This Instant Pot mac and cheese by Karissa from Karrisa’s Vegan Kitchen calls for shredded vegan cheese and non-dairy milk. The recipe couldn’t be much easier! You make everything in the instant pot, including cooking the pasta. Baked vegan mac and cheese, best vegan mac and cheese, butternut squash mac and cheese, how to make vegan mac.
A vegan mac & cheese that’s smooth, creamy, nut-free, and made with simple healthy ingredients! The versatile cheesy sauce tastes and feels so authentic that it’s guaranteed to be loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. Suitable for those following dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, vegan, and paleo diets. Before you read any further, you need to stop what you’re doing and go put some sweet potatoes on.
Boil them, roast them, steam them do whatever it is that you like to do to get those little suckers nice and tender. You want to know why I’m sending you off on a culinary adventure? It’s because the healthy vegan mac & cheese that I’m sharing with you today calls for cooked sweet potato, and believe me when I say that you’ll be wanting to have some on hand so that you can make this stuff ASAP I mean, is.that.not a thing of beauty?
And would you be able to tell just by looking at it that that creamy perfection you see before you is actually dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, vegan, and paleo? Well, the noodles aren’t paleo or necessarily gluten-free, but the “cheese” most definitely is.
You can easily swap in gluten-free noodles if you need this to be GF, or something like zucchini noodles if you need this to be paleo. Heck, you can even do what I’ve been doing and just eat it by itself with a spoon. Or use it as a dip for chips or veggies. This sauce is so easy, versatile, and delicious, that you’ll find yourself wanting to put it on ev.ry.thing. So let’s talk about what goes into this bad boy to make it so amazing.
First, we start with a base of cooked sweet potatoes. I’ve seen a lot of vegan “cheese” recipes that call for cashews or tofu, but I wanted something that was a little lighter and nut-free. And don’t worry – I’m well aware that sweet potatoes don’t even remotely resemble the taste and consistency of cheese. But that’s why we’re doctoring them up.
So the next step is to thin them out and make them more saucy. I used a mix of.
![Best Non Dairy Milk For Mac And Cheese Best Non Dairy Milk For Mac And Cheese](http://veganyumminess.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Vegan-Mac-and-Cheese-Mixing.jpg)
and water for this part, but you could easily use all coconut milk, all water, or even another non-dairy milk or veggie broth. I liked the 50/50 mix of coconut milk and water because I found that that amount of milk gave it just the right amount of creaminess without making it taste coconut-ty. For all you coconut haters out there – I promise you can’t taste it at all. Next comes the. If you’re not familiar with “nooch,” the idea of eating yeast ( albeit a deactivated one) might seem a little off-putting, but this stuff is a delicious little nutritional powerhouse.
Not only is it 50% protein by weight ( 15g of nooch = 8g of protein), but it’s absolutely PACKED with B vitamins. That and it’s also what’s responsible for the cheesy flavour. It’s good stuff. And after that, all that’s left is to pack in even MORE flavour with: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard, soy sauce, and salt.
I wanted to keep this as simple as possible so all you have to do is take those ingredients, toss them in a., make some adjustments according to your tastes, and voila! You have a creamy, healthy vegan mac & cheese that contains NO artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, fillers, or thickeners, and is guaranteed to be loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. Bet you wish you listened to me and put those sweet potatoes on, eh?
I’d love to know if you make this (or any!) recipe! Tag #runningwithspoons on and, and be sure to to our mailing list to receive more healthy and delicious recipes straight to your inbox! Directions. Add all the ingredients to a and blend on high until smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick for your liking or if your blender is having a hard time getting it completely smooth, slowly add more water or coconut milk until your desired consistency is reached. You can also adjust the amount of spices and salt that you use, according to taste. Serve the sauce over pasta, zucchini noodles, veggies, or as a dip for chips and crackers.
To store leftover sauce, transfer it to a sealed container and keep it in the fridge until ready to use. Then, simply heat up the amount you want to use and add it to pasta or veggies, or enjoy it cold as a dip.
To cook my sweet potatoes quickly, I like to peel them, cut them into chunks, and boil them in a pot of water on the stovetop for 7-10 minutes. But you could also roast, steam, microwave, or buy them canned. How much coconut milk you use depends on how creamy you want your sauce. You want about 3/4 cup (180 ml) of liquid in total, and I found that 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water was perfect. But you could also use all coconut milk, all water, or even another non-dairy milk - just make sure it's not flavoured.
To make the cheese sauce paleo, sub the soy sauce for coconut aminos. 3.2.2802 To make this healthy vegan mac & cheese, I recommend: Let’s chat! Random, but what was one of the first things you learned how to cook?
KD mac ‘n’ cheese ? Are you baking nothing this weekend? Whatcha making?! I see some muffins in my very near future. More places to find me!
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Okdon’t laugh too hard – I made this delicious sauce and put it over zoodles & it even got stars from my hubby (the main dinner preparer). This morning I opened the frig to see cheese sauce that had seeped out – not bad but here is when Monday morning turned into a nightmare. I had put the leftover sauce in a small container that came with the Bullet. I couldn’t get it opened so my hubby came in the kitchen and when he finally got it open it literally exploded all over the kitchen windows, blinds, walls.
Yesthe cleanup wasn’t prettyI wasn’t motivated at that point to make anything but my smoothiebut then I opened your email and I saw a new recipe calling to me – Monday muffins put a smile back on my face.
This post is brought to you by Frontier Co-op. Did you know that this seven-year-old vegetarian food blog did not have a macaroni and cheese recipe until today? I’ve failed you on the mac and cheese front, but I’m making it up to you with this vegan (I repeat: dairy free) mac and cheese recipe. From one cheese lover to another, I’m here to tell you that this mac and “cheese” is remarkably cheese-like and absolutely delicious. I’ve been slowly working on this mac and cheese since I published my two months ago.
The first time, I tried to use pasta cooking water instead of my queso’s secret ingredient (grated potato), and it was just ok. Then, I added the potato back, and the potato starch makes this cashew-based queso super silky and creamy. It’s remarkable! The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Nutritional yeast is key, in addition to the grated potato. It offers some cheesy flavor and color. Just started offering it in smaller bottles, and after using it in this recipe, I really believe their product is superior. It has less funk than the regular store-bought brand, so if you haven’t enjoyed nutritional yeast in the past, please give it a shot.
I kept tweaking the amounts and spices until we had just the right amount of sauce for one-half pound of pasta. I’ve finally nailed it. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients list—it’s all basic pantry ingredients! I couldn’t help but incorporate some broccoli for some extra flavor, color and health benefits. Keep it or leave it out—I’ve included guidance for either option in the recipe below.
Vegans, dairy-free friends, and cheese lovers who crave a more redeeming mac and cheese recipe, this recipe is for you. Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! Instructions. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
If using broccoli, stir it into the pot when just 2 to 3 more minutes remain. Drain, and transfer the contents to a large serving bowl.
Meanwhile, in a medium-to-large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the grated potato, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to enhance their flavors. Add the cashews and water, and stir to combine. Let the mixture come to a simmer.
Continue simmering, stirring frequently and reducing heat as necessary to avoid a rapid boil, until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully pour the mixture into a blender.
Add the nutritional yeast and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. If the mixture won’t blend easily or if you would prefer a thinner consistency, add water in ¼ cup increments, blending after each one. Taste, and blend in additional salt until the sauce is utterly irresistible (I typically add at least another ½ teaspoon).
If it needs a little more zip, add the remaining teaspoon of vinegar. Pour the sauce into the bowl of pasta. Stir until well combined, and serve immediately. Leftovers keep well, chilled and covered, for 3 to 4 days. Gentle reheat, adding a tiny splash of water if necessary to loosen up the sauce. Notes Recipe adapted from my.
Make it gluten free: Simply use your favorite gluten-free noodles.On broccoli: You can omit the broccoli altogether, or replace it with finely chopped kale or peas (about 1 ½ cups). If you omit it, you might not need to use all of the sauce.Raw cashew notes: Most recipes like this suggest soaking the cashews for 4 hours in advance to make them easier to blend and to digest. I honestly never soak mine since I have a powerful Vitamix that blends them right up. The cashews in this recipe are cooked in hot liquid, so they’re softer and even easier to blend.
However, if you don’t have a great blender or if you’re concerned about the digestibility factor, go ahead and soak them in advance. ▸ Nutrition Information. This is the first time I’ve ever left a comment on a recipe in my 29 years of life. I stumbled on this recipe looking for vegan recipes for my wife who recently had to give up dairy. I love mac and cheese. Today was one of our first blustery days in Portland, OR and I was ready to come home and veg out with some boxed mac and cheese. Then I remembered my wife.
She would have been so sad if I had enjoyed that without her. So I went searching for a good vegan mac and cheese recipe. Honestly, I didn’t think any existed. But then I saw C&K and knew I had to try it. AND I’M SO GLAD I DID. This doesn’t need any dang dairy in it.
It’s flavor is complex. And it’s comforting AF.
As a mac aficionado, I am SHOOK that this is as good as it is. I made a few alterations: –I skipped onion powder because I didn’t have any and it has a lot of onions anyway.
–I added tumeric and cayenne pepper to get a more cheesy color and for some zing. –I put a smidge more nutritional yeast in it because why the heck not. –Instead of broccoli, I added roasted cauliflower.
Honestly, make this. It takes a little longer than traditional stove-top mac, but it’s definitely worth it.
Super disappointed.It was more like gravy with all the sauteed onions. Yes, indeed, but not cheesy. My kids wouldn’t eat it.
I’m so frustrated after laboring over healthy good meals for my kids and then watch them turn in disgust. Lol (not your fault) I guess that’s a mom thing. I’ve made a number of vegan mac n cheese, sadly, this was not one of the better ones. That said, I think you’ve done something special here by adding the potatoes. And if you called it gravy and made a vegan Chicken Marsala, you’d really be on to something.
This was seriously amazing! It was my first time making vegan mac and cheese and it did not disappoint. I soaked the cashews beforehand because I’m not sure my blender is the strongest.
Next time I’ll also measure out the potato per your instructions instead of just picking a “small” one to make sure I cook everything properly – I kept adding water to the pot while cooking because it didn’t seem like enough. My husband said the leftovers were just as good today.
Will definitely make again! I have made a number of things with nutritional yeast and to me it is nothing like cheese taste. It overpowers everything.
I really tried to like it since it is very healthy but I don’t. I will try the recipe eventually since another poster liked it without the yeast. When I had genetics class at college we had an experiment. We were given a harmless chemical on a test strip. 60% could taste it and 40% couldn’t. Or close to that which is what was expected. So “taste” often isn’t just a matter of preference, things really taste vastly different to different people.