This Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is the perfect recipe for when you’re craving the ultimate comfort food! They say that one of the hardest things for folks to give up when going vegan is cheese. I can definitely see why!
Before making the switch, I probably ate cheese 5-6 times a week. Most likely more! One of my favorite things to eat has always been mac and cheese.
After going vegan, this was definitely a challenge for me. I’d tried a few vegan versions, but nothing ever tasted close to the real thing.
Good vegan mac and cheese is hard to come by. Lucky for you, I’ve got an Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe that delivers!
Recipe Ingredients
- elbow macaroni noodles
- olive oil
- vegan cheddar cheese
- vegan butter
- all purpose flour
- unsweetened almond milk
- smoked paprika
How to Make Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Making this Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is really simple. With just a few ingredients, you’ve got yourself a tasty side that’s ready in no time!
Like any vegan mac and cheese recipe, you’ll want to start by boiling the pasta noodles. While the pasta is cooking, you can begin preparing the cheese sauce.
To do this, begin by heating your vegan butter over low-medium heat and add in your seasonings: salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Slowly whisk in the flour until smooth, then add in the unsweetened almond milk.
At this point, your pasta noodles should be done cooking. Once they’re finished, drain the water and coat them in a tablespoon of butter.
The butter will not only add flavor to your mac and cheese, but it will also help keep the noodles from sticking together.
Combine the vegan cheese sauce mixture with the cooked pasta and stir to combine until all noodles are well coated. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe baking dish and cook for 30 minutes. Once finished, let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Expert Tips & Tricks
Use the right type of plant milk. Because this Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese such a savory dish, it’s important that the plant milk you use is unsweetened.
I used my old faithful almond milk, but as long as your milk is unsweetened, I’m sure that soy milk and others would work fine here too.
Avoid nutritional yeast. If you’re thinking about getting creative, and adding in some nutritional yeast… DON’T! It’s gross and tastes soooo inauthentic.
Trust me, I’m speaking from experience! I think this is where a lot of people go wrong when making vegan mac and cheese.
It seems like the perfect addition because nutritional yeast is known for adding a nice “cheesy” flavor. Welp, it doesn’t work here.
Skip the top layer of cheese. You might also be tempted to add a little extra vegan cheese to the top before putting the dish in the oven. I’d advise against this too. When I tried this, it left a lightly crispy cheese layer on the top.
It’s possible that it could have been the type of vegan cheese I used (I can’t recall what brand), but it just didn’t work for me. Some perform differently than others. If you reaaaally want to do a top layer of cheese, I think covering the dish with aluminum foil might help.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Can you freeze vegan mac and cheese? The short answer is yes. However, I prefer fresh or refrigerated. When frozen, the vegan cheese mixture separates and when it’s reheated it doesn’t really come back together like you might want.
- How long will vegan mac and cheese last in the fridge? Store this in an air-tight container in your fridge for up to 3-4 days.
FAQs
Can this recipe be made on the stove top?
Yes! You can absolutely make this recipe on the stovetop, however it’s important to note that you’ll be missing out on the cheesy crust the develops overtop of the dish and along the edges of bake mac and cheese that everyone loves.
If you’d like to skip the baking part, simply stop at step 6 where you’re instructed to transfer it to a baking dish.
How to thin sauce if it’s too thick.
If you feel that your sauce is too thick, simply add a few splashes of unsweetened plant milk to the mixture at a time and stir until the liquid has been incorporated. Continue doing this until the mixture is to your liking.
Can this be made in a cast iron skillet?
Absolutely! In stead of adding the cheese and noodle mixture to a baking dish, simply add it to a well-oiled cast iron skillet instead.
What does this recipe taste like?
In short, this recipe tastes like home. I grew up eating mac and cheese during all the major holidays and special occasions, so for me mac and cheese is completely nostalgic.
In reality, it tastes like a lucious and simple cheese sauce tossed in tender noodles. Pure deliciousness.
Can this be made gluten free?
Absolutely! You can make this recipe gluten free by using your favorite gluten free pasta noodles and an all-purpose gluten free flour.
What is the best kind of vegan cheese to use in this recipe?
Honestly, the best vegan cheese to use is whatever vegan cheese you enjoy most. Mac and cheese is a comfort dish, so choose a vegan cheese that reminds you most of what you may have eaten growing up.
Have you not tried a lot of the vegan cheese brands? That’s fine too. My personal favorites are Violife, Whole Food’s 365 store brand and Daiya.
These are the ones I purchase the most. I’m sure there are other great ones too. For this recipe, I used all selections of Violife.
What To Serve With This Recipe
I’ve got LOTS of ideas for you to make this into a complete meal! I’m a southern girl at heart and I love some good ol’ vegan comfort food. Here are some of my recommendations on what to pair with this Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese:
- Fried Oyster Mushrooms
- Easy Vegan Collard Greens
- Vegan Jackfruit Crab Cakes
- Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
- Easy Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Black Eyed Pea Fritters
- Chicken Fried Cauliflower
- Easy Vegan Cornbread
- Cranberry Sauce
I’ve tried a lot of different versions of vegan mac and cheese and this is by far one of my favorites.
I served this as part of my vegan Thanksgiving dinner spread and both my husband and dad really enjoyed it! Believe it or not, my husband even went back for seconds. SHOCKING!
I look forward to trying this I know you’ll love this Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese in different variations.
I’m thinking a white cheddar version next… Or maybe even a combination of different vegan cheeses.
I know you’ll love this Easy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe! It’s thick and creamy, plus it’s super reminiscent of the real thing! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!
If you love this recipe, be sure to try my original 4 cheese vegan mac and cheese recipe!
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Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 dollop of olive oil
- 1½ cups elbow macaroni noodles
- 3 tbsp vegan butter separated
- 1 pinch of salt
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2-3 cups vegan cheddar cheese (I used Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value brand, but you can use whatever brand you enjoy most)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to the package instructions with a dollop of olive oil.1 dollop of olive oil, 1½ cups elbow macaroni noodles
- In a medium sized pot, melt 2 tbsp vegan butter over low-medium heat. Add in salt and pepper to taste and smoked paprika.3 tbsp vegan butter, 1 pinch of salt, black pepper, ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Slowly whisk the flour into the mixture until smooth, then add in the unsweetened almond milk. Bring to a boil then stir in the vegan cheddar cheese until melted.2 tbsp all purpose flour, 1½ cups unsweetened almond milk, 2-3 cups vegan cheddar cheese
- Once noodles are done cooking, drain the noodles (do not rinse) using a colander, then coat with 1 tbsp of vegan butter. Set aside.
- Combine the mixture with the pasta and place in an appropriately sized baking dish (I used an 8×8).
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Once finished baking, let cool for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!
