is there a gluten-free option?

Yes! If you are gluten-free, replace the regular wheat pasta with a gluten-free pasta of choice. Note that gluten-free pasta is often more fragile than wheat pasta. For best results, use brown rice pasta from brands like Jovial.

can this mac and cheese be baked?

If you love baked mac and cheese, follow the recipe according to the instructions. Once prepared, transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of melted vegan butter or olive oil. Mix until well combined, then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

is it better to make mac and cheese with milk or water?

We find milk to make a more creamy, flavorful mac and cheese. If you're in a pinch, you can substitute the plant milk with water, but add additional seasonings to compensate for flavor.

3-Ingredient Vegan Mac and Cheese (One-Pot Recipe!)

Description

This 3-Ingredient Vegan Mac and Cheese is the easiest, fuss-free traditional mac and cheese recipe of all time. All you need is one pot, 30 minutes, and toppings of choice. The whole family will love this spin on the childhood classic.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup unsweetened oat milk (or plant-based milk of choice)
1/2 pound (8 ounces) elbow noodles (or noodles of chocie)
1 1/4 cups shredded vegan cheese of choice (we used Violife Cheddar)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Spruce it up with

Garlic powder
Mustard powder
Onion powder
Italian seasoning
Paprika

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add the oat milk to a pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, add in the pasta and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the noodles are cooked through and absorb all of the liquid, about 10 minutes, stirring often so the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from heat and add in the remaining 1/4 cup of oat milk along with the vegan cheese. Mix until the cheese has fully melted.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add additional seasonings as desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe is meant to be a 3-ingredient base for you to build off of! We suggest adding some of the optional seasonings to give it that extra oomph.
This recipe was adapted from Budget Bytes.
We like to use elbow macaroni for this mac and cheese to keep things classic. You can use any shape of pasta that you prefer, or have available. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, just opt for GF pasta and boom!
Shreds, block cheese, or even slices will work for this recipe. We like to use cheddar-style cheese, but mozzarella works well also. If you are using a block or slices, you will need to grate the cheese beforehand. We recommend using Follow Your Heart, Miyoko’s, or Violife.
As long as the milk is unsweetened, you can use oat, soy, almond, or any other dairy-free milk that you prefer.

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Entree, Pasta
Method: One Pot