Today we’re going to look at how to make a delicious vegan, gluten free mac and cheese recipe with broccoli. This vegan macaroni recipe is fantastic for kids and adults. Plus, if you have a dairy free and/or egg free toddler, this vegan mac addd extra veggies to their diet whilst serving as an ultimate comfort food.
If you manage multiple food allergies and have been wanting something like a classic mac, you’re going to be so happy. Also, don’t be alarmed by the number of ingredients or instructions. Overall, this is a very easy recipe to make. By the time your broccoli is done steaming, this easy vegan mac will almost be ready to serve. So, grab your steamer pot and let’s get to work.
Allergy Status (Does Not Include Your Cheese of Choice)
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Citrus, Garlic, Latex Cross Reactive Foods (H/M), Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Seeds, Squash & Gourd, Stone Fruits, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: EOE, FPIES*, Vegan
*If you don’t have a safe cheese option, make this recipe instead.
Tools Needed to Make Vegan Gluten Free Mac and Cheese
- Steaming Pot (this is the brand that I have)
- Knife (currently my favourite knife)
- Cutting Board
- Deep/Large Pot or Pan for Cooking
- Kitchen Scale (this is the one that I love)
- Blender (this is what I use)
Vegan Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Part 1 Ingredients
- 175g Organic Yellow Onion, diced
- 30g Cooking Fat of Choice (1 ounce)
Part 2 Ingredients
- 2 TBSP Sorghum Flour, superfine OR Brown Rice Flour, superfine
- 22g – 30g Cooking Fat of Choice (an ounce or just under an ounce)
(Blender) Part 3 Ingredients
- 540mL Milk of Choice (19 – 20 ounces)
- 340g Dairy Free Cheese of Choice (12 ounces)
Part 4 Ingredients
- 2 tsp Organic Dried Marjoram
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- pinch Organic Ground Black Pepper
Part 5 Ingredients
- 670g Gluten Free Elbow Noodles (24 ounces by weight)
- 180mL Milk of Choice (6.5 ounces)
You’ll Also Need
- 360g Frozen Organic Broccoli (15 – 16 ounces), steamed and chopped
Ingredient Notes
Cooking Fat: You can use any cooking fat you enjoy including organic extra virgin olive oil or melted vegan butter. If you’re reading this and you’re not vegan, bacon drippings are another great option, and that adds an additional layer of flavour.
Flour: You can swap this for other gluten free flours from organic brown rice flour to cassava flour and mostly everything in between. You cannot swap this for a starch such as tapioca starch, arrowroot, or potato starch. I don’t suggest using nut flours (almond flour etc.), or using a legume flour (chickpea flour, etc.). If you need to swap the flour, it should be neutral in taste and a medium or heavyweight gluten free flour.
If for some reason you stumbled upon this recipe and you don’t need a gluten-free option, you can use a basic wheat based all purpose flour in place of my gluten free flour.
Milk of Choice: All plant milks work in this recipe, with the exception of full fat coconut milk. You can use cashew milk, oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or even a homemade dairy free milk as you make the vegan cheese sauce.
Cheese of Choice: The tasters want you to know some important details about the cheese of choice. They say that whilst this is a great recipe, some brands of dairy free cheese will produce a creamy pasta, and not a classic cheesy sauce. They really hammered home the creamy vs cheesy point, so be aware of this. The tasters say that if you want mac and cheese (and not mac and cream), use something like the Follow Your Heart Parmesan Shreds.
Know this as well. If you use 12 ounces of a salty cheese like Parmesan, you’ll need to pull back on the salt in Part 4.
Gluten Free Pasta: You don’t have to use elbow noodles if you don’t have a safe version. You can use any pasta that works. These are the noodles that are in my picture. You can use any shape, and any style of gluten free pasta that works for you (rice pasta, chickpea pasta, etc.). If you’re new to gluten free living, or if this is your first time making a cooked pasta dish, I have a list of gluten free + allergy friendly pasta options here.
