Easy Vegan Tofu Mac and Cheese (2024)

Jul 10, 2022 by Monica - 30 Comments

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This tofu mac and cheese is an easy way to make a protein-packed vegan mac and cheese from silken tofu and some hidden veggies! The soft tofu makes the sauce super creamy and some sauteed onions, garlic, and red bell pepper give it flavor and beautiful orange color.

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❤️ Why make tofu mac

This recipe is kid-approved, quick and easy to make, and packed with healthy tofu and veggies!

My son who hates red peppers gobbles them down in this rich and creamy, cheesy sauce!

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

Silken Tofu- this is the very soft tofu that comes in a shelf-stable box. (I usually use firm or extra firm silken tofu.) You can also use soft tofu instead of silken tofu.
Onion- for flavor. You can use 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead, but I highly recommend that you use fresh onion.
Garlic- for flavor. You can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead.
Red Bell Pepper - this will give your mac & cheese a beautiful orange color and give more flavor to the sauce.
Cooking Oil- for frying the onion and garlic. You can use any other oil that you want to use like canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. You can use 1/4 cup of vegetable broth instead to make it oil-free.
Lemon Juice- for a balance of flavors. You can omit it if you choose.
Nutritional Yeast- for the cheesy umami flavor. You can omit it if you want, but the sauce will not taste as cheesy.
Salt- for flavor.
Mustard- for flavor. This gives the cheese sauce a little cheesy bite.
Turmeric - just a dash for color.
Pasta Water- use some of the starchy pasta water to thin out the sauce. (You could also use vegetable stock if you choose.)
Pasta- pour this tofu pasta sauce over any type of pasta that you want. See myguide to vegan pasta brands. Use gluten-free pasta to make the dish gluten-free.)

🔪 Helpful tools

Blender - for blending the veggies and silken tofu into a creamy sauce. You could also use a food processor or an immersion blender, but I find a traditional blender the easiest.

🥄 Instructions

Step 1 - Cook your pasta of choice according to package directions. (Reserve 1 3/4 cups of the cooking water.)

Step 2 - While your pasta is cooking, peel and dice an onion, seed and dice the red bell pepper, and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Then saute them over low heat in 3 tablespoons of oil with a sprinkle of salt until the onions turn translucent.

Step 3 - Cut open the package of silken tofu and drain off any excess water, then add the tofu to the blender. (There is no need to press silken tofu.) Then add the sauteed onion, pepper, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Step 4 - Add 1 cup of starchy pasta water to the blender and blend until smooth. Add an additional 3/4 cup of the pasta water and blend again until very smooth.

Step 5 - Put the cooked, drained pasta into the frying pan used to saute the onions and pour the tofu mac & cheese sauce over the macaroni.

Step 6 - Mix well and warm over low heat.

Step 7 -Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tips

Saute the onion, red pepper, and garlic over low heat to bring out the sweetness of the onion and to ensure you don't burn them.
The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, so you want it to be fairly thin when it's hot.

❓ Frequently asked questions?

What is silken tofu?

Silken tofu is a very soft smooth tofu that is shelf-stable and doesn't need to be refrigerated. It is packed in a small amount of liquid that should be drained off. Silken tofu should not be pressed. You will just crush the tofu if you try to press it, and no extra liquid will come off of it anyway.

Can I use soft tofu instead of silken tofu?

If you don't have silken tofu, you can swap it out for soft water-packed tofu. It just won't be quite as smooth and creamy as if you had made the cheese sauce with silken tofu.

Can I make vegan cheese sauce without nutritional yeast?

Yes, you can leave the nutritional yeast out of this sauce if you choose. It won't have as much of a cheesy flavor, but it will still taste great. (If you omit the nutritional yeast, reduce the water in the sauce to 1 1/2 cups.

🥦 How can I make mac & cheese healthier?

You can add some peas or broccoli to the mac & cheese. Toss in 2 cups of frozen peas or 2 cups of chopped broccoli into the cooking water about 5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking. This will cook the veggies and you can just toss them with the pasta. I do this all of the time to make broccoli fettuccini alfredo.

