Description
This easy dairy-free mac and cheese is ultra-creamy, rich, and comforting without a drop of dairy. Made with cashews, nutritional yeast, and almond milk for a silky, cheesy sauce that’s allergy-friendly and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
8 oz elbow macaroni (or gluten-free pasta)
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes or overnight in cool water, then drain.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain.
3. In a blender, combine soaked cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
4. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Pour in blended sauce and stir for 2–3 minutes until warmed through.
5. Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir until creamy and fully coated.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot with cracked black pepper or vegan parmesan.
Notes
To make this nut-free, substitute cashews with 1 cup white beans or ¾ cup silken tofu.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of almond milk.
For extra flavor, stir in sautéed onions or steamed broccoli.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg