This Dairy Free Mac and Cheese is outrageously cheesy and ultra creamy. You won’t believe it! Best of all, it’s easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes! Nut free with a gluten free option.
You’re definitely going to love this super luscious Dairy Free Mac and Cheese! It’s a savory, kid-friendly, and creamy vegan comfort food that’s ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
This macaroni and cheese recipe is made without any dairy or nuts and the results are impeccable. Turning out creamy and delicious every time, all it takes is some plant milk, vegan cheese, and a few pantry staples. Combine the nut free cheese sauce with your favorite pasta noodle and you get a comforting and tasty new family favorite!
Add a pop of color (and flavor) to your mac and cheese with veggies and other fun toppings. My favorites are cooked peas, broccoli, jalapenos, and tofu bacon!
What kind of dairy free milk is best in mac and cheese?
I used unsweetened soy milk to make my mac and cheese but you can use any kind of rich and creamy plant milk you like. Oat, cashew, coconut, and almond all work well. If you aren’t using homemade dairy free milk, make sure you buy an unsweetened variety so the cheese sauce doesn’t turn out sweet.
How to make mac and cheese without dairy
Cook the pasta, then drain it and set it aside while you prepare the vegan cheese sauce.
Melt vegan butter in a skillet before adding the garlic. Sauté until it’s fragrant, then whisk in the flour. Next, slowly whisk in the milk so there aren’t any clumps.
Stir the dairy-free cheeses into the milk and flour mixture until they melt. Add the miso and seasonings and whisk it all together to finish the creamy sauce.
Combine the pasta and “cheese” sauce together until the noodles are fully coated. Serve with your favorite vegan toppings or mix-ins and enjoy!
Tips for the best vegan mac and cheese
- Is the sauce too thin? The sauce will thicken slightly once it’s mixed in with the pasta. If it’s still too thin, you can stir in just a pinch of flour at a time until it’s to your liking.
- Is the sauce too thick? The sauce will thicken as it sits, so just stir a little hot water into the leftovers upon reheating. The mac and cheese should turn out creamy again once the leftovers are warmed up.
- Noodles – Use classic elbow noodles for the true mac and cheese experience, or any small pasta shell you like!
- Non dairy cheese – Use any non-dairy cheese you like. I tried it with Follow Your Heart which was good, but the Violife version was much better.
- Gluten free – For gluten free mac and cheese, use your favorite gluten free pasta noodle and swap the flour for any gluten free flour.
Add-ins and toppings
Add mix-ins or toppings to your nut free macaroni and cheese to give each bite a fun twist:
- Tempeh bacon
- Cooked peas
- Steamed broccoli
- Tofu bacon
- Steamed cauliflower
- Roasted garlic
- Kale
- Tofu crumbles
- Marinated tempeh
- Red chili flakes
- Toasted breadcrumbs
- Roasted asparagus
- Jalapenos
Storing leftovers
Vegan mac and cheese is best eaten fresh off the stove, but you can store the leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge. Keep them in a sealed container for freshness.
Vegan mac and cheese also freezes nicely. Keep the batch in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat, warm the leftovers in a microwave for a few minutes or in a pot on the stove. Stir in a little warm water or non dairy milk to thin out the sauce.
More vegan mac and cheese recipes
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Mac and Cheese Bake
Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked elbow pasta gluten free if needed
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 package Violife Mature Cheddar Cheese, chopped into chunks* see Notes for options
- 1 package Violife Mozzarella Shreds*
- 2 tablespoons mellow white miso
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Optional: cooked peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Add the vegan butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is mostly melted, add the garlic and sauté just a minute or two until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Sprinkle on the flour and whisk it into the garlic butter mixture, then whisk in soy milk, slowly.
- Now add your dairy free cheddar cheese, whisk until some of it melts, then add dairy free mozzarella shreds and whisk until smooth and completely melted. Add in the miso, salt, pepper, and paprika, and whisk it all together until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce and stir until pasta is coated in the cheesy mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any unsweetened and unflavored milk you like here, such as almond, cashew, soy, and so on.
- I have made this with several brands of vegan cheese. My favorite is Violife, but it works just as well with Daiya or Follow Your Heart brands. You can use two packages of your favorite cheese.