You can also add a can of pumpkin puree to the cheese sauce as I do in my vegan pumpkin mac and cheese recipe for added nutrients.

🥗 What to serve with vegan mac & cheese?

Vegan Caesar Salad
Broccoli Slaw Salad
Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Tofu Egg Salad Sandwiches
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

🥡 Storage and reheating

Refrigerate:This tofu mac & cheese will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze:The texture of tofu changes in the freezer, so your tofu cheese sauce may get a little grainy if you freeze it. If that's okay with you, store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating:Reheat the macaroni and cheese in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a few tablespoons of water and reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop.

🌟 More vegan mac & cheese recipes

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📋 Tofu mac & cheese recipe

5 from 18 votes

Print Recipe

Tofu Mac & Cheese

A rich and creamy vegan mac and cheese made from silken tofu, veggies, and spices blending into a delicious faux cheese sauce.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: sauce

Cuisine: American

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

1 (16 oz package) macaroni (or shells or other small pasta shape)

Tofu mac & cheese sauce

1 (12.3 oz block) silken tofu
1 medium onion (about 1 cup diced)
1 medium red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons light olive oil
4 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 3/4 cups pasta water
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (or red pepper flakes)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook your pasta of choice according to package directions. (Reserve 1 3/4 cups of the cooking water.)
While your pasta is cooking, peel and dice an onion, seed and dice the red bell pepper, and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Then saute them over low heat in 3 tablespoons of oil with a sprinkle of salt until the onions turn translucent.
Cut open the package of silken tofu and drain off any excess water, then add the tofu to the blender. (There is no need to press silken tofu.) Then add the sauteed onion, pepper, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Add 1 cup of the starchy pasta water to the blender and blend until smooth. Add an additional 3/4 cup of the pasta water and blend again until very smooth.
Put the cooked, drained pasta into the frying pan used to saute the onions and pour the tofu mac & cheese sauce over the macaroni.
Mix well and warm over low heat.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Notes

Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic over low heat to bring out the sweetness of the onion and to ensure you don't burn them.
The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, so you want it to be fairly thin when it's hot.

