Vegan Mac & Cheese
Check out this creamy, cheesy Mac recipe. This recipe can be nut free if you decide to use a vegan cheese without nuts. Many vegan Mac & cheese recipes call for nutritional yeast, potatoes (for cream) and carrots (for color). This is simple and utilizes locally made vegan cheese!
This recipe has been adapted from the Crowded Kitchen recipe.
Ingredients
Macaroni pasta: gluten free or regular macaroni both work fine.
Vegan Butter
Gluten free all purpose flour: or regular all purpose flour if you're not gluten free.
Vegan milk: Opt for plain, unsweetened plant-based milk. (Be sure to check the ingredient label as some unsweetened nut milks still contain vanilla flavoring!) We prefer oat milk in this recipe for its neutral flavor.
Salt
Pepper (optional)
Vegan cheese: we use shredded vegan cheddar cheese in this recipe. You can use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, or one or the other. We've tried this recipe with a few different store-bought options and they've all worked well!
A few of our favorite brands for shredded vegan cheese that actually melts: VioLife, Daiya, and Follow Your Heart. *Note: some vegan cheeses contain nuts so be sure to read the label if you have an allergy.
You can use local brands such as cashew-based Cultured Kindness, which offers otions like Gouda or Havarti. These come in soft rounds, so its best to cut them into smaller pieces and mix in slowly.
Instructions
Get your macaroni cooking in salted water. We use 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water. Cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, start the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once it's melted, add in the gluten free flour and whisk well until it forms a smooth paste.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking while you add it, until no lumps remain. Let simmer for a few minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn.
Whisk in the salt, pepper and vegan cheese. Vegan cheese takes a bit longer to melt and fully incorporate, so be patient and keep stirring! After a few minutes of whisking over medium-low heat, you'll have a super smooth, creamy, velvety cheese sauce.
Add in the cooked macaroni and stir well until fully coated.
