The BEST Vegan Mac and Cheese

The Inspiration

Macaroni and Cheese is a quintessential dish of the south and amongst Black people in America, baked macaroni and cheese specifically. Everyone has their own version and preference. Some like it very custardy and creamy that spreads on the plate when it’s scooped out. Some like it to keep it’s shape as if you’re cutting a piece of cake. And there’s others that prefer a mix of noodles, cheese and milk that don’t exactly come together as a traditional mac and cheese, but they love it. Either way, I wanted to bring all of that tradition to where many people are going, myself included: reducing dairy intake, the use of animal products and for some, a full vegan lifestyle. There’s no reason everyone shouldn’t be able to enjoy the wonderful classic that is mac and cheese! Now let’s get into these details!!

The Deets

This recipe is a direct variation of my classic mac and cheese recipe. It’s sauced based where butter and flour are combined to make a roux, then non-dairy milk is added (I’ll get into that in a second), then once thickened, cheeses and spices are added to make a vegan mornay sauce. It’s a cheesy, creamy sauce that sticks to the noodles and doesn’t leave you with a stodgy, dry mac and cheese with unmelted cheese. It also isn’t so wet that you get a separation of sauce or sauce that doesn’t stick to the noodles. What I also like about this is that there’s no magic of potatoes and carrots involved, it’s just a simple recipe that has major impact. Now about that non-dairy milk! After extensive research and vegan mac & cheese making, I’ve found that the key is to choose a milk that has a good amount of fat in it. The fat helps to create a rich, luscious sauce that is reminiscent of traditional mac and cheese that you just don’t get with other milks, like almond. I’ve found that the best 3 milks to use are soy, macadamia and coconut. For me personally, I try to limit the amount of soy in my diet, so it’s not the first I gravitate towards, but if that is not an issue for you, I think it is the best in terms of flavor neutrality and performance. Next is coconut milk, which is fatty, but lends an overly coconutty taste to the final product and makes it sweeter than you can combat without overloading on other flavorings. That brings us to macadamia nut milk. It has the same amount of fat as soy milk, making it able to create a good sauce with less sweetness than coconut milk. For that reason, I find that if you want to avoid soy, this is the next best option. After that, it’s all about the cheeses. Some vegan cheeses do not melt completely, so you have to be careful with what you choose. I find this Violife mozzarella and Daiya cheddar blend to not only be flavorful, but also perfect for melty cheesy goodness! There’s enough sharpness from the cheddar and additional creaminess from the mozzarella that create a perfect balance of cheese flavor in this vegan macaroni and cheese. Alright, that’s enough there, let’s get into the final tips for a great mac and cheese.

Tips For Making

This mac and cheese recipe is straightforward and really delicious. But of course I have a few tips to make it even easier, especially if you’re a first time mac and cheese maker.

• Be sure to whisk out all of the lumps in your roux before you add your milk! When adding the WARM milk, add in a little and smooth it out, then add in a stream while whisking. This should keep the lumps out. If you still have a problem, quickly blend it and you’ll be good to go.
• If you decide to go with another cheese blend, test your vegan cheeses by seeing how they melt down in a pan/grilled cheese first. If it doesn’t fully melt down, it probably won’t in a sauce.
• While the bread crumb topping is optional, I highly recommend it. Not only is it delicious, it adds texture to what is a more softer textured dish.

Well ya’ll, that’s all I have for today’s recipe. Be sure to check out the video showing how to make this from start to finish. And leave a like and comment or subscribe!! Thanks so much for all of the support thus far!

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