Mac and cashew cheese is a dairy-free take on the classic comfort bowl, built from blended cashews, nutritional yeast, and a few pantry staples that mimic the round, savory body of cheddar sauce. The result is a thick, pourable coating that clings to elbow pasta without splitting or turning grainy. This version skips the stove-top roux entirely and relies on high-speed blending for a clean, nut-forward finish.
You get a weeknight-friendly dish that holds up in the fridge and reheats without seizing. The cashew base also scales well, so a double batch gives you sauce for roasted vegetables later in the week. Below you’ll find exact weights, substitution tradeoffs, and the small technique details that keep the texture smooth. If you enjoyed this, our blue cheese olive is worth trying next. Making this mac and cashew cheese at home is surprisingly straightforward once you know the key steps.
Why You’ll Love These Mac And Cashew Cheese
- Blended cashew sauce gives a creamy mouthfeel with no butter or milk.
- Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, umami note without dairy proteins.
- The base cooks in one pot and blends in under five minutes.
- Leftovers reheat on the stovetop without breaking or clumping.
- It suits vegan and gluten-free diets when you pick the right pasta.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 225 g dried elbow macaroni (or gluten-free pasta)
- 150 g raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 45 g nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 360 ml water, plus extra for thinning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitutions
Raw cashews: Replace with an equal weight of blanched almonds that have soaked for 45 minutes. Almonds carry a slightly more assertive, tannic edge and need a longer blend time to reach the same silkiness. The sauce will look a touch lighter and may need an extra tablespoon of olive oil to keep it from feeling dry on the tongue. The mac and cashew cheese works well for weeknight cooking when time is limited.
Nutritional yeast: Swap the 45 g for 30 g of ground sunflower seed kernels plus 1 tsp of white miso. You lose some of the toasty, cheese-like aroma but gain a salty, fermented depth that reads closer to parmesan. Expect a paler sauce and a marginally grittier finish if the seeds are not pulsed to a fine powder first. Storing leftover mac and cashew cheese correctly keeps it tasting good for days.
Olive oil: Use an equal amount of refined coconut oil for a more neutral fat that firms up in the fridge. Coconut oil raises the sauce’s setting point, so cold leftovers will feel waxy until warmed. Keep the blend warm when emulsifying or the fat will separate into beads.
Elbow macaroni: Substitute the same weight of chickpea pasta for a gluten-free, higher-protein bowl. Chickpea noodles release more starch, so rinse them briefly after cooking to stop the sauce from turning gluey. They also brown faster, so pull them at al dente rather than fully soft.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Bring 2 liters of water to a rolling boil in a 4-liter pot and add 1 tsp salt. Cook 225 g elbow macaroni on medium-high heat for 8–9 minutes until the centers offer slight resistance when bitten. Drain and set aside.
- Place 150 g soaked cashews, 60 ml lemon juice, 45 g nutritional yeast, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, and 360 ml water into a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until no grains remain and the mix looks like thin pancake batter.
- With the motor running, stream in 2 tbsp olive oil through the lid opening. Blend 30 seconds more so the fat emulsifies and the sauce turns glossy rather than matte.
- Pour the sauce into the empty pasta pot and warm on medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until steam rises and the surface shows slow bubbles at the edge. Do not let it boil or the cashew proteins will tighten.
- Add the drained macaroni and 0.25 tsp black pepper to the pot. Fold for 1 minute until every piece is coated and the sauce thickens to a clinging layer that does not pool at the bottom.
- Taste and add a splash of water if the mix feels too tight, then serve immediately in warmed bowls while the coating is fluid.
Pro Tips
Soak cashews in water at 85°C rather than room temperature if you forgot to plan ahead; 30 minutes is enough to soften the kernel for smooth blending. A cold soak takes closer to 4 hours and still leaves grit in weak blenders.
Scrape the blender jar halfway through the cycle so the yeast and garlic trapped under the blade get pulled into the vortex. This single action removes the most common lump source in blender sauces and saves you from straining.
Reserve 120 ml of the pasta cooking water before draining. Its starch lets you loosen cold leftover mac and cheese without diluting flavor the next day.
Add the smoked paprika after blending if you want a visible speckle rather than a uniform orange tone. Stirring it in at the warming step keeps the color honest and the aroma fresher.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the soak leaves tiny hard bits that no amount of blending hides. Even a fresh cheese lover will notice the sandy texture, so weigh the cashews after they have absorbed water, not before.
Boiling the sauce curdles the emulsion and turns it into a split, oily film. Keep the pot at medium-low heat and pull it the moment steam appears.
