Vegan Mac and Cheese with Walnut Crumb Topping
Creamy vegan mac and cheese made with oat or almond milk, dairy-free cheese, and nutritional yeast. Topped with a crunchy panko and walnut mixture, then baked until bubbly and golden. Perfect comfort food for plant-based diets.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Becel with Avocado Oilvegan butter or coconut oil1:1veganadds dairy
neutral flavor alternative
- 1 small onion, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 clove garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cup unsweetened oat milk or unsweetened almond milk
- 1 package Violife Original Creamynutritional yeast blend or cashew creamcustomvegan
other dairy-free cheese alternatives
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 8 ounce rotini pasta, cooked and drained
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts or flax seed(optional)chia seed or pumpkin seed1:1vegan
nutritional alternatives
- 2 tbsp Becel with Avocado Oil, meltedvegan butter or coconut oil1:1veganadds dairy
neutral flavor alternative
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400F (400°F).
- 2
Melt Becel with Avocado Oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt, cook until tender. Add garlic and cook briefly.
- 3
Stir flour into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in oat or almond milk and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened.
- 4
Remove from heat and stir in Violife cheese and nutritional yeast.
- 5
Pour cooked pasta into sauce and stir until evenly coated.
- 6
Combine panko bread crumbs, walnuts, hemp hearts or flax seed, melted Becel with Avocado Oil, garlic, and parsley. Sprinkle evenly over pasta.
- 7
Bake until golden brown and bubbly.
Tips
Stir the sauce constantly when adding flour and milk to prevent lumps.
Do not boil the milk mixture to avoid curdling.
Use cooked pasta at similar temperature to sauce for even coating.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat on stovetop with splash of milk.
Assemble in baking dish up to 4 hours ahead. Bake when ready.
Serve hot, optionally with fresh parsley or additional nutritional yeast.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the 2-minute flour cooking step to avoid raw flour taste.
Do not add milk too quickly to roux to avoid lumps.
Do not overbake to avoid dried-out pasta and burnt topping.
Substitutions
Vegan Options
neutral flavor alternative
nutritional alternatives
other dairy-free cheese alternatives