Cooking and Serving: 25 minutes | 6 cups
Ingredients
Ripple brand plain unsweetened unflavored nondairy milk (pictured; made from | Almond milk is my second choice. Be sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored | Cashew milk: thick and creamy, with a neutral flavor
Description
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 6 cups
Ingredients
Ripple brand plain unsweetened unflavored nondairy milk (pictured; made from
Almond milk is my second choice. Be sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored
Cashew milk: thick and creamy, with a neutral flavor
Coconut milk in the carton (not in the can, since it’s too thick)
Daiya brand cheddar style shreds melt well and taste better than ever.
Violife brand Just Like Cheddar shreds taste best, but you’ll need a little
Follow Your Heart brand cheddar style dairy free cheese tastes great and
So Delicious brand cheddar style shreds also taste great and melt very well,
365 brand from Whole Foods are less expensive and taste good, melt okay.
Follow Your Heart brand vegan Parmesan comes grated and shredded. It tastes
Violife brand vegan Parmesan comes in a block. It tastes great, but is harder
Flat whisk or small balloon whisk or small spatula
Silicone spatula for folding the pasta into the cheese
10 ounces dried elbow macaroni pasta, (gluten free, if necessary; I use
1 tablespoon olive oil, or any other oil you prefer
4 tablespoons (56 g) vegan butter, (See Recipe Notes for brand
¼ cup (36 g) superfine white rice flour
¾ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) unsweetened unflavored nondairy (and not nonfat)
8 ounces dairy free cheddar-style shreds, at room temperature (See Recipe
3 ounces dairy free Parmesan-style cheese, grated or shredded (See Recipe
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Coarse toasted breadcrumbs, for sprinkling (optional; gluten free bread
Notes
MY TAKE ON THIS RECIPE
* Quick & easy: No need to soak cashews for creamy texture or steam and puree
carrots for color and taste. And the whole dish is made on the stovetop in
* The best dairy free products: Luckily, vegan milk, cheese, and butter have
come a very long way lately. I tried them all so I can tell you what to buy,
what to avoid, and how to use them to make the best tasting dairy free cheese
* Perfect texture: We start with a dairy free roux of vegan butter and flour to
thicken the sauce, and finish Parmesan cheeses. The result is a rich, creamy dish that even has that cheesy
* Customizable taste: For a more intense umami flavor, add nutritional yeast,
mellow white miso pasta and/or mustard powder to finish.
ingredients for dairy free mac and cheese in packages and small bowls with white
block letters spelling out names of each ingredient
for dairy free mac and cheese in packages and small bowls with white block
letters spelling out names of each ingredient
INGREDIENT SELECTION & SUBSTITUTIONS
For baking, I recommend with Melt or Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter because they
have less moisture than Earth Balance buttery sticks. But for this cooking
recipe, whether the product has more or less moisture doesn’t really matter. Use
what you like the taste of, even if it comes in a tub, rather than in a stick.
Since this is a gluten free food blog, I use a gluten free flour. I usually use
finely ground glutinous white rice flour (also known as sweet white rice flour),
which is made from short grain white rice. It makes a great roux. But you can
use tapioca starch, cornstarch (not my favorite, since it can leak a bit of
liquid as the sauce cools), or all purpose wheat flour if you’re not gluten
free, only dairy free.
Be sure you are using vegan milk that has a neutral flavor (no added flavorings
like vanilla in this savory dish), unsweetened, is creamy, has some fat (nonfat
milk is really like water), and a similar consistency to dairy milk. I don’t
like cooking with oat milk (it tastes gritty and chalky to me).
Here are my favorite types and brands:
* Ripple brand plain unsweetened unflavored nondairy milk (pictured; made from
pea protein) is my favorite for cooking
* Almond milk is my second choice. Be sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored
* Cashew milk: thick and creamy, with a neutral flavor
* Coconut milk in the carton (not in the can, since it’s too thick)
DAIRY-FREE CHEDDAR-STYLE CHEESE
There are so many amazing types of vegan cheddar-style cheese available on the
market these days. Here are the ones I can recommend:
* Daiya brand cheddar style shreds melt well and taste better than ever.
They’re also easy to find in a lot of stores.
* Violife brand Just Like Cheddar shreds taste best, but you’ll need a little
extra heat on the stovetop to finish melting them.
* Follow Your Heart brand cheddar style dairy free cheese tastes great and
* So Delicious brand cheddar style shreds also taste great and melt very well,
but can be difficult to find and more expensive
* 365 brand from Whole Foods are less expensive and taste good, melt okay.
