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Cashew Mac and Cheese {GF}

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You won’t miss the dairy in this creamy vegan Cashew Mac and Cheese. Cashews make this sauce velvety and perfect for a quick yet healthy weeknight meal. 

large bowl of cashew mac and cheese with smaller bowl in foreground and Parmesan in background

Growing up my mom didn’t really cook much. The one thing I do remember “cooking” with her is boxed mac and cheese. Mac and Cheese has always been my comfort food. Anytime I’m cold, sad, or stressed I crave some mac and cheese. And although we didn’t make the pasta or sauce from scratch, it was nice helping my mom with the “cooking”.

After going vegan, I did the whole pre-made boxed vegan mac and cheese thing. It was easier for me because that’s what I was used to even when I ate dairy. After a while though, I realized I could make a healthier version.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love my store bought boxed vegan mac and cheese every once in a while but I like to like to use whole foods as much as possible… and this creamy Cashew Mac and Cheese beats the boxed brands!

fork of cashew mac and cheese with two post of mac and cheese in the background

Cashews Make Things Creamy

Cashews are an amazing nut. They offer protein, healthy fat, and a nice dose of magnesium.

Blend them up cashews with some water and you have a tasty cream! I put cashew cream in just about anything that needs some creaminess. Here are some other recipes besides cashew mac and cheese that you can make if you love cashews too:

bowl of cashew mac and cheese with fort and larger bowl in background

Creamy Cashew Mac and Cheese

I like whipping up big batches of this cashew mac and cheese for myself and using it throughout the week. This way I have some on hand anytime I’m in a cheesy mood.

The sauce is also great on veggies (I love it on broccoli – try it with the kids!), potatoes, or anything you want cheesier!

You won't miss the dairy in this Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese!Click To Tweet

 

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Cashew Vegan Mac and Cheese

You won't miss the dairy in this Creamy Cashew Vegan Mac and Cheese. Cashews make this sauce velvety and perfect for a quick yet healthy weeknight meal. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 240 kcal
Author Mary Ellen

Ingredients

  • 12 oz pasta (gf if needed)
  • 1 cup raw , unsalted cashews soaked in water for at least 1-2 hours then drained
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste (or 1 Tb salt but trust me the miso makes it fab)
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • about 1/2 to 3/4 or more cup of water
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (makes it more of the cheddary color)
  • Top with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta to package directions.
  2. Blend all of the ingredients together in a high speed blender starting with only 1/2 a cup of water. Add more if you need. It’s better to add the water a little at a time to get a nice consistency – you don’t want it too watered down.
  3. If you’re serving with hot pasta. I recommend blending the sauce right before you plate, You won’t need to heat up the sauce because the blender should have heated it a bit and the pasta will heat it more.

Recipe Notes

There may be a little sauce left over. If so save it for veggies later in the week! To reheat the sauce, add a little water to thin it out and heat on low for only a few minutes.

*Nutrition info is for the sauce only. 

Nutrition Facts
Cashew Vegan Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 240 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 23%
Total Carbohydrates 16.5g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4.5g 18%
Protein 13.25g 27%
Iron 16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Creamy Vegan Cashew Mac and Cheese | You won't miss the dairy in this Vegan Macaroni and Cheese! vegan macaroni and cheese recipe, vegan recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan recipe, vegetarian #vegan pasta #veaganmacandcheese
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Comments

  2. How lovely!!! I really love the idea of the cashew sauce here, it looks so tasty. You’d never know by your photo that wasn’t “real” mac & cheese!

    Reply

  4. “Anytime I’m cold, sad, or stressed, I crave some mac and cheese.”
    I’m with ‘ya! This is definitely a foodie memory for me too. I practically grew up on this stuff. We call it Kraft Dinner in Canada, whether it came from the brand box or not (even homemade was called Kraft Dinner haha). I have made homemade versions before, but your cheese sauce especially good. I bet the miso really does give it a nice fermenty flavour. Looking forward to trying this out!

    Reply

    • Thanks Kimmy! My mac & cheese always came from a box but I love how you called it Kraft Dinner all the time.

      Yes, the miso adds a nice little flavor. I’ve been putting it in a lot of savory dishes lately. 🙂

      Reply

  9. This looks SO GOOD!! I make mac n cheese from scratch but I usually add in a little spicy mustard. I can’t wait to try this with the miso!!
    Thank you for linking up with us for Meatless Monday!

    Reply

  18. That sounds delicious. I make my vegan cheese sauce a little differently. I make a traditional roux with dairy free spread and soy milk, then add grated vegan cheddar. I used to hate vegan cheddar, but there is a brand called Violife with make cheese with coconut milk and it’s really good. It melts and tastes like cheddar, so I have reverted to the roux method and my nutritional yeast is a little forgotten, but I remember how good this version tastes too. Thanks for submitting it to Meat Free Mondays. The roundup and linky is live. I featured your recipe this week and will share.

    Reply

    • Thanks for featuring me Jac! Your version sound delicious! I think I may have tried Violife when I visited Europe but we can’t get that round here. Actually, there’s a vegan cheese called Chao Cheese that’s made with coconut so maybe I can try your version with that, it sounds delicious!

      Reply

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