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.
Kathy says
This is insanely delicious. It has sooo much flavor. I left out the mustard (because I didn’t have any). I will be making this again for sure.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Kathy!
Kira says
SO AMAZING!! If I could give 10 stars I would. I halved the recipe, used protein pasta (half chickpea penne half red lentil fusilli), and used a tiny bit of coconut milk and the rest almond milk. Added a cornstarch slurry with 1 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp water maybe 2 or 3 times to get it to thicken up stirring with a whisk on high heat while it was bubbling. Sososo good. 20 minutes bake time worked well even though I halved the recipe and it is the best vegan mac n cheese I’ve ever tried. I will definitely make this for my friends and relatives in future. :). Thank you so much for the great recipe, hope you and your loved ones are healthy and well. (P.S. I halved the recipe and for the topping I toasted 2 pieces of whole wheat bread, 60 cals a slice, blended them for about 6 seconds, and used that. No vegan butter needed and it turned out great. I did use vegan butter that I made at home in the sauce too and it worked very well)
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Kira!
Jocelyn says
LOVED THIS RECIPE so much! This was by far the best vegan mac n cheese I’ve ever made and I’ve tried a lot of variations of it over the past year. I really appreciate that the sauce wasn’t cashew based like most because I personally just don’t like the consistency of cashew cheese sauces. This sauce was so creamy and to die for. Thank you!!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Jocelyn!
MJ says
I adore this Veg Mac and Cheese. Having grown up having Mac and Cheese prepared by some pretty amazing cooks (my mom and aunts), I just thought I had to kiss any semblance of Mac and cheese goodbye, as I have tried other recipes that pale in comparison. Your recipe was well seasoned and a GREAT substitute to the dairy version. Adding it to my recipe repoitorie, can’t wait to bring it to a family gathering once this quarantine is over.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
Faith says
I am eager to make this but have a couple of substitution questions! If I were to use store bought bread crumbs instead of making my own, how much should I use? Secondly, we don’t like mustard at all and don’t keep it in the house. Should I just omit it or is there anything else I should use in its place?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Faith, you can just eyeball the breadcrumbs so that you use enough to lightly cover the top of your bake, it doesn’t have to be a super precise amount at all. You can definitely leave off the mustard if you don’t like it. All the best! 🙂
Jessica Bautista says
I’m not vegan, however, due to dietary reasons I try my best to stay away from dairy. This is my go-to recipe for Mac and Cheese!! I’ve made this 3 times now, and each of those instances I’ve only used 1 can of unsweetened coconut milk. The first time was due to my lack of having enough ingredients, but after making it for the third time I think it still tastes great! I prefer this over having to put 3 cans but maybe that just because I like my mac and cheese not too saucy. Otherwise, I’ve used the same measurements for the seasonings and it tastes just as good. I’ve made this for my friends and they love it as well! Can’t take all the credit, so thank you Alison!
Melissa says
This was so delicious! My husband who isn’t the most receptive to vegan food said that he “is thoroughly enjoying this” while he was eating it so that’s a win! I used cashew milk instead of coconut milk and it was still thick and so yummy!
Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Melissa!
Marjani says
Delicious addition to my easter feast today. I threw in some vegan cream cheese to the sauce and a bit of tapioca flour to the roux. Absolute perfection. Thank you for your recipe!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks Marjani!
Cierra H says
I’ve been eating my mom’s non-vegan baked Mac and Cheese for years, so I was a little bit wary of trying a dupe. But this is a thoroughly delicious vegan mac! I used pre-made breadcrumbs but it was still so good:) Thanks for the recipe
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Cierra!
Symantha says
It’s just my husband and I, so I assume I can just half all the ingredients. Correct?
Alison Andrews says
Sure! 🙂
Sophie S says
Made this last night, and oh boy did it go down well! My boyfriend said it was his new favourite dish and was flabbergasted when I told him it was vegan, containing no cheese. Love all of your recipes as they all contain easy to find & buy ingredients, as well as the well formulated step-by-step process. Keep em’ recipes coming, girl! Thank you ????????
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Sophie!
Che says
This is my go-to mac n cheese recipe! I’ve brought this to multiple potlucks and everyone who tries it is amazed that it’s vegan. Will be bringing this to more gatherings once it’s safe to do so again. 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Che!
Lacey says
Made this today after working hard on yard work– what a treat! I’ve made other vegan cheese sauce recipes using cashew, cauliflower, or silken tofu- this one was just as yummy and I was pleased with the creaminess. It did have a somewhat strong coconut flavor, so I might try to tweak the ratios next time…. All in all, great comfort food and it was a hit with my family!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing Lacey!
Charlie says
The best vegan mac and cheese I’ve cooked thus far, and I have tried several.
Instead of the cans of coconut milk, I used 1 can of unsweetened coconut cream (that’s what I had on hand), and 3 cups of unsweetened almond milk; I didn’t want to take the chance of an overpowering flavor of coconut. I also only used 1 tablespoon of Dijon instead of 3 tablespoons.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing Charlie! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Allison says
Amazing reicpe. I cannot believe this tastes this good without one ounce of dairy!
A few substitutions I’ve made:
1/2 cup avocado oil for the vegan butter
28oz cashew milk for the (3) 14oz coconut milk
Sprinkled nutrional yeast for the 1 cup
3 tbsp of garlic&onion powder
(I love garlic!!)
Sauteed avocado oil and minced garlic. -added to sauce
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Enjoyed it so much ????????????️
Alison Andrews says
Awesome Allison! Thanks so much for sharing!
Rosie says
Hey 🙂
I’ve been doing quite a few recipes and love them. However I have a brain injury so struggle to work out how to make the recipe for 1/2 people instead. I’ve noticed there is some apps that you change the number of servings and it’ll give the right amounts. Any chance you could use that in future?
Thanks 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Hi Rosie, I would love to be able to offer that, but unfortunately it doesn’t work well with my current recipe card. Hope you can find an easier way to do it!
Candace says
Can I use cashew milk?
Alison Andrews says
Should be fine!