Macaroni and Cheese….the classic American favorite. Ever since going whole food plant based, vegan mac and cheese is one recipe that I’ve spent years trying to make so that it tastes good, but is also healthy, low sodium, and low fat. Yeah, you an load it up with lots of nuts for the sauce, but then for those of us trying to lose or maintain weight loss, that’s a no-go. It’s been a major work in progress, but I finally cracked a recipe that I LOVE!
How to Make Whole Food Plant Based Oil Free & Low Fat Mac & Cheese
This Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe is delicious AND nutrient dense! And even oil free & low fat. I only use a small amount of cashews in the sauce for creaminess and flavor, but vegetables make up the rest of the sauce so it’s LOADED with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients!
Not only is this whole food plant based mac n cheese tasty and guilt-free, it’s actually GOOD for you!
I’ve seen lots of macaroni cheese sauce recipes out there that use potatoes as the sauce base and that’s fine, but I never really loved the texture or taste personally.
But after creating my Vegan Fettuccini Alfredo pasta and using cauliflower as the main sauce ingredient, I knew I was on to something and decided to give it a try making a healthy, low fat, oil free, vegan mac n cheese.
The results????
The BEST Oil Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
AMAZING! This is the BEST Vegan Mac and Cheese and I think you’ll agree. This is a great way to sneak cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower into your or your family’s diet. You don’t taste the cauliflower so it makes a great addition to sauces.
Plus, it’s SUPER simple and fast to make with normal ingredients you can find at any grocery store. Even Wal-Mart.
And actually I like to by the Great Value brand bags of frozen steamable cauliflower because it’s the perfect amount (4 cups) and I throw it in the microwave to steam. You can cook your cauliflower & carrots all together or separately. Steam or boil. Doesn’t matter.
How to Make Creamy WFPB Mac & Cheese Sauce
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I have a Vitamix high powered blender which I LOVE because it gets sauces super creamy. But if you don’t have a high powered blender, you can still make this recipes, but be sure to soak your cashews in warm water for at least 20 minutes to soften them.
What Kind of Pasta to Buy for Whole Food Plant Based Mac and Cheese?
Make sure to look for whole wheat elbow noodles or shells so that you get all the fiber and nutrients that’s important for gut health & immunity. White pasta is refined because it’s has had most all the fiber and nutrients removed…booo.
Barilla is a good brand that make whole wheat elbow noodles, but I’ve also found that Wal-Mart has a Great Value brand of whole wheat elbow noodles. Shells are a great shape as well.
Going gluten-free? No problem! With all the bean & lentil pastas on the market you can still have pasta and stay gluten free! Banza is a great brand that has elbow noodles made from chickpeas so they are gluten free, high protein, and high fiber!
I think you’ll love this easy whole food plant based mac and cheese recipe that’s ready in LESS than 30 minutes!
Try this recipe and let me know in the comments below what you think!
More great whole food plant based oil free recipes you might like:
- The BEST Creamy Vegan Fettuccini Alfredo
- Instant Pot Vegan Mexican Rice
- Instant Pot No-Soak Vegan Charro Beans
- Easy Vegan Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Vegan Teriyaki Cauliflower Wings
- Healthy Vegan Chef Boyardee Pasta
- Vegan Baked Eggplant Parmesan
The BEST Vegan Mac N Cheese (WFPB, Oil Free, Low Fat)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat elbow noodles or shells bean or lentil pasta for gluten free
- 4 cups cauliflower florets fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup carrots, sliced fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup cashews unsalted
- 1 cup vegetable broth, low sodium or water
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boiling and add the elbow macaroni. Cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, place the cauliflower & carrots in a microwavable dish and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave for 5-7 minutes or until tender. You can also boil the vegetables until tender instead of steaming. Drain the excess water.
- In a high powered blender, add the cooked cauliflower, carrots, and all the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth & creamy. ***If you don't have a high powered blender you will want to soak your cashews in warm water for 20 min to soften them before blending.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and then return to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and mix until well combined. Serve immediately!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can this be frozen?
I’d just go ahead and freeze a small amount. Then defrost and try it few days later. Just in time to freeze any leftovers, if you still have any.
Great idea! That should work great.
Your Enchilada soup is amazing!! can’t get enough of it!
The mac and cheese was enjoyed by all! Delicious recipe! Thanks so
much.