This is the best vegan Mac I’ve ever had! I made a few adjustments. I didn’t have miso so I omitted that. I used a bag of violife shredded Colby jack, 1/2 a bag of violife shredded cheddar, 2 slices of follow your heart smoked Gouda, and 1/2 a container of kite hill chives cream cheese. I also used smoked paprika. I topped it with panko bread crumbs and put it in the smoker for a 1/2 hour. Delicious!!
Hi Rachel. I’m so glad you loved the Mac and cheese! Thanks for you great feedback and ideas!
This the best vegan Mac and Cheese i made and i tried alot. My husband who does have to dairy free like me he will even eat it. I even threw some fry hamburger in it i can eat meat just dairy free. Good both ways. This my one i will it all the time. I would give it 10 stars.
What is mellow white miso and where would I buy it?
What I buy is in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
Hi, this looks delicious! Can you please tell me how many grams is in a package of violife cheese? Thanks. Lol forward to trying this!
A package is 200g, which is about 7oz. Hope this helps!
Made this for the 4th time! Amazing! i sadly didnt have Violife (D:) So i used Chao! It tasted almost the same! Absolutey delicious
That’s so great, Sarah! Thank you for using my recipe (again) and for your wonderful review 🙂
This is so delicious. Can you make it ahead and freeze it?
Hi Allison. This Mac and Cheese freezes nicely. Keep the batch in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
Could i use a different brand of vegan cheese? i ran out of Violife (Sad noises ?)
Hi Olivia. That is sad! The good news is you may use any non-dairy cheese you like. Happy cooking!
Literally the 100% BEST. mac n cheese.. I.Have.Ever.Had. It did take a while because im a slow cooker(hehe) But this is literally so easy i had everything on the list and its the best vegan mac ‘n’ cheese iv ever tasted. As a mac ‘n cheese connoisseur(not really) I was devastated when i found out i couldn’t eat mac n cheese when i went vegan. But now? Best replacement for vegans EVER.
Hi Tessa. I’m so happy that you LOVE the Mac and cheese! There’s nothing like a creamy Mac and cheese meal! Thank you for taking time to share your fantastic feedback!
I love Mac and Cheese! Going to make this but wondering what is the actual amount (volume) of cheese?
I believe it makes about 4 cups of cheese sauce. Hope that helps!
I can’t find unsweetened soy milk, can I use almond or coconut milk? Or sweetened soy?
Do not use sweetened soy milk, but you can use an unsweetened/unflavored almond or coconut milk yes.
Literally made this for the 5TH TIME tonight! my friends had a sleepover and were starving. so, as a vegan with non-vegan friends, i insisted they try something vegan for once. They LOVED it! and so did i! its currently 11:07pm and we are so full lol.
100% will be making again! absolutely delicious, from the creaminess, to the flavor of the cheese, all around amazing.
never stop making these amazing recipes <3
Hi Sarah. Your encouragement is wonderful! I love creating recipes, and love hearing you are enjoying them! Your fun story makes me smile! I’m glad everyone was full and content! Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
Would red miso work for this? TYIA!
Yes, it should work but may give the mac and cheese a stronger umami flavor.
AMAZING!!
Yet again, Nora’s recipes blow my mind! it would be SO much better if i used chedder, but i didnt have any so i used the mozzarella only! and it was still delicious! the amount of butter scared me at first but its ABSOLUTELY necessary!! For anyone who trys this, its simple, easy, doesnt take too long and its absolutely delicious!
just to make sure i got that cheesy flavour without using chedder, i added nutritional yeast and it worked like magic!
Thanks Nora for being amazing and sharing your amazing recipes! <3
Hi Charlotte! Your positive feedback and encouraging words have made my day! Thank you for sharing! I’m thrilled you are loving my recipes. I sure love creating them, and feedback like yours makes it even better! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I dont have the chedder shreds, only mozzarella, can i use just one?
For sure! The mac and cheese won’t be as orange without the cheddar but will still taste cheesy and delicious.
Hi! So i have a question. I dont have the mellow white miso, are there any replacements or can i just leave it out?
Hi Charlotte. You can leave the miso out. The recipe will still be great!
Can you suggest an alternative nut to cashews as we have a severe allergy to cashews.
Thank you.
