Coconut Milk Mac And Cheese Recipe (Dairy-Free)

Creamy, cheesy, soft, and comforting. That’s how I would describe mac and cheese. How about you guys? But what if you need to make a dairy-free version of your favorite dreamy bowl of goodness? This coconut milk mac and cheese recipe will help you hit the spot. It’s got all that silky soft goodness of your regular mac and cheese. 

I love coming up with ways to make dairy or gluten-free traditional dishes. Nowadays, there are so many different dietary requirements, and I feel like these kinds of recipes are so helpful.

So, give this mac and cheese a try, and I really hope you’ll get a kick out of making my tasty version. It’s a super quick and easy mid-week meal that doesn’t take a lot of elbow grease to prepare.  

What is coconut milk mac and cheese?

 Coconut milk mac and cheese is a dairy-free version of the regular mac and cheese we’ve all grown up loving. Instead of the traditional white sauce made with flour, butter, and milk, this version is made with coconut milk and thickened with cornstarch. In place of cheese, the sauce is given a lovely cheesy flavor and color with nutritional yeast and turmeric.

It’s really just as tasty and unctuous as the mac and cheese you’re used to making. It’s also packed with really amazing nutrients and healthy ingredients, making it an absolute joy to dive into.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is the list of easy-to-find ingredients you’ll need to make my coconut milk mac and cheese:

• 2 cups uncooked macaroni pasta (any pasta will be fine)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 x 13.5 oz can of coconut milk
•  ½ cup water
• 4 TBS nutritional yeast
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• 1 tsp sea salt
•  ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 clove garlic, minced
•  ¼ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp vegetable stock granules

Easy coconut milk mac and cheese recipe

Ok, so here are the insanely simple steps to getting your new best dairy-free dish together:

Step 1:

Boil the macaroni or pasta of your choice in boiling, salted water until al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta; the result will be too soft and squishy. 

Drain the pasta through a sieve or colander and set aside. I put 1 tsp of vegetable oil through the cooked pasta just to stop it from sticking together.

Step 2:

Add the can of coconut milk and water to a medium-sized pot or saucepan to make the sauce.

Step 3:

Place the cornstarch and nutritional yeast into a small bowl and scoop some coconut milk into it. 

Stir the liquid with the cornstarch to make a thin paste, and then pour that back into the coconut milk. Make sure the coconut milk and water are cold when you do this to avoid lumps from forming.

Step 4:

Add the remaining ingredients into the coconut milk mixture and stir them slowly with a whisk to get everything mixed in well.

Step 5:

Turn the heat on and stir with a whisk or spoon until the sauce begins to simmer. Once the liquid thickens, turn the heat down and stir for about one and a half minutes.

Step 6:

Turn off the heat, stir the paste into the sauce (or vice versa), and serve while still hot and steamy.

How to store coconut milk mac and cheese

You can store your coconut milk mac and cheese in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. 

Allow the dish to cool completely before packing it into its container. This will prevent the whole thing from steaming up and becoming squishy in its sealed container.

You can freeze this dish for 2 to 3 months.

Tips and tricks

Here are a couple of tips and tricks to getting the very best version of a coconut milk mac and cheese:

• Don’t use sweetened coconut milk. Mac and cheese needs to have a savory, cheesy flavor, and sweetened coconut milk will clash with that flavor profile.
• Use a full cream or fat coconut milk for the creamiest texture possible.
• As the recipe states, add the cornstarch and a little of the cold coconut milk and water mix first. Making up a little paste this way will help avoid any lumps and bumps forming in your sauce.
• If you want to take this dish up to the next level, add a little vegan cheese to the sauce right at the end.

FAQ

What can you substitute for milk in mac and cheese?

There are so many ingredients that you can use instead of regular cow’s milk to make your mac and cheese sauce with. 

As in this recipe, coconut milk is a great option to make the sauce with. Any good unsweetened plant milk can be used in place of cow’s milk, such as rice, oat, and almond milk being just a few.

Can mac and cheese be made without milk?

Another way to make macaroni cheese without milk is to make up a batch of vegetable or chicken stock and use that instead of milk. 

Although slightly lighter in color, using chicken stock as the base for your sauce will make a delicious dish.

Does mac n cheese taste good with almond milk?

As long as it’s unsweetened almond milk, it’ll taste good. You’ll want to flavor it well with ingredients like garlic, mustard, chicken or vegetable stock, and nutritional yeast to make sure you get the best out of your almond milk white sauce.

Wrapping it up!

There are many ways to make good mac and cheese without dairy. This recipe for coconut milk mac and cheese will give you all the dreamy creamy delight of the mac and cheese you grew up with.

You can experiment with a ton of different kinds of milk to find the one you like most, but definitely give this coconut milk version a go.

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