Seriously addictive, this creamy plant based mac and cheese without oil will give you all those comfort tingles and mouth filling textures. Made with easy vegan pantry ingredients on the stove top and adaptable to incorporate veggies too.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Even non-vegans will be impressed with this delicious stove top vegan meal.
- Preparation and cooking is very easy. Made without the use of any blenders or food processors.
- The flavor is super tasty, each bite is filled with creamy goodness.
- No cashews and no vegan butter or oil are used in this recipe!
- Can be made completely gluten free - when I cook this for my family, I tend to make the vegan cheese sauce with gluten free flour and then I split it between wheat pasta and gf pasta. Everyone in my family loves it!
Ingredient Notes and Variations
The Pasta
Macaroni pasta is the pasta I used in these photos, it is a small short hollow tube.
However, you can elbow pasta, small shell pasta or any type of mouth size pasta.
As I avoid gluten, I tend to use a spiral gluten free pasta. Cook the pasta as instructed on the packet.
I always undercook the pasta by one minute to ensure it is al-dente (firm to the bite).
Vegan Cheese Sauce
Almond milk is generally my go-to plant-based milk I use, you can use any type of dairy free milk.
All purpose flour is what makes this vegan cheese sauce thick and creamy when combined with plant-based milk (think of it as a cheesy bechamel sauce without vegan butter).
I tend to make it with gluten free all-purpose flour, which works perfectly too.
Nutritional yeast is the magic cheezy flavor ingredient. It can be found at your local supermarket in the health food section or at any health food store.
Tahini creates a deeper flavor in the sauce, it’s mildly nutty. Only a tablespoon is needed.
Whilst it isn't an ingredient you would normally associate with mac and cheese, I highly recommend adding it into the sauce.
Tahini is now commonly found at all supermarkets and grocery stores. It is an ingredient I use quite a bit of throughout my recipes.
Spices that will add color and flavoring including turmeric, white pepper and cayenne pepper.
These spices can all be adjusted to suit your liking, the amounts recommended are listed in the below recipe card. The white pepper helps with the cheesy flavor, do not skip it or change it for black pepper, if possible.
Dijon mustard helps to give this plant-based macaroni and cheese a little zing and brightness, bringing all the flavors together.
Optional Veggies
My family loves to add some fiber, so I like to incorporate cooked broccoli florets, peas or even baby spinach leaves.
I will normally mix the vegetables in after mixing in the macaroni pasta.
Storage
Once the plant based mac and cheese cools down to room temperature, transfer it to an air tight container and place it in the fridge for up to five days.
Reheat the portions that you need.
Thinning The Vegan Mac and Cheese Sauce
In my household, as I cater for GF also, I sometimes store the sauce and pasta separately.
In this case, the sauce will thicken when it cools, add a tablespoon or so of plant based milk to it and give it a stir to make it thin and creamy.
Serving Suggestions
Any type of cooked green vegetable goes well with this vegan mac and cheese on the side.
Otherwise, a simple garden salad, cabbage salad or perhaps even a fennel and orange salad on the side is a great way to up your fiber intake.
Topping Suggestions
I love adding a sprinkle of homemade plant based parmesan cheese (as pictured in the images). Sometimes I toast the sprinkles in a pan before topping my plant based macaroni and cheese. (I am in the process of publishing this recipe - stay tuned)
Chopped chives are also great, the flavor really compliments this pasta dish.
Toasted bread crumbs add a lovely crunch, however I normally use this on my vegan baked mac and cheese recipe.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
I've got some more delicious vegan pasta for you to try, check out my delicious creamy vegan pasta bake, you don't need to precook the pasta for this recipe.
An easy vegan mushroom pasta without cream is great for a quick weeknight meal.
For something different, try enjoying pasta as a snack, like these air fryer pasta chips.
Recipe
Creamy Plant Based Mac and Cheese Without Oil
Ingredients
- 250 grams Macaroni pasta or elbow pasta or small shells
Plant Based Cheese Sauce
- 1½ cups Almond milk
- 3 tbs all purpose flour or GF all purpose flour
- 1 tbs Tahini
- ½ cup Nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Optional
- ½ small head Broccoli cut into small florets
- 1 handful Chives finely sliced
Instructions
- Cook pasta as instructed on the packet. Make sure your pasta is al dante (firm to the bite).250 grams Macaroni pasta
- In a non stick sauce pan, add all the vegan cheese sauce ingredients. Whisk together until everything is well combined. Then turn the stovetop on to medium-high, and continuously whisk for about 2½-3 minutes, until a thick cheesy consistency has been achieved. Turn the heat off.1½ cups Almond milk, 3 tbs all purpose flour, 1 tbs Tahini, ½ cup Nutritional yeast, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, ⅛ teaspoon White Pepper, 1 tbs Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix together to create the plant based macaroni and cheese. Serve warm. Optional, mix in some small cooked broccoli florets with the pasta, garnish with sliced chives or as you please.½ small head Broccoli, 1 handful Chives
Video
Notes
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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