This Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese is the ultimate macaroni and cheese -- without the cheese! Check out my recipe video and print the recipe to make this for dinner tonight!
I've been working on making a dairy-free mac and cheese since becoming dairy-free several years ago. You can read about my food allergy and intolerance testing and get some of my first fave allergy-friendly and intolerance-friendly recipes.
With two kids, macaroni and cheese has been in my dinner recipe rotation regularly for years. It's also one of those family-friendly recipes that I prefer to make from scratch, because a) it's SO easy to make from scratch and b) takes just as much time to make from scratch as it does from a box.
Although, rest assured, we still have a box of Annie's Mac and Cheese in our pantry. You never know when you'll need it, am I right, fellow parents?
Now that I'm dairy-free, I end up making two different pots of mac and cheese: one with full dairy for the kiddos and my husband, and one that's dairy-free for me.
How Do You Make Mac and Cheese Creamy Without Dairy?
This ultimate dairy-free mac and cheese happened thanks to a lot of trial and error.
How can macaroni and cheese be so rich and creamy and, well, cheesy, without the - you know, the most important ingredient: the cheese?
There are so many different ways you can make macaroni and cheese without dairy. The trick is finding one that suits your personal tastebuds.
I've tried using butternut squash, and while I liked the results, I can't always find fresh butternut squash year-round.
What has worked for me time and time again is a combo of these ingredients.
Be sure to read this in-depth article about the Best Dairy-Free Cooking and Baking Products. In it, I also explain some of the confusing terms surrounding dairy-free food.
What you need to make dairy-free mac and cheese
- Vegan butter. I've tried making dairy-free macaroni and cheese without butter, and it's just not the same. I love the velvety rich base that vegan butter lends to this dairy-free mac and cheese recipe.
- A mix of cheddar-style shreds AND mozzarella-style shreds. I use Daiya, but you can also use dairy-free cheese options from Follow Your Heart and other non-dairy products.
- Almond milk. For many dairy-free recipes, I often use coconut milk. However, I've found that coconut milk just doesn't work if you want a traditional, sharp, cheesy mac and cheese flavor. Almond milk, however, works beautifully with mac and cheese.
- Nutritional yeast. I use these nutritional yeast flakes in most of my dairy-free pasta recipes, including my Dairy-Free Fettuccine Alfredo (a reader fave!). It adds a nice nutty flavor that slightly mimics parmesan cheese, which adds to the cheesy texture and taste.
Optional (non-vegan) secret ingredient
What REALLY sets this dairy-free mac and cheese recipe apart is my secret ingredient weapon: bacon.
Now, if you're here because you're looking for a great vegan mac and cheese, go ahead and skip the bacon entirely. It is delicious without it.
However, if you're dairy-free because of a dairy intolerance or milk allergy like me, and you still eat meat, try this. Trust me: it adds SO much flavor! A little bit of bacon grease and crumbled bacon on top goes a LONG way.
Watch the YouTube Video:
More Dairy-Free Recipes
- Creamy Dairy-Free Ground Beef Pasta
- Pasta with Bacon and Peas (Dairy-Free)
- Vegan Pumpkin Soup
- Dairy-Free Fettuccine Alfredo
- Easy Spinach Dip (Dairy-Free)
Find more Dairy Free Recipes on Urban Bliss Life
The Ultimate Creamy Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces uncooked macaroni pasta
- 6 slices bacon plus 1 TBSP reserve bacon grease
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ cup almond milk
- 2 cups dairy-free cheddar-style shreds
- 1 cup dairy-free mozarella-style shreds
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chopped thyme leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place bacon slices on foil and bake on the second top rack of your oven for about 8-10 minutes, just until crispy to your liking.
- Meanwhile, when the bacon is in the oven you can cook pasta according to package directions and begin making the sauce.
- Add butter to a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Once butter is mostly melted, add the garlic and sauté just a minute or two until softened.
- Sprinkle flour and whisk into the garlic butter mixture, then whisk in almond milk.
- The bacon should be done about now, so remove from the oven and add about a tablespoon of the bacon grease to the butter garlic mixture. Stir to combine and set aside bacon to cool at room temperature. NOTE: you can also add the bacon grease later on if it's not yet done cooking at this stage. In the video, I add it after the cheese shreds have melted and before I add spices.
- Add your dairy-free cheddar-style shreds, whisk until some of it melts, then add dairy-free mozzarella shreds and whisk until smooth. Add in the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and paprika, and whisk all together until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Drain pasta, then slowly add the pasta and combine until pasta is coated in the cheesy mixture.
- Chop cooked bacon into small crumbly pieces. Top dairy-free mac and cheese. Sprinkle optional chopped thyme if you like. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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alijah collier says
love the food
Christi says
Can this be made in advance, frozen and reheated?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Like most creamy pasta dishes, this is best eaten the day it is made. You can freeze it for up to about one month in an airtight freezer-safe container, but when you reheat it, make sure you add a bit of water, almond milk, or other liquid to help "wake up" the sauce and the pasta.
Angie says
Absolutely delicious! So glad to find a dairy free alternative that really does satisfy our Mac and Cheese cravings! Thinking I will be checking out your other dairy free recipes! My son is dairy intolerant but not Vegan so this recipe really hit the mark. We always have Mac and Cheese as part of our Thanksgiving feast so happy to have tried this in time for this year.
Bri says
Closest thing to regular Mac and cheese I have found for my dairy free son who can’t have boxed vegan Mac because he also has an allergy to pea protein. We did omit the bacon and bacon grease due to not having any and it was still delicious!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hooray Bri! That makes me so happy that you and your son enjoyed this recipe!
Amy says
I'm doing a mac and cheese bar for a party and was trying to finding a way to not exclude a guest who is dairy free, so I'm so happy to have found this recipe! But I don't really have experience cooking with dairy-free cheese. Can this recipe be made ahead and reheated?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Amy! This mac and cheese is best eaten right after it's made, but you can make it a day ahead and reheat it. I usually add a splash of almond milk or vegan butter to the portion before reheating it, to "wake up" the ingredients and make it creamy again. I've also found that reheating on the stovetop has better results than reheating in the microwave. Hope that helps!
Kathy Hinkle says
Bless you! I have a son who's favorite food has been macaroni and cheese for as long as I can remember...and then he had to go dairy free. I've been able to figure out dairy free options for many foods, but mac and cheese felt impossible. I made this recipe and he LOVED it. He loved it out of the oven and heated up the next day. It makes me so happy to be able to make his favorite food again!
Petrina says
Thank you..my kids are dairy free and this is just amazing!
Sherrie says
Can almond flour be used in place of regular flour since I am gluten free?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
I've never used almond flour instead of regular flour in this particular recipe, but in general, you should be able to substitute the same amount. Because almond flour has a little more moisture than all-purpose flour, you *might* need to add a bit more. Start with a 1:1 ratio to substitute, and then if you find it needs more flour as you mix it in, add a 1/2 teaspoon more to start. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Emily Carlsen says
Can I use soy milk instead of almond milk?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Yes, you should be able to substitute soy for almond milk. I have also used coconut milk.