Stovetop Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac and Cheese [Nut-Free]

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This Stovetop Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac and Cheese requires less than 10 ingredients and just minutes to make…and it’s nut-free too!

After making my Cheesy Vegan Mashed Potatoes for my intermittently lactose intolerant husband, I decided to try my hand at creating a dairy-free version of another classic cheesy dish…macaroni and cheese.

Although I may make a more in-depth version in the future, I wanted this dish to be as easy and quick as possible…no blender and no food processor necessary. 😉

How to make an easy cheese sauce that’s also both gluten-free and vegan

To keep the sauce gluten-free, I decided to use…wait for it…wait for it…

Surprise! Chickpea flour! 

OK, fine…you’re not surprised. But it worked so well in my Chickpea Flour Gravy, I knew it would be perfect for making roux for a gluten-free mac and cheese sauce too.

What Other Ingredients are in the cheese sauce?

To complete the sauce, I used vegan butter, unsweetened soy milk and nutritional yeast. 

Now I just needed to figure out the right blend of seasonings…

I opted for onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and salt. But something was still missing.

Hmmm…What could it be?

So, I looked back at my old dairy version of stovetop macaroni and cheese for inspiration. 

And there it was…

Mustard.

But not just any mustard…it was spicy brown mustard.

So, I decided to give it a go…

And, voila! That was the missing piece! We had some flavorful, creamy and super easy mac and cheese…all within the time it took to cook the pasta!

What is the Best Gluten-Free Pasta for this dish?

I used Whole Foods Market gluten-free chickpea shells in these photos, but I’ve also tried this sauce with Chickapea brand shells and spirals,  as well as Modern Table brand spirals. Of course, you can choose your favorite gluten-free pasta. 🙂

How to make this Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese

Cook gluten-free pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, start the sauce by first melting vegan butter in a 2- or 3-quart sauce pan over medium heat.

Next, make a roux by whisking the melted butter with chickpea flour until it resembles a smooth paste and has a nutty aroma (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). 

Then, whisk in soy milk, followed by mustard, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.

Cook on medium-high until the sauce just starts to boil, whisking intermittently.

Turn off the heat, and whisk in nutritional yeast.

Allow to stand for 1-2 minutes to thicken up. After draining the pasta, add it to the sauce pan with the cheese sauce and stir. Serve immediately.

What to serve with Stovetop Vegan Mac & Cheese

You can enjoy this dish as is for a hearty lunch or add some veggies if you’d like, such as peas or broccoli. This creamy pasta can also be served as a side with your favorite meatless main course, such as these Ranch Chickpea Veggie Burgers or these Buffalo Chickpea Veggie Burgers. You can also add it to your holiday table alongside this Holiday Chickpea Veggie Loaf. 

So, what do you think? Let me know in the comments below. 🙂

Psst…I did end up making a more in-depth cheese sauce like I mentioned earlier. This one is made with a base of pumpkin seeds, potatoes and carrots. You can use this vegan cheese sauce not only for mac and cheese, but also as a veggie topper or a dip.

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5 from 12 votes

Stovetop Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac and Cheese [Nut-Free]

This Stovetop Gluten-Free, Vegan Mac and Cheese requires less than 10 ingredients and just minutes to make...and it's nut-free too!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chickpea flour, gltuten-free pasta, gluten free, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

• 8 oz. gluten-free pasta
• 2 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour)
• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened, plain soy milk (I used WestSoy)
• 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• Optional add-ins: broccoli, peas or other veggies of choice

Instructions

• Cook gluten-free pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, begin the sauce. Start by melting vegan butter in a 2- or 3-quart sauce pan over medium heat.
• Make a roux by whisking the melted butter with chickpea flour until it resembles a smooth paste and has a nutty aroma (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). It should be golden in color. If it starts to turn brown, it is burning.
• Whisk in soy milk, followed by mustard, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.
• Cook on medium-high until the sauce just starts to boil, whisking intermittently.
• Turn off the heat, and whisk in nutritional yeast.
• Allow to stand for 1-2 minutes to thicken up. 
• After draining the pasta, add it to the sauce pan with the cheese sauce and stir. Mix in optional veggies if using. Allow to stand for another 1-2 minutes before serving.

Notes

*If after the sauce sits to thicken, it is too thick for your liking, you can whisk in additional soy milk in 1-tablespoon increments.

**If after the sauce sits to thicken, it is too thin for your liking, you can whisk in additional nutritional yeast in 1-tablespoon increments.

Leftovers are best reheated on the stovetop with additional soy milk added in 1-tablespoon increments, but can be microwaved if necessary. 

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