Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Why This Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese Works

During blending, the soaked cashews and almond milk turn into a very smooth liquid. The cashews are soft from soaking, so they break down and act like the fat and cream in regular cheese sauce. Nutritional yeast, mustard, and lemon juice spread through that cashew base, so every sip of the sauce tastes cheesy and tangy instead of having chunks or pockets of flavor.

Once the blended sauce hits the warm pan, it starts to thicken. The cashew bits swell a little in the heat, and the sauce goes from thin and milky to glossy and creamy in just a few minutes. Garlic, onion powder, and smoked paprika warm up in the sauce and spread their taste evenly.

When the hot macaroni goes into the pan, the pasta starch on the outside grabs onto the thick cashew sauce. The sauce clings to every curve of the elbows instead of sliding off, so the whole pot ends up coated in a smooth, rich, vegan “cheese” that stays creamy as it sits.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pasta cook past al dente makes it too soft before it even hits the sauce. Once the hot, thick cashew sauce goes on, the macaroni keeps absorbing liquid and swells more, so the final dish turns mushy instead of having a slight bite.

Skipping the cashew soak or not soaking long enough leaves the nuts too hard inside. Even in a strong blender, tiny gritty bits stay in the sauce, so instead of a creamy coating, the macaroni ends up covered in a slightly sandy paste.

Pouring the blended sauce straight on the pasta without heating it in the pan keeps it thin and a bit watery. The sauce doesn’t have time to thicken and cling, so it slides off the macaroni and pools at the bottom of the bowl.

Cranking the heat too high when thickening the sauce can make it catch on the bottom of the pan. The cashew mixture thickens in uneven clumps, so some bites feel pasty and heavy while other parts stay runny.