Who misses Kraft-style shells and cheese? I do, I do. After a long shift at my high school job, I would come home famished and down a whole box of Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Since ditching dairy, I’ve missed that classic shell pasta enveloped in creamy, cheddar cheese sauce. But after cracking the code on our vegan cheddar cheese, we immediately thought to try it with pasta and it worked perfectly! The resemblance to boxed shells and cheese was uncanny! And it tastes like the real deal, too!
We know you’re going to LOVE this 1-pot, 5-ingredient dish that comes together in just 15 minutes! Let us show you how it’s done!
The star of this recipe is our easy vegan cheddar cheese. Made with a base of cashews and carrots, it’s wholesome but tastes indulgent and comforting. We recommend making a batch ahead of time and storing it in the fridge or freezer. It’ll be perfect for making mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches in no time!
If you’re more of a store-bought vegan cheddar fan, that can work too. Our top “cheddar” recommendation is Field Roast Chao Vegan Slices — Creamy Original (see our full guide to vegan cheeses here).
For the noodles, we used a shell shape for Kraft reminiscing but also to maximize the amount of sauce in every bite. But you can use any noodle variety you prefer. A legume-based pasta such as Banza will give this meal more protein, fiber, and staying power.
Once the noodles are cooked, this recipe is as simple as adding the vegan cheddar along with almond milk for creaminess, nutritional yeast for more cheesiness, and salt for flavor. This combo becomes melty and lathers the shells in cheesy goodness.
We hope you LOVE this vegan mac and cheese! It’s:
Cheesy
Creamy
Salty
Carby
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
Enjoy any time you need a classic comfort meal without much effort. It’s filling enough as a standalone meal, but if you’re feeling more veggies, we suggest serving with our Apple Pecan Arugula Salad, Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 1-Pan Garlicky Green Beans with Slivered Almonds, Creamy Vegan Broccoli Salad, or Easy Massaged Kale Salad.
More Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipes
- The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Mac ‘n’ Cheese
- Vegan Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese
- Vegan Green Chili Mac ‘n’ Cheese
- Vegan Caramelized Onion Mac ‘n’ Cheese
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
MAC N CHEESE
- 2 cups pasta shells (gluten-free as needed // we used Banza brand)
- 3/4 cup Vegan Cheddar Cheese (plus more to taste)
- 5-6 Tbsp unsweetened plain almond milk (or sub other neutral-flavored milk, such as oat or rice)
- 1 healthy pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
FOR SERVING optional
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Red pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan a little more than halfway full with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions until just al dente (ours took 9 minutes). Be careful not to overcook because the shells will cook a bit longer with the cheese sauce after draining.
- Drain pasta (we avoided using a colander by using our saucepan lid, which has a draining feature — if yours doesn’t, drain in a colander as needed, then add back to saucepan).
- Immediately add the vegan cheddar cheese, almond milk (starting with lesser amount), salt, and nutritional yeast. Stir and cook over low heat, stirring frequently until the sauce melts, becomes gooey, and coats the shells. If the cheddar isn’t melting, cover to encourage it along.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately. Option to garnish with vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
- Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days (not freezer friendly). Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot, adding more dairy-free milk as needed to thin.
Grace Gamble says
This will definitely be my go to mac and cheese moving forward! I needed a really fast meal, and I have to say this is better than any vegan mac I’ve had or made, and it really did take no time at all. As a former lover of shells and white cheddar before I stopped eating dairy, this was a dreamy alternative. I used violife mozerella which melted and incorporated beautifully and added some black pepper. I honestly have been searching hard for good vegan mac for YEARS, so to have something so good I can make in 15 mins, pure joy! :)
Whoop! We’re so glad you landed on this recipe and enjoyed it, Grace. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing what brand of cheese you used – super helpful! xoxo
Jas says
Just made this delicious recipe. I was about to make an out of the box Mac and cheese when I realized I was out of it. I appreciate that I could make it in about a half hour (after soaking the cashews and carrots). I added more nutritional yeast (about 3-4 tablespoons) and Bragg’s amino acids instead of salt. Can’t wait to make this again.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jas. Thank you for sharing! xo
Yaz says
i love this mac and cheese recipe it is always my go to! i just add more vegan cheese hahaha – think it depends on the cheese you use but i use sheese and i love this recipe so much 🩷 i like to add a bit of vegan ham or some sage/italian herbs!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Yaz! Thank you for sharing! xo
Erika Vasant says
Super quick and tasted great!! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Erika. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Anneke says
How many boxes of Banza does this call for (1 or 2)??
1 box
Danielle says
I love your recipes and I use them all the time, I’m only commenting here because your FAQs said to leave a comment on a recipe if the question hadn’t been answered.
A number of the recipes I really love include a lot of nutritional yeast, and I was wondering if there were some other options to replace nutritional yeast in a recipe?
