Vegan Green Chili Mac ‘n’ Cheese

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Cast-iron skillet filled with Vegan Green Chili Mac n Cheese

I’m sure we all have horror stories of the mac n cheese of our yesteryear. For me it was almost always boxed, but in the rare chance that it wasn’t, it was certainly made with that processed block of horror known as Velveeta (*shiver).

This is not that kind of mac n cheese. This is unprocessed, wholesome, dairy-free goodness for those of us who still crave a bit of our childhood favorites without all the junk.

Macaroni shells for making Easy Vegan Mac n Cheese
Soaking cashews in a jar for Vegan Mac n Cheese

Don’t be intimidated by vegan mac n cheese. I was a little skeptical at first because my initial attempts at cashew sauces were unsuccessful. But I’ve learned a few tricks here and there (how long to soak, how long to blend, what spices/seasonings to add) and I’m now a HUGE fan. It’s unbelievable how a jar of soaked cashews can turn into rich sauces, luxurious ice creams and bonafide cheesy goodness.

Plus, this particular recipe requires just 10 ingredients (minus the tortilla chips) and 30 minutes! It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Blender filled with ingredients for Green Chili Mac n Cheese

This sauce is infused with plenty of flavor thanks to cumin, chili powder and green chilies. Half of the chilies go into the sauce, while the other half get stirred into the final product. The result is oh-so dreamy.

Pouring vegan cheese sauce onto skillet of macaroni noodles

Skillet of Vegan Green Chili Mac n Cheese ready to be mixed
Using a wooden spoon to stir a batch of our Vegan Green Chili Mac n Cheese recipe

Once you stir the sauce with the noodles and the green chilies, it’s time for a little crunch. I toasted up some tortilla chips until golden brown then sprinkled them on top for another layer of flavor and texture. I was in love. Swoon.

You’re going to love this mac n cheese. It’s:

Creamy
Luxurious
Savory
Super Cheesy
Velvety
Perfectly spiced from the green chilies
Mega satisfying
& Altogether dreamy

Oh, and by the way, each serving has 19 grams of protein! WHAT?!!

Skillet Vegan Mac n Cheese made with Green Chilis and Toasted Tortilla Chips
Skillet filled with Green Chili Mac n Cheese for a simple vegan dinner

I personally think you could serve this to a non-vegan and they would totally dig it. They may be able to tell it’s not “true mac n cheese,” but it’s so creamy and flavorful and satisfying that they’ll have to be won over. This makes enough for 4, or 3 very generously, so invite a few friends and take them to vegan cheese heaven. Cheers!

Holding up a bite of Green Chili Mac n Cheese on a fork
Holding a bite of healthy vegan Green Chili Mac n Cheese
Fork full of Vegan Mac n Cheese resting on a cast iron skillet

Vegan Green Chili Mac ‘n’ Cheese

10 ingredient, 30 minute vegan mac n cheese infused with green chili and topped with crispy baked crushed tortilla chips!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Using a fork to lift a bite of Vegan Green Chili Mac n Cheese from a skillet
4.80 from 136 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces large macaroni shells (gluten-free for GF eaters // I used pipe rigate)
  • 1/2 medium white onion (diced)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight, then drained)
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 4-ounce can diced chills (scoop half into the sauce, reserve half for the finished mac n cheese)
  • 1 cup tortilla chips (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro (optional // for topping)

Instructions

  • If topping with tortilla chips, crush chips into fine crumbs and add to a baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Spritz with olive or avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and stir. Then bake in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Boil macaroni according to package instructions.
  • In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, sauté onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, stir and cook until soft and fragrant – about 7 minutes. Set aside.
  • Add onions and garlic to a blender with remaining ingredients, omitting the tortilla chips and adding only half of the green chilies. Blend until smooth, using the “liquify” setting if you have it to get it really smooth. Otherwise just blend for up to a minute, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth and creamy.
  • Drain the noodles, set aside, and cover (with a towel). To the same pot you boiled the noodles in, add the cashew cheese and cook on low stirring frequently until slightly thickened.
  • Add the macaroni noodles to the cheese, along with the remaining green chilies and stir. Serve immediately, topping with crushed toasted tortilla chips and cilantro (optional).

Notes

*Adapted from the amazing Isa Chandra.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without tortilla chips.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 516 Carbohydrates: 72 g Protein: 19 g Fat: 17 g Saturated Fat: 3.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 380 mg Fiber: 5.6 g Sugar: 4 g

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  1. Carol says

    This was the first mac and cheese I made after flipping the vegan switch. (Shortly after surviving a widowmaker heart attack, probably cheese induced!) Delicious! Although I made a note to use water instead of veg broth. Thanks for the reminder. Gotta make it again. So good

  2. JJ says

    Wonderful recipe! My kids gobbled it up and said it was the best Mac and cheese they have had. I added chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Thank you for sharing!

