The Ultimate Creamy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese: Cashew-Based & Gluten-Free Perfection

This Creamy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is undeniably divine! Made with an amazing, cashew-based ‘cheese’ sauce, it’s the perfect addition to any meal, whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, or simply seeking an incredible comfort food experience.

Hello, fellow food enthusiasts! Welcome back to my kitchen, where culinary explorations are always underway. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of crafting a diverse range of dishes, from zesty tacos and indulgent no-bake chocolate pudding to refreshing vegan ice cream and even savory cauliflower buffalo wings. While I’ve ventured into vegan mac and cheese before, those earlier versions were delightful seasonal creations, harnessing the flavors of butternut squash and pumpkin. However, the requests for an all-purpose, everyday vegan mac and cheese recipe have been constant and resounding. After countless hours in the kitchen, experimenting and refining, I am thrilled to finally present a weeknight-friendly, baked vegan mac and cheese that truly hits the spot and will satisfy even the most intense cheese cravings.

Get ready, because you are going to absolutely adore this recipe. This baked vegan mac and cheese is arguably the closest you’ll get to its dairy counterpart, boasting a rich, creamy texture and an explosion of cheesy flavor that is simply out of this world. It’s not just good; it’s perfect for any occasion, proving that plant-based comfort food can be both satisfying and incredibly delicious. This recipe truly sets a new standard for vegan mac and cheese.

The Quest for Perfection: Crafting the Ideal Vegan Mac and Cheese

You might be wondering why it’s taken me so long to share an “everyday” vegan mac and cheese recipe. The truth is, I deliberately held back for a considerable time because I was committed to absolute perfection. I didn’t want to release just any vegan mac and cheese; I wanted one that delivered an intense, authentic “cheese” flavor, a luxurious creaminess, and a comforting warmth that would make you eager to share it with everyone you know. This meant a meticulous process of research, countless rounds of trial and error, and a deep dive into plant-based ingredients to mimic the complex profile of traditional cheese sauce.

For this particular culinary adventure, I’ve had the pleasure of partnering once again with GreenLife Cookware, a brand renowned for its healthy ceramic non-stick coating. If you recall my Thai Green Curry Recipe post, you’ll know I instantly fell in love with their products. Beyond their stunning turquoise pans, GreenLife Cookware stands out for its commitment to health and safety: their cookware is lead and cadmium-free, and manufactured without harmful PFAS and PFOA chemicals. This aligns perfectly with my philosophy of cooking delicious, wholesome food.

One of the many benefits of using GreenLife Cookware for this baked vegan mac and cheese is the incredible convenience. You can prepare the entire dish, from sautéing the aromatics to baking it to golden perfection, all in the same skillet. This means fewer dishes to wash, a dream come true for any home cook! Moreover, cleanup is an absolute breeze. The GreenLife Cookware pots and pans are genuinely non-stick. If you’ve ever made traditional mac and cheese, you know how stubbornly it can stick, making cleanup a chore. With GreenLife, that’s a problem of the past. I’m not exaggerating when I say a quick swipe is all it takes to clean these beautiful pans, allowing you to enjoy your meal without dreading the aftermath.

The Secret Behind the Sauce: A Cashew-Based Masterpiece

After extensive research and a series of delightful (and some not-so-delightful) kitchen experiments, I finally landed on a recipe that I truly adore. My husband, who is a self-proclaimed mac and cheese aficionado, was the first to taste the ‘cheese’ sauce and promptly gave it his enthusiastic seal of approval – an essential endorsement! I’m so passionate about this sauce that I envision a dedicated post just for it, perhaps even bottling it, because you absolutely NEED to experience it. Imagine it drizzled lavishly over your favorite roasted potatoes (perfection!), served like nacho cheese with crispy chips (a definite win!), or incorporated anywhere else your heart desires. Its versatility is truly astounding.

To achieve this unparalleled creaminess and flavor, I began by heavily modifying one of my existing vegan cheese ball recipes, transforming its thick, spreadable consistency into a luscious, pourable sauce. The base for this incredible texture comes from soaked cashews, which blend into an unbelievably smooth and rich cream. To add depth, a beautiful golden hue, and a savory body to the sauce, I incorporated a medley of sautéed carrots, garlic, and onions. This ingenious trick, which I first discovered while developing my scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce, is key to giving the sauce its vibrant color and foundational flavor. And speaking of hot sauce, a drizzle of that scotch bonnet pepper creation would be utterly divine over this baked vegan mac and cheese, adding an extra layer of complexity and a gentle kick!

Once this exquisite cashew-based sauce was perfectly blended, the remaining steps were remarkably straightforward. It was as simple as pouring the rich sauce over the cooked macaroni in the GreenLife pan, adding a crispy breadcrumb topping, and baking it in the oven until perfectly set and golden. As it baked, the aroma filling my kitchen was pure bliss. I waited as patiently as I could for it to cool slightly, all the while doing a little happy dance in my head. That first bite into the hot, creamy, and undeniably cheesy mac and cheese confirmed it: this recipe had to be shared. It was so good, in fact, that I enjoyed it for dinner that very night, simply accompanied by a generous dash of hot sauce. It truly is that good and incredibly satisfying as a stand-alone meal.

Creative Ways to Enjoy Your Leftovers: Mac and Cheese Waffles!

By the way, if you’re looking for an exciting way to transform leftovers, this baked vegan mac and cheese truly shines when made into mac and cheese waffles! Similar to how these waffles can elevate a meal, the mac and cheese waffles offer a delightful textural contrast. Recreating leftovers like this not only minimizes waste but also allows the flavors to further develop and intensify. Imagine a perfectly crisp, golden-brown exterior giving way to a warm, creamy, and cheesy interior. It’s the mac and cheese waffle experience of my dreams, offering a whole new dimension of enjoyment. I highly recommend giving it a try! Enjoy every single bite of this incredible dish, whether fresh from the oven or innovatively transformed the next day.

Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese (Gluten Free)

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

This Creamy Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is undeniably divine! Made with an amazing, cashew-based ‘cheese’ sauce, it’s the perfect addition to any meal!

4.93 (from 13 ratings)

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Ingredients

Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese

• 3 cups elbow macaroni, gluten free if needed, 12 oz/340g
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or coconut oil, 12.5g
• 1 large carrot, chopped, 112g
• 1 small yellow onion, halved and chopped, 72g,
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight, rinsed and drained OR just easily boiled for 5 minutes*
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
• Juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 tablespoon tamari sauce, or liquid aminos
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Breadcrumb Topping

• 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to taste, for breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter, or coconut oil

Instructions

Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese (Gluten Free)

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Prepare elbow pasta according to package directions. You can do this while the carrots are being cooked. Drain and pour into a pan (You can use the same pan as below – just leave the pasta in a colander, then after carrot mixture has been made, add to pan).
• In a pan over medium heat heat the oil add in the carrots, onions and the garlic, stirring to combine. Cover with lid and allow to steam/roast until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• In a large high speed blender add the carrot mixture, cashews, salt and pepper, ground mustard, lime juice, tamari, nutritional yeast, paprika, ground nutmeg, and almond milk.
• Blend together for about 1 minute on a strong speed, until sauce is completely smooth and incorporate. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
• Pour the sauce over the Mac and cheese in a skillet. Stir to combine.
• Mix breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste and vegan butter in a small dish with a small whisk or fork until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the Mac and cheese, covering completely.
• Bake for 15 minutes until Mac and cheese is set, then broil for a few minutes until top is golden brown.
• Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly then serve and enjoy!

Notes

*You can easily boil your cashews with just enough water covering them for 5 minutes. Drain, let cool, and proceed! This way you can make the recipe the same day.

This recipe is vegan and gluten free.
To make this soy free, you can use coconut aminos instead of tamari or liquid aminos, and soy-free vegan butter.

Prep time doesn’t include soaking the cashews overnight.

If you try this Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.

This post is sponsored by GreenLife Cookware. All opinions and text are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Jessica in the Kitchen.

Calories: 480kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 404mg, Potassium: 432mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1721IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 4mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Author: Jessica Hylton