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.
Jump to:
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.
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
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
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.
Madison Reilly says
I’ve made this before and it was amazing!
I’m wanting to make it for Easter but will have to prep the night before. Can I make the cheese sauce night before and keep it refrigerated? Then I can heat it up while the pasta cooks on Sunday.
Would this work or should I try something different? Thanks!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Madison! First, I'm so glad you love this recipe and have made it before! While you can make the cheese sauce the night before, you'll need to add moisture to it (water, dairy-free cream) when you heat it up to make it creamy again. Then you may need to stir in more dairy-free cheese as you heat it up, as needed, to keep it from being runny. Do so over low heat or low-medium heat. It often doesn't heat up as well as when you enjoy it right away, but it can be done.
Miranda says
We have made this recipe sooo many times (omitting the bacon and bacon grease) and LOVE it!!
Kellen says
Could this be made and kept in a crockpot for a party?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Kellen! You can. However, keep in mind that the longer pasta stays in a slow cooker on warm, the softer the pasta will get. You don't want the pasta to get too mushy. You could cook the pasta until just al dente, then keep it in the crockpot on low so that it is still a nice texture when you serve it within an hour. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Jennifer Nickleson says
Hello, this sounds delicious. I’m wondering can I make it and freeze it? Reheat it in the oven?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi, Jennifer! Yes, allow it to cool down before freezing in an airtight freezer-safe container. I have frozen leftovers many times and usually reheat it on the stovetop. I add a little liquid (almondmilk, water, etc) when reheating. I've never tried reheating it in the oven before, but if you add a little liquid and stir it up, it should reheat in the oven just fine. If you do try this, please let us know how it goes!
Debbie says
Just learning to cook dairy free. What does the yeast do? Can it be omitted? Thank you!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Debbie! The nutritional yeast adds a nutty "cheesy" flavor that some people like because it's similar to parmesan cheese, so it gives dishes a taste that can be closer to real dairy. I also use it to thicken up sauces as well as add flavor. It's also great sprinkled on salads! And yes, you can leave it out if you prefer :) Hope that helps!
Mikayla says
Made this for thanksgiving dinner. Everybody loved it!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hooray! So glad to hear it, Mikayla! Thank you for sharing!
Liz says
My fiancé is lactose intolerant and I’m not, we’ve struggled to find a Mac and cheese that tastes good to both of us and that we both want to eat, this was absolutely DELICIOUS. I will 100% be making this over and over again. It was creamy and cheesy and everything you want from Mac and cheese I can’t recommend this recipe highly enough!!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Liz, I am so happy to hear this! So honored to have one of our recipes be in your regular dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing!
Tara Santsaver says
Omg! Yummy and creamy.
I made a few changes,I omited the bacon, used plant butter, gluten free pasta. I only used one bag of cheese and lactaid milk.
I also added ground mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, and turmeric for color. I always put in sweet rice vinegar for a bit of tang. First time using this cheese, daiya Italian blend, I usually don't like oat cream but this was nice and creamy! Thank u!!!
Ashleigh says
Incredibly delicious! I was super impressed by the texture and flavor of the sauce. We did make some modifications based on what we had in the fridge; we used oat milk instead of almond and a mix of firm goat cheeses instead of the dairy free cheddar.
I noticed that the sauce separated after sitting a few minutes, but I can’t fault the recipe for that bc of our changes! To anyone else who might experience that, we just mixed in a bit of reserved pasta water and it came back together quickly. We also used thick cut bacon which took about 20 minutes in the oven.
Mildred Stephens says
I cannot use almond or any nut milk because of severe nut allergies, could I use Lactaid milk instead? Where can I get nutritional yeast flakes? Thank you for your help.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi, Mildred! You can certainly try to make this recipe with Lactaid milk, but I cannot vouch for how it will turn out as I have never cooked with it before. If you do try it, please comment back here and let us know how it goes as others may have a similar question!
Nutritional yeast flakes can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores, as well as in the bulk food section. Bob's Red Mill and Bragg are the most common brands you'll find in the US. You can also purchase nutritional yeast online - https://amzn.to/3T42Dma, although it's usually much cheaper at your local grocery store.
Hope that helps!
Gracie G says
I made this tonight and I was thoroughly impressed!
My husband doesn’t do diary, and he said that this was the first time he had enjoyed Mac and Cheese in a while.
Thank You!!! ❤️
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Yay!! 🎉 It makes me so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this creamy dairy-free mac and cheese!
Brian says
I chose to use Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar and Lactose free milks because my partner has big issues with lactose. The recipe smells good I think, I have a bit of a cold so I can't really be sure. Anyway I'll write a second review once I try it at some point.
Peace and Love, my lovie dovies. Birdman's in the kitchen again !!!! Hope my wife doesn't take away the wisker!! LOL!!!
Brian says
Oh also we used crab because you won't find pork on these forks!!! LOL!!! WE DON'T DINE ON SWINE!! LOL!!!!
taste it and it's fine
Kel says
I tried this tonight, paired it with pulled pork and coleslaw for dinner.
I'm dairy and gluten free so used GF pasta.
It was delicious, even my hubby enjoyed it and he's hard to please with pasta (he doesn't really like it/eat it much) and of course dairy free food - as he doesn't need to eat it.
He got seconds!
Anyway, I did alter slightly:
* No bacon (didn't have any)
* Used soy milk (would try oat next time, it was just what was open)
* Added about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard (saw the suggestion on another recipe)
* GF rice pasta
* Added some pasta water to loosen the sauce a little
Thanks very much, I will def make this again.