My cookbook SWEET POTATO SOUL is now available for pre-order. You can purchase a copy today. An alternate version of this easy, nut-free vegan mac and cheese recipe appears in the book — vegan soul food for the win!
Creamy, rich, comforting vegan mac and cheese without nuts? Absolutely. I’m allergic to cashews, so restaurant vegan mac and cheese isn’t always an option for me. Over the years I’ve found simple, wholesome ways to achieve the same creamy texture of dairy- or nut-based sauces. The secret ingredient in this version: white beans.
White kidney (cannellini) beans blend with unsweetened non-dairy milk, arrowroot (a natural thickener), and nutritional yeast to form a luscious, cheesy sauce. It’s surprisingly nutritious: white beans offer fiber, protein, folate and antioxidants, and nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheesy flavor plus additional protein and B vitamins — sometimes even B12 if fortified.
I used whole wheat elbow pasta here, but a gluten-free pasta works just as well. Top the mac and cheese with your favorite smoky bacon substitute — I like Lightlife Fakin’ Bacon — for an extra layer of flavor and texture.
I still love my butternut squash mac and cheese recipe, but this white-bean version is quicker and just as satisfying when you want an easy weeknight meal.
Nut-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese | Easy Vegan Soul Food
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk (or other plain non-dairy milk)
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon mellow miso (or white miso or chickpea miso)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup cooked white kidney beans (cannellini beans)
- 1 package Lightlife Fakin’ Bacon or other tempeh/vegan bacon
- 8 ounces elbow pasta
- Red chili flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the arrowroot powder with 1/4 cup of the non-dairy milk in a small bowl, breaking up any clumps. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, warm the grapeseed oil over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté about 30 seconds, until just starting to golden. Be careful not to burn it.
- Add the remaining non-dairy milk, onion powder, salt, smoked paprika (if using), Dijon mustard, miso, lemon juice and nutritional yeast. Stir well to combine and dissolve any miso or yeast clumps.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the arrowroot-milk mixture.
- Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the cooked white beans and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and let the sauce cool until it’s safe to blend.
- While the sauce cools, pan-fry the tempeh bacon in a lightly oiled skillet (or dry if using a well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick pan). Cook until crispy, about 3 minutes per side, then cut into small pieces.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions, using plenty of salted water (the elbows used here cook in about 5–7 minutes).
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Transfer the cooled sauce to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps remaining.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, nutritional yeast or lemon juice as needed.
- Pour the “cheese” sauce over the pasta and stir to coat thoroughly.
- Serve hot, topped with tempeh bacon pieces, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and red chili flakes if desired.