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More Awesome Vegan Pasta Recipes to Enjoy
If you’re on the hunt for great gluten-free pasta recipes, look no further. These are all dairy free, egg free, suitable for those with Celiac Disease, and very allergy friendly pasta recipes.
- Cheese Free Gluten-Free Vegan Mac (this is the best vegan mac you can make if you don’t have access to dairy free cheese)
- Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese
- Dutch Oven Lasagna Soup Recipe (one of my kids’ all time favorites)
- Basic Creamy Vegan Pasta Recipe (this sauce recipe is a great way to understand how to make vegan creamy sauces)
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Vegan Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Directions
Start by setting your broccoli up to steam. For this recipe. we’re using steamed broccoli because of the super soft texture. If you were to use roasted broccoli, you’d be changing the texture and flavour profile. That’s not a bad thing as long as you know what you’re signing up for. Just know that this recipe was created to be toddler pleasing and not all little ones love roasted vegetables and are more preferable to steamed veg.
Once the broccoli is steaming, get the water boiling for your pasta. Don’t forget to salt the water.
Now, dice your onion and once it’s ready heat a large/deep nonstick pan on medium heat (7/10 for me). Use a large pot/pan since everything will be mixed together in the end.
Add your cooking fat and when it’s hot/melted, add the onion. Cook for 10 minutes and stir as needed to prevent burning/sticking. Set a timer.
Whilst the onion cooks we’ll move on to the blender (Part 3 Ingredients). Use your kitchen scale to weigh the milk and cheese. Blend on high until ultra smooth. Don’t forget to boil your pasta at some point (refer to the package instructions for the cook time)
When the timer goes off, add your flour and next bit of cooking fat (Part 2 Ingredients). Stir everything together well. Once the ingredients are well incorporated, pour in the contents of your blender and mix together. Set a timer for 5 minutes and allow the milk and cheese to come up to temperature. If you’ve ever made a bechamel sauce, this process is very similar.
Your broccoli should be ready now. Place it on a cutting board and roughly chop. It should be on the mushy side. Just chop as best as you can.
When the timer goes off, add the Part 4 Ingredients to the pot/pan (salt, pepper, marjoram) and mix everything in well. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes.
Turn the heat down to low heat and add your cooked/strained pasta. I don’t rinse gluten free pasta and have never had an issue. Also add the chopped broccoli and last of the milk (Part 5 Ingredients). Mix everything together very well and simmer on low heat for 10 – 15 minutes.
You’re now ready to serve and enjoy.
Vegan Mac and Cheese Storage
This recipe can be stored in your fridge in an airtight container and eaten within a week. For best results, do NOT eat cold. Instead, place leftovers in a small pot and reheat with a little milk of choice. This will help bring your pasta back to life.
GF Pasta Note
When cooking your gluten free macaroni noodles, aim for an al dente cook, where there’s a bit of bite still in your pasta (as compared to super mushy pasta). If your pasta is cooked perfectly, or even overcooked, once you transfer it for the simmer, you may end up with pasta you don’t enjoy.
For this vegan gluten free mac and cheese, you can use any gluten free pasta. My kids who can have wheat say that Jovial Foods brown rice pasta tastes the closest to regular pasta (wheat based). However, you can also use brands such as Barilla, Banza, Veggie Craft, and everything in between.
If you’re new to cooking gluten free pasta, or need a new GF pasta recommendation, check out this fantastic article.
Spice it Up
As is, this is a very kid friendly, family friendly vegan, gluten free mac and cheese recipe. However, if you’re a fan of spices, consider trying one of these ideas the next time you make this recipe:
- Swap the steamed broccoli for roasted shredded carrots (or add them in addition to the broccoli)
- Add spices such as smoked paprika or thyme.
- Rotate thru different dairy free cheeses including cheddar cheese, gouda, and vegan Swiss cheese. You can also use a blend of cheeses.
- Make a spicy pasta with garlic powder, ground ginger, and a little chipotle powder.
- Create a delicious cauliflower mac n cheese by swapping the broccoli for cauliflower florets.
