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We’ve transformed the classic comfort food, mac and cheese, into a healthier vegan version that requires only eight simple ingredients and can be prepared in under 30 minutes. Our vegan avocado mac and cheese recipe is not only easy to make, but also calls for pantry staples like cashews, macaroni noodles, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, and more that you probably already have on hand.
If you love guacamole, you are going to really love this dish! The avocado adds a creamy texture that elevates the usual vegan mac and cheese to a truly delicious, velvety smooth dish.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Cashews
- Macaroni elbow noodles
- Medium avocados, pitted
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder
- Apple cider vinegar
- Vegetable broth
- Salt
What to do before you start
To achieve a smooth and creamy texture in this vegan mac and cheese recipe, begin by soaking the cashews for 15 minutes before blending. We recommend doubling the batch of dairy-free cheese sauce to have on hand throughout the week as a delicious salad dressing, or dip for your favorite veggies and chips.
How to make avocado mac and cheese
Flash boil cashews by bringing a small pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add cashews. Set aside and let cashews soak for at least 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until noodles are al dente. Strain noodles and set aside.
Make avocado “cheeze” sauce. Pit avocados and then scoop the flesh of the avocado out of the skin with a spoon. Place into a high-powered blender along with the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, vegetable broth, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Depending on how thick you want your sauce, add more vegetable broth.
Finally, place noodles and avocado sauce into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Stir frequently until all noodles are covered in sauce.
What to serve with your vegan mac and cheese
This plant-based recipe is an excellent option for dinner when you’re in the mood to enjoy a warm bowl of creamy pasta and switch up your go-to sauce for a lighter, all-natural avocado “cheese” sauce. You can pair this vegan avocado mac and cheese with a variety of plant-based main dishes including:
Substitutions
- Replace macaroni elbow noodles with gluten-free pasta
- Use ½ cup of silken tofu instead of 1 cup of cashews to make this recipe nut-free
- Don’t have nutritional yeast in your pantry? Use your favorite vegan cheese.
Why we love this recipe creator
We love that the recipe creator, Lee Funke, describes the taste of her vegan avocado mac and cheese recipe as “guacamole meets mac and cheese,” but better. We love her recipe blog Fit Foodie Finds for healthier vegan versions of classic comfort food recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 8 oz. macaroni elbow noodles
- 2 avocados medium
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Flash boil cashews by bringing a small pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add cashews. Set aside and let cashews soak for at least 15 minutes.
- Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until noodles are al dente. Strain noodles and set aside.
- Next, make avocado “cheeze” sauce. Pit avocados and then scoop the flesh of the avocado out of the skin with a spoon. Place into a high-powered blender along with the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, vegetable broth, and salt. Blend until smooth. Depending on how thick you want your sauce, option to add more vegetable broth.
- Finally, place noodles and avocado sauce into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Stir frequently until all noodles are covered in sauce.
- Top with red pepper flakes and enjoy!
This recipe was republished with permission from Fit Foodie Finds. You can find the original recipe here.
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