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You are here: Home / Vegan / Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese

Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese

January 22, 2014 by Mēgan 43 Comments

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Your whole family won’t believe this creamy Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese contains no dairy! It will satisfy the pickiest of eaters!

When I gave up dairy it was very difficult for me to also give up my macaroni and cheese. Well… okay, honestly it was hard to give up cow’s milk dairy cheese in general.

There is something to be said about the distinct flavors of Gorgonzola, creamy Havarti or a sharp cheddar, and it is very difficult to replace them. I’ve tried just about every vegan cheese out there, but it’s just not the same (and they don’t make my tummy feel very good).

But macaroni and cheese? I’ve been eating it for as long as I can remember.

And I really don’t think it matters what age you are – young, old, or a thirty-something stay at home mom like me; macaroni & cheese is comfort food. Always has been, always will be.

Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese Desperation:

I was determined to find a dairy-free macaroni replacement. Years ago I first made dairy-free cheese sauce out of raw cashews. It good, but cashews are expensive, not to mention they are very high in fat. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not generally one to count calories or fat content (especially healthy fats), but 2 cups of cashews to 4-5 cups of vegan cheese sauce is a little… lush.

I wanted to create a healthier dairy-free cheese sauce that was made from ingredients I already had in my pantry, was creamy, froze well, and satisfied not only me, but my children. It took a while to get the recipe just right, but once I did everyone was in agreement – they really loved this recipe for Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese. We hope you do, too.

xoxo,
Megan

If you can’t do butternut squash, you might also try this Dairy Free Mac and Cheese, or this Vegan Cajun Mac and Cheese.

Dairy Free Vegan Macaroni & Cheese

Dairy Free Macaroni & Cheese

Yield: about 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces gluten free noodles (macaroni, spirals, shapes, etc...)
  • 2 cups Vegan Cheese Sauce (recipe below)

Instructions

  1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Strain.
  2. Place the noodles in a large mixing bowl and pour the Vegan Cheese Sauce over the noodles and gently stir to coat.
  3. Serve immediately.

Notes

I prefer Field Day Organic Gluten Free Pastas (locally, they are sold at Three Bears), but Tinkyada or Jovial is also good.

© Mēgan Ancheta

 

Dairy Free Vegan Macaroni & Cheese

Vegan Cheese Sauce

Yield: about 4 cups

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower seeds
  • 3 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • 15 ounces butternut squash puree (canned or fresh)
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegan butter substitute or ghee for non-vegan

Instructions

  1. In a high-powered blender, process the almonds or sunflower seeds into flour.
  2. Add the hemp seeds and water, and blend for 30 seconds on high.
  3. Add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and butternut squash, and blend until smooth and creamy.
  4. To finish the sauce, add the ghee or vegan butter substitute and blend on medium for another 10 seconds.
  5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-5 days. Or freeze in an airtight container and consume within 6-8 weeks.

Notes

You can use this sauce immediately; however, I recommend letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to merry. The flavors will be milder on the second day, and I prefer its flavor then.

I sometimes freeze a portion of this sauce in covered ice cube trays. When my girls need an added "incentive" to eat their veggies I can easily pull out a cube and defrost it in the microwave or on the stove top.

© Mēgan Ancheta
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dairy free macaroni & cheese

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Main Course, Salads & Sides, Vegan Tagged With: comfort foods, dairy free, gluten free macaroni & cheese, healthy, kids, mac n cheese, mac n'cheese, recipes, soy free mac and cheese, vegan, vegan cheese sauce, vegan macaroni & cheese, vegan recipes for kids

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Vicky

    January 22, 2014 at 12:11 pm

    What a fantastic sauce Megan – I’ve been using butternut squash in all sorts of things recently and what a fantastic addition to this sauce! Yum!

    Reply
  2. Joanne Peterson

    January 23, 2014 at 7:01 am

    WOW! Megan, this I would be willing to try, and so would my husband. We did try so much out there, and tried what was supposed to be artisan vegan cheese based on recommendations, and it just didn’t agree with us and also was not very good. I have been using frozen winter squash more since we had a lot to use from our CSA. It lends a richness that you can’t quite put your finger on. I hadn’t thought of mac ‘n cheese.

    I have read a few articles on milk casein and have discovered my husband can tolerate quite well small quantities of of raw goat and sheep cheese. Not like the huge quantities of cheese he ate before, but small quantities.

    Hugs,

    Joanne

    Reply
  3. amber

    January 23, 2014 at 11:43 am

    Hi Megan,

    Looooove mac & cheese. And I’m a ex-cheese-a-holic girl, so I here ya. I can attest for how good your recipe is, as I make a similar version, although I tend to put about a cup of Daiya cheese with the squash or cashew cream – my kiddos like the way Daiya tastes, but it is nice to not rely on packaged foods when possible (the yeast does a good job with that). Love those pretty little bacon bits on top too. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts

    January 23, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    That looks amazing, Megan! I love butternut squash in recipes, but had not idea you could buy it canned. That would be so handy. I really do so much better without dairy. I will have to give this a try! 🙂

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  5. Marianne @ Ragdoll Kitchen

    January 24, 2014 at 9:08 am

    This looks super! Love what you’ve done to cut down the fat/cost factor.

    Reply
  6. Miz Helen

    January 24, 2014 at 2:25 pm

    Your Mac and Cheese would had a delicious flavor. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  7. Kate {Eat, Recycle, Repeat}

    January 26, 2014 at 2:36 am

    this looks sooo good! I love all the seasonings in the cheese sauce

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 26, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      Thanks, Kate! 😉

      Reply
  8. Selina

    February 2, 2014 at 9:55 am

    This looks amazing! Do you know how much flour 1/4 c raw almonds makes? I was thinking of making this with the almond flour I have in the pantry, plus I don’t have a food processor.