DAIRY-FREE PARMESAN-STYLE CHEESE
This ingredient adds a lot of depth of flavor to this dish. If you can’t find it
or don’t want to use it, you can use about 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (or more,
or less, to taste) in its place.
Here are my favorite brands of vegan Parmesan:
* Follow Your Heart brand vegan Parmesan comes grated and shredded. It tastes
amazing and melts so well. It’s available in many markets, and convenient.
* Violife brand vegan Parmesan comes in a block. It tastes great, but is harder
to find and doesn’t melt as easily.
same sand colored small bowl with dairy free mac and cheese inside with a metal
spoon in the bowl scooping one bite
sand colored small bowl with dairy free mac and cheese inside with a metal spoon
in the bowl scooping one bite
Go Ad-Free
DAIRY FREE MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
overhead closeup image of round metal saucepan with yellow-orange dairy free
elbow macaroni with cheese sauce
closeup image of round metal saucepan with yellow-orange dairy free elbow
macaroni with cheese sauce
This authentic-tasting creamy, rich dairy free macaroni and cheese is made on
the stovetop with the best vegan cheese, milk, and butter.
* Flat whisk or small balloon whisk or small spatula
* Silicone spatula for folding the pasta into the cheese
* 10 ounces dried elbow macaroni pasta, (gluten free, if necessary; I use
Rummo gluten free brand)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil, or any other oil you prefer
* ¼ cup (36 g) superfine white rice flour
(tapioca starch, glutinous white rice flour, cornstarch, or wheat flour all
* ¾ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
* 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) unsweetened unflavored nondairy (and not nonfat)
types/brands of milk), plus more as necessary
* 8 ounces dairy free cheddar-style shreds, at room temperature (See Recipe
* 3 ounces dairy free Parmesan-style cheese, grated or shredded (See Recipe
* Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* Coarse toasted breadcrumbs, for sprinkling (optional; gluten free bread
* Boil the elbow pasta according to the package directions. Drain and toss with
olive oil, then cover and set aside.
hand holding round medium size metal bowl with cooked light tan elbow
holding round medium size metal bowl with cooked light tan elbow macaroni
* In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the vegan butter over
medium-low heat. Vegan butter burns more easily, so go slow.
round flat, wide metal saucepan with partially melted butter bubbling
flat, wide metal saucepan with partially melted butter bubbling
* Add the flour and paprika.
same saucepan with white flour and dark orange-brown paprika powder on top of
saucepan with white flour and dark orange-brown paprika powder on top of
* Using a flat whisk or spatula, whisk or mix until smooth. Cook the roux,
whisking frequently, over low heat until the mixture begins to smell slightly
nutty but hasn’t yet begun to brown (about 2 minutes).
fingers holding light brown handle of metal flat whisk being used in brown
paste in same saucepan after combining ingredients
holding light brown handle of metal flat whisk being used in brown paste in
same saucepan after combining ingredients
* Add 1 1/2 cups of nondairy milk, and whisk or mix to combine.
same whisk in same saucepan with pale yellow liquid
whisk in same saucepan with pale yellow liquid
* Cook over medium heat, whisking or mixing frequently, until the mixture
thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon without running off. It will
thicken as it stands, so don’t cook for too long.
thickened mixture in saucepan with same whisk with fingers holding a large
metal spoon turned upside down with sauce clinging to the back of the spoon
mixture in saucepan with same whisk with fingers holding a large metal spoon
turned upside down with sauce clinging to the back of the spoon
* Remove the pot from the heat, add the cheddar-style shreds and grated
Parmesan-style cheese.
white grated cheese and yellow shredded cheese on top of thickened pale
grated cheese and yellow shredded cheese on top of thickened pale mixture in
* Using a wide spatula, mix continuously until all of the dairy free cheese is
melted and the cheese sauce is smooth. If necessary to melt all of the cheese
shreds (some brands melt better than others), place the pan back on the stove
over low heat and mix continuously until melted and smooth.
white silicone spatula stirring thick orange cheese sauce in saucepan
silicone spatula stirring thick orange cheese sauce in saucepan
* Add more milk desired consistency.
* Sample the cheese sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add
freshly ground black pepper at the end, but you may not need any salt since
the dairy free cheese is relatively salty.
