Go Back
Print
creamy vegan mac n' cheese

Creamy Vegan Mac n' Cheese

A gooey and ultra-creamy cashew-based vegan cheese sauce with a hint of smokiness.

Course Main Course
Keyword coconut bacon, vegan dinner recipe, vegan mac n' cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author Taavi Moore

Ingredients

(Optional) Coconut Bacon

  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp liquid smoke
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Mac n' Cheese

  • 1 cup (145g) raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
  • 3 baby gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (~10 oz)
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped (~6.5 oz)
  • ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • ¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 8 oz. rigatoni (or pasta of choice)

Instructions

(Optional) Coconut Bacon

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add all the coconut bacon ingredients to a bowl. Toss to coat the coconut in tamari, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika. Spread the coconut out into a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, stir around, then toast for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes which will allow the bacon to get crispy.  

Mac n Cheese

  1. Add potatoes, carrots, and onions to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes until carrots are tender and potatoes are soft. Drain and add to a high-powered blender. 

  2. To the blender, add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until thick and smooth. Season with more salt and pepper, as desired.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water then drain pasta. Add pasta back to the cooking pot along with reserved pasta water and ~2 cups of sauce (or as desired). Stir to fully coat the pasta in sauce.

  4. Serve the pasta with fresh basil and a generous sprinkle of coconut bacon. Enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes more than enough sauce. I recommend 2 cups of sauce for every 8 oz. of pasta. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to a week. Top on more pasta, nachos, quesadilla, or use as a spread. Get creative!