I read somewhere Chickpea flour could be a direct replacement but I haven’t tried it yet, was just wondering if you had some advice and recommendations for replacements.
Hi Danielle, We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! We haven’t heard of replacing with chickpea flour, but chickpea flour can have an overpowering taste, so we wouldn’t suggest it as a first option. In some recipes, you can leave out the nutritional yeast and it will still be delicious. Sometimes a little lemon helps balance if it needs more depth. Recipes that rely more heavily on it are trickier to sub, but a small amount of chickpea miso paste can help add a similar umami flavor. Hope that helps! Feel free to also comment on specific recipes so we can offer more tailored advice!
Abigail says
I was really feeling tired and lethargic today and was in desperate need of an easy comfort dish. I happened to have all the necessary ingredients to throw this together and oh man, I am SO glad I did!! It was absolutely delicious and I will one hundred percent be making it again.
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Comfort food at its best! Thanks for the great review, Abigail! xo
Christine says
This is hands down the best mac n cheeze i have tried; and sadly i have tried alot of awful recipes…..but this one is gold. :) I added a little extra spice and vinegar to mine , and it was so good. I was ready to be disappointed again, but was pleasantly surprised. And I made the cheese for this the night before to save some time….and that is the best plant based cheese I have ever had too. Thanks for the amazing recipes :)
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Christine! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Leah says
Made this last week, and I loved it! The garlic powder adds such a great flavour. My blender isn’t quite as powerful, so it didn’t have the creamiest consistency, but it was still delicious. Warming the sauce was key to getting it to a nice thickness. The sauce kept well for several days in the fridge.
Added some hot sauce, some (not vegan) parmesan cheese and panko for serving. I’ll definitely make it again.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Leah! xo
Sarah says
Yum! I love this recipe. The vegan cheese sauce is also really easy to make.
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear it, Sarah. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Cat says
I may not be the best judge because I like sharp cheese (goat, cow, sheep), and haven’t tried a lot of vegan cheese. The consistency of this is nice and creamy, but the flavour was a bit off. I tried adjusting to add more vinegar, or yeast, or garlic, and I added a bit of miso. Somehow it still had a weird taste. I ended up grating a little parmesan and gruyere on it and it was pretty good. For me this would be a way to make mac and cheese healthier and reduce the amount of cheese, but I wouldn’t use it as a total substitute.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Cat! We have another easy vegan mac n cheese coming soon, so be sure to try that as well!
MissBlow says
Come ON! This was amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe.
I followed other’s suggestions and added about 1 TBSP miso for extra umami (didn’t add the salt, since miso is salty enough as is). I sliced up some cherry tomatoes and added them, because I’m a sucker for cherry tomatoes.
I also toasted some bread crumbs on the side, then added them to the top when I plated.
I’m already excited for the next time I get to eat this treat!
So lovely!!! Thanks for sharing!
Diane says
Finally a vegan Mac & Cheese recipe my whole family loves! So happy I tried this because it’s not only delicious but easy too.
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoys it! Thanks for the lovely review, Diane!
Jess says
What a yummy recipe! I’m glad I jumped on making the vegan cheddar this weekend for some (also great!) grilled cheese, so now I had an easy weeknight dinner of the leftovers. I followed it as written and turned out perfect.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jess. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Virginia says
This was a hit. Four stars because the basic recipe does need a LOT of tweaking for flavor correction (to my taste buds). I used a lot less salt (none added except for that in the cheese sauce) and made a few additions – sweet paprika and a Tbsp or so of miso for additional depth of flavor, more garlic, caramelized onions, chopped steamed broccoli and mince fresh parsley. Vegan parmesan definitely adds a punch, but can be used as a topping individually. Next time, I’m thinking about making it a bit more “liquidy” and baking it with a crunchy topping I’ve used on other casseroles – ground sunflower seeds and “cheese”.
Love your creativity, Virginia! Thanks for sharing!
liz says
love your recipes but just want to point out it is not really easy and just 5 ingredients when the vegan cheddar cheese recipe is part of the process.
I hear that, although, the sauce itself does come together rather quickly (while you’re boiling pasta). BUT, we also have a 20-minute (from scratch) from start to finish mac n cheese recipe coming soon! Thanks for the feedback, Liz!
Cyndra Baker says
This looks delicious, but I definitely wouldn’t say it’s 5 ingredients when you need 8 more ingredients to make the cheese. I was excited that this might be something I could make in my dorm, but was incredibly disappointed to see that it requires soaking/blending cashews. I love your blog though! I’m making your 1 pot black bean soup tonight! Keep up the good work! 🙂
I hear that! Thanks for the feedback. We wanted to give people a way to put the recent vegan cheddar cheese to use, and this was an obvious choice. However, we do have a 20-minute (from scratch) from start to finish mac n cheese recipe coming soon!