Tini's Mac and Cheese Made Vegan
This vegan version of Tini’s viral mac and cheese is creamy, cheesy, and easy to make. Perfect for holidays, game days, and weeknight dinners, it’s a crowd-pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Cavatappi Pasta
- 1 bag Violife Cheddar Cheese
- 1 bag Violife Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 bag Violife Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 3 tbsp Vegan Butter
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 1.5 cups Soy Milk
- 2 cups Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Combine all three shredded cheeses in a bowl and divide half into another bowl. Set aside. Please note that Tini uses double the amount of cheese used here - if you want this recipe to be more identical to hers, you’ll be using TWO bags of each cheese rather than just ONE. I felt that version was way too cheesy which is why I reduced it, but feel free to try either version.
- Combine garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Cook cavatappi in salted water. If you’re making it to enjoy right away, cook it al dente for about 6 min. If you’re going to eat it immediately, cook it for 8 min. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Once melted, add HALF of the seasoning and stir together for about 30 seconds. Then add your flour to create a roux. Stir until the mixture becomes paste-like, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and whisk for a couple minutes to remove the clumps. Reduce to a low heat then add the soy milk, the rest of the seasonings, and the dijon mustard then mix until combined. Grab ONE of the bowls of cheese and slowly add in half of the bowl cheese, allowing it to melt before adding the rest. Leave the second bowl alone, that will come later.
- Stir in the pasta until coated with cheese sauce.
- To your greased baking dish, add half of the pasta followed by half of the other bowl of shredded cheese. Repeat once more with the rest of the pasta and cheese.
- If you’re making this ahead of time, stop here and wait to bake until you’re ready to enjoy.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Finish by broiling until top is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Tini uses exactly double the amount of cheese. I tested it that way and felt it was too much, if you want to do it exactly her way you’ll need 2 bags of each cheese rather than one.