  3. Em says

    I love this recipe!
    I find that I don’t need to turn on the burner to get the cheese sauce to thicken, the heat of the macaroni is enough. Also I throw in some broccoli w the noodles have way through to add some veggies. Thanks again.

  4. Bianca says

    I am LOST FOR WORDS. this is the best thing ever and I will forever make this.

    I did use chipotle chilies instead, but I’m sure the green chilies are just as delicious! And I added some almond milk to thin it out a bit.

    But omg. You are amazing! LOVE LOVE LOVE.

  5. Bianca says

    Hi!

    If I happen to want this for dinner tonight, will it still be just as good if I only soak them for 3 hours? And do I use boiling water?

    Love you!

    Thank you

  6. Teresa says

    I just made this and I am so happy! I am a long-time vegetarian, but new vegan for health and animal rights reasons. The hardest thing for me (as with many people) as been giving up cheese. I’ve made several other “mac n cheese” recipes that I did not enjoy, but this one was fantastic! Even my meat-and dairy-eating hubby said it was good. I am going to definitely make it again! I’m thinking I might try it with chipotle peppers, too, to give it that smoky and spicy flavor. I did it without the chips, but I am guessing it would come out great topped with the chips and baked for a bit. When I try these modifications, I’ll report back! Thank you for all of your great recipes ! I just bought your cookbook, too!

    • Teresa says

      So I definitely recommend not baking the recipe. I doubled it and added carrots for color/sweetness. Then I put it in a baking dish and topped with breadcrumbs and shredded Treeline cheese (I really miss baked mac n cheese). Baking it totally dried out the sauce and dampened the flavor of everything! I also think the carrots did not work well because it was too sweet and detracted from the spicyness of the chiles. I’m beginning to think that good baked vegan mac n cheese is just not a thing because every time I try it, it does not come out well! So I will make this recipe again and again in its original form because it’s wonderful!

  7. Kyle says

    This recipe looks amazing! I want to bring it for a potluck party this Saturday and I’m wondering if you think it will still come out ok if I make it and put it in a casserole dish then reheat in the oven once I’m there?? It won’t be frozen or anything, just made 1-2 hours beforehand and then reheated. Would love to hear your advice! Thanks Dana!!

  8. Autumn says

    This recipe is amazing! I just made it, added some celery along with my onions and garlic before I sauteed them all. We all loved it so much!

  9. Sue says

    I tried this recipe for the first time. I have made a Mac and cheese that uses cashews for many years and so I thought I’d try something new. It didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted so I went back to my trusted, tried and true recipe. I added to your recipe juice of 1 lemon, 1Tbs. or so of tahini, 1 4oz. Jar of pimentos. And an extra Tbs. Of yeast flakes. I did not use cumin because I didn’t have any. This made it delicious! Thank you for sharing.

  10. Cari says

    I made this tonight. The flavor was pretty good but the texture didnt seem quite right- maybe I needed to soak the cashews a little longer.
    This is not a recipe that refrigerates well. It will become very dry, as a lot of cashew- based sauces do. So if you’re making it for 2 people it might be a good idea to halve the recipe because leftovers are not going to be the same.
    The only changes I made were adding a big pinch of salt and a small pinch of turmeric for color.

  11. Naomi says

    This recipe looks amazing! I’d like to make it ahead of time and serve it for Thanksgiving. Have you tried baking it the oven after preparing it on the stove? Do you think it will work? Thanks!

    • alyssa says

      I came here to ask this too. I’d LOVE to bring it for Thanksgiving but I have to travel a bit (about an hour) and don’t know what the best course of action would be. Leaving the pasta and sauce separate and combining when I get there? Following the recipe exactly and then heating it back up in the oven once I get there? I may have to experiment once this week but I’d love any suggestions from anyone who has made it in advance of serving! My family is also very close-minded toward vegan foods so I don’t want to risk making it “weirder” (in their eyes) by doing anything that would affect the texture too much.

      • alyssa says

        Oh, and I should add that this will be my second stop on Thanksgiving so any input on how to store it best for several hours (1 for the car ride, 3-4 at my first Thanksgiving destination) would be amazing!

  12. MelissaK says

    I made this for dinner last night and it was great! My sauce didn’t turn out quite as creamy as yours looks in the pictures; either a result from my blender not liquefying the cashews enough (it was still a little grainy), or I may have just needed to heat it longer on the stove to let it thicken up more. Either way, it’s definitely going in our regular dinner rotation!
    Even my non-vegan husband enjoyed it! Though after the first few bites he added some shredded cheese on top of his. But he did comment on how surprised he was with the “cheesy” flavor and consistency!

