There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of this Vegan Southern Baked Mac and Cheese. This dairy-free mac and cheese is baked to perfection with a crispy and buttery breadcrumb topping. It's a healthier and lighter version and so easy to make.
I'm sure all of you remember your favorite childhood mac and cheese? You know, the kind that you get in a box from the grocery store with powdered cheese and you just add milk. Don't worry, I also indulged in many boxes of this growing up. When I wasn't making a box of this grab and go pasta, I enjoyed my mom's homemade traditional mac and cheese baked in the oven. Almost every holiday her dish would be a staple on the dinner table.
This Vegan Southern Baked Mac and Cheese is a twist on a traditional mac. It's made with steamed carrots and potatoes which are then pureed in the blender with coconut milk, cashews, onions, garlic and seasonings to make a delicious cheesy sauce then topped with a crispy breadcrumb topping and then baked.
Soul food mac and cheese is the ultimate in comfort food. Pair it with my meatless collard greens and southern dressing, making them the perfect side dish for any special occasions including Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday gatherings.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's dairy- free! The vegan 'cheese' is non-dairy and made with cashews, coconut milk, potato, carrots, a few spices and nutritional yeast to bring out the cheesy flavor. It blends up in minutes using a high speed blender. The result is a quick and easy, creamy "cheese sauce that's perfect for any pasta.
- The panko breadcrumb topping! The buttery breadcrumb topping ties the dish together and adds great texture and taste.
- It's great for gatherings! This dish makes enough for large gatherings for special occasions or a holiday dinner. It's a family favorite side dish that everyone will love.
Ingredients You'll Need
This is a simple vegan mac and cheese recipe. No need for fancy ingredients, only wholesome and healthy ingredients and a few seasonings and spices.
- Macaroni - this recipe uses elbow noodles however you can also use other small pastas or gluten-free pasta. Choose a pasta whose shape helps to pick up as much of the cheese sauce as possible.
- Raw Cashews - place the cashews in a small bowl and pour 1 cup of boiled water over them and let them soak for at least 10 minutes. This will help to soften the cashews, so they will blend more smoothly. Then drain and rinse them before adding them to the blender.
- Coconut milk - Maker sure to get unsweetened, full fat coconut milk that comes in a can for best texture, taste and richness.
- Potato - you'll need 1 large potato, peeled, chopped and blended with the other ingredients to help create a creamy sauce with great texture.
- Carrots - you'll need about 1 cup (or about 2 whole carrots), peeled and chopped. They'll blend into the sauce for some additional nutrition and to help give the cheese sauce color.
- Nutritional Yeast - a dairy free option to help add a lot of cheesy flavor.
- Seasonings - onion, garlic, vegetable stock
- Spices - garlic sea salt, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper
- Vegan Butter - you can substitute the butter and use olive oil as a substitute.
- Panko breadcrumbs - to help give the topping that crispy crunch. Make sure they are vegan friendly.
How to Make the Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
The Vegan cheese sauce is so simple to make and there's no dairy needed.
Here is a quick overview (the full recipe card is below):
- Soak the cashews to soften them up for blending.
- Cook the pasta according to directions on the package, al dente.
- Boil the carrots and potatoes in a large pot of water on medium heat. Cook until tender, then drain and let them cool to room temperature.
- Sauté onion and garlic in a small pan, then set aside.
- Blend the cheese sauce by combining the cashews, coconut milk, potato, carrots, onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper and vegetable broth to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Combine the macaroni and the vegan cheese sauce in a casserole dish.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs, melted butter, garlic salt and nutritional yeast in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese.
- Bake the mac and cheese in the oven until the topping is golden brown.
How To Store and Reheat
- Store in the Refrigerator - Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Store in the Freezer - To store for a longer period, the mac and cheese will keep in the freezer for up to 2 - 3 months when stored in a freezer-friendly container.
- To Defrost - I recommend letting it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheating it in the microwave or oven.
- Reheat in the Oven - Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 15 - 20 minutes or until it's warmed through.
- Reheat in the Microwave - warm using 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until warmed through.
What to Serve with Vegan Mac and Cheese
Here are a few dishes that I like to pair the mac and cheese with:
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can start to prepare the vegan mac and cheese a day ahead. Keep the cooked pasta and cheese sauce separate until the day you're ready to bake it. Then combine all of the ingredients in a baking dish and bake. If you assemble it and store it together, the sauce might soak into the pasta and make the dish dry when baking.
Yes you can. Please note - reheating the frozen mac and cheese will never be as good as eating it fresh from the oven.
Leftover cheese sauce can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 -6 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months.
The nutritional yeast helps give it the cheesy flavor in this sauce. I recommend leaving it in however you can leave it out if you prefer.
More Recipes You May Like
Vegan Southern Baked Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
Macaroni
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni dry
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked, drained and rinsed
- 1 large white potato cut into large cubes
- 1 cup carrots about 2 whole carrots
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk unsweetened, canned full fat coconut milk
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup vegetable stock or more if needed
Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ⅓ teaspoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Soak the cashews by placing them in a small bowl and pour 1 cup of boiled water over them and let them soak for at least 10 minutes.
- Boil the elbow pasta according to package directions. Cook al dente. Once finished drain in a colander and let cool to room temperature until ready to use.
- Heat a pot of water over medium heat with a little salt. Once boiling, add in the carrots and potatoes and lower to medium heat. Allow them to boil until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Then remove them from the heat and let them cool to room temperature.
- Sauté onion and garlic in a small pan, then set aside.
- Using a large high speed blender, add the cashews, coconut milk, potato, carrots, onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper and vegetable broth.
- Blend together on a high speed, until the sauce is completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. If the sauce is too thick you can add in a little vegetable broth until you reach the desired consistency but not too thin.
- Add the macaroni to a casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni. Stir to combine until all of the macaroni is fully coated with sauce.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs, vegan butter, garlic salt and nutritional yeast in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the Mac and cheese is set, then broil for a few minutes (no longer than 2 - 3 minutes) until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly for about 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Although HalfPastHungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on which products you use, the brand that was purchased, or in other unforeseeable ways. HalfPastHungry.com will not be held liable for any reliance on given nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your physician first.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to receive 6 Free exclusive homemade healthy smoothie recipes. You'll also get a sneak peak at upcoming recipes and nutrition and wellness tips.
I'd love to know if you try this recipe! Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest , Facebook Tik-Tok and Twitter for updates, recipes, and more!
Leave a Reply