20-Minute Vegan Mac and Cheese with Cashews

Nov 5, 2019 (Last updated Mar 13, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani

Introducing the Best Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe you’ll ever need, made with cashews! This vegan cashew cheese sauce is thick, rich, velvety and smooth. It’s full of cheesy flavour and stringy consistency that’s so comparable to the real stuff. And this recipe can be made in less than 20 minutes.

I’ve like to serve mine on chickpea pasta with fried sage leaves to top. It keeps the recipe gluten-free, and makes it so gourmet. Young or old, vegan or not you’re going to love this easy vegan mac and cheese.

Now, let me tell you exactly how to make it.

The Ingredients:

The ingredients for my vegan mac and cheese sauce are:

• raw cashews
• almond milk
• nutritional yeast
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• sea salt
• lemon juice
• arrowroot powder (or you can use tapioca flour) – important for thick and stringy consistency
• turmeric (optional – for colour)

How to make vegan mac and cheese with cashews

Recipe Tips & Notes

If the cheese sauce gets too thick I recommend to add splashes of reserved pasta water (the starchy water your pasta is cooked in). This can be done while it’s still in the saucepan, or after added to the pasta. Be sure when draining your pasta to place a heat-proof bowl in the sink to catch the pasta water. Then add splashes pasta water to thin the cheese sauce if desired. I used about 1/2 cup total reserved pasta water, and added it in splashes at the end when the sauce and noodles were combined.

Pasta water helps to thin your cheese sauce while also giving it a silky texture. If you forget to reserve the pasta water you can add splashes more almond milk.

So there we have it. The best and easiest vegan mac and cheese recipe you’ll ever need. Enjoy for a quick and easy dinner under 20 minutes. This mac and cheese is so creamy and comforting, ultra cheesy and velvety smooth. I think you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do.

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

GF

20-Minute Vegan Mac and Cheese with Cashews

5 from 4 votes

By Hannah Sunderani

Simple and easy to make vegan mac and cheese. Made with cashews, almond milk and nutritional yeast. I like to serve with this vegan cheese sauce chickpea pasta for a gluten-free dish that will stick with you. Topped with fried sage leaves makes it so gourmet. Ready in 20 minutes!

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Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Serves 5 people

Ingredients

For the mac and cheese sauce

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight, or at least 1 hour)
• 2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 lemon , juiced
• 3 tbsp arrowroot powder (or you can use tapioca starch)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2-1 cup reserved pasta water , or water (optional to thin)

For the pasta

• 4-5 cups chickpea pasta (or pasta noodles of choice)
• 10-12 sage leaves
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• sea salt and pepper , to sprinkle

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• Strain raw cashews and add to blender with almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, lemon, arrowroot powder and turmeric. Blend on high for 1 minute, or until smooth and combined.
• Transfer liquid to saucepan and bring to medium heat. Warm cheese sauce stirring often with a whisk, until it thickens to desired consistency (about 10 minutes).
• Meanwhile add chickpea pasta to boiling water. Cook for 3-6 minutes, or until just al-dente. Place a large heat-proof bowl in sink and strain pasta, catching some of the reserved pasta water in the bowl. Add pasta back to pot.
• Pour cheese sauce overtop pasta and gently fold to combine. Option to add splashed reserved pasta water to thin mac and cheese if you find it too thick. (I used about 1/2 cup reserved pasta water added in splashes).
• In a skillet add coconut oil and bring to medium-high heat. Fry sage leaves for 2-4 seconds, lay on paper towel to absorb any excess oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Transfer pasta to bowls and top with fried sage leaves, sprinkle with more sea salt and pepper.

Notes

I recommend to soak cashews overnight. But if you forget this step you can pour boiling water into bowl and soak cashews for 1 hour. I have also made this recipe without soaking the cashews and still had smooth and velvety consistency using my Vitamix. But I still recommend to soak to ensure consistency is 100% smooth, especially if using a standard kitchen mixer.

Pasta reheats nicely for leftovers. Keep in fridge for up to 3 days.

Vegan cheese sauce will keep in fridge for up to 5 days, reheat in saucepan and whisk often while working to ensure smooth consistency. Add splashes almond milk if needed to thin when reheating.

Nutritional information is a rough estimate.

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 29g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 263mg | Iron: 19mg

DID YOU

Tag @twospoons on Instagram
and hashtag it #twospoons

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