Do you love the creamy, nostalgic flavor of Panera mac and cheese? This 100% dairy-free Vegan Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese is so decadent. You’d never guess it’s made from cashews! If you love comforting recipes like this, try Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars, Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and Vegan Lasagna Soup!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Healthy Comforts: You can still enjoy really comforting, delicious food without feeling like you’ve overdone it. This mac and cheese is lightened up but still so delicious.
- Dairy Free: No dairy necessary to make a creamy, hearty pot of mac and cheese. This recipe uses a base of raw cashews for creaminess.
- Family Friendly: This is the dinner I make when I need a mom-win. Everyone is happy with Vegan Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese!
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Notes on Ingredients
- Cashews: Raw cashews are the base in this cheesy sauce. We have not tried another substitute.
- Nutritional Yeast: Adds cheesy flavor to the sauce.
- Milk: You’ll need dairy-free milk. I like to use Milkadamia’s Milkadamia Nut Milk to add to the richness of this dish but any unsweetened milk is fine.
- Broth: One half cup of vegetable broth is needed to thin the sauce.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW in the recipe card.
How do you make Vegan Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese?
- Boil cashews for 5 minutes to soften. Blend all ingredients in a blender, except for the pasta, until smooth.
- Make pasta then strain. Add pasta back into the pot and combine with the mac and cheese sauce. Stir on medium until heated through.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Commonly Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You’ll also love my Hidden Veggie Mac & Cheese!
No, we recommend using a high-speed blender to blend the cashews to ensure they fully blend and become super smooth and creamy.
Yes, I soak mine for 5-10 minutes in boiling or super-hot water and then drain them, before blending. I find it yields a much creamier sauce and they’re easier to blend. It’s especially important to soak them if you aren’t using a high-powdered blender
“This is great! I just made it for dinner tonight with some peas. It is absolutely delicious and comes together so quickly and easily.”
– LKD
Extra Helpful Tips
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Make sure to combine the sauce with the pasta right after you strain the pasta! If you leave the pasta in the strainer, it will clump together.
- If the sauce is too thick you can add a bit more milk to thin it out.
- Make sure to boil or soak the cashews ahead of time so that they blend more easily.
If you tried this Vegan Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Vegan Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta shells
- 1.5 cups cashews raw
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¾ cup dairy free milk I used Milkadamia Macadamia Milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon vegan butter optional
Instructions
- Boil cashews for 5 minutes to soften. Blend all ingredients in a blender, except for the pasta, until smooth.
- Make pasta then strain. Add pasta back into the pot and combine with the mac and cheese sauce. Stir on medium until heated through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Make sure to combine the sauce with the pasta right after you strain the pasta! If you leave the pasta in the strainer, it will clump together.
- If the sauce is too thick you can add a bit more milk to thin it out.
- Make sure to boil or soak the cashews ahead of time so that they blend more easily.
Ben says
This was delicious. It tastes more like an Alfredo sauce to me. Maybe I needed to put more nutritional yeast in it but this is definitely a keeper.
5/5 says
Super hearty and flavorful.
LKD says
This is great! I just made it for dinner tonight with some peas. It is absolutely delicious and comes together so quickly and easily.
Diane Peterson says
Any substitution for cashews?
Danielle Brown says
macadamia nuts!
Hunter says
Sauce tastes so good. The texture isn’t as fine to me as it looks in your photos. I have a ninja professional 1500 watt machine, using the food processor. The cashews didn’t seem to get blended too well I guess.
Hunter says
I transferred it from my food processor to blender and it was night and day difference. I re-read your notes on using the blender as a preferred, but food processor if one doesn’t have a blender.
Great stuff. This will be our Mac N Cheese dish for 4th of July…hoping the Omnivores of my extended family enjoy it 🙂
Danielle says
Is this 3/4 cups milk or 3 or 4 cups?
I made it to 3/4 and it isn’t creamy! But still tastes great 😅
Freund Dena says
Can the sauce be made ahead of time?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
Yes, but it will thicken if made ahead of time and stored in the fridge
Laurie Edwards says
I used 3/4 and it was creamy. I dint thunk it would matter if you added more until it is as you like it!
Laurie Edwards says
I used oat milk, because it is what I had. It is delicious!! One key, keep blending until it is smooth! Thank you!!
Kathy says
Would this be okay to make and then freeze to be warmed up as a meal to take to someone?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
I have never tried freezing it and then defrosting. It will taste best if made same day or day before and warmed day of.
Erik B says
Fantastic recipe, Danielle! My non-vegan father-in-law loved it! As I usually do with macncheeze, I added frozen peas, and as I always do with pasta, I cooked it in the instant pot. The store was out of original Milkadamia, so I bought the “Barista” version, delicious.
Peggy Brey says
What is the nutritional breakdown of this recipe?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
Hi! Feel free to enter it into an app like My Fitness Pal.
Priscilla says
Oh my goodness, LOVED this!! I had soy milk and used that just fine, and didn’t need to soak cashews as I have a vitamix. The sauce was the perfect texture! I’d probably cut down on the pepper a bit next time, but that’d be the only modification! Aside from finding smaller shell pasta, which I couldn’t in time. Next time 😆
Jordan Stacy says
I used to LOVE Panera’s mac and cheese and this was so nostalgic for me!!! I can’t have dairy, so this was the perfect substitute. I use gluten free noodles!