Try this Spicy Vegan Cajun Mac and Cheese recipe made with an easy dairy-free cheese sauce. Topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and crispy. Rich, comforting and seriously satisfying.
Did someone say Spicy Cajun Mac and Cheese ?!
It is no secret that I do love the Spicy Cajun Mac & Yease at Plum Bistro in Seattle. A lot of the other vegan dishes that I have tried are touch and go. Some days they are ridiculously interesting and good and some other days it is like a pre-made, half the things forgotten affair.
The Mac n Yease though has almost always been the same. Gooey, spicy, crispy and floating in a load of oil. As my Mom says, that much oil will make anything taste better. I respectfully disagree, Mom.
Though I really like eating their Cajun Mac and Cheese it leaves me with an uneasy tummy after a few minutes. And I always think that if I had to make this, I would definitely reduce the oil/fat a bit. I mean sure it is supposed to be an indulgence that you would normally not eat at home. But there is just so much oil in it.
So I decided to try my hand at a delicious vegan Spicy Cajun Mac and Cheese recipe. I do not have a copy of Makini’s cookbook (which has a smoky Mac recipe), so this came out after some research and trying some things.
Ingredients for this Vegan Cajun Mac and Cheese recipe:
- whole-wheat elbow pasta as a healthy alternative to white pasta. Whole-wheat pasta will keep you full for longer. Feel free to use chickpea pasta to up the protein content of this vegan mac and cheese recipe.
- mustard for some heat and tang. I love dijon mustard for this recipe!! I think it adds a really nice “cheesy” flavor to this vegan mac and cheese.
- red pepper flakes for some spice.
- soy sauce for some more umami. You could use tamari instead.
- bread crumb topping for that lovely crunch! Check out the tips section below for making your own breadcrumbs.
- Cajun seasoning – the spices in this vegan cheese sauce really make it!
- nutritional yeast – this ingredient is what apports the cheesy flavor to this dairy-free pasta sauce which is why I do NOT recommend leaving it out.
Tips and Substitutions for this Cajun Mac and Cheese:
- You can reduce the amount of oil further and also increase the amount of non-dairy milk (add 1/2 to 1 cup more) to get more of that delicious dairy-free cheese sauce and hence more servings.
- Plum’s restaurant version has a good amount of Daiya cheese, making it quite heavy. You can always add some, if you want but I wanted to keep the sauce lighter.
- This is a rather spicy mac and cheese recipe. Use the pepper flakes and cayenne to taste. It is delicious without the spice too.
- You can make your own breadcrumbs for this recipe which is easy and works great! Simply toast 3 thick-cut slices of white bread in your toasted or oven and then brake them into pieces. Put them into the blender and blitz them into breadcrumbs. Transferred the crumbs to a bowl and add some melted vegan butter. Toss them up with it and then place on top of the Cajun Mac and Cheese. You can use brown or whole wheat bread but white bread works best for this recipe.
How to make Spicy Vegan Cajun Mac and Cheese – Step by Step:
1. Roast the flour and oil, then add the hot almond milk and water and spices. Whisk into a smooth consistency.
2. Add al-dente elbows. Mix and take off the heat.
3. Fill the ramekins with the spicy Cajun mac and cheese. Add the bread crumb mixture on top. Drizzle EVOO or thin slices of Earth Balance vegan butter on top.
4. Broil for 2-3 minutes. Let sit in the oven for another few. Remove from Ramekin. Look at that crispiness.
Serve hot!
Customize your Cajun Mac and Cheese:
This Cajun mac and cheese recipe is a delicious vegetarian and vegan comfort food meal. However, you can make this truly yours by adding any of these vegetables.
- tomatoes
- sauteed mushrooms
- caramelized Onion
- shredded Carrots
- par-cooked broccoli or cauliflower florets
- peas
- beans (Pinto, Kidney, black)
- Corn
- scallions
What can I use instead of vegan butter or oil?
You can use dairy-free margarine for this mac and cheese recipe. Just read the ingredients of the margarine and find one that is truly dairy-free. If you want, you can also make your own homemade vegan butter and use that in this vegan mac and cheese recipe.
More Vegan Mac & Cheese recipes on the blog:
- Roasted Tomato Chipotle Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Mac and Cheese Powder
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Nacho Mac Casserole with Tempeh Taco Meat
- Korean Mac and Cheese
Somewhat Plum's Spicy Cajun Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (2.65 oz) uncooked pasta I used whole wheat Elbows
- 3 Tablespoons Oil I used 2 Tablespoons earth balance and 1 Tablespoon organic canola oil. You can reduce this to 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1/4 cup (1.1 oz) unbleached white flour
- 1 cup (8.82 oz) almond milk or other non dairy-milk
- 1/2-2/3 cup (4.41 oz) water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon italian herb blend oregano, parsley, basil, thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1.5 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos
- 3-4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
Topping:
- 1/4 cup (27 g) bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Add uncooked pasta. Cook till al-dente. Heat the almond milk and water till it starts to boil. Meanwhile, in a wide pan, add the oil and flour, mix and cook on medium heat until fragrant. 2-3 minutes.
