Author: I played around in my kitchen until I perfected my recipe for Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder! And it it the best!!
Why is boxed mac & cheese so good? Because it's convenient, quick, it patiently waits for you in the cupboard until hunger strikes, and it tastes gooooood. I've miss boxed mac & cheese in my life. Now there are definitely vegan boxed mac & cheese's available in health food store and online, and I've tried a few myself but I was always underwhelmed and thought I could probably do better. And so I did.
How fun is that!? It's all the fun. And it's oh so creamy, cheesy, vegan yummy, pasta perfection. ~drool~
Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder is super duper easy to make. Just add all the ingredients to a jar and shake. That's it! You can make as much or as little as of this mac and cheese powder as you like, and store it in the cupboard until a vegan mac and cheese craving strikes.
My recipe makes about 1 cup of powder which is enough for 4 cups of uncooked macaroni noodles (about 4 boxes). But feel free to multiply or reduce the recipe as you see fit. Then just store your jar of Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder in your pantry until ready for use.
Bonus points: my Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder recipe is completely nut-free, soy-free, oil-free, and with a gluten-free option. Making this recipe very allergy and whole-food plant-based friendly (just depending on which flour, plant-based milk, and pasta you choose to use).
The secret ingredient in this recipe is lemon pepper which adds a nice little sharpness to the creamy sauce, which really makes for a cheesy taste. Mix that with cheesy nutritional yeast, flour for thickening and for creaminess, and spices for flavouring and colour. Oooeee is this so simple and SO tasty.
It's convenient, quick, cupboard stable, and it tastes really, really, gooooood!!
Turn the heat back on to medium-high heat and whisk while cooking until the sauce thickens, 2 - 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pot along with the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
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Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder
Servings: (makes 1 cup of powder)
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Ingredients
To make homemade vegan mac & cheese powder:
- ¾ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, (sub whole wheat or all-purpose gluten-free flour if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
To prepare vegan mac & cheese:
- 1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles, (gluten-free if preferred)
- ¾ cup plant-based milk, (such a s soy or almond)
- ¼ cup prepared Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder
Instructions
To make the vegan mac & cheese powder:
- Add all of the ingredients to an air-tight container. Stir or shake well to combine. Store in your pantry until needed.
To prepare vegan mac & cheese
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta. Return the pot to the stove (heat off) and pour in the plant-based milk and ¼ cup of Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder and whisk together. Turn the heat back on to medium-high heat and whisk while cooking until the sauce thickens, 2 - 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pot along with the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Martha ^..^ says
Do you think this would work with almond flour? I'm doing vegan keto but I reaaaaally want to try this over zoodles!
Sam Turnbull says
I believe it should work fine. Enjoy!
Beth Rideout says
Thank you so much Sam!!! My hubby and I have been desperate for some quick, tasty, warm go-to lunches and you nailed it!!! So yummy - I can see it being a new staple in our kitchen. Cheers from BC!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So thrilled you loved it so much, Beth 🙂
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
You are such a genius, Sam! I am so excited to try this!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much!
Joanna says
I can't believe how delicious this mac sauce is! The first batch I used liquid plant based milk. The next batch I decided to test out dehydrated plant based milk. Both worked great! All set to have mac and cheese on my next backcountry hiking trip! Thanks so much for the creative recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh what a great hiking food idea!! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Joanna!
Miranda says
Yum! I’d love to see this adapted to do a single serve microwave/ Easy Mac style portion.
Sam Turnbull says
Hmmm.... I must get a microwave one day...
Madison says
I just made this and it's definitely the best vegan mac & cheese I've made and it's so easy! Even my picky fiance enjoyed it. It's also less calories & way more filling than boxed mac, plus it has good ingredients, so overall, this one's a winner. Thanks for making such an awesome recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
That's so awesome, I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Madison!!
Karen says
Hi Sam,
Just last week I made a batch of Miyoko’s “well-crafted mac and cheese mix.” It was okay, not mind blowing but not awful. Hers has cashews, so it’s not shelf stable. I’m eager to try yours and do a side by side comparison!
