Is mac and cheese vegan? Traditionally no, but there’s no reason that it can’t be! There are so many different methods to make vegan mac and cheese taste better than the real thing and so many products on the market which are beyond delicious.
That being said, if you’re looking for some of the best vegan mac and cheese brands (boxed and frozen), then you’re in the right place!
We’ve compiled a wide variety of dairy-free options to check out that you can find in-store and online. They’re a great addition to your shopping list – especially if you’re transitioning to veganism.
Let’s get to the list!
Oh – and be sure to read until the very end. There’s a video that you’ll want to see.
As always – double-check ingredients before buying. We do our best to make the articles accurate, but they do change, and sometimes multiple ingredient statements are floating around. We include them to get a feel for which types of ingredients each brand uses.
Don’t have time to read? Here’s a quick summary of the products we recommend.
Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac
Daiya might as well be the authority on Mac and cheese, or anything vegan-cheese for that matter. After all, they’re one of the biggest and most widely distributed brands.
They have this deluxe cheezy mac and quite a few others. It’s creamy, delicious, and super easy to make.
There are absolutely very few on this that we could find.
Daiya also makes an alfredo style mac and cheese with that parmesan flavor.
Brown rice pasta (whole grain brown rice, rice bran, water), filtered water, tapioca starch, non-GMO expeller pressed: canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, sea salt, natural vegan flavors, pea protein isolate, tricalcium phosphate, cane sugar, lactic acid (vegan), xanthan gum, yeast extract, titanium dioxide (naturally occurring mineral), annatto (color), onion.
Daiya White Cheddar Style Veggie
Daiya didn’t stop at regular mac, and as awesome as this one is, there’s still more.
As for this one, though, it’s a great way to get those extra veggies in your diet. Without having to compromise on the flavor and still indulge in a little comfort food.
They also have a regular white cheddar style if you only want the comfort and a bacon mac if you want extra comfort.
Brown rice pasta (whole grain brown rice, rice bran, water), filtered water, dried vegetable blend (pea, carrot, red bell pepper), tapioca starch, non-GMO expeller pressed: canola and/or safflower oil, sea salt, natural vegan flavors, pea protein isolate, tricalcium phosphate, cane sugar, lactic acid (vegan), xanthan gum, yeast extract, titanium dioxide (naturally occurring mineral), onion.
Annie’s Organic Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce
If you want something reminiscent of Velveeta, this is a good buy.
It has that same creamy sauce, and the texture is practically identical. Plus, it’s got those traditional shells.
This is great for kids because the shells are tiny, and the cheese sauce is made with pumpkin and sweet potato, so it’s a great way to sneak in extra nutrients.
Organic wheat shell pasta, organic pumpkin powder (organic maltodextrin, organic sunflower lecithin), organic sweet potato powder (organic maltodextrin, organic cornstarch, organic sunflower lecithin), organic corn starch, organic tapioca starch, sea salt, organic mustard powder, organic vegan flavor, organic paprika, organic onion powder, organic garlic powder
Annie’s Organic Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Elbows Gluten-Free
This is literally vegan Kraft mac and cheese, the same taste, the same texture; it even looks the same and the elbow shape.
And if you’re switching over, it will give you that same look and feel, so you won’t know what you’re missing.
A great product for helping vegans transition if you’re avoiding gluten.
Organic rice pasta (white and brown rice flour), organic pumpkin powder (organic maltodextrin, organic sunflower lecithin), organic sweet potato powder (organic maltodextrin, organic cornstarch, organic sunflower lecithin), organic cornstarch, organic tapioca starch, sea salt, organic mustard powder, organic vegan flavor, organic paprika, organic onion powder, organic garlic powder
Road’s End Organic Mac & Chreese
Similar to Annie’s, this is like Kraft, only if Kraft used white cheese.
It’s a little cheesier than Annie’s, and some people may find it to be on the less-dry side.
Some have complained about it being a little heavy on the garlic flavor, but not many.
Most people find that the garlic adds a little bit of flavor. The company also make shells and cheese with similar taste and texture.
Organic Semolina Shells: Organic Semolina Flour, Water. Cheese Mix: Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Enriched Nutritional Yeast (nutritional yeast, niacin (B3), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), riboflavin (B2), thiamine hydrochloride (B1), folic acid, vitamin B12), Organic Tapioca Starch, Salt, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Ground Yellow Mustard Seed. Allergen: Contains wheat. “
Upton’s Naturals Ch’eesy Bacon Mac
Upton’s have outdone themselves with this one here.
Not only did they mac 100% vegan mac and cheese, but they also put seitan bacon in it, and then they made it ready in one minute.
Amazing.
They have one without the bacon, but honestly, why wouldn’t you go all the way.
If you like seitan, this will blow you away.
Durum wheat semolina, nutritional yeast, rice bran oil, vital wheat gluten, wheat flour, soy sauce (soybean, wheat, salt), corn starch, paprika, sea salt, liquid smoke, mustard, onion, garlic, turmeric, sugar.
Earth Balance Mac and Cheese
If you want a familiar brand, Earth Balance is here for you.
Check out this vegan starter kit
They have 2-flavors, this cheddar and white cheddar, both vegan and equally good.
It’s inexpensive and still pretty good.
This one also has that Kraft Mac taste and feel, so it’d be another great one if you’re giving vegan mac a try if you’re trying to transition.
Gluten-Free Pasta (Corn Flour and White Rice Flour), Vegan Sauce Seasoning (Maltodextrin, Dehydrated Sunflower Oil, Salt, Corn Starch, Yeast Extract, Modified Food Starch, Natural Flavors, Lactic Acid Powder [Lactic Acid, Calcium Lactate], Citric Acid, Paprika Extract [Color])
**This is for their gluten-free version. They have both a gluten-free and a regular.
Namaste Foods Say Cheez Pasta Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
This mac is free of literally everything.