Using pre-roasted cashews adds a brown, almost coffee note that fights the lemon brightness. Raw, pale kernels are the only choice for a clean alfredo style result.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon the hot bowl beside grilled cheese for a double-carb plate that works for kids. The tangy cashew coat balances the buttery bread crisp.
Top with roasted broccoli florets and a pinch of chili flakes for a one-bowl dinner. The vegetable’s slight bitterness cuts the sauce’s richness and adds chew.
Pair with a sharp fruit dip side if you want a sweet close, though most eat this as a savory main.
Storage and Reheating
Pack cooled mac and cashew cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Cashew sauce thickens as it chills because the oil partially sets, which is normal.
Reheat on medium-low heat with a tablespoon of water per cup, stirring, until the coating flows and the pasta is steaming. Do not microwave uncovered or the top dries before the center warms.
The dish does not freeze well; cashew fat separates and turns sandy after thawing. Keep it refrigerated and discard any portion left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Recipe Variations
Spicy Version
Add 1 tsp cayenne to the blender with the paprika for a hot, lingering finish. The heat reads cleaner than black pepper and pairs with a squeeze of extra lemon at the table. Expect a thinner red-orange sauce that still coats firmly.
Herb Version
Stir 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives and dill into the warmed sauce before adding pasta. The herbs stay bright if folded off heat, giving a fresh note against the nut base. This version suits cold lunch boxes better than the plain one.
Roasted Garlic Version
Replace raw cloves with 6 cloves roasted at 180°C / 350°F for 25 minutes until soft. Blended roasted garlic loses its bite and adds a sweet, mellow depth that mimics aged cheese. The sauce color stays paler but the aroma is rounder.
Protein Boost
Fold in 200 g drained chickpeas with the pasta at the final step for a filling twist. The beans add a firm contrast and raise the protein without changing the sauce technique. It also stretches the batch to feed four instead of two.
Mac And Cashew Cheese
Description
Mac and cashew cheese is a dairy-free take on classic comfort mac, using blended cashews and nutritional yeast for a thick, pourable cheese-like coating on elbow pasta. It is weeknight-friendly, vegan and gluten-free adaptable, and reheats without splitting.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Boil pasta water
Bring 2 liters of water to a rolling boil in a 4-liter pot over high heat and add 1 tsp salt. The water should be at a full rolling boil with large bubbles breaking the surface before you add the pasta.
-
Cook elbow macaroni
Cook 225 g elbow macaroni on medium-high heat for 8–9 minutes until the centers offer slight resistance when bitten (al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside, reserving 120 ml of the pasta cooking water before draining for later loosening if needed.
-
Load blender ingredients
Place 150 g soaked cashews, 60 ml lemon juice, 45 g nutritional yeast, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, and 360 ml water into a high-speed blender. Scrape the jar halfway through if needed so the yeast and garlic trapped under the blade get pulled into the vortex for a smooth mix.
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Blend cashew base
Blend on high for 2 minutes until no grains remain and the mix looks like thin pancake batter. The sauce should be completely smooth with no visible specks of cashew or yeast before moving on.
-
Emulsify olive oil
With the motor running, stream in 2 tbsp olive oil through the lid opening. Blend 30 seconds more so the fat emulsifies and the sauce turns glossy rather than matte.
-
Warm the sauce
Pour the sauce into the empty pasta pot and warm on medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until steam rises and the surface shows slow bubbles at the edge. Do not let it boil or the cashew proteins will tighten and the emulsion will split.
-
Combine pasta and pepper
Add the drained macaroni and 0.25 tsp black pepper to the pot. Fold for 1 minute until every piece is coated and the sauce thickens to a clinging layer that does not pool at the bottom.
-
Adjust and serve
Taste and add a splash of water if the mix feels too tight, then serve immediately in warmed bowls while the coating is fluid. The sauce should coat the pasta without pooling at the bottom of the bowl when served.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 350kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 18g28%
- Saturated Fat 3g15%
- Sodium 600mg25%
- Total Carbohydrate 42g15%
- Dietary Fiber 4g16%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 12g24%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Storage: Pack cooled mac and cashew cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days; discard any left at room temperature over 2 hours.
- Reheating: Reheat on medium-low with a tablespoon of water per cup, stirring until steaming; do not microwave uncovered.
- Pro tip: Soak cashews in 85°C water for 30 minutes if short on time, and for a savory side pairing see our grilled cheese recipe.
- Texture: Reserve 120 ml pasta water before draining to loosen cold leftovers without diluting flavor.
