Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
This classic baked vegan mac and cheese, made with a high protein tofu cheese sauce, tastes like the Stouffer’s version you grew up eating! It’s easy to make, contains no cashews, and is the perfect side for a BBQ, party, holiday dinner, or make-ahead lunch to take to work or school. The bright cheddar flavor will tantalize your taste buds and have even the omnivores at the table asking for seconds!
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We’ve made many a version of vegan mac and cheese on this blog. But so far most have been a stovetop version, and none of them have ever been a baked mac n’ cheese …until now.
This vegan macaroni and cheese is protein-packed with a creamy dreamy sauce you won’t believe is made from tofu. I’ve been a stovetop mac and cheese loyalist my whole life, but this may have just changed my mind!
Even T, the pickiest person I know when it comes to mac and cheese, was overwhelmed with delight the first time he tried this baked mac and cheese. He even asked for a second bowl!
Why You’ll Love This Dairy Free Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Dreamy, creamy sauce: You’ll want to bathe in a bucket of this luxurious tofu cheese sauce, but it’s better eaten.
- Bright cheesy flavor: You get that classic mac and cheese taste entirely from scratch. We do add some vegan cheese for melting on top, but it’s totally optional and cheddary enough to stand on its own.
- No cashews: This sauce is the newest addition to our tofu cheese series that require zero cashews! This is a money-saver and the perfect solution for anyone with a cashew allergy.
- Simple ingredients and methods: Cook the pasta, blend the sauce, combine with the cheesy sauce, and bake. That’s it!
Ingredients in Firm Tofu Mac and Cheese
There are 3 parts to this creamy mac and cheese dinner: The pasta, tofu cheese sauce, and optional add-ins / toppings. (You’ll find the amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
You’ll start with a 16-oz. box of pasta – either elbows or shells. We prefer elbow noodles over shells for baked mac and cheese (and a lot of people on the internet have opinions about this, so do you!).
For the vegan mac and cheese sauce, you’ll need:
- Firm tofu – Drained of the excess water in the package but not pressed
- Melted refined coconut oil – Make sure you get the kind labeled “refined”. This will ensure there is zero coconut flavor; that’s key and a very common mistake.
- White miso paste – a not-so-secret ingredient that gives an amazing umami flavor!
- Yellow mustard
- Lemon juice – Try to use the juice of fresh lemons when you can.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Tomato paste – This is mostly for color
- Plain unsweetened non-dairy milk – It’s vital you use a plant milk that is both plain and unsweetened. You also want something as neutral-tasting as possible. We love the unsweetened line of plant milks from Elmhurst®.
- Spices: sea salt, white pepper, onion powder, turmeric
For the toppings / add-ins, you’ll need:
- Shredded vegan cheddar – This is optional, if you want extra melted cheese either on top or in 2 layers.
- Vegan-friendly bread crumbs – Also optional, if you want a crispy bread crumb topping. We use our homemade vegan bread crumbs because many regular breadcrumbs contain dairy.
- Vegan butter – You’ll need this if you’re using the bread crumbs!
More Ideas to Make it Your Own:
These are just suggestions but fun optional additions for a wallop of extra flavor in this delicious vegan mac! (and a great way to use up any produce in the fridge).
- Sauteed onions and red bell pepper
- Thin-sliced jalapenos – raw or sauteed
- Rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
- Vegan bacon
- Fresh minced herbs
Substitution Options
If you don’t have or can’t tolerate one of the ingredients in this recipe, here are our best substitution tips. Remember though, substituting any of the listed ingredients may lead to a difference in the final product. Let us know in the comments if you try any subs and how they work out for you!
Pasta options: For a vegan gluten free baked mac and cheese, you can use gluten-free pasta and bread crumbs.
For the firm tofu: Medium firm could also work, and so could extra firm tofu, with a little bit more liquid. i wouldn’t suggest silken tofu for this particular recipe.
For the refined coconut oil: Olive oil could work, but you would probably need less of it and the texture might be slightly different, although not in a bad way. You could also use vegan butter in a 1:1 substitution. An oil-free substitute is well-soaked cashews or sunflower seeds, but you would need to add a bit more liquid.
Miso Paste Options: You could double up on the mustard here or use Miso Mustard.
For the yellow mustard: You could use dijon mustard, stone ground mustard, miso mustard, or double up on the miso paste.
For the lemon juice / apple cider vinegar: Feel free to sub all of one for the other. White vinegar, rice wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar could also be used.
For the white pepper: Ground black pepper or red pepper could be good variations. Reduce this if you don’t like spicy.
For the bread crumb / butter topping: You can skip this if you’d like. You can also use gluten-free bread crumbs, Ritz crackers, or potato chips. If using potato chips, I would skip the vegan butter. You can also use olive oil to replace the vegan butter.
How to Make Mac and Cheese with Tofu
The process for making this classic vegan baked mac and cheese is super simple: just cook the pasta, blend the sauce, combine, and cook.
Step 1: Prep
Start by preheating the oven to 325°F and greasing a 9×13” baking dish.
Then, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the box of pasta and let the pasta cook for about 1 minute less than the package instructions for al dente.
