Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole

Grab your fork and dive into this creamy vegan mac and cheese casserole. It’s easy to make this recipe from scratch, with loads of cheesy sauce, veggie crumbles, and even broccoli florets. Just say no to dairy with this delicious vegan macaroni and cheese, and say hello to your new favorite go-to comfort food recipe!

Serve this tasty casserole with some vegan garlic bread or a vegan caesar salad on the side.

A hand reaches in and scoops out some vegan mac and cheese casserole from the dish.

What Makes This Recipe Shine?

  • Using vegan butter gives this mac and cheese a smooth, buttery flavor
  • Adding nutritional yeast flakes makes a cheesy taste in every bite
  • A dash of turmeric adds color, giving this recipe a distinct look along with the delicious and comfort-food flavor!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Macaroni
  • Vegan butter — You can use tub margarine or vegan butter for this recipe.
  • Onion — I used a yellow onion, but you can use white or red onion.
  • Flour — You can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or gluten-free flour.
  • Soy Sauce — I oftentimes use Bragg liquid aminos because it’s gluten-free. If you don’t have issues with gluten, you can use soy sauce.
  • Salt
  • Spices — You’ll need garlic powder, ground turmeric, and paprika.
  • Nutritional yeast flakes — You can find nutritional yeast flakes at health food stores or oline.
  • Meat crumbles — There are so many vegan meat crumbles these days. If you’re using typical veggie crumbles, like Beyond Beef or Gardein, they won’t need to be pre-cooked. But if you use a plant-based crumble, like Impossible or Pure Farmland, you’ll need to follow the package directions to cook it before adding it.
  • Steamed broccoli.

How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole

  1. In a large pot, add 5 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Pour the cooked macaroni into a 9×13 baking pan.
  2. Steam 2 cups of broccoli florets for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a saucepan, melt vegan butter over low heat. Add chopped onions and saute until translucent. Stir in flour and continue to beat over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.
  4. Stir in hot water, aminos (or soy sauce), salt, garlic powder, and turmeric, stirring well.
  5. Cook the sauce until it thickens and bubbles. Stir in the nutritional yeast flakes.
  6. Pour a generous amount of sauce on top of the macaroni and stir. Add veggie meat crumbles and broccoli. Stir all ingredients so they’re equally distributed throughout the pan.
  7. Top with a little more of the cheese sauce (we usually have a little bit of leftover cheese sauce which we use for baked potatoes or as a topping for veggies dishes like broccoli). Then sprinkle the top with paprika, and bake for 15 minutes. 

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or you can freeze them in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.

Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole

This recipe creates a delicious, creamy baked vegan mac and cheese casserole. Of course, there are lots of ways you can make vegan mac and cheese. I’ve made a one-pot mac and cheese that’s easy and delicious. I’ve even made a stovetop mac and cheese which is so savory and creamy. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

But I return to this baked vegan mac and cheese casserole recipe time after time.

It’s one of my original vegan recipes, and we’ve made it a lot over the years. We love the combination of veggie crumbles with steamed broccoli florets. It’s all baked together and it creates a savory dish that makes you want to come back to it again and again.

For a change of pace, you can add some crumbled vegetarian pepperoni to the mix as well.

Vegan Mac and Cheese with broccoli and veggie crumbles in a casserole dish.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this vegan Mac and cheese casserole with any of the following:

More Pasta Recipes

This baked vegan mac and cheese casserole is our go-to favorite! Here are even more tasty vegan pasta recipes:

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with steamed broccoli and veggie crumbles in a casserole dish.
A hand reaches in and scoops out some vegan mac and cheese casserole from the dish.

Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole

Warm and creamy, this baked vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole will satisfy your comfort food cravings with healthy, savory deliciousness.
5 from 7 votes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 224kcal

Ingredients

  • 3.5 cups dry macaroni
  • ½ cup vegan butter
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat)
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons Bragg liquid amino or soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • paprika
  • 1.5 cups meat crumbles
  • 2 cups steamed broccoli

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
  • In a large pot, add 5 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Pour the cooked macaroni into a 9×13 baking pan.
  • Steam 2 cups of broccoli florets for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • In a saucepan, melt vegan butter over low heat. Add chopped onions and saute until translucent. Stir in flour and continue to beat over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.
  • Stir in hot water, aminos (or soy sauce), salt, garlic powder, and turmeric, stirring well.
  • Cook the sauce until it thickens and bubbles. Stir in the nutritional yeast flakes.
  • Pour a generous amount of sauce on top of the macaroni and stir. Add veggie meat crumbles and broccoli. Stir all ingredients so they're equally distributed throughout the pan.
  • Top with a little more of the cheese sauce (we usually have a little bit of leftover cheese sauce which we use for baked potatoes or as a topping for veggies dishes like broccoli). Then sprinkle the top with paprika, and bake for 15 minutes

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 454IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

I recently updated this post to remove the vegetable oil. The vegan butter is fine on its own. I also reduced the nutritional yeast flakes from 1 cup to 3/4 cup with no change in flavor.