Nutrition

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Eva says
March 05, 2024 at 2:59 pm
Hello. Would it be possible to freeze the sauce, you think?
Reply
- Monica says
  March 06, 2024 at 11:06 am
  Yes, you can freeze this sauce for up to 3 months in an air tight container. Enjoy!
  Reply
Sonya Davidson says
February 16, 2024 at 1:27 am
Omg this is a keeper. Thank you! I can't have dairy and this fills in the gap of a comfort food.
Reply
- Monica says
  February 16, 2024 at 10:32 am
  I'm so happy that you liked it, Sonya!
  Reply
Josie says
January 09, 2024 at 9:05 am
This recipe is delicious. My only concern is that the sauce is super thin. How would you recommend thickening this?
Reply
- Monica says
  January 09, 2024 at 11:01 am
  You can simply add less pasta water to make it a little thicker if you wish.
  Reply
- Ethan says
  March 04, 2024 at 12:37 pm
  Let the sauce simmer for like 10 minutes in the pan before adding in the pasta. The starch in the pasta water will act kinda like cornstarch so when the water evaporates, it will thicken
  See Also
  The Barefoot Contessa's Zucchini Pancakes
  Reply
No oil? says
January 01, 2024 at 9:10 pm
Can I leave out oil? (I'm on no salt, no oil, vegan, keto diet). Should I replace with something else?
Reply
- Monica says
  January 02, 2024 at 11:28 am
  Yes, you can leave out the oil. You can use some vegetable broth to sauté the onions.
  Reply
Xan says
December 22, 2023 at 1:18 pm
My husband is a big fan of Mac and cheese. And he absolutely loved this recipe. I love it because it's fairly easy to make. Question though what if I wanted to add a vegetable to this mixed, in like broccoli or other. How would I do that?
Reply
- Monica says
  December 23, 2023 at 1:52 pm
  If I want to add vegetables to it like broccoli or peas, I usually toss them in the pasta water and allow them to cook with the pasta for the last 5 min of cook time. I use this method in my broccoli alfredo recipe. You can check that recipe out here... https://thehiddenveggies.com/vegan-broccoli-alfredo/
  Reply
Abbey Efird says
December 10, 2023 at 3:58 pm
I made this and it is great! I sautéed mushrooms before adding the noodles back to the pan. Then threw in some fresh chopped spinach and stirred it in at the end.
Reply
- Monica says
  December 11, 2023 at 11:05 am
  I'm so happy that you liked the recipe!
  Reply
Alicia says
July 21, 2023 at 10:27 pm
Easily one of my all time favorite meal prep meals!! Been eating this stuff for 2 weeks straight lol! I use the Barilla protein plus pasta for even more protein and shred a little extra vegan cheese on top. Comes together so quick and easy! Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
- Monica says
  July 22, 2023 at 11:58 am
  Great idea! So happy that you like the recipe!
  Reply
Renee says
July 30, 2022 at 3:12 pm
Awesome. Added smoked paprika and used just a tad less than a cup of pasta water.
Reply
Amy says
July 22, 2022 at 10:38 pm
Monica, on the shelf stable tofu - I have only found it refrigerated. I am assuming if refrigerated to begin with, you must keep it refrigerated until used? And if not refrigerated, you can store in the pantry? Also, do you prefer the firm or extra firm shelf stable when making this mac & cheese?? Thanks for the recipe!!
Reply
- Sonia Jacobs says
  July 23, 2022 at 10:13 am
  Shelf stable silken tofu can be difficult to find. I get it in major grocery stores, usually on the top shelf in the Asian food section. Mori-Nu is the brand I always find. It is in a cardboard box the size of a couple decks of cards, stacked. This is much softer than regular tofu and will not crumble. The soft is the texture of pudding or mayo. I don’t think you need to worry about getting too firm (sometimes the selection is limited) you can just add more liquid if needed.
  Reply
Donna says
July 11, 2022 at 4:54 pm
This is a great recipe. I feel silken tofu makes a much better cream sauce than cashew cream. I added a few teaspoons of truffle oil and oven roasted mushrooms to the recipe and served it over penne pasta. Just delicious
Reply
- Monica says
  July 12, 2022 at 2:25 pm
  Sounds delicious! So happy that you liked the recipe, Donna! 🙂
  Reply
Sonia Jacobs says
July 10, 2022 at 12:56 pm
What a wonderful idea! I have seen many recipes for vegan mac & cheese, but never one with silken tofu. It makes perfect sense! Lots of protein and enough natural fat to make it smooth and creamy. Thank you!
Reply
- Monica says
  July 12, 2022 at 2:22 pm
  You're welcome! I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
  Reply
Rita Shields says
July 10, 2022 at 12:56 pm
Can I sub soy milk for part of the pasta water for added protein?
Reply
Rita Shields says
July 10, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Hi...I plan to make this and wonder if I can sub unsweetened soy milk for part of the pasta water?
Reply
- Monica says
  July 12, 2022 at 2:21 pm
  Hi Rita, yes, that will work fine too. You will just need to use the same amount of liquid. Enjoy! 🙂
  Reply
Amy says
July 10, 2022 at 11:47 am
If I use soft tofu, do I need to press a little or just drain and go?
Reply
- Julie says
  July 10, 2022 at 3:59 pm
  Hi Amy, I just read #3 step where she mentions you just need to drain the tofu. There is no need to press it.
  Reply
- Monica says
  July 14, 2022 at 11:15 am
  Hi Amy, You can just drain well and go. The soft tofu will just fall apart when pressed much like the silken tofu. Enjoy! 🙂
  Reply
  - Amy says
    July 16, 2022 at 7:18 pm
    Thank you, Monica. Can't wait to try. Stocking up on grandson-friendly food!!
    Reply
    - Monica says
      July 17, 2022 at 11:33 am
      You're welcome, Amy. Hope that he likes it! 🙂
      Reply