Dairy Free Mac and Cheese Recipe (+ Crispy 'Bacon' Topping)
This dairy free mac and cheese recipe is the ultimate comfort food; it's cheesy, creamy and comforting, with a crispy vegan bacon, sage and breadcrumb topping that is packed with flavour.
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Serves: 4
Calories: 754kcal
Ingredients
For the mac:
- 450-650 ml vegetable stock*
- 250 ml dairy free cream
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp fresh sage (finely chopped (or 3/4 tsp dried))
- 250 g dry macaroni
- 250 g dairy free cheese (grated (ideally a strong flavoured variety**))
For the topping:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 75 g vegan bacon (diced)
- 2 tbsp fresh sage (roughly chopped (or 2 tsp dried))
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 50 g breadcrumbs (fresh)
Equipment
- Large frying pan - ideally oven proof such as a cast iron skillet
Instructions
- Make up 650ml of vegetable stock. Add 450ml of the stock to a large oven-proof frying pan or skillet along with the dairy free cream, mustard, nutritional yeast and fresh sage. Stir to combine.Note: If you don't have an oven-proof frying pan you can use a regular frying pan but you'll need to transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish later in the recipe in order to grill the topping.450-650 ml vegetable stock*, 250 ml dairy free cream, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp fresh sage
- Add the dry macaroni pasta to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally so that the macaroni doesn’t stick. Cook for 12 minutes, or until the pasta has soaked up all of the liquid and is cooked through.Note: Depending on the variety and brand of macaroni you are using, you may need slightly more liquid and/or a few more minutes cooking time until the macaroni is cooked through. If it is not quite cooked at 12 minutes once the liquid has been absorbed, add another 100ml of the spare stock and simmer until it is fully absorbed before testing again.*250 g dry macaroni
- Whilst the macaroni is cooking, make the topping. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a separate small/medium frying pan and add the diced bacon, chopped sage and minced garlic. Fry for 5 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and then stir in the breadcrumbs and remove the pan from the heat.1 tbsp coconut oil, 75 g vegan bacon, 2 tbsp fresh sage, 2 cloves garlic, 50 g breadcrumbs
- Once the macaroni is cooked, stir through 1/2 of the grated cheese (125g). If you're using an oven-proof skillet, sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese over the top of the mac and cheese. Add the bacon, sage, garlic and breadcrumb topping over the top and grill it under a medium-hot grill for around 3 minutes until the cheese has melted and the topping is golden. Note: If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, transfer the mixture to a baking dish, add the rest of the cheese and toppings and then grill for 3 minutes as mentioned above.250 g dairy free cheese
Video
Notes
Vegan / Dairy Free / Egg Free
* The cooking time of the macaroni can vary depending on the type and brand you are using. If after 12 minutes the macaroni has soaked up all of the liquid but is still not quite cooked, add 100ml more of the spare stock and cook until it has been soaked up. Alternatively you can use more dairy free cream or milk instead.
As an example - in one of our tests we used rice macaroni which took 12 minutes and 450ml of stock, however in another test we used regular macaroni, which took 16 minutes and 650ml of stock.
** We used Violife Epic Mature Cheddar for this recipe, which has a nice strong flavour.
Recipe inspired by: Italy
Please check the allergens on the ingredients you purchase before use. The allergen information provided in this recipe is intended as a guide only and is based on the specific ingredients and brands used at the time of creating the recipe, therefore we cannot guarantee that the same will apply to the ingredients you use.
Prep time excludes any inactive time.
We highly recommend you use the metric and 1x options on this recipe card for the best results. Please note that this recipe has not been tested using US measurements or increasing ingredient quantities to 2x or 3x, therefore results may vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 1182mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Net Carbohydrates: 72g
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