Ultimate Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese

Preheat your oven to 191 °C (190 °C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

💡 Tip: Greasing the dish ensures easy serving and cleanup.

Cook macaroni according to package directions until just al dente, about 2 minutes less than full cooking time. Drain and set aside.

💡 Tip: Slightly undercooking the pasta prevents it from becoming mushy while baking.

Melt 45 ml of vegan butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbling and slightly golden to make a roux.

💡 Tip: Whisk continuously to avoid lumps.

Slowly pour in the plant milk while whisking constantly. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer gently.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and shredded vegan cheddar until completely melted and smooth.

💡 Tip: Stir off heat to prevent the vegan cheese from separating.

Combine cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce until well coated, then pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Melt remaining 15 ml of vegan butter and toss with panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over the pasta.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly around the edges and the breadcrumb topping is crisp and golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

💡 Tip: Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end for extra crispiness if desired.