A Guide to Healthy Vegan Mac and Cheese (Plus Basic Recipe)

Author:: Bellwether Farming

Carmen is an enthusiastic vegan cook and baker, and she especially likes to experiment with new recipes.

Healthy vegan mac and cheese with a sprinkle of dehydrated kale

Make Your Own Healthy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of North America's favorite dishes. It features two ingredients that most people love: cheese and pasta.

Unfortunately, most recipes are not the healthiest, nor are they remotely vegan. On top of that, the boxed versions are highly processed, and they generally don't taste as good as homemade.

This article will help you find the healthy vegan recipe you were always looking for.

Essential Ingredients


Nutritional yeast	Cooked potatoes (sweet or regular)
Non-dairy milk	Cooked carrots
Raw Cashews	Liquid or cubed broth

Broth: For my healthy vegan mac and cheese I like using broth cubes rather than liquid broth. Broth cubes have a stronger flavor, and they don't dilute the sauce unnecessarily.
Nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk, and cashews: These ingredients give your sauce its cheesy flavor, and the cashews give a nice creamy texture.
Cooked potatoes: Potatoes add starch to your sauce for thickness.
Cooked carrots: The carrots add sweetness and a nice orange color.

Customizable Add-Ins


Onion powder	Lemon juice	Fresh garlic
Garlic powder	Salt	Raw zucchinis
Ground pepper	Paprika	Lime juice
Raw bell peppers	Jalapeños	Cooked squash
Cooked yams	Mustard Powder	Mustard

If you like your sauce sour, adding lemon or lime juice might be just right for you. But beware that your sauce might get an unpleasant aftertaste, so add only one teaspoon at a time while experimenting with this add-in.

The same is pretty much true for all the other add-ins. Don't overdo them, and try a little at a time to find the flavor combo that is just right for you.

Basic Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

This is a recipe I just recently made to give you a rough idea of the ingredient ratios, but feel free to use any ingredient to your liking.

As this is a basic recipe, you can add any off the above listed add-ins to your own preferences.

Cook Time


Prep time	Cook time	Ready in	Yields
30 min	15 min	45 min	About 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 medium carrot, sliced
1 small sweet potato, sliced
1/2 cup cashews, raw
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 broth cube

Instructions

Start by soaking the raw cashews in a small bowl for 15 minutes in boiling water. Set aside.
Steam the carrot and sweet potato until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain the cashews.
Next, add the soaked cashews, cooked potato, cooked carrot, the non-dairy milk, and the broth cube to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Adjust texture with water, if desired. Serve with elbow macaroni, and enjoy.