    This is my 2nd attempt at going vegan — the first time I relied way too much on processed meat/dairy alternatives and it got cost prohibitive. This time I’m coming at it with different motivation and doing a lot more cooking at home (marrying a man who loves to cook has also helped!). Your website has been a game-changer for me; I’m even going to bring some of your recipes to share at my first Thanksgiving dinner as a vegan! Thanks for everything you do!!

  13. Jessica R says

    I am so happy to have found these recipes! Went out to the grocery store and health food store yesterday, and picked up a whole bunch of stuff to use in vegan dishes. I am in pretty bad shape, so I am trying to improve my health by changing up my diet over time (I have yet to meet an unhealthy vegan lol) I’ve never really cared much for meat, but letting go of dairy is more difficult. I never knew that cashews could be used to make sauces like this. Just about time for me to head into the kitchen and give this a try. And for tomorrow evening, I’ll be making the vegan lemon fettuccine alfredo.

  14. Beka says

    Today marks my third time making this, and I think I finally have it right!

    So the first time I made it, I forgot the broth, but I also discovered that neither my food processor nor my blender has the power needed to truly liquefy cashews. The closest thing I have that grinds fine enough is the coffee grinder, and I’m not gonna use that on an entire cup of cashews.

    The second time I tried using cashew milk instead of cashews, and that worked a little better, but the sauce wouldn’t thicken up very well at all. I used a full cup of cashew milk and the full amount of broth called for in the recipe.

    Today, I made a roux to thicken the sauce, and it came out PERFECT. I used 2Tbsp Earth Balance and 2Tbsp olive oil (because I ran out of Earth Balance) and 6Tbsp flour to make the roux, then added the pulverized onion and garlic, chilis, seasoning, and 1 cup cashew milk and the broth. It thickened up BEAUTIFULLY and not at all grainy, so if anyone else is also burdened with inferior equipment, making the sauce this way is pretty simple!

    Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s definitely helping to curb my cheese cravings since I had to go dairy free <3

    • Nancy says

      I tried it your way! This came out so much better than when I used my immersion blender!! Thank you for this tip!

      I cooked the garlic and onion in about 4 tablespoons olive oil, then added 6 tablespoons of flour. Finally I added the cashew milk/broth and cooked until thickened. Then I added the green chillies, spices, and 1 steamed sweet potato, and used my immersion blender to mix it all up. I threw in some extra veggies at the end for kicks. Excellent!

      • Beka says

        Adding extra veggies is SO GOOD, I added sauteed zucchini to it the first time I made it to sort of detract from the graininess of the cashews and it was super tasty

  15. jenn says

    Hi all!
    I’m on the road to vegetarian-ism, then vegan.
    However I’m allergic to trees nuts. Please help with cheese sauces without tree nuts or almond milk.
    Thanks much?!!

  16. Christianne says

    I soaked the cashews for 7 hours, but something came up and I’m not able to make this tonight ? Any tips for storing? Would it work to drain them then put them in the fridge until tomorrow? Or just keep soaking until tomorrow?

  17. Nancy says

    This was my first foray into vegan cheese, and it was great! I’m not vegan and couldn’t find nootch at my local grocery store (and I was too excited to wait), so I put in some Parmesan cheese. Delicious! I didn’t get my sauce as creamy because used an immersion blender, but I didn’t mind. Can’t wait to make it again with some of the above variations (e.g. Adding more veggies). Might be good with some sweet potato or cauliflower puréed into the base.

  18. Sonya Baldwin says

    Oh. My. Gosh. Thats all I can say. I made another recipe from another blog last week for a cashew cheese and I was like meh. It was ok. Then I made yours tonight. #MindBlown I didn’t have the green chilis, so I added some Green Tabasco instead. Amazing!

  19. Dana says

    Thank You so much for this recipe. I wanted to let you know that I used it for a cooking demonstration last night for our towns “First Friday” event with a blues and bbq theme! Everyone loved it and I ended up with a list for 21 people who want me to email them the recipe. Thanks a bunch!

  20. Brianna says

    I’ve been intimidated by making cashew cheese, but decided to try this recipe and was pleasantly surprised! Thanks for making the process simple and easy to follow. I (like other readers) added a good bit of salt, but it turned out very yummy! The only thing is – my cheese sauce was the color of the pasta, even after adding a bit of paprika. How did you get it so yellow?

  21. Sheila Cunny says

    I’ve been following Minimalist Baker for years, and have yet to be disappointed by any if their recipes. The green chili Mac n chez was no exception! Totally easy, few ingredients and delish! I ended up adding more salt, but that’s because they don’t specify an exact amount, and I’m a salt-aholic. Love it and will make it over and over again now that I have a proper blender!

  22. Ami says

    Hi!

    I’m from England and I don’t think we can get “can diced chills”. If we can, then I don’t they’re called that here! Can someone suggest an alternative?

    Thanks!

