This Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese is so simple to make and the ultimate comfort food! The sauce is simple to make and all comes together in the blender and the whole thing only needs about 25 minutes in the oven! Super simple and so delicious!

up close shot of baked vegan mac and cheese on a plate and sprinkled with fresh thyme this recipe

Well, we’ve officially hit that time of year where ALL I WANT in my life is good comfort food. Mac and cheese, chili, shepherd’s pie. Give it ALL TO ME!

Up next in my line of favorite fall comfort foods: this BAKED Vegan Mac and Cheese ?

teal colored casserole dish filled with baked vegan mac and cheese and fresh herbs

This recipe is based largely off of my original vegan mac and cheese recipe BUT I swapped the steamed carrot for pumpkin puree because I’ve discovered that it results in the worlds creamiest vegan mac. You could, however, use carrot in this recipe instead if you wish. But I highly recommend trying it with the pumpkin puree. The taste is very subtle and I don’t think you would even know the pumpkin was in there if no one told you :)

I also added in some plant based milk to give it a bit more moisture since we’re baking it in the oven for a bit.

And then obviously, we’re also added a simple but yummy breadcrumb mixture to the top of the pasta. YUM.

scoop of baked vegan mac and cheese with a scoop being pulled out

For the topping, we’re making a simple mixture of breadcrumbs, vegan butter and vegan cheese. I used the Violife parmesan (which I’m legit obsessed with!) but you could either leave it out completely OR swap it for a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast for an added cheesy taste.

block of violife vegan parmesan cheese being held over a bowl of breadcrumbs

The mac and cheese comes together quickly. The pasta is cooked and the sauce is ALL blended together in a blender. Legit so easy and you’ll find it very difficult to not just eat the mac and cheese as is.

It then gets poured into a casserole dish and topped with the breadcrumb mixture before being baked for about 25 minutes.

scoop of mac and cheese being pulled out of a casserole dish and topped with breadcrumbs

I can’t wait to see y’all making this recipe!

ALRIGHT that’s it for today!  As always, if you end up making this recipe, please snap a quick photo and tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I always LOVE to see what you’re making from the blog.

More vegan pasta recipes to try:

See how to make the mac and cheese here:

Print
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Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Brita Britnell
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

For the macaroni:

  • 10 ounces of dried pasta of choice
  • heaping 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked overnight and then drained & rinsed (or see notes for quick soaking)*
  • 2/3 cup of pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup veggie broth
  • 1 tablespoon of vegan butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup of plant based milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp of garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder

For the topping:

  • 1 cups of panko breadcrumbs (check to ensure yours are vegan- most are but not all)
  • 3 tablespoons of melted vegan butter
  • ¼ cup of vegan parmesan (optional- can sub for 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast) I love the Violife vegan parmesan

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
  2. Cook the pasta according to its package instructions.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: in a food processor or high speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, pumpkin, nutritional yeast, broth, milk, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Blend until creamy and smooth.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and stir to combine.
  5. Once pasta is done, drain and rinse and then pour the cheese sauce over top. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Pour the mac and cheese into the prepared casserole dish and top with the breadcrumb mixture, spreading evenly over the top.
  6. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until the top has a nice and golden grown color to it. Let cool slightly and ENJOY!

Notes

* you can quick soak your cashews by covering them in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for a few minutes and then take off of the heat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: side dish
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: american

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 383
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 678.2 mg
  • Fat: 11.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 56.5 g
  • Protein: 13.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: vegan mac and cheese, baked macaroni. thanksgiving side dish