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Home / Course / Main Course / Dairy Free Mac and Cheese

Dairy Free Mac and Cheese

April 2, 2020 Leave a Comment

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This is the best dairy free mac and cheese recipe! So creamy and rich, not only is this cheese sauce dairy free but it’s also gluten free, vegan, paleo and Whole30 compliant. Made with carrots, cashews, coconut milk and nutritional yeast it is really easy to make in under 5 minutes!

A bowl of dairy free Mac and cheese with sauce being poured on it

Why you will love this recipe: 

  • Move over Amy’s, Daiya and Trader Joe’s. This is the best dairy free Mac and cheese recipe!
  • The dairy free cheese sauce in this recipe is so thick and creamy and delicious.
  • Not only is this vegan Mac and cheese dairy free but the sauce is also gluten free, lactose free, paleo, plant based and Whole30 compliant.
  • It’s so easy to make and the sauce is ready in less than 5 minutes.
  • This Mac and cheese makes great leftovers.
  • This is a healthy version of the classic dish we all know and love. 
  • it’s made with carrots, cashews, coconut milk and nutritional yeast. 
  • Turn this dish into a complete meal by adding cooked chicken, tofu, beef or pork!

Key ingredients and substitutions: 

  • Carrots – carrots not only add a healthy vegetable to this plant based cheese sauce, but they also help give this Mac and cheese a beautiful orange color, just without any cheese!
  • Coconut milk – full fat coconut milk gives this lactose free Mac and cheese such a rich and creamy flavour, while keeping it dairy milk free. Be sure to use full fat and not low fat coconut milk for the best flavour. You could swap this for cashew milk or almond milk. 
  • Cashews – raw cashews are such a great substitute for milk in dairy free recipes. They blend beautifully to give this milk free cheese sauce the most delicious creamy texture. I have not tried swapping cashews with any other nuts or making this recipe nut free, and I do not recommend trying it. 
  • Nutritional yeast – nutritional yeast is used to give this sauce a cheesy flavour, without any cheese or dairy. 

How to make this recipe:

You will love how easy this recipe is to make!

Step one: 

First, make your pasta as per the instructions on the package.

Step two:

While the pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce by placing all the ingredients into your high speed blender and blending well until smooth.

Step three: 

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse it and pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and stir it well to coat the noodles in the sauce. Then serve and enjoy!

Step by step directions for making dairy free cheese sauce
A bowl of dairy free Mac and cheese

Tips and variations:

  • Turn this into a complete meal by adding cooked chicken, tofu, pork or beef.
  • If you don’t have a Vitamix blender you will likely need to soak the cashews for a few hours before blending.
  • Add some vegetables such as cooked broccoli or cauliflower for some extra vitamins and minerals!
  • If you can’t have coconut milk, I would try substituting cashew milk or almond milk instead.
  • If you like a thinner sauce, add a bit more water or coconut milk to the recipe.
  • The carrots in the sauce are used to give this vegan cheese sauce a nice orange color.
  • To make this Mac and cheese paleo: use noodles that are grain free. Some options include zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, sweet potato noodles or these heart of palm noodles.
  • To make this into Whole30 Mac and cheese: Use vegetable noodles. Options include carrot noodles, sweet potato noodles, parsnip noodles or zucchini noodles. These noodles made from heart of palm would also work!

How to store: 

Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. 

A large bowl of dairy free Mac and cheese

Frequently asked questions: 

What’s an alternative for milk in Mac and cheese?

Instead of dairy milk you can make Mac and cheese with coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk or oat milk. This will give the sauce a nice and creamy texture while keeping it dairy free and lactose free. 

Is Velveeta Mac and cheese dairy free?

No. Velveeta cheese is made with modified milk ingredients as well as cheese so it is not dairy free or lactose free. It is also not vegan as it contain animal products. 

Is Kraft Mac and cheese dairy free?

No. Kraft Mac and cheese contains whey and milk fat so it is not dairy free or lactose free. Because it contains animals products it is also not vegan. 

Is Annies Mac n cheese dairy free?

No. Annie’s Mac and cheese contains cheese, milk, whey, butter and cream meaning it is not dairy free or lactose free. It is also not vegan as it is made with animal products. 

Is this Mac and cheese recipe gluten free?

Yes! As long as you use gluten free noodles this Mac n cheese recipe is gluten free and dairy free. 

Other dairy free recipes you will love:

  • Paleo Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli
  • Mexican Cauliflower Rice with Shrimp
  • Vegan Alfredo Sauce
  • Whole30 Meatloaf with Blueberries
  • Teriyaki Vegetable Stir Fry

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4.7 from 20 votes
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Dairy Free Mac and Cheese

This dairy free mac and cheese is so creamy and rich. The perfect comfort food that is also vegan, paleo and Whole30 and ready in less than 15 minutes.

Course Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword 15 minute meal, comfort food, vegan mac and cheese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 928 kcal

Ingredients

Pasta Ingredients

  • 16 oz pasta of choice

Dairy Free Cheese Sauce Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw cashews
  • 1 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

Pasta Instructions

  1. Prepare the pasta as per the instructions on the package (while the pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce).

Cheese Sauce Instructions

  1. Place all the ingredients into your high speed blender.

  2. Blend well until smooth.

Assembly Instructions

  1. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir well to combine and coat all the noodles.

  2. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  1. If you like a thinner sauce feel free to add extra water or coconut milk.
  2. You can substitute cashew milk or almond milk for the coconut milk. 
  3. Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. 
Nutrition Facts
Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 928 Calories from Fat 387
% Daily Value*
Fat 43g66%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 16g
Sodium 639mg28%
Potassium 1048mg30%
Carbohydrates 113g38%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 8020IU160%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 79mg8%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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A bowl of dairy free Mac and cheese

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DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

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Hi friends! I'm Dr. Erin Carter

I'm a physician by day and health and wellness blogger by night. I believe that real food and healthy living are medicine and that eating healthy shouldn't be boring or restrictive. Here you'll find many easy and delicious recipes and tons of healthy living tips! Meet Dr. Erin Carter

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