    Ami

  23. Patrice says

    Just learning vegan ways. Is there something that can be substituted for the cashews in this recipe? We have tree nut allergies in our family, especially cashew & peanut allergies.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Patrice! Sunflower or pumpkin seeds may work in place of cashews, but we haven’t tried it and can’t be 100% sure. Report back if you give it a try!

  24. Heather B says

    Making this today for a vegan pot luck in a park & I am soooo excited! I love all of your recipes, haven’t had one turn out bad yet so I know this will be fantastic! Keep doing what you’re doing!!!! Thanks!

  25. Kirstie Kimball says

    OMG this is so good. I’ve made this so many times. I triple the spices (except the notch which I double) because I like a lot of spice. The base is SO flexible. I’m a huge fan of spicy mac so I love that I can change it up to be other spicy mixes.

    Variations I’ve made include:
    Adding buffalo sauce and putting some baked cauliflower florets into it
    Blistered poblano peppers subbed in
    Using the cheese sauce with chips and salsa
    Throwing in some “pulled” BBQ jackfruit

    Seriously. Amazing.

  26. Maricruz says

    First time making this I did substitute with Jalapeños and added sautéed mushrooms…..it was AMAZING

  27. Dora says

    This. Was. Delish.
    That being said…this has no resemblance to Mac n’ Cheese. I would call it more of a southwest alfredo sauce. His was my first time making any kind of vegan cheese alternative and I thought it was great, even though it didn’t taste like cheese at all. The spices were perfect.
    My version didn’t come out as smooth as the picture. I was using a regular powered blender which could be the reason why.

    Great recipe!

  28. Sarah says

    Well, this doesn’t taste like mac n cheese but it still ticks all of the boxes. The sauce is super creamy and very flavorful. In fact I think its more flavorful than the majority of mac n cheese I’ve had. It was super easy and quick to make. My family, who by the way loooove cheese, loved this mac n cheese and finished the entire pot. I asked them if I should make it again or not and they said, “definitely make it again!”. Success! Thanks for the recipe.

  29. Marc Sager says

    LIving in Panama, canned green chiles are not a thing. A substitution which worked well was salsa verde. Basically, it is a mild salsa with a base of tomatillos and green chiles.

  30. Anna says

    Omg I made this today and it is officially the best vegan pasta I’ve ever made. The pasta part reminds me of a baked alfredo ? I did make some changes: I used two slices of a small jalapeño pepper (definitely should’ve used more, but I was scared it would turn super spicy) instead of the canned chiles because I didn’t have any, and added around 3-5 tsp of glutinous rice flour (tapioca starch works too!) to thicken it quicker because I was impatient and hungry LOL (I still added the corn starch though)! I love how the nutritional yeast isn’t overpowering and adds a perfect amount of its flavor to the dish. Will deffffffinitely make again!! Thank you so muchhh ^_^

  31. Mary says

    In step four should I drain any excess water left from soaking the Cashews or should I blend that water with it?

    Can’t wait to try this recipe,
    Thanks so much!

  32. Kirstie Kimball says

    Holy shit. This is amazing. I doubled the spices, added 1/2 tbsp of chipotle and cayenne, because I love spice, and it’s so good.

  33. Erin says

    I can’t tolerate tree nuts, but I saw your recipe for nut-free “queso” and substituted that instead of making the cheese sauce in this recipe. (For anyone curious, a double batch did just fine for a pound of pasta.) The queso is delicious by itself, and it’s certainly delicious in this recipe!

    My husband is an omnivore, but I had him try this, as it’s one of our dinners this week. He could definitely tell that it wasn’t cheese, but it was a close enough facsimile (especially when you add the diced tomatoes and chiles from the queso recipe) that he’s excited to eat it. Happy to add both to our regular rotation!

  34. L says

    Such a delicious recipe I had to comment! I’ve made this at least 4 times already and have shared with family and friends. I always make a bit of extra sauce as I like my pasta really coated. My meat loving boyfriend also LOVES this dish and had no idea it was vegan.

  35. Ilona ecott says

    Hi Love the blog so much!

    Do you think you could bake this in the oven for a bit to make it crispy?

    Ilona :)

  36. Mallory Morales says

    Where are the instructions for the cashew cheese? This seems to be an important step in creating this recipe.

    Thank you

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! Step 4 has got you covered! Add onions and garlic to a blender with remaining ingredients, omitting the tortilla chips and adding only half of the green chilies. Blend until smooth, using the “liquify” setting if you have it to get it really smooth. Otherwise just blend for up to a minute, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth and creamy.