Hi Rosanna. This macaroni and cheese recipe is made without any dairy or nuts. Are you possibly referring to a different recipe?
Can this version be baked? I know you have other versions that are baked but I always have bad luck using cashews in my cheese sauce!
Yes, it can be baked, you could use a breadcrumb topping from one of my other baked recipes. Just don’t over bake it, or it will dry out.
Making this for probably the 500th time tonight. Love, love this recipe, Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi Shelly! I am thrilled you are loving the Mac and cheese! You must have it all memorized by now! Thank you for taking time to share your great review and comments!
This is so good. So creamy and my son said it tastes better than real Mac and Cheese. I made it with an elbow pasta made of quinoa, brown rice and corn.
Thank you for this incredible recipe! Since I am immunocompromised I couldn’t go out for my birthday, so I cooked this and it made my day! Big hit in our house. YUM!!,
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Happy birthday! Stay well. ❤️
I want to make this but I am very allergic to soy. Can this recipe be made without miso?
Thank you! I look forward to making it!!
Sure, you can just leave it out, no problem. Thanks!
Thank you Nora for another stellar recipe. This mac and cheese is the BEST! It was simple to prepare, flavorful, and so cheesy! It was also a big hit with my omni husband, who is quite picky about his mac and cheese. Please keep the recipes coming! We are so in love with your Tuscan Gnocchi, skillet enchiladas, and cornbread, just to name a few.
Thank you, Tiana, for your kind and wonderful words! I’m glad you love the Mac and cheese, and that you are loving my recipes! I truly love creating and sharing easy recipes! Comments like yours are so encouraging! Thank you!
Did I do something wrong in my review yesterday? I left a very nice review and it disappeared.
Not at all, I just approve each review because sometimes there are some inappropriate or spammy comments, I have to wade through them. It can take a few days for my to approve them, but I try to do it daily. 🙂 Hope that makes sense, and I really appreciate you leaving a review.
Ok, thanks. It’s just that I saw it and then I didn’t so I thought I did something inappropriate! No problem, I know how much work it is taking care of a website. Have a great day! And thanks again for the wonderful recipes.
It is a lot of work, but I love it! Thanks, Ellie. 🙂
I am so glad I found this website! Not very long ago I figured out that I could not eat or drink dairy?. And macaroni is my favorite food! Then I found this recipe and I was sooo happy ?!
Thanks Mackenzie! I’m glad this recipe is helping!
I made this recipe and it was stupendous! The only changes I made is that I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, Violife Cheddar Shreds instead of the block of mature as none to be found around here, added a little bit of onion powder and I used oat milk instead of soy. Hubby went back for 3 helpings and he’s firmly not a vegan. LOL His only complaint was the sticky texture and that can’t be helped with plant-based cheese. But he must have liked it! 3 helpings!
I wasn’t too sure about the miso paste as I’ve never used it but it added a very nice taste to it.
I’ve tried some other recipes of yours as well and they never fail to impress. Thanks for the wonderful recipes!
Hi Ellie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the mac and cheese, thank you for your review! Thank you for your kind works, I SO appreciate it. 🙂
This is amazing! Closes thing to mac n cheese with dairy that I have had since changing to a vegan diet 2 years ago. I should have known what to expect b/c all of your recipes are amazing Nora! Great job and thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that Nicole! Thank you.
This is the best vegan Mac and cheese recipe I’ve tried! I was thoroughly impressed. I used the two suggested violife cheeses and almond milk. The only thing is that when that particular cheese alternative is melted down, it smells quite floral, and that kind of threw me for a loop. When I make it again, I’ll likely add some type of topping to mask the coconut scent.
Hi Emma! I’m glad you enjoyed the mac and cheese. I didn’t feel that way about the Violife cheese I used. I love the Mature Cheddar especially but also the mozzarella shreds. You can experiment and try different brands until you find one you love!
Another 5 star recipe Nora! Yesterday I made your vegan mashed potatoes which were awesome and tonight your vegan Mac and cheese. I always know when making one of your recipes it is going to turn out fantastic! Thank you! You are my favorite vegan food bloggers to follow!
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words, David! I’m thrilled that you are loving my recipes! I appreciate you taking your time to share your review and comments! Happy cooking!