✨ “It’s the kind of mac and cheese that makes you forget it’s vegan until you’re scraping the last buttery crumbs from the pan.” ✨
All the comforts of home, baked golden and bubbling. This vegan mac and cheese has everything you crave in the classic — creamy, cheesy flavor, a buttery crumb topping, and that familiar baked-in love — just without the cashews.
There’s something so grounding about sliding a bubbling casserole dish from the oven. It smells like family, like comfort, like everything’s going to be okay. This version keeps all that soul-satisfying flavor but swaps in plant-based ingredients that even the most skeptical dinner guest will devour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Cashews Needed – No soaking, no blending, no high-speed blender required.
- Creamy + Tangy Sauce – Nutritional yeast, miso paste, and dijon bring depth and that unmistakable cheesy bite.
- That Golden Topping – Crushed Ritz-style crackers mixed with vegan butter and smoked paprika for an irresistible buttery crunch.
- Simple Pantry Ingredients – Easy to make on a weeknight, yet cozy enough for Sunday dinner.
Ingredients needed to make classic vegan baked macaroni and cheese
I realize that my promise to you is to bring you recipes without nine million ingredients. I also realize that this recipe has nine million ingredients…
- For the Pasta:
- elbow macaroni
- Vegan butter (for greasing the baking dish)
- For the Sauce:
- vegan butter (plus more for the topping)
- teaspoons white miso paste – truly necessary for umami flavor, don’t skip!
- all-purpose flour
- plain, unsweetened plant milk – soy or oat milk works best. Choose a neutral tasting unsweetened milk. Soy or oat milk work best.
- nutritional yeast
- dijon mustard, ketchup
- onion powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, pinch of nutmeg
- ½ cup shredded vegan cheese
- For the Topping:
- 26 Ritz crackers (or similar), finely crushed
- smoked paprika
- melted vegan butter
- Optional: parsley or chives for garnish
Which Plant Milk is Best to Use?
The recipe calls for unsweetened non-dairy milk. I used oat milk. I will just caution you to make sure your plant-milk is unsweetened. Note that even some varieties of unsweetened plant-milk are plainer tasting than others and some are sweeter. Go for the plain tasting kinds of plant milk such as cashew, soy, or rice. I even found the oat milk to be a little too sweet.
How to make homemade baked vegan mac and cheese
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until just al dente — it’ll finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish with vegan butter.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Whisk in the miso paste until smooth, then add the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to form a roux.
Gradually whisk in the plant milk until no lumps remain. Add nutritional yeast, dijon, ketchup, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Whisk constantly until smooth and just bubbling — not boiling — about 4 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly.
Stir in the shredded vegan cheese until melted, then fold in the cooked macaroni. You’ll have a luscious, creamy mixture ready for the oven.
Step 3: Make the Topping
Crush the crackers in a food processor or in a zip bag with a rolling pin. Combine with melted vegan butter and smoked paprika. Stir until evenly coated.
Step 4: Bake
Pour the mac and cheese mixture into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the buttery crumb topping evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Sprinkle with parsley or chives before serving, if desired.
Pro Tips
- Miso Magic: White miso adds that deep umami, cheesy flavor you can’t quite name but can’t live without.
- Choose the Right Vegan Cheese: A mild cheddar-style melt works best here — just enough tang without overpowering.
- Don’t Skip the Nutritional Yeast: It’s what gives that authentic cheesy taste.
- Topping Texture: For extra crunch, broil the dish for 1–2 minutes at the end (watch closely!).
Serving Ideas
Pair this baked vegan mac and cheese with a crisp green salad or roasted veggies for balance. It also makes the perfect side for your next vegan holiday spread. And if you really want to go all in on comfort food? Serve it alongside a slice of homemade bread — nothing beats the combo of warm bread and creamy mac.
FAQs
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! Substitute gluten-free pasta and use gluten-free crackers and flour.
Can I make it ahead?
You can assemble the mac and cheese up to a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bake just before serving.
What if I don’t have miso paste?
You can leave it out, but you’ll lose a layer of richness. Add a splash of soy sauce or extra nutritional yeast as a backup.
The Bottom Line
This baked vegan mac and cheese proves you don’t need dairy — or cashews — to make comfort food magic. Creamy, buttery, and baked to perfection, it’s everything you loved growing up, only kinder.
The printable recipe card
Did you love this recipe?
Want to share the love? It would be great if you could leave five ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ stars and even a comment. Did you know that this will help Google to find this recipe when others are looking for something similar? Thanks, Cindy
Vegan Mac and Cheese, Baked
Equipment
- (deep) 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- vegan butter for preparing the baking dish
Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter more for crumb topping below
- 1½ teaspoons white miso paste
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups plant milk plain, unsweetened
- 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teasoon cayenne pepper
- pinch of nutmeg
- ½ cup vegan cheese, shredded
Topping
- 26 Ritz Crackers finely crushed
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 Tablespoons vegan butter melted
- optional parsley, or chives for topping
Instructions
Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until just al dente. You don't want to overcook the pasta because it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain and add later to the sauce mixture before baking.8 ounces elbow macaroni
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a small baking dish with vegan butter. Use either a deep 8"x8" casserole dish or a 9"x9" dish.
Sauce
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the white miso while the butter is melting and whisk to bread down the miso paste and incorporate it with the vegan butter.2 Tablespoons vegan butter, 1½ teaspoons white miso paste
- Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add the plant milk. Stir and whisk until the lumps are out.2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2½ cups plant milk
- Add in the nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, ketchup, onion powder, and salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and pinch of nutmeg and whisk until smooth. Bring to a gentle boil. Continue to Cook for 4 minutes to thicken the sauce while stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Keep it to a few gentle bubbles – not a full boil. It will continue to thicken in the oven as it bakes with the macaroni.3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teasoon cayenne pepper, pinch of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ketchup
- Add the cooked macaroni and shredded vegan cheese to the sauce and stir to combine.8 ounces elbow macaroni, ½ cup vegan cheese, shredded
To Finish
- Crush the Ritz crackers in a food processor or in a gallon bag with a rolling pin. Melt the vegan butter. In a small bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, smoked paprika, and melted butter to combine.26 Ritz Crackers, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, 3 Tablespoons vegan butter
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, top with the cracker crumb mixture, and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top.
- Top with optional dried chives or dried parsley.
Yummy!
Oh my gosh this looks amazing! My little girls are dairy free and really missing mac n cheese, so we’ll have to try this one!
I hope you were able to give it a try – because life without Mac and Cheese would be sad indeed:(
Where in the recipe does the shredded cheese belong? Melted in with the spices & yeast step, folded in with noodles and sauce, or as topping before the cracker crumbs???
Hi great question! And I will better clarify that in the recipe card. But fold it in with the noodles and sauce but before the cracker crumbs then bake. Thanks again for the question and I hope you enjoy! Cindy 💜
This was amazing. Just like my grandma used to make. I’m a fan!
Ahh that’s sweet. Thanks for letting me know!
Can you recommend a vegan cheese please. Most are very untastey 🙁