    Looking forward to making this!!

    Reply
    • Megan

      February 3, 2014 at 8:33 am

      Hi Selina,
      You’d be okay with using 1/4-1/3 cup of almond flour.

      Reply
  9. [email protected]

    February 10, 2014 at 5:47 am

    Featuring your recipe this week Megan!

    Reply
    • Megan

      February 10, 2014 at 4:01 pm

      Thanks, Tessa!! Hugs!

      Reply
  10. Kathryn @ Mamacado

    February 12, 2014 at 11:26 am

    Wow, this looks great! And healthy too. Do you think I could just add more sunflower seeds in place of the hemp seeds?

    Reply
    • Megan

      February 13, 2014 at 11:36 am

      Hi Kathryn,
      I would try leaving out the hemp seeds and not substituting more sunflower seeds to begin with. Then taste it and add additional sunflower seeds if you think it needs it. I like adding the hemp seeds, not only for nutritional value, but for added creaminess. They also do a good job of balancing out the flavors in the sauce. 😉 Hope that helps!
      Megan

      Reply
      • Kathryn @ Mamacado

        February 13, 2014 at 4:05 pm

        Yes, thanks so much!

        Reply
  11. Shannon

    March 9, 2014 at 10:16 am

    Hi Megan,

    We need to eliminate many things in our household due to allergies and sensitivities. This includes gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast and sugar. It’s going to be a challenge, but thanks to people like you who are sharing their journeys it will be a little bit easier. What role does the nutritional yeast play in this recipe? Is it something that could be omitted? If you could point us in the direction of other recipes that meet our needs that would be awesome. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Megan

      March 9, 2014 at 7:37 pm

      The nutritional yeast is the flavor “backbone” of this recipe; it’s what gives it a “cheesy” flavor. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend making it without it. Have you tried Daiya Cheese yet? It’s GF, DF, soy free… If that’s something you can eat, you can easily make your own homemade mac’n cheese using it. Hope that helps!!
      Megan

      Reply
  12. Michelle

    March 12, 2014 at 4:30 am

    Hi Megan,

    I was wondering which gluten free pasta you use? I also have multiple allergies and have noticed that most gluten free pastas have corn, or other starches in them. Thanks!

    Michelle

    Reply
    • Megan

      March 12, 2014 at 8:04 pm

      Hi Michelle,
      I normally use Tinkyada (I under cook this brand by 2-3 minutes to prevent it from getting mushy), or my favorite is Field Day Organic (which I buy locally). Both brands are only made from brown rice. 😉 Hope that helps!

      Reply
  13. Nia

    September 22, 2014 at 10:48 am

    I made this last night. Unfortunately, my memory was off on how much frozen butternut squash I had….so the sauce was 1/3 butternut squash and 2/3 pumpkin after some freezer scrounging. Still turned out amazing, but I’m hoping to make it to recipe next time to compare!! My husband raved about it, so we’ll definitely keep this in our rotation!

    Reply
  14. Michael Cole

    February 24, 2015 at 5:49 pm

    The flavors don’t merry, they marry.

    Reply
  15. Ashley

    September 29, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    Think this will be ok without mustard? We have a mustard allergy, amongst many others…

    Reply
    • Megan

      October 4, 2017 at 5:24 pm

      Hi Ashley,
      Yes, I do think it will be just fine without the mustard. 😉

      Reply
  16. Amanda

    January 17, 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Wow I would have never guessed this was dairy free! So creamy!

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 17, 2018 at 8:42 pm

      Thanks Amanda! It’s very creamy!

      Reply
  17. Jen

    January 17, 2018 at 6:41 pm

    With 3 boys, we go through a lot of mac and cheese! Love that this is a healthier option.

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 17, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Thanks Jen! My 2 girls eat a lot of this mac & cheese, so I can only imagine what 3 boys eat! 😉

      Reply
  18. Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet

    January 17, 2018 at 7:53 pm

    Loving this dairy-free version of mac! Looks crazy delicious!

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 17, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Thanks Anna!

      Reply
  19. Ashlyn

    January 17, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    This looks so creamy and delicious! I’m totally impressed that it’s dairy free!

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 17, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Awe, thanks Ashlyn! 😉

      Reply
  20. Des

    January 18, 2018 at 8:00 am

    I had no idea this could be made dairy-free. I am going to save this one for later.

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 19, 2018 at 6:19 pm

      Thanks Des!

      Reply
  21. Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)

    January 18, 2018 at 9:45 am

    This looks perfectly creamy! Can’t believe its dairy free.

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 19, 2018 at 6:18 pm

      Thanks Jocelyn! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Krista

    January 18, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    I cannot believe dairy free mac and cheese can look this good!

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 19, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      Right?! SO good!

      Reply
  23. Angie Lockard

    January 28, 2018 at 9:36 am

    Hi, Megan! I can’t wait to try this recipe — cashews are so expensive!! Do you think it would work to substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter, or is it needed for flavor?

    Reply
    • Megan

      January 28, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      Hey Angie! If you can’t do vegan butter or ghee, I would just omit it altogether and NOT add any coconut oil. I add the ghee more for flavor than anything else. BUT, this cheese sauce is still delicious without it. 😉

      Reply

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Megan Ancheta

Hi - I'm happy you're here! I'm Mēgan, mother of 2, wife, photographer, knitter. And I LOVE gluten-free food! Read more...

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