Baked Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese

This vegan mac 'n' cheese is perfect to serve your cheese-loving friends. Because it is so creamy your friends will not know it's vegan. I fooled some of mine already. You need to try it!

Customize your vegan mac 'n' cheese!

First of all you can definitely add some more veggies for example broccoli, kale, fresh tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes or caramelized onions. Almost any vegetable is going to go well with this mac 'n' cheese.

Add cheese, if you like!

The cheese sauce is so creamy and incredible cheesy even though I did not put any cheese in it. The miso paste gives it the umami flavor and the nutritional yeast the cheesy taste. Finally if you want, you could also add ½ cup of vegan cheese. I love the Mozzarella Shreds from Follow Your Heart or the Mozzarella flavour grated from Violife.

I baked my mac 'n' cheese but you could also just stir in the cheese sauce and veggies and serve as a creamy pasta dish. The baked topping just adds another texture that goes well with the creamy sauce.

Pair it!

Make it a complete meal. Pair this delicious dish with a zesty green salad or grilled asparagus. As it is a pretty heavy dish something light pairs really well with it.

Share it!

If you try this baked vegan mac 'n' cheese, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #vegancookingblog on Instagram! I would love to see how your mac 'n' cheese turns out. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Baked Vegan Mac 'n' Cheese

Need some comfort food? Try this baked mac 'n' cheese with a delicious cashew cheese sauce and a crunchy breadcrumb topping. It's creamy, indulgent and fools every non-vegan friend.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American-Inspired, Vegan

Keyword: Comfort Food

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Marija

Ingredients

CASHEW CREAM

• 1 ½ cups (200 g) raw cashews* (soaked overnight)
• 1 cup (200 ml) cold water

CHEESE SAUCE

• 2 cups (400 ml) vegetable broth
• 3 tsp miso paste**
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 cup (120 g) vegan cheese optional
• salt, pepper to taste

PASTA

• 3 cups (300 g) macaroni noodles
• ½ cup (60 g) frozen peas
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable broth

TOPPING***

• 1 cup (150 g) old ciabatta or sourdough bread
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• In a large pot, cook the pasta in salt water until al dente. Meanwhile make the sauce.
• To make the cashew cream, blend the soaked and drained cashews and water in a high speed blender. If it is too thick, add a little more water.
• In a small pot over medium heat add the vegetable broth and the miso paste and stir until smooth. Lower the heat and add the cashew cream, garlic powder, onion powder and nutritional yeast. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the sauce for additional 5 minutes until smooth and thick. Optional, add some shredded vegan cheese.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Mix the ingredients for the topping in a food processor, set aside.
• Stir together the pasta, cheese sauce and peas and season with smoked paprika. If you think the mixture is too thick, add another ¼ cup (60 ml) of vegetable broth.
• Pour the mixture in a 11 x 7 inch (17 x 25 cm) baking dish, add the breadcrumbs on top and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

* The cashews need to be soaked to make it easier and smoother to blend. If you didn't soak your cashews overnight, an easy cheat is to soak them in hot water for 10 mins.

** Any miso paste is great. If you don't have miso paste you could substitute it with dijon mustard. It's not going to get the same umami flavor, but will work fine in this dish.

*** If you have pre-made breadcrumbs, go ahead and use that. Add some nutritional yeast and paprika to spice it up.