- Garnish your vegan mac with chopped fresh herbs.
- Add Italian seasoning, BBQ spices, or even curry powder during Part 4 for a very interesting meal.
- Make an herbed or seasoned gluten free breadcrumb topping (this is the gluten free bread crumb brand that I use, and there are others to choose from)
As you can see, these are all savory ways to change up your mac n cheese. Now, if you have anyone in your life enjoys fancier food, you could make them a truffle and tomato vegan gluten free mac and cheese. You’d start with this as a base recipe, and add diced mushrooms to the pasta sauce step along with diced sun-dried tomatoes. Add shaved truffle before serving, and now we’ve got something that screams WOW. This mixture is the kind of thing I’d serve to select tasters, as not everyone on my crew is a truffle fan.
Also, if you go this route, don’t use a cheap truffle oil that’s less than 0.5% truffle. Splurge on the meal and get truffle. Here’s an example of canned sliced truffle that you can purchase (I’ve not used this particular brand before).
No matter what, just be sure to play to your audience. When you’re feeding a toddler who enjoys simple ingredients, stick to the base recipe. If you’re hosting friends and family, share something that you know they’ll love.
More Delicious Vegan Recipes
If you’d like to make more delicious dishes for your family, check out these recipes. They’re all gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and very allergy friendly.
- Gluten Free, Vegan Chickpea Patties (one of my kids’ favorite chickpea recipes)
- Vegan Chili Recipe (one of my kids loves eating this cold for lunch with grain free chips)
- Easy Pesto Recipe (this sauce has a lot of applications for other meals)
- Easy Vegan Black Bean Pasta (tastes good cold so long as you use a good GF pasta that performs well the next day when cold)
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Answering Your Vegan Gluten Free Mac and Cheese Recipe Questions
Could I use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese?
No, when making this gluten-free mac, you won’t be able to swap the dairy free cheese for that much nutritional yeast. Whilst some feel it does have a cheesy flavor, in such a large amount, you’d ruin your dinner.
If you’re all out of dairy free cheese, or don’t have a safe option, skip this vegan mac and make this recipe instead. It’s for a super creamy cheese free macaroni pasta.
Can I make the cheese sauce in my food processor instead of the blender?
No, you’ll need to use your blender. A food processor won’t give you the smooth texture we’re after. Now, having said that, if you only have access to a food processor, do it. The whole purpose of that step is to break down the dairy free cheese.
As you probably know, dairy free cheese doesn’t really melt as promised. By breaking it down in the blender first, we ensure that we’ll have the proper consistency in the end. So if a food processor is all you can use, make the sauce in that, and know that you may need to cook your sauce longer before adding the cooked macaroni to ensure all the little pieces of cheese have fully melted.
Is non-dairy milk the same thing as dairy-free milk?
If you manage a milk/dairy allergy, it’s important to know that generally, no, they don’t mean the same thing. Nondairy (also written as non-dairy) used to imply that there could be a very small amount of cow’s milk dairy in a product. Dairy free on the other hand means zero dairy. Period.
Whilst the regulation has changed over the years, the US FDA generally has the viewpoint that “non dairy” could contain up to 0.5% of dairy milk derivatives such as caseinate. Dairy free always meant zero milk or milk derivatives.
Anytime you’re at a grocery store and want to purchase plant milks but you see the term non-dairy rather than dairy free, contact the brand for clarification. You can also start on their website, as some brands have a robust FAQ.
If you don’t like the answer, or are uncomfortable, do not purchase the milk. If you mange a lactose intolerance, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to have the product, but it’s still a good idea to get in touch with the brand before purchasing.
For those who manage a vegan diet by choice, you’ll have to assess this on a case by case basis and only purchase what you’re comfortable with.
Can I use onion powder instead of diced onion?
For the best result, I don’t suggest making that swap. Diced onion will always bring something different to the table when compared to onion powder, not that onion powder isn’t great. However, you’ll have an overall better flavor experience if you stick to the original recipe and use the onion.