Step 2: Blend the sauce
While the pasta cooks, it’s time to make the sauce!
Add all the vegan cheese sauce ingredients to your food processor or high-powered blender (We use a Vitamix) and blend, starting on a low speed and slowly increasing to high, until the mixture goes from grainy and dull to smooth and shiny.
This can take 3-5 minutes, and you may need to use your tamper if your food processor / blender comes with one. Be patient and wait for that shiny vegan cheese mixture to tell you it’s ready.
Step 3: Assemble and bake
Now, it’s time to assemble.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta with the tofu cheese sauce and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings here as needed. You may choose to add the extra salt here. (I did.)
Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Then top with half the vegan shredded cheese. Finally, top that shredded cheese layer with the remaining pasta mixture and another layer of vegan cheese.
If you’re not using the shredded vegan cheese, just skip the layering and pour all the cheesy pasta into the dish at once.
If using bread crumbs, mix them with the melted butter and top the mac and cheese with the bread crumbs before baking for 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs lightly golden brown.
For a crispier top, you can broil for an additional 2-5 minutes after baking, until golden brown and crunchy. Keep an eye on this, so it doesn’t burn!
How to Serve Vegan Mac and Cheese (Baked)
Serve this vegan mac and cheese hot as a comfort food side or main meal! I also love to eat it cold out of the fridge after a fun night out, but I may be in the minority there. 😉
We love serving this vegan classic mac and cheese for:
- The best vegan mac and cheese Thanksgiving side dish – alongside a seitan roast en croute, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy.
- Tasty Vegan BBQ Side – With BBQ soy curls, spicy seared green beans or Brussels sprouts, and creamy vegan coleslaw
- A make-ahead lunch – Served on its own or with a soup / sandwich. Might I suggest our White Bean Tuna Sandwich as the perfect comfort food pairing?
- A Comfort Food Dinner – Paired with sweatpants and your couch!
- It’s also a great Super Bowl side served with our buffalo tofu wings!
How to Store Vegan Tofu Mac and Cheese
This baked vegan mac and cheese makes spectacular leftovers. You can make a big tray and save, and even freeze, the leftovers for later!
In the fridge:
Let mac and cheese cool fully before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Reheat in a preheated oven, covered, at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes until hot. To maintain maximum creaminess, I like to add just a little non-dairy milk over the mac and cheese before covering.
If reheating in the microwave, add a little unsweetened plain plant milk (I do a teaspoon or two per bowl) and reheat at 75-80% for 2-2.5 minutes until hot. Make sure you’re using plain, unsweetened, and neutral plant milk. We love Elmhurst.
In the freezer:
You can freeze leftover tofu baked mac and cheese in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
We like to freeze leftovers in our 2-Cup Souper Cubes and pop them out once frozen to store in a freezer-safe bag. This gives us the perfect 1 or 2-serving portion for a quick dinner. You can also cook the cheesy pasta right in the 2-Cup Souper Cubes, but it would probably need less time.
To reheat from frozen: Defrost in the microwave on 50% for about 3-4 minutes until thawed. Add a little unsweetened, plain plant-based milk and reheat on high for 2-3 minutes until hot. For conventional ovens, place in an oven safe dish, add a little unsweetened plain plant milk, cover, and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.
More Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipes
I hope you’ll find the magic in this vegan mac and cheese like we did! I know it’s going to be a go-to recipe for all the potlucks and parties in our future. It’s always fun to hit on a recipe that becomes so essential!
When you make it, please let us know how it goes by leaving a star rating and a comment below! It helps more people find our recipes, and we really enjoy connecting with you in your own kitchens.
Baked Tofu Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
For the vegan cheese sauce:
- 1 14-oz block firm tofu (drained but not pressed)
- 1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 Tbsp white miso paste
- 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 – 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste optional, for color
For the dish (optional):
- 1 – 3 cups shredded vegan cheddar optional
- 1/2 cup vegan-friendly bread crumbs optional
- 1/4 cup vegan butter optional, if using the bread crumbs
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9×13"). Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add the dried pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente.
- Make the tofu cheese sauce: Add all the ingredients for the firm tofu sauce to your food processor or high-speed blender and blend, starting at a low speed and slowly increasing to high, stopping to scrape the sides down as needed, for 3-5 minutes. Use your tamper if needed also. Patience is the key here. When the mixture goes from grainy and dull to smooth and shiny, it’s ready!
- Combine pasta and sauce: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the drained pasta with the vegan cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You may want to add the extra salt here.
- Assemble the dish: Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with half the vegan shredded cheese (if using). Then, top that with the remaining pasta mixture and finish with the rest of the vegan cheese.
- Add the optional bread crumbs: Mix together the bread crumbs and melted vegan butter and top the mac and cheese dish with them evenly.
- Bake the cheesy tofu pasta: Cook the vegan mac at 325F for about 15 minutes, until the vegan cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs lightly golden brown.
- For a crunchier top, broil the mac and cheese after it’s finished baking for approximately 2-5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy. Keep your eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Serve immediately as a main or side dish and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to 2 months.
