This vegan mac and cheese recipe is made easily and quickly with raw cashews, fresh lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. The sauce is incredibly creamy, flavorful and can even be used as a cheese dip. Everyone who tries this mac and cheese loves it, whether they are vegan or not!
This creamy mac and cheese recipe is sponsored by the folks over at Harvest Snaps!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how quickly it comes together. If you prep your cashews beforehand, you can whip it all up just as quickly as a box of regular mac and cheese.
Good news is you get to ditch the artificial coloring and funky additives. Sounds like a win to me!
What's great about this vegan mac and cheese?
- The whole family will love it. You can add an alternative vegetable inside of broccoli to the pasta or leave it out completely. My daughter also loves when I add peas.
- It's easy to reheat. Throw it in the oven with a little water, stir, and cover the top so it stays moist.
- Get your kids involved in making it. It's so fun to dump everything into the blender pitcher together & watch it go!
- The topping is absolutely killer. I like to take Harvest Snaps Snack Crisps and crush them up on a cutting board or in my hands. They make for an incredible taste and texture that compliments the mac and cheese so well!
I chose to introduce the Harvest Snaps to my daughter before I added them to the mac and cheese. She absolutely loved snacking on them, so we ended up crushing the snack crisps together and adding it to the pasta.
Because she was part of the process, she was definitely more excited to try and then furthermore, polish off the bowl of pasta. Girl loves autonomy and being in on the action.
What is vegan mac and cheese made out of?
The cheesiness comes from the combination of nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt.
I wouldn't recommend omitting the nutritional yeast, as it will no longer taste anything like it should.
However, the main component in the cheese sauce is going to be the raw cashews.
They are such a versatile ingredient, and I use them constantly as the base for many baked goods and vegan cheesecakes.
Some favorites include:
5 minute chocolate chip blondies,
and my vegan raspberry cheesecake.
How to make vegan mac and cheese
Put the raw cashews in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them and soak for 1 ½ hours. Drain and rinse the cashews a few times with cool water.
Prepare the pasta. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. I like to add broccoli florets, but this is optional. If using broccoli, add florets when there are 2 minutes left of cook time.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Transfer the cashews to the pitcher of a high-speed blender along with the water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, salt, mustard, and turmeric. Blend until a thick sauce comes together, scraping down the sides as necessary. You may need to add another 2-3 tablespoons of water to help it blend together. You want it thick, but pourable. Taste for salt and add black pepper as well.
Once the pasta is al dente, drain and rinse it well. Return the pasta to the pot, and stir in the cheese sauce.
Season to taste again and top off with crushed Harvest Snaps Snack Crisps. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes
- The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- I like adding the chili powder for a tiny bit of heat and complexity being added to the sauce. If you are making this for kids, you can totally leave it out, but it doesn't make it spicy.
- The recipe will not turn out if you use roasted cashews. Be sure to use raw cashews! 🙂
- You can prep the raw cashews ahead of time. If it's done a day in advance, be sure to cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator.
- I'd recommend using an elbow pasta if you can. It seems to hold onto the sauce well. Target carries a gluten free variety that looks awesome.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I recommend prepping the cashews the night beforehand or earlier in the day. That way, the meal all comes together in way less than 30 minutes when you're ready to eat.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning multiple times. I like to do it after I'm blending the sauce, and once again after I've added the sauce to the noodles.
- To reheat, I recommend using your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a splash of water, stir, and cover the top to keep it moist.
More vegan recipes you will love:
Roasted & Vegan Cauliflower Soup
The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 1 cup filtered water
- 3 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 16 ounces elbow pasta (gluten free, if you'd like!)
- 3 cups broccoli florets optional, see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder optional, see notes
- black pepper to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 bag Harvest Snaps Snack Crisps see notes
Instructions
- Put the cashews in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them and soak for 1 ½ hours. Drain and rinse the cashews a few times with cool water.
- Prepare the pasta. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. I like to add broccoli florets, but this is optional. If using broccoli, add florets when there are 2 minutes left of cook time.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Transfer the cashews to the pitcher of a high-speed blender along with the water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, salt, mustard, and turmeric. Blend until a thick sauce comes together, scraping down the sides as necessary. You may need to add another 2-3 tablespoons of water to help it blend together. You want it thick, but pourable. Taste for salt and add black pepper as well.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain and rinse it well. Return the pasta to the pot, and stir in the cheese sauce. Season to taste and serve warm!
Notes
- The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- I like adding the chili powder for a tiny bit of heat and complexity being added to the sauce. If you are making this for kids, you can totally leave it out, but it doesn't make it spicy.
- The recipe will not turn out if you use roasted cashews. Be sure to use raw cashews! 🙂
- You can prep the raw cashews ahead of time. If it's done a day in advance, be sure to cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator.
- I'd recommend using an elbow pasta if you can. It seems to hold onto the sauce well. Target carries a gluten free variety that looks awesome.
Nutrition
Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.
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