- Add the hot milk+water to the flour oil mixture slowly. Keep whisking to avoid lumps. Even if there are lumps, they will dissolve as the mixture gets heated up. Add all of the spices, sauces, salt. Continue whisking until bubbly and the sauce is evenly smooth. Taste and adjust salt, spice. Add more garlic, mustard, nutritional yeast, or red pepper flakes if needed. Mix the mac pasta into the sauce and take off the heat after a minute. Cover the pasta and let rest for a few minutes.
- Serve as is or top with some Daiya pepper jack. Or Put some mac n cheese in small ramekins. Mix everything under topping and add a Tablespoon of the bread mixture on top of the pasta. Drizzle a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil(less or more to preference) or put a thin slice of earth balance butter on top.
- Broil for 2-4 minutes until the bread mixture turns golden brown. Let sit in the oven for another 2-3 minutes so the pasta gets heated through. Serve as is or remove from Ramekin and serve. The mac is already spicy, so u use pepper flakes in the bread topping to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in November 2019.
Inspired by Rootielicious’s version . This Mac and Cheese is being shared at Rickis wellness weekend.
~Brain to Blog Wednesdays~
Brambling some of what goes on inside me head onto the blog, as a part of Vegan Month of Food. These are questions and statements from real discussions. Check out other QA sessions on Wednesday posts from this month.
I know everything about how the animals are treated. I just choose to live with it.
This is a tricky one. Most times the person saying this does Not know enough about how animals are treated. And when you do get into more details, there is a very high chance of being shut out. 99 times out of 100, I have been met with disbelief about male calves and male chicks being slaughtered because they are just a no use by-product of the dairy and egg industry.
I cannot associate with animals, hence cannot feel the compassion, hence all this information doesnt do anything.
Also, I cannot associate with “all” animals too, like alligators, snakes and the likes. But I know that each animal species is capable of experiencing a lot of emotions, pleasure, and pain at different levels.
So, I can understand the happiness and pain of our adopted companion dog Chewie. Equally, I can understand the happiness and pain of my husband and family. I can understand that the animals I cannot associate with, feel the same. I can understand that if I had to endure the pain and torture that the animals in the food or other animal exploitation industry go through, I would be distraught, broken, and begging to be freed or killed.
Here are a few videos to get you thinking.
Evolve Campaign video on Why Vegan – Not very Graphic. Its a slide show.
Bite Size Vegans V-logs. – mostly verbal.
If you’d really like to know Where the meat, dairy, eggs come from, please see a few videos from this list.
~end QA.
The Peace Patch says
September 26, 2013 at 12:30 pmI’ve heard so many good things about this Mac n Yease…thank you for Richa-fying it! The crispy crunchability is too tempting to pass up, especially for someone like me that usually passes on the gooier versions. Cheers!
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:05 pmthe one you get at Plum looks like it is almost fried:) I hope you like this version!
Dawn says
September 26, 2013 at 12:34 pmSpicy Mac? yes, please 🙂
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:05 pmYes indeed!
veganmiam.com says
September 26, 2013 at 1:42 pmWhat an awesome new blog layout, Richa! I haven’t been online lately, it’s a long story, but mostly about being ill. I tried the Spicy Mac & Yease @ Plum Bistro – I thought it was pretty good, greasy (but it was supposed to be anyway), spicy and delicious, however I didn’t like the service there.
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:07 pmOh no. Hope you are feeling better. I havent been reaching all blogs too lately. just trying to finish up posts.
yes, the service isnt always great. i usually take takeout because of the wait time to sit. so i just have to deal with the food:).
Caitlin says
September 26, 2013 at 2:02 pmwell doesn’t this look absolutely scrumptious! spicy mac WITH breadcrumbs?! YES PLEASE!
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:08 pmIt is really scrumptious!
Abby Bean says
September 26, 2013 at 3:18 pmIf you could just write a cookbook, I wouldn’t have to have a separate folder for all of your delicious recipes! Also, not “blab;” your words are important. Please don’t ever feel the need to undermine them.
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:13 pmThanks you Abby! <3 Cookbook is daunting task but I might start bugging them publishers:) Thank you once again. I am never sure if my answers hit the right balance of succinct, non-judgy, effective points in the discussion. It seems like my thinking is finally aligning with my emotions.
VeggieAmanda says
September 26, 2013 at 3:38 pmThis sounds truly amazing. I think I need to GF this recipe and have it soon. You said spicy and I said “Heck yeah!”
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:14 pmI think you use a gf flour to make the mix. and use gf pasta. 🙂
Laura says
October 19, 2014 at 10:52 pmYes! This would be great to try GF. I really like using Mochiko/glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour for rouxs, gravies, bechamels – nothing else GF seems to have the right texture. My Dad liked making a gravy with mochiko so much that he said he would prefer it to using regular flour, actually.
luminousvegans says
September 26, 2013 at 4:38 pmThis does sounds truly amazing! I love a little spice in my dishes. Not too much, but enough to keep it interesting. I think it’s a nice complement to the rich cheesiness of a dish like this. I totally want this for lunch right now.
