We know you’re gonna want to celebrate big time on July 14th because it’s National Mac and Cheese Day! Woohoo! If there is a dish more loved and craved than mac and cheese, we don’t know what it is. Mac and cheese is a favorite comfort food and a dish many of us have loved since childhood.
In the past, the only option for store-bought mac and cheese was the kind that came from boxes with packets of powdered cheese. Today, not only are there options for dairy-free mac and cheese, but there are also so many ways to make it at home! That’s right, we don’t need any dairy products at all to make the creamiest, cheesiest, most decadent vegan macaroni and cheese ever. Even better, we can make rich cheese sauces out of veggies, like cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots, so they’re not only delicious but healthy.
If you need recipes to get you started, check out these 12 Prize-Worthy Mac and Cheese Dishes That are Totally Vegan. Then, try these 15 rich and creamy recipes for dairy-free mac and cheese that are so yummy, so comforting, so creative and so worth celebrating.
1. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This Cauliflower Mac and Cheese lets you eat your veggies as the ultimate comfort food. Nice and cheesy with a spicy kick, an addictive taste, and the goodness of cauliflower, this mac and cheese is a keeper! Healthy and tasty — that’s a win-win.
2. Potato and Zucchini Mac and Cheese
Finding a way to make the perfect vegan mac and cheese can be a long journey of trial and error. Lucky for you, this Potato and Zucchini Mac and Cheese is already perfect. Cashews, potatoes, and zucchini create a perfectly creamy and nutritious sauce that tastes just like the traditional kind. Enjoy this dish as is, or feel free to add breadcrumbs or broccoli!
3. Healthy Mac n’ Cheese
Put mac and cheese back on the menu! This Healthy Mac n’ Cheese recipe delivers comfort food goodness without all the heaviness. The creamy cheese sauce is made with a base of potatoes and carrots and made cheesy through the awesome power of spices. Now you can feel good about serving your kids (and you) this favorite dish.
4. Superfood Cheesy Mac With Roasted Cauliflower
Picture a big bowl of pasta blanketed in a mild, creamy, garlicky alfredo sauce. This SuperfoodCheesy Mac With Roasted Cauliflower uses five superfoods to create that amazing sauce. The results? Your taste buds are happy and your body is fueled. You’ll return to this delicious mac and cheese recipe again and again.
5. Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Cheeseburgers and mac and cheese are two of the most common comfort foods. On their own, they’re delicious. And together? Well, try out this Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese and you’ll find out! It includes macaroni smothered in rich, creamy, and yes, life-changing, cheese sauce. Not to mention, a hefty portion of vegan ground beef-style crumbles. Indulge away!
6. Easy Macaroni and Veggies
This Easy Macaroni and Veggies is not only easy to make, but it’s also really easy to eat. The creamy macaroni sauce is made from roasted vegetables and it’s simply delicious. The possibilities of plants are endless! This would be good served with some veggies like peas and broccoli!
7. Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese With Spinach
This Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese With Spinach packs a lot of healthy foods into one amazing dish. In this mac and cheese recipe, sweet potatoes serve as the base to make the cheesy orange sauce that we all know and love. The spices and mustard balance out the sweetness, to create the ultimate mac.
8. Super Healthy Ultra-Cheesy Mac and Cheese
You can stop searching, because this Super Healthy, Ultra-Cheesy Mac and Cheese is the last mac and cheese recipe you will ever need! Why? It’s nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free (meaning everyone can have it!), ridiculously easy to make, and the cheese sauce is addictive. Seriously, it’s creamy, cheesy, and rich, and comforting — you’ll want to drink this stuff with a straw.
9. Smoky Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese
Smoky, creamy and delicious – that describes this Smoky Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese perfectly. It takes butternut squash and turns it into a creamy, cheesy sauce that will have you licking the bowl. A bit of smokiness added to the sauce transforms it and takes it to the next level of YUM!
10. Buffalo Mac and Cheese Crumble
This yummyBuffalo Mac and Cheese Crumble will make your taste buds explode! This mac and cheese is made with spicy buffalo sauce and instead of breadcrumbs, it’s topped with meaty soy crumbles. It’s all of our favorite flavors served in one of our all-time favorite dishes. This is heaven!
11. Cheesy Pumpkin Mac
Pumpkin may be an autumn food but it’s a perfect ingredient to use any time of the year. The proof lies in this Cheesy Pumpkin Mac. The pumpkin purée makes the sauce rich and creamy and will make you think of autumn, even in July. Turn on the air conditioning and enjoy a big bowl of this mac and cheese.
12. Purple Mac and Cheese
When mixed with vegetable broth and a bit of nutritional yeast, potatoes, and vegetables like carrots are able to create a deliciously creamy and cheesy sauce! In this Purple Mac and Cheese, the potatoes and carrots both have purple hues, creating a beautiful and uniquely colored dish when tossed with mac and cheese. Get a little more color on your table with this creative entrée.
13. Cheeze ‘Burger’ Mac
Why choose between a burger or mac and cheese when you can have both in one fabulous dish? This Cheeze “Burger” Maccombines creamy, delicious, and comforting mac and cheese with ground tempeh burger crumbles on top for the perfect combo of two classic dishes. We could eat this daily and never get bored of it.
14. Yankee Doodle Macaroni
Carrots and cauliflower help make the cheesy sauce in this dish. Not only is it cheesy, it’s also smoky and spicy, too! It doesn’t need to be the 4th of July for you enjoy this Yankee Doodle Macaroni. It’s your patriotic duty.
15. Cheesy Cashew Cream Pasta
This Cheesy Cashew Cream Pasta tastes indulgent but is actually great for you! The complex carbohydrates will supply you with long-lasting energy, and the cashew cream is a great cheese alternative. Pair this pasta with a simple spinach side salad, or throw in some veggies for extra green!
There are so many ways to make rich and creamy mac and cheese that it’s hard to know where to start. We recommend trying each of these recipes; maybe turn the holiday into a month-long celebration of mac and cheese!
Lead image source: Healthy Mac n’ Cheese
