Introduction
Hey, mac and cheese lovers! You don’t need to make mac and cheese out of a box to make it taste good. My go-to mac and cheese as a kid was Kraft Mac & Cheese. After I became vegan, I enjoyed eating some Daiya Cheezy Mac. Unfortunately, not all vegans have vegan mac and cheese alternatives in their local grocery stores. You can buy some on Amazon, but that’s not the same.
Here are 45 vegan mac and cheese recipes you should try today, including but not limited to the following.
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake
- Chili Mac and Cheese
- “Lobster” Beer Mac and Cheese
- Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese
- Mac and Peas
1. Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake
Who likes fall? The vegan pumpkin mac and cheese bake from Vegan Richa has a terrific fall vibe.
Here are more vegan pumpkin recipes.
2. Chili Mac and Cheese
I’m a significant chili fan, referring to the stew instead of the chili pepper. Here is some chili mac from Rainbow Plant Life.
3. “Lobster” Beer Mac and Cheese
Where are my pescatarians and seafood lovers? I dare you to try this lobster mac and cheese from Rabbit and Wolves because I want to know if this tastes like the real deal.
This recipe is also in my blog post on vegan American recipes.
4. Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese
Listen up, parents. If your kids have difficulty eating their veggies, see if they’ll eat this spinach and artichoke mac and cheese from Choosing Chia.
5. Mac and Peas
When I think of peas, it reminds me of my mom telling everyone about how one of my siblings got peas stuck in their nose when they were little. If you’re not worried about kids having nose peas, make this pea mac and cheese from hot for food.
You may enjoy my blog post about vegan pea recipes if you like peas.
6. Taco Mac and Cheese
If you’re in the mood for tacos and mac and cheese, here is some taco mac and cheese from The Viet Vegan.
If you want more taco inspiration, check out these vegan taco recipes.
7. Mac and Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. If you like mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. Here is a grilled mac and cheese sandwich recipe from Six Vegan Sisters.
I have more vegan grilled cheese recipes listed in my blog post about plant-based Lent recipes.
8. White Truffle Mac and Cheese
White truffles are a considerable delicacy in the cooking world (gastronomy). If you want to try some, here is some white truffle mac and cheese made with white truffle oil from Mississippi Vegan.
9. Broccoli Mac and Cheese
I’m a massive fan of cooking broccoli with a box of Daiya mac and cheese. If that is up your alley, try this broccoli mac and cheese from Cozy Peach Kitchen.
10. Buffalo Wing Mac and Cheese
How many of you like B-Dubs (Buffalo Wild Wings)? Lucky for you, here is a buffalo wing mac and cheese recipe from The Curious Chickpea.
11. Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
Do you have a lot of sweet potatoes in your cupboard? Then try this sweet potato mac and cheese recipe from Zen and Zaatar.
Feel free to read my blog post on vegan sweet potato recipes.
12. Baked Mac and Cheese
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it in your home; this is the perfect mac and cheese recipe. Prep this baked mac and cheese for your next gathering from Vegan Huggs.
This recipe may also be great for graduation parties. Here’s my blog post on vegan graduation party food ideas.
13. Fried Mac and Cheese Burger Buns
When it’s grilling season, burgers are a must. If you want to try out something new, The Bitchy Baker has some excellent mac and cheese burger buns for you to try.
Read my blog post about plant-based burger recipes for more burger ideas.
14. Mushroom Stroganoff Mac and Cheese
If you’re a massive fan of mushrooms, this recipe is for you. Try this mushroom stroganoff mac and cheese from Rabbit and Wolves.
15. Spaghetti Squash Mac and Cheese
Do you or someone you know follow a keto diet? Instead of using pasta, try making some spaghetti squash mac and cheese from VegAnnie.
Here are additional winter squash recipes.
16. White Mac and Cheese
Are you interested in making mac and cheese with another cheese besides cheddar? Have some white mac and cheese made with vegan cream cheese and Parmesan from This Savory Vegan.
17. Healthy Mac and Cheese
Are you interested in cooking mac and cheese and having it as healthy as possible? Here is some healthy mac and cheese made with some cashews and veggies from ElaVegan.
18. Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Hey, Instant Pot lovers! Try some Instant Pot artichoke mac and cheese from Instant Pot Eats.
19. Avocado Mac and Cheese
Who has a lot of avocados in their kitchen? Fit Foodie Finds has a terrific avocado mac and cheese recipe to prevent you from having your avocados go to waste.
20. BBQ Biscuit Bombs
Who needs to make appetizers for a small get-together? Have some BBQ biscuit bombs from No Evil Foods.
21. Coconut Mac and Cheese
Who loves coconut milk? Connoisseurus Veg caters to coconut milk fans with this coconut mac and cheese recipe.
22. Fried Mac and Cheese
This recipe may be for you if you’re into eating meatballs, cheeseballs, and/or falafel. Make these yummy mac and cheese balls from Eat Figs, Not Pigs.
23. Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese
Who wants to keep the vampires away? Succeed by cooking some garlic mac and cheese from Eat With Clarity.
24. White Bean Mac and Cheese
Beans are super nutritious and great protein sources, no matter if you’re vegan or not. Have some servings of beans by making white bean mac and cheese from Daughter of Seitan.
25. Cashew Mac and Cheese
Cashews are one of the most popular vegan ingredients to make food taste creamy. Try some cashew mac and cheese from VNutrition.
26. Greek Mac and Cheese
Are you into Greek cuisine? You may like this Greek mac and cheese from Rabbit and Wolves.
27. Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Do you like butternut squash? Try some butternut squash mac and cheese from The Simple Veganista.
28. Chipotle Mac and Cheese Pizza
I’m a huge pizza fan, so I included one pizza on this mac and cheese list. Here is a mac and cheese pizza from Vegan Richa.
29. Mac and Cheese Dog
Do you like hotdogs? Namely Marly made vegan hotdogs in four ways, including a mac and cheese hotdog.
30. Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
Have you tasted any gouda-flavored food? Try this gouda mac and cheese from Damn Tasty Vegan.
31. Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
Gnocchi is an excellent alternative to using macaroni. Try some gnocchi mac and cheese from Hungry Blonde.
32. Lentil Hamburger Helper
How many of you feel nostalgic and recall your childhood when you hear Hamburger Helper? Even though I’ve never been much of a hamburger person, everyone can thank Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures for keeping vegan hamburger lovers in mind through their vegan hamburger helper recipe.
33. BBQ Mac and Cheese Burrito
Everything tastes better in a burrito. Make a mac and cheese burrito from spabettie.
34. Green Mac and Cheese
If you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas, this green mac and cheese from Veggies Don’t Bite is perfect for your festivities.
Note that this recipe uses spinach to make this recipe green. Do not substitute or add any regular green food coloring here because that is not vegan due to the amount of animal testing involved in making food coloring. Instead, check out this list of vegan and cruelty-free food coloring brands.
35. Buffalo “Chicken” Mac and Cheese
If you liked the sounds of the buffalo-flavored mac and cheese, here are two more to try. The first is a vegan buffalo chicken mac and cheese from 86 Eats with jackfruit.
36. Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Are you a cauliflower fan? If so, this buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese is a fantastic dish for you to try from VNutrition.
37. Enchilada Mac and Cheese
I love enchiladas. If we’re on the same page, try this enchilada mac and cheese from The Hungry Dragonfly.
38. Mac and Cheese Bites
I have one more appetizer worth sharing. Here are some terrific party mac and cheese bites from School Night Vegan.
39. Pizza Mac and Cheese
If you remember the above mac and cheese pizza, I hope that made you crave a pizza-flavored mac and cheese. Luckily, I got you covered with this pizza mac and cheese from hot for food.
For pizza ideas, check out my blog post about vegan pizza recipes.
40. Everything Bagel Mac and Cheese
If you expected mac and cheese served inside a bagel or bagels ripped into some mac and cheese, that’s not an everything bagel. Have some everything bagel mac and cheese, made with everything bagel seasoning, from Connoisseurus Veg.
41. Creamy Mac and Cheese
Some people prefer plain mac and cheese without additional ingredients or flavors. If you relate, have some vegan creamy mac and cheese from Contentedness Cooking.
42. Three-Pepper Mac and Cheese
The final four vegan mac and cheese recipes are some of the spiciest recipes on this list. The first is a three-pepper mac and cheese made with one jalapeño, serranos, and chilies from This Savory Vegan.
43. Masala Mac and Cheese
The word “masala” is a blend of common Indian spices. If you’re a big fan of Indian food, I recommend trying masala mac and cheese from Vegan Richa.
44. Jalapeño Chickpea Mac and Cheese
A jalapeño is famous in Mexican cuisine. If you can handle its spiciness, make some jalapeño chickpea mac and cheese from Cotter Crunch.
45. Vegan Queso Fundido Mac and Cheese
Queso fundido is a spicy cheese dip. Try some queso fundido mac and cheese from Rabbit and Wolves.
If queso fundido sounds good, you may also like my blog post about vegan Mexican recipes.
Conclusion
By now, I hope you get that there are many ways to make mac and cheese besides out of a box or just substituting animal products with vegan ingredients. No matter if you are vegan or strive to eat plant-based, it is excellent to know how to make dairy-free food for those who are lactose intolerant like my sister, how to find gluten-free alternatives for celiacs like my BFF, and have meatless dishes for vegetarians like my sister-in-law. Lots of vegan dishes are gluten-free, and they are automatically vegetarian and dairy-free.
If you have made some creative mac and cheese, let me know what flavor of mac and cheese you made in the comments. What other pastas do you like? Comment them below. I will write blog posts about vegan spaghetti and vegan lasagna. If you want to try some more vegan mac and cheese, check out my vegan mac and cheese YouTube playlist and/or my Pinterest section on vegan mac and cheese.
Don’t forget to follow me on my socials. I share many vegan recipes on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and if you want me to share and pin your vegan recipes, email me. You can also view many pictures and videos of my cats on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Ciao!