  37. Kjersten says

    Made this for dinner tonight along with homemade guacamole, chips and salsa. It was very good! I do miss mac ‘n’ cheese and this isn’t the same – different than dairy mac ‘n’ cheese but very flavorful. My husband, two 16 year olds and 1 year old all had lots of “mmmmmm’s”. I did add extra chili powder, cumin, nutritional yeast, plus some salt, as my initial taste test proved it slightly bland for my tastes. I did also use the optional crush tortilla chips and cilantro (loooove cilantro). We will make this again. Thank you for the recipe!

    I do have a quick question. I’m curious why you didn’t
    Opt to use a nut milk such as almond milk or cashew milk in place of vegetable broth? I’m thinking the nut milk could add some additional creaminess?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! I have not tried making it with nut milk but if you give it a try, let me know how it goes! Nut milk would definitely add extra creaminess, but lacks the saltiness that vegetable broth has that makes this recipe just right! If you don’t have vegetable broth, you could also substitute for water with a little salt for taste!

  38. Julia says

    Thank you for my new favorite Minimalist Baker recipe! I made this last week and absolutely fell in love with how creamy and “cheesy” the sauce was- I even had lots of sauce left over for topping at the end, and for putting on left overs. I made this with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans, and I’m already looking forward to the next time I make it!

  39. Nicole says

    Hi Dana,

    Can almonds be substituted for cashews in a pinch?

    I made this a couple of times with cashews and it was great! I put it on quinoa (instead of pasta) with broccoli and bake it. It’s awesome.

    Thank you,
    Nicole

  40. Camila says

    This recipe sounds and look amazing! However, I do not have cornstarch at the moment, is there a susitute that will work just as well and not make the taste different?

  41. Joan says

    Hi. I’m new to your blog, and all the recipes I’ve tried have been awesome! Sadly, we tried this one last night and my husband was in charge of making it (maybe part of the problem?! ;-) ). The cashew “cheese” sauce was pretty grainy, and he said our traditional food processer didn’t make it smooth. I’m going to try this again to see if I have the magic touch because I want it to work! Any ideas on what else we’d need to do to help the texture?

    Thank you and keep up the awesome work!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Food processors don’t get these sauces creamy, unfortunately. You really need a high speed blender!

  42. Zoey says

    Hello :)
    I made this last night and it was so delicious! I love pasta! It’s a perfect comfort food. Plus it didn’t take long at all to make. I’ll be making it over and over again! Awesome recipe!! :)

  43. Trinity says

    My mother just tried to make this and both of noticed that it didn’t clearly explain to blend the cashews to make the cheese.
    She followed the directions and noticed that was missing and that is why her dish was not good.
    Maybe if possible you cam update the recipe.
    Thank you.

  44. Marsha says

    I made this before for my hubby whose favorite is mac and cheese, but he’s trying to be vegan now. He loved it!!!

    I made it without the tortilla chips last time, but want to try them next time. Aren’t they already salted and oiled and baked. Could just crushing them be enough?

  45. Charisse says

    Hi there how spicy is this recipe? I’d love to try it but my family and I don’t do well with spicy food. Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      If you get mild green chilies it’s not too hot! And you can always cut back on them to reduce spice. Hope that helps!

  46. Trish says

    I’ve made a lot of vegan mac and cheese before, some good and some not so, some requiring a lot of steps and some easier. I’ve been on a mission to find a good recipe that my entire family enjoys. I have a 15 year old son that still loves mac and cheese although he’s not a vegan. The previous vegan ones I’ve made he’s eaten but hasn’t been a fan of them, until last night when I made your recipe! He devoured this and absolutely loved it! I have to say this was my favorite out of all the ones I’ve made. Not only was it super creamy and full of flavor, but it was incredibly quick to put together! I forgot to soak my cashews so while I prepared the onions and everything else I soaked the cashews in boiled water. Mission completed: No more scouring the web for a vegan mac and cheese recipe. This one is it! Thank you!!

  47. tami says

    where do you add the corn starch? i have looked at your instructions, but do not see where it says to add it? did i miss something?

  48. Jenny says

    I just made this for the first time. First time ever having mac and cheese. I had been thinking about it and looking forward to it all day. Came home in the evening and discovered I had but one garlic clove and no vegetable broth in the house!*

    And still it was: Amazing. Like every other recipe of yours that I’ve made.

    Thank you.

    * I just upped all the other spices, added some BBQ spice and dijon and lemon juice.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hey Natalie, I haven’t frozen or reheated this particular recipe but from my experience mac-n-cheese is best served fresh! Feel free to halve the recipe or if you do try freezing or refrigerating it, let us know how it turns out!

  49. letogogo says

    This turned out way creamier / cheesier than I expected – I was concerned about the stock base and almost used almond milk. I’m happy that I followed the recipe as it was, though. Really delicious.

    I followed others’ advice and added in some mustard powder and lemon juice. Also added in some turmeric for more color. AND the fake bacon bits (not healthy but vegan and so good).

