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.
Victoria says
I’m so glad I found this recipe! It came out very rich and creamy. I had to stop my kids from eating it out of the pot before I could bake it! It was that good. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you so much.
Alison Andrews says
Yay! So happy to hear Victoria, thanks for the awesome review. 🙂
Emily says
This recipe is a nice vegan alternative to Mac and cheese! I do have to say though, even with full fat, unsweetened coconut milk – it tastes like coconut. I will try it with soy or oat milk in the future! Thank you for the recipe!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Emily, it definitely works great with soy milk so I’m sure you’ll like it more that way. All the best! 🙂
Porsche says
Hi Emily! I agree with you on the coconut taste. Have you tried an alternative?
Michel says
Absolutely delicious. Just made it and it is easily among the best vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever had.
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the awesome review! 🙂
Veronica says
Can u freeze this after cooking? I was hoping to batch cook some for freezing. How would u cook it afterwards?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Veronica, yes you can freeze this. Let it cool before freezing and then when you’re ready for it, thaw overnight in the fridge, and then reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Rachel D. says
Wow amazing… basically followed the recipe. I used soy milk instead of coconut, and added turmeric for color. Came out amazing…. thank you.
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed it Rachel! Thanks for the wonderful review. 🙂
Mario says
The sauce tastes amazing. You have changed my opinion about vegan foods with your site.
My only comment would be that you should not rinse the pasta in this situation. Rinsing pasta is used in situations like pasta salads or stir fries. But for a sauce based recipe, this is counter productive. The thing starchy film is a good thing for the noodles here.
Thank you for taking your time to post these wonderful recipes, and good luck!
Alison Andrews says
So glad we have influenced your opinion on vegan foods! That is awesome! And thanks for the feedback about the pasta. 🙂
Shannon says
I think it’s a great alternative to real Mac n chz- I added a pinch of turmeric to bring up the color a bit… thanks!! Also, LOVE the vegan butter ????
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing Shannon. 🙂
Sam Baldwin says
I tried this recipe today. It was very very good. Actually amazing the next day! Definitely will make again. Thank you.
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Linda says
Thanks for all of the creating and testing. Keep up the good work. This was the first time I tried this recipe. I loved the sauce before baking. Once baked it tasted too much like the nutritional yeast. Does it serve a purpose or can it be left out? Thanks.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Linda, the nutritional yeast creates the cheesy flavor. You can leave it out but you will lose some of the cheesiness.
Parie says
I made this for our family of 8, and all of us really enjoyed this! I love finding a dish that everyone likes. I made a couple of changes to make it a bit lighter: only one can of coconut milk, the rest soy milk, and 1 T vegan butter in the sauce. It was still rich tasting and delicious. I like the cheese sauce flavorings, they all worked well together. Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing and the awesome rating. 🙂
Jaye says
Turned out GREAT! I have tried many vegan mac and cheese recipes over the years, and I’ve never been impressed until now. I used a gluten free flour blend and gluten free brown rice penne as well as gluten free bread for the crumbs. I added a squeeze of lemon to the sauce. Will definitely make again.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear it turned out great! Thanks so much for sharing and for the awesome review! 🙂
Patti says
Sauce did not thicken. Used 5 cups of soy milk like recipe stated. Not sure what happened.
Alison Andrews says
Sorry to hear that Patti! It’s not an unfixable problem though, if that happens and it’s been boiling for a while without thickening, you can make a slurry by mixing another tablespoon or two of all purpose flour with a little cold water and mixing it into a paste. Add into the sauce and stir in vigorously and keep stirring until it thickens.
Nicole says
I’ll start by saying I typically do not review recipes, in fear of being redundant BUT THIS MAC AND CHEESE is absolutely delicious and deserves for everyone to shout it from the mountain top. I am not vegan, but my husband would like to move in that direction. I LOVE traditional mac and cheese but have come to love this even more! I’ve made it two weeks in a row and look for any reason to let my family and friends try it to make them a believer! You must try this recipe!!!! It’s quick and easy which is a nice bonus! Thank you Allison for sharing!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Nicole for such an awesome review! xo
Val B. says
Oh mine! I just made this and AMAZING does not even do justice to how delicious it is!
Alison, I can’t thank you enough.
My only change was I didn’t realized I had only 2 coconut milks at home, so I used 1 cup of unsweetened almond, I don’t believe it made much difference, not sure!
Thanks again, will make again to take to church potluck.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear Val! Thanks for the great review! 🙂
Dawn Grover says
This recipe was so amazing!! The vegan cheese sauce blew it out of the park. Intend on using this for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you so much!
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! So pleased to hear that Dawn. Thanks for the amazing review. 🙂
Joanne says
Made exactly as is.. was fantastic.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Joanne! 🙂
Jimie Gibbon says
Just made three trays last night for an event today. Bringing plant based nutrition to school system. Feeding about 100 children n parents. This recipe is fabulous. Just baked it n want to eat a whole tray myself. Pre vegan, mac n cheese was one of my favorite comfort foods to make. This surpasses anything I’ve eaten in the past. Looking forward to sharing today..
Alison Andrews says
That is so fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review! 🙂