Why I love this dairy free mac and cheese recipe
Before we went dairy free, I was a mac and cheese lover, and I honestly still am when my husband isn’t around. That’s why I can confidently say that this dairy free mac and cheese actually tastes like the real thing. It’s creamy, tangy, and has that classic comfort food flavor you’re craving.
The secret is the combination of dairy free cheese shreds, nutritional yeast for that extra cheesy flavor, and tangy dairy free yogurt which adds flavor that a lot of other dairy free mac and cheese recipes are missing.
It comes together in about 20 minutes on the stovetop, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you need something satisfying fast.
More dairy free pasta recipes: cauliflower alfredo sauce / butternut squash pasta sauce / dairy free pasta carbonara / dairy free alfredo sauce
Ingredient notes:
- Dairy free cheese shreds – We like Daiya and Violife best for flavor and melt, but any brand of dairy free cheddar shreds should work.
- Dairy free milk – We normally use unsweetened almond milk, but you can substitute any unsweetened dairy free milk – oat, soy, cashew, etc. Just make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened.
- Dairy free yogurt — This is the secret ingredient that gives the sauce a tangy richness. Use plain, unsweetened dairy free yogurt. We typically buy So Delicious unsweetened plain with the green label. This is sold as Silk in Canada.
- Dairy free butter — Any brand of dairy free butter works here. We like Earth Balance buttery sticks or Smart Balance buttery spread.
- Nutritional yeast — Adds a cheesy, umami flavor to the sauce. You can find this at most grocery stores in the health food section.
- All-purpose flour — This creates the roux that thickens the sauce, if you want to make this gluten free, you can swap 1:1 flour.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips + tricks:
- Make the sauce while the pasta cooks to save time. The pasta should be finished draining right when the cheese sauce is ready.
- Don’t skip the roux step. Whisking the flour into the melted butter before slowly adding the milk prevents lumps and creates a smooth, thick sauce.
- Use the pasta water. If your sauce gets too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the starchy pasta cooking water to thin it out. This also helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- How to reheat: Leftover mac and cheese can dry out in the fridge. When reheating, stir in a splash of dairy free milk or an extra spoonful of dairy free yogurt to restore the creamy texture.
Frequently asked questions
If you keep your vegan macaroni and cheese in the fridge in a Ziploc style bag or other airtight container, you can expect it to last up to 5 days and be just fine- perfect for meal prepping!
I always love how steamed broccoli tastes great next to a cheesy dish, so I think I’d be serving up a heaping plate full of those little green trees (and maybe add a little extra cheese sauce over the top) yum!
Dairy free cheese has a strong cheese flavor, though the texture and taste do are slightly different than dairy cheese. When melted into a sauce like this, it creates a very similar experience to traditional mac and cheese.
You can make the cheese sauce ahead and store it separately from the pasta for up to 4 days. For best results, reheat the sauce gently and toss with freshly cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water.
Yes, it freezes well for up to 4 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened, plain dairy free milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened, plain coconut yogurt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 7-ounce package vegan cheddar shreds
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Cook the macaroni noodles according to the package directions in salted, boiling water. While they cook, make the cheese sauce. When they're cooked, drain them in a colander.
- Make a roux. Heat a large saucepan to medium-high heat and melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, stir in the flour until it forms a thick paste.
- Make the vegan cheese sauce. Next, slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Once that's smooth, stir in the cheese, yogurt, nutritional yeast. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
- Toss it all together. Add the cooked macaroni noodles to the cheese sauce and stir until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Our comfort food. We like it ***
i prefer stovetop to baked because it’s creamier. great cheese blend!
Comfort food at it’s finest…this looks so rich and creamy and delicious! Can’t go wrong with a bowl of mac and cheese 🙂
I love the creaminess of stove top mac and cheese – and also how fast it is to prepare. Lovely pictures. Pinning!
Your Mac n cheese looks super tempting. I would love to try this for my daughter 🙂
I love Mac and Cheese. Used to eat it all the time when I lived in Canada. Need to try your recipe.. its totally my comfort food… 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made it two nights ago and boy oh boy, did it satisfy this pregnant lady’s craving! I modified by adding canned tuna, which my husband loves in his mac and cheese. I’m so happy to have found such a delicious and easy way to make it from scratch.
I love tuna with my mac and cheese! I’m glad you loved it as much as I do 🙂
Pretty bland unless you add some other things in (I recommend vegan bacon & your favorite green veggie). Also, where are you supposed to add the nutritional yeast? It’s in the ingredients but not the directions.
As I live in England could you please tell me how much a cup measures in inches or grams.
Also, could you please tell me what a 1 pound elbow is.
Thank you so much.
I am really looking forward to getting stuck into your lovely dairy free recipes.
Thank you
Maura Fay
The pound of elbow macaroni should be 454g, but a 500g box should work just fine!
As for the other ingredients, I honestly don’t know. I’m guessing a quick google search will give you a conversion though!
1 Cup = 128 grams
Elbow is the shape or style of pasta noodle
1 lb = 16 oz. = 453.592 grams
First, thank you for the recipe, it’s in the oven right now (I’m baking it with a topping). But: why is it not said in the recipe instructions when to add in the yogurt and nutritional yeast? I only would have thought of it because I saw the video first. So I had already put in the cheese when I thought wait..is that it? Then I started panicking looking for when and how much of the yeast and yogurt to add, and saw it wasn’t mentioned. So then I went back to the video and saw that the yogurt and nutritional yeast was supposed to go in *before* the cheese, even though it’s never mentioned in the instructions. Also, everything heated up way too quickly with the heat settings provided here. I suggest starting on low heat, then increase to medium, instead of starting on medium and going to medium high. This is how I always made non-vegan mac n cheese…but I guess if you want everything to heat up much fast these heat settings definitely did that. I added some garlic powder along with salt, and a crust of melted vegan butter mixed with panko bread crumbs, topped with the rest of the cheese, and put that in the oven at 400 for 30 mins (you can also do 45 mins at 350). Broccoli is a good side with this!
You’re right, I totally forgot to add that step to the recipe, but it is in the video. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. As far as the heat issue, everyone’s stove is different and different brands of vegan cheese will act differently too, so it’s important to pay attention and adapt to what you have.