  50. CheeseDaft says

    I used this as the basis for my first attempt at vegan mac & cheese. I’m a die hard cheese fan, not vegan, about 80% vegetarian on a good week (transitioning). I soaked cashews overnight, whizzed them up in a mini blender with a little soy milk, made a white sauce with veg oil, white flour (seasoned with white pepper, garlic powder and salt) and soy milk, then added nutritional yeast and the ground cashews. I loved it, creamy, cheesy, stick to the bones goodness. I sprayed it with a little truffle oil and chilli oil. Sadly the rest of my family were less impressed, but I’m happy to have a dairy free alternative to one of my favourite meals.

    White sauce tip from the late (& IMO great) Keith Floyd: hen making white sauce, there’s no need to fry the flour in oil then add the milk, you can add all three ingredients cold to a saucepan and bring to a simmer gently, stirring occasionally.

  51. Michelle says

    Adapted from my other favorite mac and cheese recipe, this dish is delicious! I’ve made it tons of times and it always turns out perfect (which I always know is going to happen with any of your recipes that I make). I’m having this for dinner again tonight, as a matter of fact, and I can’t wait…yum :)

  52. Q says

    I must have gone through a dozen mac and cheese recipes when I first went vegan, but as soon as I tried this one, I knew it was The One. My college roommate, who gamely tried all the rest too, agreed immediately- and she’s serious about her cheese. We must have made this recipe at least twice a month, and we always cleared out the entire pan in one sitting. I’ve made this dish for dozens of friends and family members, and I haven’t found anyone who doesn’t love it. I’ve tried out some vegan box mac and cheeses as they became available, since this does take a bit of planning with having to soak the cashews before-hand, but nothing has come close to this recipe’s texture and flavor! Hands-down one of my favorite recipes of all time, and always the one I go to when introducing someone to vegan food for the first time.

  53. Jessica says

    Does this warm up well? Asking because I am newly trying to go more plant-based with my diet and know that other cheesy dishes with real cheese, when homemade, tend to have a weird separation thing and are gross when warmed up.

    Thanks :)

  54. Johanna says

    I made this last night for dinner and WOW, best vegan Mac and cheese hands down! So simple to make too! Some modifications: I added garlic powder, sea salt, red pepper flakes, extra chili powder, and extra nutritional yeast to taste. This will be a staple recipe in my home! I think next time I’ll add some sautéed leafy greens. :)

  55. Aifric says

    It’s not mac and cheese weather but I was craving it yesterday and I’ve not yet found a vegan mac and cheese recipe that I really loved. A google search later and I found this gem. This recipe is amazing!!!! It tastes so good that I’m going to make it again today. I love creative cooking and this doesn’t sound like it would work but it really does.

  56. Kirstin says

    Ok I did something wrong with the cashews. The sauce was not creamy but liquid-y and chunky. I soaked the cashews for almost 24 hours! Is is because I refridgerated them when they were soaking?

  57. Beth says

    Made this but was hoping it would be like Mac and cheese, not Mexican Mac and cheese. Still was great and I’m sure I’ll make it again. However, does anyone know of a recipe that’s cream and Cheese tasting. Please help!

    • Aifric says

      I thought it was the closest to a real mac and cheese that I’ve tasted. I added nutmeg, which added a sweetness to the sauce and cut down on the chilli. Smoked paprika could be nice too but I’ve not tried it.

  58. Andrea says

    Made this recipe tonight and was above impressed with the flavor! The green chiles and cilantro really set it apart from other vegan mac and cheese I have made in the past. Will absolutely be making this again. Thank you so much for all of your delicious recipes. This is one of four that I made today to stock up for the week. I may never look elsewhere for delicious plant-based recipes!

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Alexandra + Tina! Yes, we haven’t tried it, but roasted cashews should work for this! Although, cashews are most nutritious in their raw form. I would still soak them just to ensure they’re soft for blending! Hope this helps!

  59. Alyssa says

    Hi! Can i use a food processor for this? My blender isn’t the best for this kind of stuff. Cant wait to make it :)

  60. roxanne says

    Hello. I’m going to try and tackle this and another recipe of yours that calls for raw cashews. I have a large bag of roasted salted cashews. do you think i could soak the cashews to rinse off the salt & just use those?

  61. Courtney says

    OMGoodness!! I finally found a delicious vegan mac and cheese recipe..let me tell you, Pinterest is filled with horrible recipes! But this is amazing. My fiancé and I make this dish at least twice a week.. it makes you feel great, fills you up, and lets you feel like you are indulging in some real mac and cheese. When we are feeling naughty we add a little goat cheese to make it even creamier. All I have to say is thank you Dana, thank you! I cannot wait to try more of your recipes after being wowed by this one.
    -Courtney

  62. Kate says

    Hands down BEST Mac-n-cheese ever! This version is better than any Mac-n-cheese that’s not vegan!! It’s hard to believe that there isn’t any cheese in this delicious dish. I followed directions but added a dash of cayenne and garlic powder (plus the 3-4 cloves of fresh) to the recipe to give it a little extra kick. I baked the dish @ 500 for 15min just to brown the top. Added cilantro was lovely. It needed a little extra salt, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. I will look forward to serving this dish to my non vegan friends just to see their reaction.

