Description
Rich, creamy, and lush, this easy yet decadent Vegan Mac and Cheese is for cheese lovers. This cheese sauce is good on any pasta and nut-free!
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound pasta of choice (use Gluten-Free if needed)
Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 14.5 oz can coconut milk (see note 1)
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds (see note 2)
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tbsp chickpea miso paste (regular miso OK if you eat soy)
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or other, optional)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta: So start your pasta water before anything else. I recommend salting your pasta water for better flavor, but that’s up to you. Cook your pasta according to package instructions, and drain when finished but do not rinse.
- Blend: So to make the nut-free vegan cheese sauce, literally all you do is throw the ingredients in the blender and blend them until smooth. Taste it and adjust if needed.
- Heat: Once the pasta is done and in a colander, throw the sauce into the empty pot you used for the pasta and heat it over medium low until heated through. (Note, if you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix you may be able to just add it straight to the pasta, since you can heat it up in the blender itself.)
- Combine: Add the pasta back in, give it a good stir, and serve!
- Pairing suggestion: This vegan nut-free mac and cheese goes great with roasted or air-fried broccoli, or any other veggie too. Sometimes I throw in roasted seasoned chickpeas.
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can freeze the cheese sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Note 1: To replace either the coconut milk or the sunflower seeds, you could absolutely use cashews or cashew butter.
- Note 2: For a lower fat option, try going half coconut milk, half non-dairy milk (unsweetened) of your choice. For even lower fat, try tofu or white beans and non-dairy milk to blend. Keep in mind the sauce won’t be as rich, but if you’re looking for a lower fat option, this is a good way to go.
- Note 3: Use any pasta you like. We used this wagon wheel pasta but any will work. Recommend gluten-free if you can’t have gluten. For more protein, try a lentil or bean based pasta like Banza. I really do love Banza.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Can Be Sugar Free, Nut-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese