This classic vegan mac and cheese is ultra cheesy, saucy and creamy. Topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and crispy. Seriously satisfying.
This classic baked vegan mac and cheese is everything you want a mac and cheese to be.
It’s creamy, saucy, ultra cheesy and topped with a delicious crispy breadcrumb topping and baked to perfection.
This is really a ‘classic’ vegan mac and cheese recipe in the sense that a classic mac and cheese usually involves a bechamel sauce with heaps of cheese added to it, and then it’s placed into a dish and topped with breadcrumbs and baked.
And that’s really very close to what we did here.
We made a vegan bechamel sauce and added all sorts of cheesy flavorings to it in lieu of actual cheese so that even non-vegans will find this cheesy as all heck, and then we topped it with delicious breadcrumbs and baked it. Just like the classic version.
How To Make Vegan Mac and Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese is ultra cheesy yet we did not use one shred of actual vegan cheese in it. So if you’re living somewhere where it’s hard to find vegan cheese in the supermarket, no worries, this recipe is for you.
I did try a version with some vegan cheese added to the sauce, and quite honestly I just didn’t think it worked as well as the version without, so this is it.
I created a bechamel sauce with some vegan butter, all purpose flour, coconut milk and vegetable stock and once that was thick and creamy like a white sauce should be, I added some cheesy flavorings in the form of dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
The spices in this sauce really make it, you won’t have any doubt that this is a cheese sauce. We used our cheesy garlic vegan alfredo sauce as major inspiration for this.
Add the cooked macaroni to your big pot of sauce and toss it all together and then transfer into a 9×13 baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes until beautifully golden brown on top.
Super easy and extremely satisfying.
How To Make Vegan Breadcrumbs
I made my own breadcrumbs for this which is easy and works great!
I toasted 3 thick cut slices of white bread and then broke them into pieces and put them into the blender. Blitzed them into breadcrumbs in the blender. Transferred to a bowl and added some melted vegan butter and tossed them up with it and then placed on top of the mac and cheese.
You can use brown or whole wheat bread but white bread actually works best for this recipe.
Ingredient FAQ
What can I use instead of vegan butter? You can use a dairy-free margarine which is basically the same thing. Just read the ingredients of the margarines and find one that is dairy-free. Alternatively you can make your own homemade vegan butter and use that in this recipe.
What kind of coconut milk did you use in this recipe? I used full fat coconut milk that comes in cans. That created the richest sauce for this recipe. Definitely do NOT use any kind of coconut milk that is sweetened, that would not work in this recipe. It needs to be canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. If you’re not a coconut fan then see below!
How can I make this vegan mac and cheese without coconut milk? You can use soy milk instead of coconut milk, the end result is slightly less rich but you can definitely do it, I have tested it this way and it was great. I have not tested any other plant milks and while almond milk may work fine, my only worry is that it will create a sauce that is a little thin.
Can I leave out the nutritional yeast? The nutritional yeast really brings it with the cheesy flavor in this sauce! But yes you can leave it out without it ruining the recipe, but I do recommend you leave it in.
Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe Q&A
Like the best comfort food ever! It’s super cheesy and so close to the ‘real thing’ you might not even know it’s vegan. Seriously!
The sauce can be made gluten-free if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend instead of the regular flour. And then of course you can use a gluten-free macaroni. You would also need to use gluten-free bread for the crumb topping, or alternatively you could add vegan cheese to the top instead of breadcrumbs.
Yes! If you need to make it ahead of time you can make up the sauce and macaroni up to 2 days before and mix it up and assemble in the 9×13 dish. Cover with foil and keep refrigerated. Then when you’re ready to bake it, add the breadcrumbs and bake. In this case, since it is going into the oven cold from the fridge, add an extra 5 minutes of baking time.
Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes you can! This freezes very well.
What Goes With Vegan Mac and Cheese?
If you’re thinking of what to eat with vegan mac and cheese then there’s some great sides that go perfectly with this!
If you’re thinking in terms of comfort food then our vegan garlic bread or vegan cornbread is a perfect addition.
Some vegan coleslaw or a delicious vegan kale salad or black bean and corn salad would also go very well. If you’re looking for an appetizer then something like our vegan tomato soup or vegan tomato basil soup would fit the bill perfectly.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Our vegan butternut squash mac and cheese recipe is made with butternut squash and cashew nuts! It’s quite different to this one, and it’s not baked but it’s so good.
- Our vegan pesto pasta will not disappoint and is a wonderfully quick and easy recipe.
- Our vegan pasta bake is perfect for when you want to feed a crowd. Our vegan pasta salad is an ultra quick 15 minute recipe that you will love! And if you’ve ever been a fan of spaghetti bolognese then our vegan bolognese will be right up your street!