I love to toss some broccoli florets into the water for a few minutes before the pasta, pull them out and add back in at the end. Om-nom! 😀
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Karen, yes, I have had Miyoko's and I too thought it was just ok. I hope you love my version so much more as I sure do!!
Karen says
Hi Sam's, Well, I finally tried this recipe and came here to leave a comment. "Hey," I thought, " that person puts broccoli in hers too?" (Turns out the comment was from ME, months ago, duh!) Yours was definitely better than Miyoko's, and yours is shelf stable, not that it'll last long in the cabinet! Ha! The only thing I'd change next time would be to reduce/leave out the sugar as it was a little too sweet. Otherwise, YES! Yum! Another win in Sam's book. 😀
Sam Turnbull says
Aww so happy you enjoyed it so much, Karen 🙂
Helen Corbin says
What an amazing thing. You are so clever!!!!!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you!
Emmanuelle says
Would it work with water instead of milk? Like maybe add water and some vegan butter/margarine? Thanks! I can’t wait to try
Sam Turnbull says
The creaminess from a non-dairy milk is ideal, but you could use water for a less creamy version in a pinch. Enjoy!
Julie H says
Is there a substitute for the white sugar?
Sam Turnbull says
You could use any powder sweetener you enjoy.
Tamia says
Is brown sugar is OK?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, but the moisture in it might clump up the mix a little. Enjoy!
Emily says
Holy Sam-oly you've done it again!! This took the shortest amount of time to put together and then cook. I didn't have lemon pepper so added... A squeeze of lemon and black pepper and it seemed to taste just great. Using it as lazy lasagne topping for tonight!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!!! So thrilled you love it so much, Emily!!
Mollie says
How long would you say to microwave the cheese sauce? I'm thinking after school snack here.
Sam Turnbull says
I actually don't own a microwave (I know, crazy), so I am not sure the correct time.
Hilly says
Hello there!
Thanks for this really handy recipe.
Just a quick question... I’m in England and I’m wondering how much cooked pasta does a cup of dry macaroni make please? Would that serve one or two people?
Thank you in advance!
Sam Turnbull says
According to this guide, 1 cup uncooked noodles would make about 2 1/4 cups cooked. Enjoy!
Hilly says
Thanks Sam!
Inna says
Hi Sam
Thanks for this amazing sounding recipe. Would you mind please clarifying if the paprika is sweet or smoked?
Thanks again!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Inna, I used sweet, but you could use smoked if you wanted a smoky mac and cheese. Enjoy!
Inna says
Thanks for your prompt reply, Sam. I think a tiny pinch of smoked paprika could take it to another level!
Laura says
Inna, I accidentally used smoked paprika as the full amount-- the smoky flavour really takes over. Use the smoked paprika with caution!
Susan says
Another amazing recipe! Thank you for all of your fun and delicious recipes. My family and I have been vegan for over 6 years and I know I can still look for you for inspiration! I hope another cookbook will be in the works soon 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks so much, Susan, that means a lot!! I do my best to continue to come out with new fun recipes 🙂 Fingers crossed for a second book!
Julie says
Yay! Yay! Yay! Thank you! I love being vegan. I love the food I eat. I adore Mac and cheese of All kinds, but I grew up eating the boxed stuff. Sometimes I want the yum, quickly! And the $4 box of vegan mac and cheese from the natural food store did not impress. This was ONE thing that was missing in my pantry. Delicious.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! I am so happy I was able to fill the hole in your pantry for you, Julie 😀
amy says
Great recipe. My family loved it.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! 🙂
Jen says
I made this for dinner tonight. It turned out well, and I have lots of leftovers for a lazy dinner night. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Happy you enjoyed it, Jen!
Nancy says
With a gluten free mix, is a gum needed or not?
Helen says
Hi, I'm not Sam, so you might want to wait for her reply, but I think that you wouldn't need to add any thing else if you are using the All Purpose Gluten free flour. The one I've used handled just like the regular AP flour.
Sam Turnbull says
Nope, it should work just fine. The flour just needs to thicken the sauce a bit which any gluten-free mix will do. Enjoy!
Jordi says
Bless you Sam Turnbull; this is definitely on my "to try" list.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!