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fork with a bite of vegan cashew mac and cheese on it on a plate of mac and cheese.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Cashew Mac and Cheese

This Vegan Cashew Mac and Cheese is creamy, cheesy and so easy to make! This is the perfect simple weeknight meal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 484kcal
Author: Megan Calipari
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • 1 High Speed Blender
  • 1 3-4 Quart Pot
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

  • ½ Cup Raw Unsalted Cashews
  • ½ Pound Pasta of Choice I recommend Rotini!
  • 1 ¼ Cups Plain Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk I used So Delicious Coconut Milk
  • ¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • Black Pepper

Instructions

  • Add the cashews to the pitcher of a high-speed blender. Pour hot water over the cashews to cover them. Allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes, or until they soften. Then, drain the water and set aside.
    ½ Cup Raw Unsalted Cashews
  • Cook pasta in 3-4 quart pot according to package directions.
    ½ Pound Pasta of Choice
  • Into the high speed blender with the soaked and drained cashews, add non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika, lemon juice and kosher salt. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. About 1-2 minutes.
    1 ¼ Cups Plain Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk, ¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Onion Powder, 1 tsp Mustard Powder, ½ tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Lemon Juice, ½ tsp Salt
  • Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the cheese sauce into the pot with the pasta and turn the burner back on to medium heat. It will look runny here, but it will thicken up!
  • Cook, gently stirring, until the sauce simmers and thickens enough to coat the pasta, about 4-5 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and some black pepper. Serve.
    Black Pepper

Notes

I really like to use a pasta that has a lot of ridges like rotini or fusilli for this recipe so the cheese sauce can really stick to the pasta!
Use a gluten-free pasta to make this recipe completely gluten-free.
The cheese sauce will look really thin when you first pour it into the pot. It will thicken up in just a few minutes and become a velvety luscious sauce.
Do not use roasted cashews!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 3mg