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.
T F says
I do not comment on anything-that says a lot since I am commenting on this recipe-it is THAT GOOD! This is the BEST mac & cheese ever. My non-vegans gobble it up and everyone is happy. Thank you!
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for your amazing review!
Jamie says
Just made for the first time, and it was delicious! I stir-heated the sauce with a whisk for about 20 minutes after it started boiling, keeping it on a gentle simmer. I’m so excited to keep this recipe in mind for my vegan guests.
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!!
Monisa says
I just finished making this recipe. I searched for a vegan Mac and cheese and I found yours. Honey you are invited to the cookout. Only 2 things I did different was use Spelt flour instead of all purpose. And I used the cheesy flavored nutritional yeast. it came out great! it pairs perfect with my collard greens, candied yams, vegan meatloaf, rice and honey cornbread.
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
That’s great Monisa! Thank you so much for sharing and for your excellent review!
Morgane says
Hi! This mac is really creamy and baked up nicely. I made it just as written. I rated it lower because our family noted an unpleasant aftertaste, probably from the nutritional yeast. I don’t know if cutting that by a 3rd or by half would have helped.
Mariah says
Yummy! I doubled this recipe for a family bbq. Being vegan means I definitely must pack a dish that I can eat, and ideally fool others into not believing its vegan. What I did differently — for the first half of the recipe, I did use 3 cans of coconut milk, but I added 2 packs of silken tofu to the food processor with fresh garlic and nutritional yeast. I also added oat milk and eyed the spices to my liking. I added black salt to give it a mild eggy flavor and Chao cheese shreds. It was so good. The dijon really makes it tasty! The mac is so thick and creamy. I am adding Impossible chicken nuggets to top it off for the perfect soul food dish!
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
That sounds delicious Mariah! Thank you for sharing and your great review!
Lydi says
Can you skip the baking part and still have a good (not overly soupy) consistency? It’s too hot to turn on an oven and I don’t need the topping
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
We haven’t tested it that way, but you are welcome to try Lydi! It would still taste great:)
Quinta says
My family loves it!! Made it 3 times so far.
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
Yay!! Thanks Quinta! 🙂
Jessie says
This recipe is amazing. I’ve commented before I think, but I had to come back for part two! First of all, the mac and cheese is amazing. But it’s the sauce!! So I’ve been experimenting with it, and it’s a gold mine for dishes. Queso? Add some chili powder and cumin, let it set to thicken, and it’s good to go. Cheddar cheese slices? Add tapioca starch, let it firm up in the fridge, slice it up. Cheesy broccoli casserole? Girl, it’s in the oven! So dropping by to thank you again!
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
Thank you so much for your review and for sharing Jessie! So glad you enjoy the recipe!
Kay says
I was nervous about this, but I shouldn’t have been. My family enjoyed it! The only thing is the color in these pictures. The dish is a yellow-orange color and looks like traditional macaroni and cheese in the pictures. Mine was much more brown. I also skipped the breadcrumbs on top and we didn’t miss it at all. Thanks for sharing your recipe! 😁
Maggie says
I made this a couple nights ago. I followed the recipe except I didn’t have enough coconut milk so I only used one can of coconut milk & I also used one can of coconut cream and then Country Crock heavy whipping cream to get to 5 cups. Everything else was followed exactly and I used panko for the topping. I consider myself a mac and cheese expert, both at making and eating it, and this recipe is honestly amazing. I made it for my non-vegan housemate and she loved it, too. I will definitely make this again, I’ve already stocked up on coconut milk!
Linds says
First time i made this I was iffy. Then I just kept resorting back to this recipe because I realized I loved it. It made a difference when I switched to using half coconut milk, half silk “next” milk. It is the best DF milk out there. Creamy and tastes like regular. Using only the coconut milk made it to “coconut” flavor.
Well done!!! My family loves it
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
Thanks for your sharing and for your great review!
Danny says
This recipe is definitely a game changer! I’d never had nutritional yeast before, and while it definitely doesn’t taste like cheese, i totally get why people use it as a substitute. The sauce was savory and rich and left nothing to be desired. Coconut milk is starting to become a staple in my kitchen as well. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Danny! Thanks so much for your review!
Shelley says
I made this Mac and cheese last night and have frozen half the cheese sauce…because I’m excited to make this recipe again! Was so delicious and creamy. Loved reading about the stir ins people added, I will be doing that as well!
Jessie says
Even my nutritional yeast-hating husband likes this recipe. He’s an omnivore, so any vegan dish he’ll eat is a MAJOR win for me! Thank you for sharing, no other recipe I’ve tried has come even close to being as good as this one. And I’ve tried MANY. The best recipe I had for mac and cheese before I went vegan called for sour cream, and my husband doesn’t like coconut, so I use unsweetened plant milk and replace a cup of it with cashew sour cream. Other than that, I stick to the recipe, and it comes out perfectly every time.
Bri says
One of my cans of coconut milk was solid!! I was mortified, but it all still came out extremely delicious with only 2 cans. I also used sourdough bread for the bread crumbs and seasoned them with the melted butter and it turned out amazing!! Thank you for this recipie!