This post was originally published in 2018 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

17 Responses to Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJeanette Reply

    5 stars
    I had read something similar that calcium really doesn’t reduce the risk of a fracture, which is so interesting since that’s what we’ve been told for so long. This recipe looks delicious. I’ve yet to use nutritional yeast, but would love to try this.

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyFOODESSA Reply

    Marly, as I’ve mentioned to you before…I’m a huge fan of Dr. Northrup…it all started with wanting to know why I had a huge fibroid inside of me. My research led me to discovering this incredibly intelligent and soulful human being. I wish all doctors were like her.
    About going vegan…it’s a little tough…however, I have no qualms what so ever to be vegetarian 4 plus days a week. I do eat meat…however my consumption of it has been dwindling over the years.
    Thanks for putting this info out there. More people should be aware of it.
    I’ll have to give that yummy recipe a try very soon;o)
    Ciao for now and flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyTatiana Reply

    5 stars
    I want to also throw it out there, that working out WITH weights is very good for the bones. Weight bearing loads strengthen them quite well. I eat plenty of vegetarian, although I’ve made no effort to eat vegan unless it’s by accident. Too many ‘sub’ ingredients required.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Very good point. I’ve read that too – that working out with weights and weight bearing exercise (like walking) is very important for strong bones.

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyPatty Price Reply

    Thanks for such an informative post and a delicious recipe for mac & cheese as well! I’m lucky that I’m not a big lover of red meat but for many reasons I think it’s better to eat less of it. I’ll take vegan mac & cheese with a green salad on the side any day!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      This recipe is definitely the best homemade mac and cheese I’ve ever had (vegan or not). And another great thing is that we’ll make this on Sunday and it will last throughout the week. That’s the best!

  5. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJeanne Reply

    This is definitely important for all of us women! It’s good news that there are things we can do beyond consuming calcium to keep our bones strong. I do love vegan meals so I’m excited to try this mac and cheese! I just need to find some nutritional yeast.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I buy nutritional yeast at the health food store. I don’t know why they don’t sell it in most grocery stores. I love that stuff. I even sprinkle it on my food like cheese. It’s got a nice flavor to it…and it’s nutritional. At least that’s what the name says!

  6. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyGrace Reply

    5 stars
    Hey Marly I completely agree with Dr. Northrup, when I was talking to you about my health issues I didn’t mention that at 37 I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis, had my bones been in better shape I probably wouldn’t have fractured my back. It is a silent disease and definitely an important subject to speak on. I was put on a bone building drug for 5 years with very little improvement. I started changing my diet adding more vegetables and fruit and when I went for my first check up with my endocrinologist after the diet change, she was amazed and surprised that my levels increased so drastically, she’d never seen such an increase before. I had been hesitant to tell her that I’d stopped taken the calcium supplement and was trying to do it naturally. I was relieved that decision I made helped to improve the T-scores. She told me to keep up what I was doing. Your post is a great shout out and hopefully will educate more woman on the importance of healthy bones and prevent woman from dealing with the issues that I face each and every day.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Wow – that’s an amazing story, Grace! It’s one thing to read about the science, but it’s quite another to see someone who has experience this first-hand. OK. That confirms it. I’ve been debating whether or not I should risk running a post on my favorite morning shake. My family won’t even look at me when I drink it, but it really is tasty and is sooo healthy. I’ll post that later this week. I have to make it and take a pic or two first. We’re like veggie virtuosos!

  7. Avatar thumbnail image for Marlydenise @ quickies on the dinner table Reply

    5 stars
    That actually looks better than my regular mac n cheese! Vegetarian or even vegan is not a problem for me – I don’t eat much meat at all, though I’m surrounded by meat lovers. But, it’s really nice to know that they way I like to eat anyway, is actually doing me some good 🙂

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Yes, it’s doing you lots of good! I live in the middle of the beef belt here in the US so I know what it’s like to be surrounded by meat lovers. KC used to be known as Cowtown – we have some famous BBQ restaurants and steak joints. But even here we’ve got vegan restaurants now and several vegetarian. I guess it’s all about staying true to yourself. We veggie-loving folks have to support each other!

  8. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyStella Reply

    Oops, the mac and cheese looks great too!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Thanks! Trust me – it tastes just as good as it looks…if not better!

  9. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyStella Reply

    5 stars
    Hey Marly, at this point in my life and with the knowledge and discipline I’ve developed thus far (which isn’t much-smile), I’m vegan about 4 days a week. And on other days I’m vegetarian or pescatarian. Hence, I agree that eating vegan one day a week is great. In fact, what a bunch wusses. I mean, can’t they go two or something. Ooh, I’m being obnoxious now. It’s not like I’ve taken the full leap!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I’ve seen people who can’t even make it a full day so I think committing to one day a week is a great start. Good for you for doing vegan 4 days a week. I think anything we can do is better for our health and for the environment.

  10. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMonet Reply

    That casserole looks amazing! Thanks for this informative and important post. My mom has osteoporosis, and so I’m a high-risk individual. I try to include a lot of fresh veggies and fruit into my diet as well as participate in weight-bearing exercise. I know that I can’t stop genetics, but I’m doing my best to stay healthy and strong! I hope you have a beautiful day!

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