Sweet potatoes make a surprisingly smooth and creamy sauce for one of America’s favorite dishes. Of course, our version isn’t just delicious; it’s also as healthy as it can be! Enjoy this vegan Mac and Cheese for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack.

By Del Sroufe,

Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce package dried whole grain macaroni
  • 1 large sweet potato (12 ounces), peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk, such as almond, soy, coconut, or rice
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Transfer macaroni to a large bowl.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook sweet potato, covered, in enough boiling water to cover 8 to 10 minutes or until tender; drain.
  • For sauce, in a blender or food processor combine sweet potato and onion. Cover and blend or process until smooth, adding enough of the milk to reach a creamy consistency. Add nutritional yeast, garlic, nutmeg, and rosemary. Cover and blend or process just until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Pour sauce over cooked macaroni; stir to coat. Transfer to a 2-qt. square baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until top starts to brown.

Comments (19)

(4 from 14 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Vanessa

Just made this for dinner. REALLY enjoyed it. I was out of rosemary so not sure how it would taste with it but next time I’m going to leave out the thyme too - I’m not a huge fan of those two flavours. Definitely on my repeat list!

Geo

How many calories per serving?

Megan Edwards

Hi Geo, We are currently working on adding nutritional information to all our recipes and anticipate for this feature to be live on the website by the end of the year. Please stay tuned for updates! In the meantime, you can always use a nutritional calculator such as Very Well Fit: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076

Akir

It doesn't taste like mac and cheese at all. It tastes more like sweet potato pie. The flavor isn't really bad at all, but if you are expecting the savory and salty flavor of cheese and get the sweet spiced flavor of pie you're going to be disgusted.

Cindy

I made this recipe for my daughters boyfriend who’s gluten free and for me who has CKD. I used Bonza Chickpea pasta instead of whole wheat pasta to make it gluten free. I used Cashew milk and had to use twice as much and a little more. I also needed to add an additional 1/8 tsp of salt and family members added a little more to it on their plate. I thought the dish was okay I didn’t taste even a hint of a cheese flavor with using the nutritional yeast. There were others at the table who said it was good.

Ana

I found the taste allright but not comparable to Mac ´n Cheese :(

Regina H.

I made this today. It is not tasty, it has a very plain taste. I will not make it again.

David Dickinson

I made this tonight and I wasn't a huge fan, my kids thought it was okay. But I think next time I will make it with 1/2 cup onions instead of 1 cup, and 1 cup of plant-based milk instead of 1/2 cup. It was a little too dry and pungent with onions.

Tamara B Harty

Might be the type of onion you are using. Try vidalia

Mark

I made this last night and found it to be quite dry. I had it again today for lunch (reheated in a saucepan) and added some oat milk to give it a more creamy texture. It was a bit better. Overall it was "okay". I've had vegan mac and cheese in a restaurant, and it was extremely good, so maybe I was expecting too much. I'm still on the hunt for a good mac and cheese recipe. I doubt that I would make this particular one again though.

Alba

Me encantó Es una delicia!

Cristiana

Made it tonight, the taste could be better. I think next time I’ll add more nutritional yeast, I did put more milk, only had oats. I’ll try it again

Lea

Does this reheat well, or is it better fresh?

Jama

Husband says, "Honey, it is not Mac & cheese. It is pasta with sweet potatoes sauce!" However, visually it looks right. But that maybe the issue. It does not taste like it looks. It is good and tasty. A pleasant change from FOK basics.

Susan

I am so confused! Is this a thumbs up or a thumbs down review? I feel like it's a thumbs down from your hubby, who is not on board yet with plant-based eating. But it was a thumbs up for you. Is that right? I accept that plant food is not going to taste exactly like animal products -- and I get irritated by people who claim otherwise -- but I do expect it to taste good.

Timothy Harris

Love the recipes.

Donna

OMG this is delicious! I added GF bread crumbs with herb and garlic seasoning on top before baking. I could literally make this ever day !!!

Ryan Paddle

Made many times and will continue to be a staple. Love this recipe; easy to make and makes a lot of delicious food! Love to mix it with salsa once it’s on the plate.

mar

We're making this tonight and the video above is a HUGE help - thank you Forks!!!

About the Author

Headshot of Def Sroufe

About the Author

Del Sroufe

Chef Del Sroufe is co-owner and executive chef of Wellness Forum Foods, a whole-food, plant-based meal delivery and catering service in Columbus, Ohio. He is the author of Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook and Better Than Vegan. Del teaches cooking classes and helps people transition to a healthy plant-based diet.
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