Thank you for letting us know! We are glad you enjoyed it.
Is there a substitute for cashews for people with a tree nut allergy?
Yes in the notes we have: For nut free, you can use 1/2 cup chopped peeled potato and steam or boil along with the cauliflower & carrots.
I joined your master class just yesterday and am so eager to try your recipes.
We are so happy to hear that! Hope you enjoyed the class.
I love your beginners guide recipes! Thank you. Can’t wait to see more
Thank you for letting us know! We are glad to hear you are enjoying them.
It was a little too lemony for my taste. My lemon was pretty regular sized. Are you suppose to taste the lemon very well?
It shouldn’t be very strong. You might need to adjust how much lemon you add.
I will certainly make this as it checks all the boxes for CKD & I love lemon!
It is great to hear that!
Second comment today: because sodium is extremely limited, I can bypass it. Also my protein is limited to 8 gm per meal, how do I reduce protein in this recipe? Thank you so much for your help!!
To reduce the protein in this Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe while keeping it whole food plant-based, oil-free, and low-fat, here are a few easy substitutions:
🌱 Cashew Substitution (Main Source of Protein)
Cashews are the primary source of added protein in the sauce. You can replace them with one of these lower-protein options:
– Steamed cauliflower (add ½ cup more to replace the cashews)
– White beans like cannellini (lower protein than cashews, and still creamy)
– Rolled oats (use ¼ cup oats + ½ cup water, blended) – will give a creamy texture and mild flavor
👉 These swaps will still keep the sauce creamy but reduce the protein content.
🍝 Pasta Swap (Optional for Further Reduction)
If you’re using bean or lentil pasta and want to cut protein even more:
– Use whole wheat pasta (still has fiber but less protein than legume-based pastas)
– Or try brown rice pasta, which is also lower in protein than lentil/chickpea versions
Summary of Adjusted Key Ingredients:
– Replace ½ cup cashews with:
▫️ ½ cup extra steamed cauliflower or
▫️ ½ cup white beans (for some creaminess with less protein) or
▫️ ¼ cup oats blended with ½ cup water
Just starting wfpb way of life. In my 2 nd week. Made this today and it is awesome !!!! Thank you so much !
Keep it up! We are glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Just made this tonight. It was so good. Imagine giving your kids cauliflower and carrots without them ever knowing, all the while they’re loving the Mac and cheese! Almost as quick as unhealthy box version. I used frozen cauliflower, 4 cups in the bag and chopped a medium carrot. The rest of the ingredients were easy too. I went ahead and put in a clove of fresh garlic and the garlic powder too. All I can say is yum. My kids are grown. Wish I would have fed them wfpb while they were growing up. I just didn’t know back then. Just me and my hubby eating it now. Sometimes before I go shopping I look for meals I can make with whatever I have left, and tonight this was it. Thanks for a good and healthy recipe.
Thank you for sharing! It is great to hear that you enjoyed it. We are glad that you have learned about the benefits of WFPB eating. Better late than never!
It was tasty but the cheese was too thick. I added water but it didn’t get very creamy. Any suggestions?
To make this vegan mac and cheese sauce creamier, you can try one or more of the following simple tweaks:
Blend longer – Let your blender run an extra 1–2 minutes for a smoother, silkier texture. A high-speed blender like a Vitamix makes a big difference.
Add more cashews – Increase the cashews to ¾ cup for extra creaminess. (If avoiding nuts, use more steamed potato or even a bit of white beans instead.)
Use less liquid – Reduce the vegetable broth by ¼ cup if the sauce feels too thin. You can always add a splash back in if needed.
Add a thickener – Blend in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder, then heat the sauce gently in a saucepan for a few minutes until it thickens.
Add a small amount of plant milk – Use unsweetened soy or oat milk instead of water or broth for a richer, creamier consistency.
Blend in a little steamed potato – Even if you’re not making the nut-free version, adding ¼ to ½ of a small potato makes the sauce extra smooth and velvety.
If you use any of these tweaks, taste and adjust the seasonings afterward—especially the lemon juice and salt—to keep the flavor balanced.
Fantastic, Quick and Easy! I so enjoyed this recipe and so did my family. I loved how quick I could throw it together. I did add frozen peas to the last 10 mins of cooking my pasta.
It is great to hear you enjoyed it!