Easy Cashew Mac and Cheese

Cashew Mac and Cheese is smokey, creamy, delicious, and melts in your mouth. Top it with coconut bacon to take this vegan cashew mac and cheese recipe to the next level!

Have you discovered the magic of cashews?  I'm in love with Cashew Mac and Cheese topped with coconut bacon! What can I say? It's a game-changer. This vegan cashew mac and cheese recipe is to die for! 

Jump to:

• Cashew Cheese Sauce Ingredients
• Cashew Cheese Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Cashew Mac and Cheese
• Serving Suggestions
• Roasted or Sautéed Vegetable Mac & Cheese
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips:
• More Vegan Recipes to Try!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

When we were in San Diego recently, we ate at one of the best vegan restaurants EVER!!

Although we visited many vegan restaurants on our trip, Donna Jean stands out as one of the best plant-based eating experiences we have ever had. 

First, we ordered the most incredible vegan mac and cheese I have ever eaten. Served in an iron skillet, Donna Jean's cashew mac and cheese recipe was so creamy and delicious; I couldn't believe it was vegan.

Of course, I begged for the recipe, and without hesitation, the waitress told me the secret to epic mac and cheese: raw cashews, miso, and coconut milk. So, after many trials and errors, I mastered it but switched out the coconut milk for oat milk for a less fat version. 

Cashew Cheese Sauce Ingredients

As with most dishes, the magic is in the sauce. So once I knew the secret to making the best cashew mac and cheese, I experimented with combining those ingredients to make the magic happen.

• Raw Cashews: Cashews supply the creaminess to this cheese sauce; however, if you are allergic to nuts or avoid eating nuts, there are substitutions below. Or try my vegan nacho cheese sauce made from potatoes, carrots, and other veggies.
• Oat Milk: I like oat milk because it's naturally creamy. Make sure its unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh lemon juice whenever possible.
• Roasted Red Peppers: Roasted red peppers come in a water-filled jar. Avoid the ones packed in oil. Or, roast your own red bell peppers.
• White Miso Paste: White Miso Paste is the umami flavor to the cheese sauce, giving it a salty and savory taste.
• Green Onions: Green onions, also called scallions, are mild in flavor.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds warmth and depth to the sauce.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard gives the cashew cheese sauce a little tanginess.
• Shallot: Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is ground dried garlic, which adds another component to the sauce.
• Pepper: I prefer fresh ground pepper whenever possible.
• Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is vegan cheesy. It also contains Vitamin B 12!
• Liquid Smoke: I used hickory-flavored liquid smoke, but there are several different flavors to choose from.
• Paprika: Paprika adds a little more smoke and heat to the sauce.

Cashew Cheese Sauce Ingredient Substitutions

• Substitute cashews with macadamia nuts or almonds.
• For a nut-free option, choose silken tofu, white beans or sunflower seeds.
• Or, try mac and cheese using a vegan cheese sauce made from potatoes and carrots.
• Choose an unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
• Bottled lemon juice works well in a pinch.
• Poblano peppers have a similar taste to roasted red peppers.
• Yellow miso paste is an excellent substitute for white miso paste.
• Try leeks instead of scallions.
• If you're using jarred garlic in a recipe, the general rule of thumb is ½ teaspoon for every clove — but feel free to use more to make up for the flavor loss.
• Stone-ground mustard is similar to dijon mustard.
• Red onion is an excellent replacement for shallots, but because red onion is more robust in flavor, use half the red onion to substitute a shallot in a recipe.
• Soy sauce or miso paste often replaces nutritional yeast in recipes. For gluten-free options, choose tamari or liquid aminos.
• If you don't like smokey flavors, skip the liquid smoke and paprika. Or, if you like it smokier, add smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.

How to Make Cashew Mac and Cheese

• Drain and rinse the raw cashews.
• Add cashews and all ingredients, except macaroni, in a blender.
• If you soak your cashews, it takes less time to blend; however, if you have a quality blender, you don't have to soak them (I used a Vitamix).
• For a quick and easy way to soften the raw cashews, boil them for 10 minutes, drain, and rinse before blending.
• In the meantime, prepare the noodles.
• Fill ¾ of water and 2 teaspoons of salt in a large pot.
• Wait until the water starts boiling before adding macaroni.
• Follow the directions on the package (I boiled for 7 minutes per package instructions).
• Drain noodles completely in a colander.
• Return the noodles to the pan.
• Add the sauce to the hot noodles.
• You do not need to heat the sauce. The sauce will heat when poured and stirred onto the hot noodles.
• Add sautéed or roasted vegetables or coconut bacon.

Serving Suggestions

Then, why not make it more decadent by adding coconut bacon? Although I have made tempeh bacon, mushroom, eggplant, and soy paper bacon, coconut bacon is my favorite. And it is so easy to make.

• If vegan bacon isn't your thing, try adding roasted vegetables on on top of your cashew mac and cheese recipe.
• Or, add some vegan chili or coney sauce for chili mac.
• Skip the noodles altogether, and add this cashew cheese sauce to broccoli, a baked potato, or use it as the base for cheesy scalloped potatoes.
• Another way to use this sauce is with vegan nachos or tater tot nachos.
• Add a little hot sauce to kick it up if that's your thing. Or add some roasted balsamic vegetables and make it a party in a bowl! 
• We love filling a baked potato with broccoli and leftover cashew cheese sauce.

Roasted or Sautéed Vegetable Mac & Cheese

One of the best aspects of this vegan mac and cheese is its versatility for many recipes. Just add sautéed or roasted vegetables, and dinner is ready.

I hope you love this cashew mac and cheese recipe as much as we do. Of course, you won't be disappointed if you don't add the coconut bacon. 

Recipe FAQs

Tips:

• You don't have to soak the cashews overnight if you have a high-quality, high-speed blender. 
• Soak the cashews overnight in water if you don't have a great blender. Or, a quick and easy way to expedite that process is to bol the cashews for 10 minutes, drain the water and blend them with the other ingredient.
• For fresh lemon juice all year round, consider juicing lemons when in season and freezing them in Souper Cubes. Each opening freezes 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or any liquid that can be added to any recipe.
• When reheating this cashew mac and cheese recipe, add some plant milk or water and use the reheat food option on the microwave.
• If making the cheese sauce in advance, refrigerate and reheat when ready to use. Add a little vegetable broth or water to make the sauce thinner.
• When freezing the sauce, leave at least 1 inch between the top of the container and the top to avoid freezer burn.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw frozen sauce in the refrigerator overnight, and reblend in a blender. You may need to add a little water.

Try this cashew mac and cheese recipe the next time you crave creamy mac and cheese!

More Vegan Recipes to Try!

If you love vegan cashew mac and cheese, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe