Magic Mac & Cheese | The Dairy Detox

Ready to ditch dairy, but can’t imagine life without cheese? Don’t worry! There’s no reason you have to give up your favorite creamy delicacy when you decide to go vegan. The Dairy Detox makes it easy to transition healthfully and happily to dairy-freedom, without sacrificing cheese. And today, we’ve got a delicious recipe for some creamy, dreamy, vegan mac n’ cheese.

In just 12 days, Allison Rivers Samson and Michelle Cehn will lead Dairy Detox students through every aspect of dairy-free living through daily videos. Students will learn about health and nutrition (and why humans started drinking the milk of another species in the first place!). They’ll discover dairy-free versions of all their favorite foods, and will learn to how to shop, how to cook, and how to eat out with confidence. Dairy Detoxers will be empowered with the all knowledge and strategies they need to thrive dairy-free, plus, they’ll learn how choosing dairy-free is not only better for their own health, but also prevents unnecessary cruelty to animals and is far gentler on our planet.

Get more delicious dairy-free recipe in The Dairy Freedom Cookbook ($7). You can look forward to 30 yummy recipes including:

• • Lazy Mama’s Cashew Milk
  • Magic All-Purpose Cheesy Sauce
  • Herbed Macadamia Ricotta
  • Better Butter Spread
  • Creamy Avocado Ranch
  • Allison’s Ahhh-mazing Alfredo
  • Modern Potato Skin Jalapeño Poppers
  • Marry Me, Two Bean Chili
  • Crazy for Coconut Whipped Cream
  • Mexican Chocolate Cake

… and so much more. See you on the inside!

If you’re looking to break the cheese addiction—or you know friends or family who “could never give up cheese”—we highly recommend The 12-Day Dairy Detox. The next session starts on the 1st of the month! Meanwhile, dip your toes into dairy-freedom with Allison’s recipe for healthy and compassionate dairy-free mac & cheese, below. Enjoy!

A Comforting Classic

Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that needs no introduction. Dating back to at least the 14th century, this dish has been a staple of American and British cuisine for ages. And for good reason! It’s perfect as a side dish during the holidays, delicious as a regular weeknight meal, and super easy to prepare and customize. While non-vegan mac n’ cheese can often be full of dairy products such as butter and cheese, this vegan version uses vegetables, legumes, and sunflower seeds, and mustard as the base for the sauce. How awesome is that?!

Vegan Mac n’ Cheese Deliciousness

There are countless ways to cook up a vegan version of macaroni and cheese. You could use vegan cheese, butter, and milk to melt together with pasta elbows for a delectable dinner. You could stick with a simple boxed vegan mac if you’re looking for a super simple meal. But what’s great about this recipe is that you get the pleasure of mixing a variety of staple ingredients into something that’s not only delicious but packed with a decent amount of nutrients.

From the protein-packed garbanzo beans to the mighty cool carrots, this sauce is popping with plant-based power!

How to Serve Up Your Vegan Mac n’ Cheese

The wonderful thing about this dish is that it’s perfect for serving as a side or sprucing up to be a main course. Need some tips for dressing up your vegan mac? We’ve got you covered!

• Get a Little Green – Vegetables and greens go gorgeously alongside a huge bowl of creamy vegan mac! If a fresh salad is striking your fancy, then our How to Make A Vegan Superhero Salad guide is excellent for planting some serious seeds for fun and delicious ideas. If you’re craving something on the warmer side, may we suggest some Roasted Asparagus, Spicy Sesame Sautéed Kale, or even Cheezy Kale Chips for some crunch?
• Pile on the Protein – If you’re wanting some more protein in your vegan mac n’ cheese, look no further! You can fry up some tofu, sauté some tempeh, sizzle up some seitan, or throw in some crunchy chickpeas.
• Mac Up Your Meal – Sure, vegan mac n’ cheese makes a fantastic dish all on its own but have you ever piled it onto a sandwich or burger? No? Well, my friend, allow us to enlighten you. See, when you add vegan mac to any sandwich, burger, or savory wrap, you simply can never go back to eating them any other way. A bite of cheesy noodles mashed between the layers of a crunchy sandwich are what some would call divine. That’s certainly our descriptor of choice. So, what are you waiting for? Cook up some burgers, whip up that sandwich, make a mac n’ cheez burrito—your taste buds and belly are waiting!

If you try this Vegan Mac n’ Cheese, let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more vegan recipe inspiration.

Magic Mac & Cheese

Author: The Dairy Detox

5 from 8 votes

Allison Rivers Samson is widely known for her velvety plant-based mac and cheese—the most popular recipe ever featured by VegNews magazine. Well, this is her latest and greatest. It’s made with only the cleanest ingredients, including some that may surprise you. That’s why it’s called magic!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dry pasta, cooked al dente
• ¼ cup refined coconut oil, not virgin coconut oil
• ⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
• ¼ cup diced carrots
• ¾ cup cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1½ cups water
• ¼ cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon mild Dijon mustard

Instructions

• In a large stockpot, cook the pasta according to package, drain, rinse, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, add oil, onion, carrots, garbanzo beans, garlic, salt, paprika, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add water, sunflower seeds, vinegar, and Dijon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• In a blender, process cooked contents of the sauté pan until completely smooth—this is important. Test for smoothness by removing a spoonful, allowing to cool for a minute, and then rubbing sauce between thumb and forefinger.
• In a large bowl, toss together the sauce with cooked pasta and serve hot.

Video

Notes

• Unflavored coconut oil, also called “refined coconut oil,” is sold in jars in most health food stores. The most common brand is Spectrum. The “virgin” variety tastes like coconut, and is best for coconut-flavored dishes. Other options are sunflower or safflower oil, as well as a homemade non-dairy butter/margarine or store-bought like Miyoko’s Creamery or Earth Balance. Feel free to use less if you prefer.
• Raw, unsalted cashews can be used instead of sunflower seeds, but will add a touch sweetness to the flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 602mg | Potassium: 329mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1473IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

Course dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword best mac and cheese, dairy-free mac and cheese, vegan comfort food recipe, vegan mac and cheese

Storing Your Magic Mac

Pasta is wonderful for batch cooking so you have easy meals throughout the week! You can keep this vegan mac in an airtight container for three to four days in the fridge. If you’re keen on freezing, we’d recommend keeping the pasta separate from the sauce so you have an easier time with reheating. Keep the pasta in a freezer-safe container and keep the sauce in a freezer-safe bag or canning jar. 

More Delicious Dairy-free Recipes to Try:

• Vegan Noodle Kugel
• Plant-Based Pesto Pasta
• Dairy-Free Buffalo Queso
• Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
• Fresh Picnic Pasta Salad
• One-Pot Vegan Enchilada Pasta
• Creamy Hummus Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Vegan Mac n’ Cheese recipe shared with permission from The Dairy Detox from The Dairy Freedom Cookbook. Photo by Nicole Axworthy. Article written by Michelle Cehn and edited by Amanda Meth. Please note that this article may contain affiliate links which supports our work at World of Vegan.