In a pinch, you can use shallot in place of the diced onion. Also, did you know you can purchase frozen diced onion?? I saw this for the first time recently, so in case that helps, now you know. It’s also a lot less expensive than pre-diced onion that’s sold in the produce section of grocery stores.
What brand of dairy free cheese offers a soy-free option?
When it comes to plant-based cheese options, several brands provide a soy-free option. Know that a lot of the soy free + dairy free cheeses will be nut based, or have a very long list of ingredients. Kite Hill and Miyoko’s would be my top two suggestions. For more information, refer to this section in my Ultimate Guide to Dairy Free Substitutes.
Is this a nut-free recipe?
So long as your vegan substitutes for dairy products are free from tree nuts, yes, this is naturally a nut-free recipe. If you need information on dairy free substitutes, refer to my Ultimate Guide on Milk Free Substitutes. I cover milk, cheese, and more. Plus there are links to brands along with major allergen notes, including tree nuts.
Can I use regular cheese in this recipe?
If you don’t need a vegan version, yes, you can use a regular cheese of choice in this recipe. You’ll want to taste your cheese of choice and really think about the salt content. If it’s salty, pull back on the salt in Part 4. Remember, you can always add a little more salt, but you can’t take it away if you’ve used too much.
Does this vegan mac taste like the real deal?
Personally, I couldn’t tell you because I’m allergic to all of the recipes I develop. Here’s what I can say, based on what the taste testers tell me (not all of them are allergic to milk and some have a great point of reference).
This mac and cheese does have a cheese taste, but it’s a dairy free cheese taste, and not an authentic cheese taste that you’d have in regular cheese. It’s not a bad thing, as long as you’re OK with dairy free cheese.
Is it exactly the same as the real deal? No. However, it’s as close as you’re going to get if you have multiple food allergies and need to avoid a wide range of ingredients.
Could I use cashews as a substitute for the dairy free cheese?
Maybe. It depends on what your expectations are. If you’re expecting the best mac that really tastes of cheese, then no, you shouldn’t use cashews. On the other hand, if you’re wanting something that’s packed with flavor and is super creamy, sure, cashews can work.
Should you choose to go that route, you’ll need to add salt and spices to your blender contents, or you just have plan, bland creaminess. I’d start with smoked salt, a little black pepper, some thyme, a pinch of rosemary, a little marjoram, and maybe smoked paprika or a pinch of crushed red peppers. Gotta keep it interesting, right?
Does Whole Foods sell Daiya cheese?
The last time I was at Whole Foods, I saw a lot of alternative cheese options including Daiya. However, it can be hit and miss depending on where you live, so call ahead to check. If you have a Sprouts or natural/organic style grocery store in your area, call them as well. You can also see if Daiya has a store locator on their website (I sometimes find this in the footer navigation of a website).
Is this considered a healthy recipe?
First, it’s important to remember that the term healthy isn’t a regulated term. Different people will define the term in a way that makes sense to them. Personally, I wouldn’t consider this an overtly healthy recipe when compared to something like salad. However, when I compare it to chocolate cake or a box of standard mac and cheese available, suddenly this recipe is starting to look nice and healthy.
Perspective is everything when it comes to healthy, and ultimately, you should cook recipes that meet your personal nutritional needs and overall health goals.
Can I bake this recipe like a classic mac n cheese casserole?
I’ve never tried making this in a casserole dish with gluten free breadcrumbs, so, here’s my official advice. Do a small test bake. If you have a small ramekin, I’d start with that. Add your cooked pasta, gluten free breadcrumbs, and anything else you’d like to add. Pop that in your oven and see what happens.
My concern is that because we’re working with gluten free pasta, the extended cook time might ruin the integrity of the noodles. For something like a baked casserole, you might want to par-cook the gluten free pasta, mix it with the sauce, then transfer it to your casserole dish. Add your toppings and bake. As for the baking time, I’d start with 10 minutes, then assess. Remember, this is all theory based on other baked pastas I’ve made, so take great notes as you experiment.
