vegan mac and cheese with broccoli in a bowl and bowl of spinach and tomatoes

The original recipe that really launched my blog! This super easy, nut free, ultra creamy vegan mac and cheese sauce is still the most made recipe on the blog- a close tie with the olive oil chocolate chip cookies.

vegan mac and cheese with broccoli in a bowl and bowl of spinach and tomatoes

Creamy, addicting, and simple vegan Mac and cheese sauce made from one of my favorite ingredients- tahini!

I love that you don’t have to use nuts for this one– no soaking required and a way cheaper recipe! You only need 5 ingredients for this one, and they are all staple ingredients I always have on hand!

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, with a texture similar to a runny nut butter. It makes such a surprisingly delicious ingredient for savory sauces or dressings, but also works so well in baked goods! Love a good versatile healthy fat.

I could eat this multiple times a week, every week. It never gets old! 

vegan mac and cheese with broccoli in a bowl
vegan mac and cheese with broccoli in a bowl and bowl of spinach and tomatoes

I typically pair mine with brown rice pasta or chickpea pasta, but it’s also delicious over rice or chicken. I then add in some green peas and spinach or broccoli (or any veggies on hand)!

Once you try this recipe, you’ll be totally hooked. Can’t wait for you to try!!

Print
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Simple Vegan Tahini Mac and Cheese

  • Author: Mia Zarlengo
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 12 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x

Description

Easy, creamy and rich vegan tahini mac and cheese. The best vegan substitute to classic mac and cheese!


Ingredients

Scale

To make enough for for 1 (12 oz) box of pasta:

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened dairy free milk, more to thin as needed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • Juice of 12 lemons (start with 1, add more to taste)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. If you are serving with pasta, cook the pasta according the the box. 
  2. Blend all ingredients until well combined. If sauce is thicker than desired, slowly add in more milk of choice to thin.
  3. Adjust seasonings and serve with desired veggies and/or protein. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in and airtight container. Reheat leftovers gently on the stove with a splash of vegetable broth!

Notes

This recipe makes enough sauce for 1 box of pasta, but the recipe can easily be cut in half! 

Appetizers + Sides, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lunch + Dinner, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Category:

Nov 3, 2019

Simple Vegan Tahini Mac and Cheese

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag @gatherednutrition on INstagram so I can see what you made! Leaving a rating and review on the site is a huge help too!

  1. Jean says:

    Ooomg I love this tahini mac sauce!!! Love that it’s a healthier twist on comfort food! Delish recipe, thank you!!!

  2. Cara says:

    This sauce is something I make all the time during the week to add to any lunches I pack for work. It’s so good and so easy to make. I put in on and/or mix it with noodles, quinoa, rice, turkey meatballs, chicken, or vegetables, etc. I even use it as a dip sometimes for chips or crackers or whatever is in my reach. I usually use a blender but when/if I don’t have one (and still obviously need to make this sauce) just mixing it all together in a bowl is easy. Mia is the queen of sauces and this one never disappoints!!!!

  3. Sarah says:

    This is the best quick meal ever.. It is literally upgraded (vegan!) mac & cheese. I serve with lentil pasta, peas + spinach and it is packed with nutrients. Yum!!!

  4. Melissa says:

    When do I add the broccoli?

    • Mia Zarlengo says:

      Hi Melissa! If you want to add broccoli, I recommend steaming it or sauteeing first then stirring it in when everything is done 🙂

  5. Susannah says:

    This is amazing!!

  6. Jordan says:

    This is delicious and SO easy to make. I love Mac n cheese, but I’m a little sensitive to dairy products, so this recipe is perfect. Normally my boyfriend doesn’t like any substitutes for cheese, but he loves this dish and uses the leftovers as his lunch for work.

  7. Megan L says:

    I’m not French but this is tres bien oui oui!! A staple of mine 🙂

  8. Victoria says:

    Not sure why I never thought to make a pasta sauce with tahini as a vegan since I love pasta and tahini…I had this about a billion times last year ???? so delicious!

  9. Abby Goyak says:

    AMAZING!!!! Super easy to make and tastes delicious.

  10. melina sagarrica says:

    Love!! except I think my lemons were oversized, it ended up being way too citrusy so i had to tweak! But I am sure next time i will add lemon juice more carefully 🙂 Excellent recipe and super quick!

    – Mia, how best to store this sauce? i have extra

    • Mia Zarlengo says:

      Hi Melina- thank you for this note! I’ll play around with the recipe to get an exact amount of lemon juice! As far as storing, this is best served fresh but you can store for 1 day in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just note that it’s hard to reheat tahini and it may get a little grainy in texture!

  11. Emily says:

    Love love love this recipe! So easy and tastes amazing!

  12. Dana says:

    Is there a substitute that can be used for nutritional yeast?

    • Mia Zarlengo says:

      Hi Dana, there isn’t a great dairy free sub for nutritional yeast, but you could sub parmesan if you eat dairy!

  13. Cassi says:

    There’s a reason this tahini mac sauce is so popular, it’s so good and so satisfying! I’ve found myself whipping this up time and time again when I’m feeling kind of lazy, but wanting something a little bit more substantial the scrambled eggs, because it’s so simple and delicious 🙂

  14. Betty says:

    This recipe is so delicious and easy to make! I make it on repeat and normally have a jar of the sauce in my fridge for easy work lunches. Mia’s recipes sure do make eating healthy so much easier????

    • Mia Zarlengo says:

      This is SO sweet- thank you so much Betty 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!!

  15. Conrad says:

    Incredible! I didn’t have any almond milk on hand so I used oat milk. I accidentally added 2/3cup instead of a half a cup and it turned out so creamy and delicious. Wouldn’t trade that mistake! I sauteed green beans with onion and garlic, then added the sauce and then the noodles and it was the perfect meal.

  16. Laura says:

    My husband is dairy free and I’m stoked to be able to have something that tastes equally creamy and delicious as the dairy version!

  17. Bailey says:

    Such an easy recipe that really packs a lot of flavor! I definitely don’t miss the dairy in this, the nutritional yeast makes it taste so cheesy.

  18. Valerie says:

    Do you heat the sauce or add the cold blended sauce to warm pasta?

    • Mia Zarlengo says:

      I would add it to the warm pasta! If you need to you can gently reheat on low, but too high of heat will change the texture a bit!

  19. Tiana says:

    This was no good in my opinion.

  20. Julie says:

    This was SO easy and so delicious. Even my picky, self-proclaimed Mac and cheese connoisseur of a boyfriend loved it. Creamy, healthy and yummy! Added spinach and peas to the pot for more veggies and used a high fiber pasta.

  21. my boyfriend just looked at me and said “this is the best pasta you’ve ever made” lol. I love tahini and a creamy vegan pasta! I also use gf pasta and add green veggies. this is one of Mia’s recipes that I keep coming back to!!!

  22. Julia says:

    I LOVE THIS SAUCE! It’s my go-to, and so easy to make. Is the sauce freezable?

  23. Sue says:

    Is it better to make this with tahini made with raw or toasted sesame seeds?

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Simple. Attainable. Gathered Nutrition.