  63. Kplan says

    I’m confused. Step 5 says “add the cashew cheese” — but nowhere above do I see anything about cashew cheese. You mention to soak the cashews overnight, but nothing about cheese.

    BTW: soak raw cashews for 5 mins in hot water alleviates the need for soaking them overnight.

  64. Dannah says

    This recipe is perfect. First of all, it doesn’t taste strongly of nutritional yeast; unlike most vegan cheese sauce recipes, you can serve this to non vegans and they’ll eat it up. Literally. It’s kid-friendly. My toddler and one year old are stuffing their faces as I write this. The flavor is subtle, but delightful. I’m in love.

    I added a third tablespoon of nutritional yeast and I found that this batch of sauce was the perfect amount for a full pound of cavatappi pasta. Thanks so much for a truly wonderful recipe!

  65. Caroline says

    This was good! The only thing I would change next time is following the directions, haha, as I used more pasta than was called for (had a bigger box and wanted to use it up) so there wasn’t too much sauce to go around. But it was very good. My dad- who is not a vegan, and neither is anyone else in my family- said that was “great stuff” and that I should make it another time for the whole family.

    • Caroline says

      Now that I am eating this again (leftovers) I have realized that using more pasta and therefore having less sauce in comparison can also be really good. It is a very mild and comforting taste, and almost reminds me of the Amish noodles- buttered noodles with buttery crushed crackers on top- I used to eat before becoming vegan.
      So while I’ll definitely make this with more sauce in the future, I think many people might enjoy this lighter and very comforting version as well.

  66. Whitney says

    Thanks for the yummy recipe! I tried it the other night and thought it was awesome! I just added some salt, because I thought it needed a little something, and that did the trick. I also felt like the cilantro and tortilla chips were essential to making it so good. This will definitely be made many times in my household. Thanks!

  67. Emma says

    Oh my god. I was a little skeptical about this but thought I would give it a go and I’m so glad I did!

    I made a few minor changes: I didn’t use the chillies as I didn’t have any spare and instead of the ground spices I just used the equivalent amount of a season all mix by schwartz.

    Wow, I will definitely be making this again, it was so creamy and full of flavour, thanks for posting such a great recipe!

  68. Jennifer says

    Hi. This sounds yummy. We used a very sharp cheddar when I was growing up to make baked Mac & cheese. I am curious about why all the vegan M&C recipes I find call for nutritional yeast. What role does it play in the characteristic of the end product?

    I love cashews, but I seem to have inherited an unpleasant digestive issue if I consume many. I will just say that it’s a bit like the lactose intolerance symptoms and leave it at that. ;) I may try to make a roux as called for in the baked M&C of my youth, but use soy or almond milk and vegan cheese.

    Now that I am working toward eliminating dairy products (and other animal products) from my diet due to the cruelty involved, cheese has been probably the hardest to drop. I find so many legumes that are great (and healthy) meat replacements. Baby Bella mushrooms can also give a very satisfying flavor when boilednto make broth. It get a richness similar to beef broth, and is slightly nutty. Meanwhile, you don’t have saturated fat that beef would. It would be a good base for French Onion soup, with vegan cheese on top if desired.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Nutrition yeast is a staple in vegan mac n cheese sauces because it lends that yellow color and cheesy flavor!

  69. Bonnie says

    Little known in the United States…that 350 million Orthodox Christians around the World are vegan over 6 months a year for religious reasons (fasting). I look for recipes like this one for sharing with friends and family!
    I also live on a small Colorado farm with Chickens and goats. My daughter has adopted 6 children (their own bio daughter’s are young adults now) and goat cheese and milk, fresh eggs help a great deal. These are happy animals who run free! They are in the barn at night or during freezing weather only. Mother goats can be milked when mother goats are weaning babies because they become gorged. It’s a relief to be milked.

  70. Judy says

    I’ve made this many times and it is great. Just have a question, can this sauce be used for nachos also or would you change anything?

  71. Michelle says

    I just made this recipe and it turned out fabulous!!
    I did add extra green chilis for a little extra kick.
    My carnivorous children age 20 and 22 devoured this yummy dish ; )
    Thank you

  72. Gina says

    Hi,

    Not sure if you’ll get time to read and reply (also not sure if it’s been asked… Mobile phone scouring of comments is a chore in and of itself) but I was wondering if the green chillis would make this too hot for my youngin’s (the littlest one seems to dislike anything with too much kick… He’s only 16months so I’ll give him time). Or is there a replacement I could make for there’s (like take out their portion and add some other veg)?

