This Creamy Mac and Cashew Cheese is a lighter, plant-based twist on traditional mac and cheese! Rich and savory comfort food without the heaviness post-meal. Ready in under an hour, this is a perfect weeknight meal the whole family will love! With simple flavors that kids enjoy and a splash of colorful vegetables that makes this a well-rounded meal.
I love this recipe because it’s delicious yet easy to make. The creamy cashew cheese blends up in minutes with no cooking required, the vegetables cook quickly, and once the pasta is perfectly al dente, everything comes together in a cozy, satisfying bowl of comfort food that won’t leave you feeling weighted down!
Tips for Success
- Don’t overcook the pasta.
Mushy pasta will make the whole dish disappointing. Cook pasta until al dente, keeping in mind that you may want to heat everything up together for a few additional minutes at the end. - Defrost frozen peas before using.
If peas are frozen when added alongside the broccoli, they’ll release excess water and make the broccoli soggy. - Make it spicy
Take the flavor up a notch with heat! I love adding a drizzle of sriracha to individual bowls so everyone can customize their spice level. To make the whole batch spicy, add ¼–½ tsp cayenne to the blender when making the cheese sauce, starting small and adjusting to taste.
Why you’ll love this Creamy Mac and Cashew Cheese
- Ready in under an hour.
This mac is a perfect weeknight dinner that’s quick and easy to prepare. - No weird ingredients.
Made with simple, recognizable pantry staples. - Kid friendly-parent approved.
Creamy, mild flavors that kids love with vegetables mixed right in. - Won’t leave you feeling weighted down.
This is a lighter version of the traditional mac and cheese that leaves you feeling energized post-meal rather than heavy and sluggish.
Variations
- Add protein
My favorite protein add-in are crumbled and sautéed Italian veggie sausages from Field Roast. Tempeh also works well: crumble and sauté it with a splash of water to soften, then add a drizzle of tamari or soy sauce for extra umami. - Gluten Free
Miso is generally gluten free as it’s made from fermented soybeans and rice, but check the label to ensure that there isn’t added grains that contain gluten.
Opt for gluten free pasta or legume pasta to make this mac and cheese gluten free. - Vegetables
Feel free to mix and match with what you have on hand:- Diced yellow or white onion
- Sliced carrot
- Chopped cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Cherry tomato garnish
Does this taste like cheddar cheese?
It doesn’t, but that’s a good thing! This creamy cashew cheese has its own unique, savory, and “cheesy” flavor profile. It’s a healthier alternative to the traditional mac and cheese that won’t leave you feeling heavy and weighted down after eating.
What makes this “cheesy”?
Nutritional yeast is the key, and everything else supports it. Nutritional yeast adds a “cheesy”, savory, umami flavor, and brings nutritional benefits, too! Just 2 tablespoons provides 630% of your daily value of B12 (and is also rich in other B vitamins) as well as 5 grams of protein.
Ingredient spotlight
Cashews
Cashews are the foundation of this ultra‑creamy sauce. When blended, they create a smooth, rich and creamy texture without any dairy. Cashews also provide healthy fats, protein, and important minerals.
Broccoli
Broccoli is rich in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants like sulforaphane, a compound linked to reduced inflammation, powerful anti-cancer properties, and long-term health benefits. In order to activate sulforaphane, chop broccoli about 40 minutes before cooking to allow the compound to form naturally.
Red Bell Pepper
Did you know that red bell peppers contain the most nutrients out of all the colors of bell peppers? The red variety contain 11x more beta-carotene and 1.5x more vitamin C than green bell peppers!
Pasta
Pasta has a bad reputation for being a carb-rich food, but pasta is denser than, say, white bread, and we digest it much slower. Whole wheat pasta is actually a low-medium glycemic food and legume pasta is rated a low glycemic food. Pasta has complex carbohydrates that provide energy and a surprising amount of protein: a 2 oz serving of whole wheat pasta has 7 grams of protein!
Creamy Mac and Cashew Cheese
Ingredients
Cashew Cheese
- 1 ½ cup Cashews raw
- 1 ½ cups soy, oat, or almond milk (unflavored, unsweetened)
- ¼ cup Nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp White or yellow miso
- 2 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Vegetables
- 2 cups Broccoli chopped
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- ½ of a Red bell pepper finely chopped
For Serving
- 12 oz Elbow macaroni or shell pasta
- ¼-½ tsp Salt to-taste
- sprinkle of Paprika or cayenne for heat on top
Instructions
- Place 1 ½ cups cashews in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak for at least 15 minutes.
- While cashews soak, add the rest of the Cashew Cheese ingredients to the blender and chop vegetables.
- When cashews finish soaking, drain water and add to the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add anything more to-taste. Cashew cheese will thicken up after it rests.
- In a large skillet on medium heat, sauté broccoli on medium heat for several minutes. Add green peas and cook until broccoli is softened. Turn off heat and stir in red bell pepper.
- While veggies cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 12 ounces of elbow macaroni or shells according to package directions, until al dente. Don’t overcook!
- When noodles are al dente, use colander to strain the water and return noodles back to pot. Pour cashew cheese on the noodles and stir to evenly coat. Add veggies to noodles and stir to combine. Option to heat everything together for a few minutes on low-medium heat. Add ¼-½ tsp of salt, a little at a time, to-taste.
- Serve immediately, topping each bowl with a sprinkle of paprika or cayenne powder for a splash of color.
Notes
Did you make this Creamy Mac and Cashew Cheese? I’d love to hear how it turned out in a comment below! 🙂
BEST Mac n cheese of all time!! Came together quick and easy. Even the CHILDREN loved it! (Which is a rare occurrence) 5 stars! ⭐️
Yay! So glad everyone loved this Mac and Cashew Cheese! You never know what the reaction will be with kids, so I’m extra glad they enjoyed it!
Delicious Mac and much easier to clean with no cheese!