Richa says
September 26, 2013 at 5:15 pmI used to think that over the years my spice requirement has become mild, but a dish without a spice component makes me reach for some pepper everytime.:)
Richgail @AstigVegan says
September 26, 2013 at 10:40 pmI’ve been to Seattle only twice but both times I had the great opportunity to try the Mac and Yease at Plum Bistro. Until now, I still dream about it. Hands down it’s the best mac and cheese I’ve had. Thanks so much for this recipe. Now I could have it without having to cross thousands of miles 🙂
Richa says
September 28, 2013 at 7:14 pmThanks RG. Yes you can now make it anywhere! :))
Anonymous says
September 28, 2013 at 6:05 pmCan the nurtional yeast be omitted?
Richa says
September 28, 2013 at 7:15 pmIf you omit the nutritional yeast, the sauce will not taste cheesy but still delicious. or you can add some non dairy cheddar shreds,but those will also have nutritional yeast in them.
Glue and Glitter says
September 28, 2013 at 7:20 pmIt looks delicious as always!
I hear ya about getting shut out when you try to point out the truths about animal agriculture. Even when I try to do this gently, I have noticed folks often just don’t want to hear it. It strikes me that it’s not “I’ve made peace,” but, “La la la! I can’t heaaar you!” It’s sad, and I have no idea what to do after hitting that wall.
Annie says
September 28, 2013 at 8:20 pmThis is exactly what I want for my Saturday night. It’s been raining, the temperature as dropped, and creamy, spicy comfort food would hit the spot.
Richa says
October 6, 2013 at 8:18 pmfor shizzle.! this is going to warm you up till your toes.. probably with some steam out of your ears.
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes says
October 2, 2013 at 3:00 pmYou are the mac n’ cheeze queen Richa- this is the perfect fall comfort food!
Joann says
October 4, 2013 at 7:30 amJust made this and I must say I was skeptical looking at the ingredients, but it is almost the same as Plum’s! Only much less greasy, which is a good thing. I found it a little too spicy and will cut back on that next time, but it is oh so yummy. Thank you Richa!
Richa says
October 6, 2013 at 8:18 pmAwesome! so glad you liked it. yes the spice is definitely on the high side. though i usually add a bit more. Spice is very personal taste, so adjust the pepper flakes and cayenne for less heat.
Leigh says
October 20, 2013 at 4:10 pmIt was awesome. Really really yummy:
http://www.aluminarium.com/camping/utah/kens-lake/
Ema says
November 7, 2013 at 6:43 pmDo you think if I used chickpea flour, that it would still turn out okay? My husband is GF and vegan and I’d love to make this for thanksgiving.
Richa says
November 7, 2013 at 7:06 pmHi Ema, chickpea flour will work but might add a different taste. you can use half white rice flour and half chickpea. Or instead of making the roux, use cashews and starch to make a thick sauce. Use 1/4 cup cashew flour and a Tablespoon of arrowroot or corn starch. the method would be like this sauce http://www.veganricha.com/2013/05/pasta-and-sauce-in-jar-white-sauce.html
Laura says
October 19, 2014 at 10:54 pmI know I’m over enthusiastic on this point, but sweet rice flour/Mochiko/glutinous rice flour (does not have gluten) works great for thickening sauces. Best of all the GF options I’ve tried.
Mae says
November 16, 2013 at 6:55 amSarah from Fried Dandelions recommended that I check out your blog. As I’m looking through your recipes, I’m amazed! Not to mention that your photography is excellent! Then I stumbled on this recipe, and absolutely had to make it. I had everything in the ingredients list…except the pasta. So I looked up how to make bow tie pasta at home, and viola! This was delicious! I wish I could have baked it, but I don’t have ramekins or a baking dish small enough. But it was delicious anyway! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lauren says
November 17, 2013 at 3:41 amRicha,
This recipe was delish! I made it tonight with roasted brussel sprouts and topped it with a bit of Daiya before popping it in the broiler. It was a hit- even the MLB (Meat loving boyfriend) claimed it to be his new favorite vegan mac n cheese. Thank you!
Nadine says
January 18, 2015 at 6:13 pmI’m not eating pasta at the moment but I love the yease too much to go without
GloBelle Villager says
May 6, 2015 at 6:49 amWow ~ Just happened to visit Seattle yesterday (from Vancouver) and stopped @ Plum for lunch. Before I even arrived I was already craving their Mac n’ Yease… (I had it once before) and though I find it super rich it is a nice treat /comfort food for days with thunderstorms & hail (which I encountered on the I-5)…
My wish of trying to make this at home now has a boost with your recipe. Thanks for hacking this 🙂
Monica says
May 28, 2020 at 6:27 pmThis is scrumptious, especially at a time when comfort food is so necessary. Thank you!