    Any help is greatly appreciated.

    GCN

    • Emma says

      Hello,

      I just thought I would say that I made this without the chillies and it was delicious and still full of flavour! I’m sure you could replace them with something else but just not including them worked fine for me :)

  73. eva says

    was nervous to try this, as i had never attempted a vegan cheese sauce before, but it was soooo easy & good! added sambal oelek chili paste for a little kick <3

  74. Anne says

    I finally had a chance to make this, turned out to be super easy! Even my vegan-critical-BF loved this dish. He kept asking if I was sure this was vegan.
    I loved the spice, just the right amount. However, I started with half the recommended broth and that turned out to be enough for us. The creamier the better :)
    I can’t wait to make this mac and ‘cheese’ again when my vegan sister visits.

    Thanks for sharing!

      • Drew says

        I think he meant traditional pasta (made with egg yolks). All dried pasta you buy at the store does not contain eggs, just some kind of flour and water. Although most grocery stores sell “fresh” refrigerated pasta now which is yellow in color and does contain eggs.

  75. Chi says

    I made these again for visiting family and they loved EVERY SINGLE BITE!! It’s so delicious. My father in law (who isn’t vegan) said if I didn’t tell him this was vegan he wouldn’t have known. Gosh, you’re such a life-saver.

  76. Manon says

    I’m looking for a variation of nutritional yeast, i’d really like to try this recipe with every exact ingredients, but i’ve look for nutritional yeast everywhere, and my little town doesn’t carry it (really sad about it). So i was wondering if I can just put something else that will taste a bit like cheese but isn’t, i really want to keep this mac & cheese vegan! xox

  77. Sakura says

    I absolutely adore this recipe, it’s been a genuine life saver for me. I gave up dairy for both ethical and health reasons at the beginning of this year (I was previously vegetarian) and I will admit I was a real cheese addict. Most cheese substitutes don’t work at all for me, they just don’t hold a candle to the flavour of actual cheese, but this one is wonderful (though I admit I double the amount of nutritional yeast and add a spoon of wholegrain mustard for a stronger taste!). I love it so much that I actually use this sauce for multiple recipes that previously would have included cheese, such as a version using only 1/2 cup of water on homemade pizza to replace the cheese. It’s amazing and I love you for it.

  78. Mallory says

    This was excellent and very creamy! I omitted the chilis and tortilla chips and added salt, lemon juice and mustard seed to the sauce. It was so tasty and very very close to real mac n cheese. I will be making this for my non-vegan family members this Thanksgiving.

  79. Annie says

    I made this last night as my make/bake-new-vegan-nom-once-a-week tradition– it was sooooo good. Made so much I shared with a friend who lives in my building and he thought it was amazing and was surprised to learn it was vegan.
    I had to sub a few things I didn’t have on hand:
    Salted pasta water for veg broth
    Smoked paprika and cayenne for chili powder
    1 whole onion instead of half
    So creamy. So perfect.

  80. Christy says

    Hi there Dana! Can I ask what size Lodge skillet you always use? I’ve been wanting to get one and yours seems to fit all sorts of things perfectly! Thank you!

  81. Erin says

    Hi, My daughter has many food allergies. I have been looking for a mac and cheese recipe that is dairy free. Unfortunately, she’s also allergic to tree nuts as well as many other things. I know this may be a ridiculous question, but do you know if I can substitute the cashews with?

    Thank you!!!

  82. Kate says

    Dana,

    I need to cut out dairy and soy for breastfeeding my babe right now and this recipe was such a gem to find! My husband usually rolls his eyes when I make something “healthy” or vegan and he LOVED this. Excellent recipe.

    Thanks!

  83. Charlotte says

    I love this recipe!! Thank you so much, so tasty! For an extra boost I add in tofu frankfurters cut into small pieces.

  84. Katie says

    I was super skeptical about this recipe, but the picture looked delicious so I thought I would give it a try! I’m not vegan, but I do have an intolerance to dairy that I like to disregard, so I figured this would be a good recipe to cut down on dairy. This mac and cheese is awesome! It has tons of flavor and its super creamy! I omitted the green chilis because I’m terrible with spice, and used hot paprika instead to kick up the spice a bit and then just used more of the paprika, cumin, and chili powder and it came out perfect! Also, I didn’t use nutritional yeast because I couldn’t find it in the grocery store and it still tasted great! Awesome recipe!

  85. Regan says

    I made this for dinner last night and it was great! The green chilis add a little bit of a kick which was delightful. I added a little but of dijon mustard, lemon and salt to compliment and enhance the already delicious sauce.
    Whipped up some of your Pistachio and Almond ice cream post dinner – also fabulous.
    Quite the cashew filled evening….