* Add the pasta to the saucepan with the cheese sauce, and stir very gently
with a silicone spatula or large wide spoon until all of the pasta is coated.
cooked elbow macaroni mixed into same cheese sauce in same pan being mixed by
white spatula with black handle
elbow macaroni mixed into same cheese sauce in same pan being mixed spatula with black handle
* Transfer the mac and cheese to serving dishes, and sprinkle with the optional
coarse toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.
overhead image of 2 small round bowls with elbow macaroni in yellow orange
cheese sauce with rest of dish in metal saucepan, all on a gray-black surface
image of 2 small round bowls with elbow macaroni in yellow orange cheese
sauce with rest of dish in metal saucepan, all on a gray-black surface
Vegan butter types and brands
You can really use whatever vegan butter you like best, whether it comes in a
tub or in sticks. I like Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter sticks, salted or
unsalted, but Earth Balance buttery sticks, Country Crock or your favorite would
Vegan milk types & brands
* Ripple brand plain unsweetened unflavored nondairy milk (made from pea
protein) is my favorite for cooking
* Almond milk is my second choice. Be sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored
* Cashew milk: thick and creamy, with a neutral flavor
Here are the brands I can recommend:
* Daiya brand cheddar style shreds
* Violife brand Just Like Cheddar shreds
* Follow Your Heart brand cheddar style dairy free cheese
* So Delicious brand cheddar style shreds
* 365 brand from Whole Foods
Here are the brands I have tried and can recommend:
* Follow Your Heart brand vegan Parmesan
* Violife brand vegan Parmesan
In place of dairy free Parmesan cheese, you can use 1/4 to 1/2 cup nutritional
yeast instead (to taste).
For more umami flavor
To increase the umami flavor of the cheese sauce, add 2 tablespoons nutritional
yeast, 1 tablespoon mellow white miso paste and/or 1 to 2 teaspoons (to taste)
Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 698mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 3g |
Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 822IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 289mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
side view of small but tall sand colored bowl on small plate with metal spoon on
the plate and elbow macaroni in orange yellow cheese sauce inside
view of small but tall sand colored bowl on small plate with metal spoon on the
plate and elbow macaroni in orange yellow cheese sauce inside
Cooking recipes, unlike baking, are a great time to experiment with different
flavors. You’ll know right away if your changes are going to affect the final
result, and you can usually correct anything that alters the texture or taste in
a way you don’t like.
Here are some of my favorite ways to alter this recipe:
To increase the umami flavor of the cheese sauce, add 2 tablespoons nutritional
yeast, 1 tablespoon mellow white miso paste (I like Miso Master brand) and/or 1
to 2 teaspoons (to taste) mustard powder.
Mix in a small amount of one flavor at a time after you finish the cheese sauce
and before you add the pasta, and taste as you go.
DIFFERENT PASTA SHAPES
The classic shape that we use in our gluten free mac and cheese
macaroni. It holds the cheese sauce so well. But you can try experimenting with
any other short pasta shape, like fusilli, rigatoni, bow tie pasta, or penne.
After the dish is done, transfer the mixture to an 8-inch or 9-inch casserole
dish, sprinkle the top with coarse breadcrumbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons
more melted vegan butter. Bake in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes or until the top
is starting to brown, or place under your oven’s broiler for about 5 minutes or
until lightly golden brown on top.
Can I reheat the dish in the oven?
I recommend reheating the dish on the stovetop, unless you’ve baked it after
preparing to make the top crunchy. Then, pour some more nondairy milk into the
dish carefully along the edges, cover with foil, and reheat in a 300°F oven or
toaster oven until warm.
Can I use different flavors of dairy free cheeses?
Yes! I’ve also made this dish with Follow Your Heart brand vegan
mozzarella-style cheese, and the flavor was more mild, but the dish still worked
really well. I added another 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika for color and some
flavor, and more umami flavor with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes. It was
Can I use sliced dairy free cheese instead of shredded?
Yes! As long as it melts well, you can make dairy free mac and cheese with dairy
free cheese prepared any way you like. I think you could use Follow Your Heart
dairy free gouda slices or Kraft “Not Cheese” cheddar-style slices. To learn
more about Kraft’s whole line of dairy free cheese products, please see the
Kraft plant-based products website, NotCo .
You can store the completed dish, once cooled to room temperature, in a sealed
container in the refrigerator for about 2 days. Reheated pasta (especially
gluten free pasta) tends to get a little rubbery in the microwave, so it’s best
to heat it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in more vegan milk
slowly to loosen the cheese sauce as necessary.
If you know that you aren’t going to serve the whole dish at once, or you want
to make part of it ahead, I recommend not completing the final dish. Instead,
make the cheese sauce alone, place it in a sealed container and refrigerate it
Before serving, make the pasta and place the cold cheese sauce in a heavy-bottom
saucepan. Add more nondairy milk as necessary to thin it, whisking constantly as
you reheat it over medium-low heat.
You can even freeze the sauce alone or the finished dish for longer storage.
Place it in a well-sealed container, and then defrost in the refrigerator. Then,
reheat as described above.