Vegan Macaroni Cheese help please

[Glitterbiscuits]

How can I make the best vegan macaroni cheese? Which plant milk, fat and vegan cheese make the best cheese sauce?
I can make a great cheese sauce so I’m ok with the method but I’m a bit overwhelmed with the options especially as vegan cheese has a bad reputation! Thanks

Vegan Mac and cheese definitely needs nutritional yeast adding imo, it helps with the flavour!

I use the healthy girl kitchen recipe - the cheese sauce is cashews, sweet potato and cauliflower, which actually turns out so creamy it’s odd! I prefer it to vegan cheese which I find very processed and it just doesn’t melt / work well for me.

I would use the cathedral city plant based nature cheddar and also philadelphia plant based to make it really creamy.

Agree with nutritional yeast; a spoon of mustard added also does the trick. Soaked and blended cashews, any pb milk but I use oat. I don’t tend to add any fats. Silken tofu blended with the cashews works great too! I have to say I’ve never used sweet potato and cauliflower, will have to look that one up!

I haven’t used nutritional yeast. Any brands to recommend please?

Is the vegan cathedral cheese meant to be nice? Haven't tried that one?

Another voter for nutritional yeast and English mustard

@Glitterbiscuits I get the marigold one from Holland and Barrett!

All vegan cheese is smegma from the Devil’s own jeb end. I love vegan food which is supposed to be vegan, but vegan meat/cheese/elaborate recipes aimed at imitating them are always revolting. Give me a really delicious warming lentil dhal or five-bean chilli over fake mac and cheese any day.

Definitely add nutritional yeast, engevita or Bosh are available in supermarkets usually.

Make sure the plant milk you use is no sugar.

I have used the cathedral city is the past when not doing the whole blended cashews thing.

@Brbreezeis the cashew version better? I don’t mind making a big effort if the end results are worth it.

100% the cashew one will be better! Vegan cheese has its place but it’s not flavourful enough for Mac and cheese.

A good vegan mac and cheese must have nutritional yeast and mustard.

My secret is don't add any vegan cheese. It's all horrible and ruins the texture. I use oatly organic milk, mustard powder and nutritional yeast or a blob of marmite.

Tbh I'm not a vegan but need to be dairy free so my best ones have bacon lardons in. I wonder if you can sub in a vegan alternative?

I agree. Never made mac n cheese since going vegan as I only ever made it when we were doing ‘child-friendly’ meals. I’m always concerned about the amount of protein in a meal (vegan or not), so I’d probably crumble and fry some smoked tempeh - or make ‘bacon bits’ by marinating the tempeh in maple syrup, soy, smoked paprika and liquid smoke. Just use ths smoked tempeh if that’s too much faff.
Edit: spellings.

I don’t get the hate for the vegan cheese; I used to love really good strong cheese, and yes the cheap stuff isn’t great unless you like mild cheddar, but the cathedral city and the epic violife are pretty good. Sheese used to be excellent but I think they sold out to Tesco, not sure if they still have it? And artisan ones are most excellent.

I make my own a lot now, though, with cashews and the nutritional yeast (nooch!). I do agree with not bothering with too much ‘fake’ stuff though, but it’s nice to get that umami taste.

What about white beans blended up with olive oil with the mustard and nutritional yeast?

Don’t use vegan cheese it’s dire, I spent ages making a vegan version with the cathedral city cheese and it was horrid, I make the real version a fair amount so I know how to make that well (fresh herbs are a must) interested in the cashew version

I make my dd vegan cheese sauce as she is allergic to dairy. I use Oatly barista oat milk, gluten free flour, dairy free butter, more vegan cheese than the recipe says and either Violife or Cathedral city plant based cheese, sometimes with extra cream cheese, either Boursin or some Violife cream cheese, a good dollop of English mustard, salt & pepper