cool for 10 to 20 minutes to help set up, then slice and serve.

Notes

If you live outside of the U.S. or Yukon Gold potatoes are not available, use a medium-starch, all-purpose potato. Try to avoid a high-starch potato or a low-starch potato.
Don't use pickle brine from sweet pickles, such as bread and butter pickles. If dill or kosher pickles aren't available, sub the brine with white wine vinegar, but start with 2 to 3 teaspoons, then add more as needed.
I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is a lot less salty than other salts. If using table salt, use half the amount of salt listed in the recipe. If using sea salt or Morton's kosher salt, use slightly more than half.

Nutrition