- And then our recipe for the easiest vegan lasagna is totally divine but we also have a recipe for the best vegan lasagna which is fancier but oh so worth it!
- Also check out our vegan mushroom stroganoff and our vegan mushroom pasta.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Classic Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
For the Cheese Sauce:
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 6 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 5 cups Coconut Milk 3 cans (1200ml), Unsweetened*
- 1 cup Vegetable Stock (240ml)
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes (60g)
- 3 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 3 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
For the Macaroni:
- 16 ounces Elbow Macaroni (450g)
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- 3 Thick Slices White Bread Toasted, or 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter Melted
Instructions
- Add the vegan butter to a pot and let it melt. When it’s melted add in the all purpose flour and stir it vigorously with the melted butter.
- Then pour in the cans of coconut milk and the vegetable stock. Use a hand whisk to whisk out the lumps. Keep whisking until it starts to boil and then keep whisking for a few minutes after it has boiled until it thickens. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so it doesn’t have to be all the way there when you remove it from the heat, as long as it has thickened considerably from when you started.
- Remove it from the heat and add in the dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and whisk in. Now your sauce is ready, you can prepare your macaroni.
- Cook your macaroni according to the package directions and then rinse and drain.
- Add the cooked macaroni into the pot of sauce and toss it up with the sauce.
- Then transfer the macaroni and sauce to a 9×13 baking dish and smooth down.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the crumb topping by breaking up the 3 thick slices of toasted white bread and placing into the blender. Pulse blend until you have crumbs. Then transfer to a mixing bowl, and add in the melted vegan butter and toss up the crumbs with the melted butter.
- Place the breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the macaroni cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and crispy.
Video
Notes
- If you want to replace the coconut milk with a different non-dairy milk such as soy milk then you definitely can. We have tested this recipe with soy milk and it works great.
- The coconut milk must be canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. I would never use a sweetened coconut milk for any recipe and have never used it. Canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk is the way to go. There is a link to a good brand in the ingredients list. Alternatively, use soy milk (as per instructions above).
- If you have someone to help you then you can work on the sauce and they can cook the macaroni at the same time. But the sauce is very ‘hands-on’ so if you’re on your own it works best to just focus on the sauce and then do the macaroni. But if there are two of you it will save considerable time to do both at once.
- You don’t have to use macaroni, you can use a different pasta but of course it should be one that is suited to this kind of meal, like penne or shells and not something like spaghetti or linguine. If your package of macaroni comes in 18 ounce (500g) bags, then that’s great, just use it all.
- If you’re using store-bought breadcrumbs then just eyeball it for the right amount to use so that it easily covers the top of your mac and cheese. In the case of panko breadcrumbs the amount to use is 1 cup.
- Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
Hannah says
This recipe tastes VERY much like coconuts. In my opinion the taste is unbearably sweet for a savory “cheese” dish and the after taste it leaves in your mouth is solely coconuts. Definitely recommend a different milk base. It looked just like cheese sauce because of how thick it was but I wish more people had mentioned just how coconut flavored this would be.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Hannah, did you use canned unsweetened full fat coconut milk as recommended? Because there is nothing to make it sweet. If you use a sweetened coconut milk then that would explain it but that is definitely not recommended for this recipe. Soy milk works great too and is recommended as an alternative option.
jenny says
I am contemplating trying this out but my only hesitation is that I don’t want to taste the coconut flavor. I don’t mind coconut milk in recipes but with this, I really don’t want that coconut flavor and while it likely makes it creamy, I want the cheesy flavor. Is it really masked by just not using the sweetened version?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Jenny, you can definitely use soy milk, we have tested it and it also works great, so go with your preference.
Doley says
I sautéd onions, baby Bella’s and shiitakes , and added lentils and it was SOOO GOOOD. Would recommend adding your favorite veggies/ add ons, just keep in mind it takes up extra space on top of the noodles the recipe calls for. I also used Tolerant’s chickpea and lentil pennes, organic and made of only lentil & chickpea flower! Vegan protein powerhouse
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing! Sounds great! 🙂
Nevhama says
The absolute best Mac cheese-less Mac ever. I’m vegan and so is hubby he said this is one of his favourites now. Our two children (in their 20s) one pescatarian and the other meat eater said this is better than you ‘normal’ Mac cheese. I’ve made this twice now and it’s been a hit both times. It’s not a cheap recipe to make nor is it low in calories but ohhhh boyyy it’s delicious.
Alison Andrews says
Yay! Thanks so much for the amazing comment and review, so happy to hear you loved it. 🙂
Jaime Ayotte Hanley says
Overall, I thought the mac and cheese was good. I think I’ll try it with less coconut milk or different nondairy milk altogether. It just seemed to have an underlying coconut flavor. Perhaps it was the brand of coconut milk I used.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing Jaime, it definitely also works with other non-dairy milk as well, so hope you’ll like it even better next time. 🙂
Roshae says
I’m using store bought bread crumbs, about how much should I use?