It’s wheat, gluten, egg dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy-free.
Contains no preservatives or additives.
It is non-GMO and is safe for people with casein and fish allergies. Not that this stuff would be in a vegan product anyway, but the point is that the brand is very allergen conscious.
It’s easy to make and does require butter or oil to make it. But they do give you directions on the box if you’re not very skilled with the box mac.
They recommend adding in some of your favorite veggies to step it up a notch.
Brown rice pasta (whole grain brown rice flour, rice bran, water), rice milk powder, quinoa flour, garbanzo bean flour, non-dairy cheddar cheese flavor, onion powder, turmeric, and paprika.
Field Roast Mac and Chao
Field Roast makes this amazing Chao cheese that satisfies that craving when it’s starts to become overwhelming.
They have taken this cheese and put it in a box with penne for all of us mac and cheese lovers who need a quick fix.
It’s creamy and has that rich taste that the Chao slices have.
Enriched flour (durum flour, wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), filtered water, Creamy Original Chao Slices [coconut oil, modified potato starch, fermented chao tofu (soybeans, sesame oil, calcium sulfate), sea salt, natural flavor, olive extract, beta carotene], nutritional yeast, modified corn starch, hot sauce (distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt) and spices.
Field Roast Chili Mac and Chao
You read that right; Field Roast made a chili mac and chao.
This mac is spicy and so flavorful. It’s made with Field Roast Tomato Cayenne Chao Slices and a bean chili that will knock your socks off.
It will make you tear up a little bit because it is very spicy, but it’s worth it for the taste and quality. Plus, the price point isn’t too bad either.
Creamy Original and Tomato Cayenne Chao Slices [coconut oil, modified potato starch, fermented chao tofu (soybeans, sesame oil, calcium sulfate), sea salt, natural flavor, olive extract, beta carotene, tomato juice, green and red dried bell peppers, cayenne pepper, and paprika extract], filtered water, enriched flour (durum flour, wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), FieldBurger (vital wheat gluten, organic expeller-pressed palm fruit oil, barley, garlic, expeller pressed safflower oil, onions, tomato paste, celery, carrots, naturally flavored yeast extract, onion powder, barley malt, sea salt, celery seed, black pepper), pinto beans (pinto beans, salt), modified corn starch, hot sauce (distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt) and spices
Amy’s Rice Macaroni and Cheeze
If you want extra cheese and then some, Amy’s has got your back.
This is a personal favorite because I’m obsessed with cheese. And the pasta reminds me of childhood mac and cheese.
All around, this stuff is great.
Some people complain about the texture of the pasta, but if anything, you could always replace it with another. Honestly, I think it’s fine.
Organic Rice Pasta (Organic Rice Flour, Water), Filtered Water, Daiya Vegan Cheddar-Style Cheeze (Filtered Water, Tapioca and/or Arrowroot Flour, Expeller Pressed High Oleic Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Pea Protein, Salt, Inactive Yeast, Vegan Natural Flavors, Vegetable Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Annatto), Organic Expeller Pressed Safflower and/or Sunflower Oil, Organic Sweet Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Nutritional Yeast, Mustard Powder.
Pastariso® Vegan Mac Uncheddar
This is another classic mac, and it’s also gluten-free. They also add pea protein to the pasta if that’s something you’re interested in.
Some people find it a little dry, but you can always add vegan butter or milk to make it creamier.
It can be a little hard to find, but Amazon usually has it in stock, and the price point is usually pretty good for much you get.
They also have a white cheddar flavor that is also gluten-free.
High Protein Rice Mac (White Rice, Brown Rice, Pea Protein) Vegan Seasoning (Organic Maltodextrin, Sunflower Oil Powder Ip (Sunflower Oil, Food Starch-modified, Maltodextrin, Silicon Dioxide to Reduce Caking, Mixed Tocopherols), Salt, Organic Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, (Lactic Acid, Calcium Lactate), Citric Acid, Color Added (Paprika)
So Delicious Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
So Delicious did right when they named their company because this mac and cheese are amazing.
It is a little hard to come by; you can figure out where to buy it from on their website.
It’s not sold on platforms like Amazon at writing, but it is sold in a few stores.
It is well worth the trouble of going to find it, though.
It’s taste, smells, and even looks like the real deal. You may be able to fool your non-vegan friends with this one.
And it’s gluten-free to boot!
organic, gluten-free pasta (organic white rice flour, organic green lentil flour, organic corn flour), algal protein, veggie blend (carrot, tomato), sea salt, natural flavor, coconut oil powder (maltodextrin, organic coconut oil, rice starch, natural flavor), guar gum, and lactic acid
So Delicious Dairy Free Mac and Cheese Pizza Flavor
So Delicious didn’t stop at just average mac and cheese.
They went above and beyond to make pizza mac and cheese.
The only one of its kind.
There isn’t anything special about it other than the pizza flavoring in the cheese sauce.
Like there’s no little pieces of tomato or anything like that.
But the pizza flavoring takes this mac to another level by adding that garlic Italian style taste.
organic, gluten-free pasta (organic white rice flour, organic green lentil flour, organic corn flour), algal protein, veggie blend (carrot, tomato), sea salt, natural flavor, coconut oil powder (maltodextrin, organic coconut oil, rice starch, natural flavor), guar gum, pizza seasoning (spices, garlic, salt, onion), mustard (seed), annatto, and lactic acid
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
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