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, probably around a cup and a half to two cups, but you can also just eyeball it to see if it seems like the right amount to have a nice layer of breadcrumbs over the top. All the best! 🙂
Roshae says
This recipe was the best. It’s so simple to make and so rich and delicious. Can’t wait to add this to my holiday meals.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the amazing review! 🙂
Ana Djordjevic says
Can you substitute water for the vegetable stock?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Ana, yes you can, but it might be a little bland and need extra seasoning, since the vegetable stock is very salty. 🙂
Ana Djordjevic says
Just made the recipe and it was very good ???? Thank you ????
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! Thanks so much Ana! 🙂
Bri says
This mac and cheese was delicious! I’ve tried different ones before and it never quite hit the spot, and my husband loved it too!! I used vegetable broth because that’s what I had on hand.
I think next time I might try half of the coconut milk and half with almond milk because it was pretty filling (I’m not used to cooking with so much coconut milk), but I’ll keep the rest as is. Definitely a keeper and I’m already thinking I’ll make this for the holidays to share with my non-vegan family!
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed it Bri! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Toya says
Just made it and it’s a hit even with my 13 year old. She’s surprise that it’s so yummy especially since it’s vegan. The only thing I did differently was use vegan vegetable broth rather than stock. It’s what I had on hand. Love it! I will definitely do this again.
Alison Andrews says
So glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks so much for the wonderful review! 🙂
Danielle says
Hi there! Do you think this could be made ahead and baked in the oven the following day? Would the sauce be just as good?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Danielle, yes definitely, there are instructions for making it ahead in the blog post. 🙂
T says
Can I make the sauce without butter?
Alison Andrews says
You can use oil instead. 🙂
Wendy says
Is there any way to lower the sodium count it’s over 800 n I have to watch mines So wanna try this recipe
Alison Andrews says
Hi Wendy! Sure, just use a low sodium vegetable stock and reduce the salt added. All the best! 🙂
Wendy says
Ok thx gonna make it in next few days
KaLee says
I have to say, my Mac and cheese is still in the oven, but the sauce in this recipe is remarkable! It’s the most delicious cheese alternative I’ve tried, and I’ve tried A LOT! My toddlers favorite meal before we transitioned to vegan was Mac and cheese, so I’ve been on the lookout for a decent sub. This is AMAZING!
I didn’t have the correct amount of noodles, so we have a little extra sauce and we are all eating it with chips while we *impatiently* wait for the real dinner to come out of the oven…
This is a winner, and will be put in our regular rotation!
The only substitution I made was using almond milk because I didn’t have any canned coconut milk. It’s on my grocery list, because I need to taste this recipe in full effect!
Thanks for making the worlds best vegan recipes- they’re easy enough for me to make (while 38 weeks pregnant!) and tasty enough for my picky kids to devour!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much for your awesome comment KaLee, so happy you love the sauce and have been enjoying the recipes! xoxo
Kelly L says
Made this tonight with modifications for what I carry in my pantry. I used penne because that’s what my grandma always uses. Also I only had one can of coconut milk so I used that and two cups of unsweetened almond milk. Instead of the veggie stock I used about 1T of BETTER THAN BOUILLON VEGETABLE PASTE. Everything else I I followed the recipe. Turned out perfect. Nice and creamy. And while NO vegan recipe will ever taste like real cheese, this is right up there on the flavor bursting cheeziness. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing and the awesome review. xo
Wendy says
Was wander what can do I to lower the sodium it’s over 800 mg n I have to watch my sodium intake but this looks so good wanna make IT but anything u can do to lower the sodium???? Please let me know? Thank ya
Alison Andrews says
Hi Wendy, vegetable stock often has a high sodium content, so if you choose one with a low sodium content and then also reduce the salt or use a low sodium salt this will greatly reduce the sodium content. All the best! 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi Alison!
I made it for the dinner today and it was a perfection! My hubs ate the half of the pan seriously and said can’t stop eating ?
My 3yr daughter tried only Mac and cheese without the baked breadcrumbs and said mommy I want a whole bowl! Haha it’s that great.
Had to mixed it up with coconut milk and almond milk. I only had one carton of a coconut milk was 965ml or something so used almond milk for the rest. Turned out amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. This is my fav Mac and cheese now!! *Bookmarked*
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that Jennifer! Thanks so much for the amazing review! xo
Jen says
Can I use almond milk only instead of canned coconut milk?
Alison Andrews says
Sure! Should work great.