Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese is healthy, flavorful,super creamy, cheesy and is ready under 30 minutes with your electric pressure cooker

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For Cooking Pasta:

  • 8 oz dry macaroni (i used drum wheat pasta (about 2 cups) or any pasta)
  • 2 cups water
  • salt (to taste)

For Vegan Cheese Sauce:

  • 2 medium potatoes (diced into 1 inch pieces)
  • 1 medium carrot (diced into 1 inch pieces)
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 2 cups water (for cooking the vegetables)
  • 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for at least 15 minutes in hot water (65 gm))
  • 1/2 cup water (for making cheese sauce)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk(60 ml) (or coconut milk)
  • 4 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder ((optional))
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
  • salt (to taste)

For serving:

  • steamed broccoli (or green peas (optional))
  • a dash of paprika

Method

  1. Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 15-30 minutes before using them.

Instant Pot Method:

  1. I have used Pot-in-Pot (PIP) method to prepare this pasta dish.
  2. Add macaroni pasta to the inner pot. Add water/broth, salt stir well to combine.
  3. Meanwhile in an oven-safe bowl or stackable steamer insert pans add diced potatoes, carrot, onion, and 2 cups of water. Make sure veggies should be submerged in liquid.
  4. Then place the trivet and then the veggies bowl with water. This way they will both cook together.
  5. Close the Instant pot lid and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position. Set on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) for 4 minutes (or half the time on the macaroni cooking directions minus 1 minute).
  6. When Instant pot beeps, do a QUICK RELEASE. Open the lid and see that the vegetables should be tender and cooked well along with the pasta.
  7. Now, place all of the ingredients for the vegan cheese sauce ie soaked cashews, boiled veggies, seasoning ingredients, milk, water, lemon juice into a high-speed blender jar.
  8. Blend the mixture until smooth. Don't worry if the sauce is runny. It will thicken on mixing with pasta. If the sauce is thick you can add some more milk or water for right consistency.
  9. Pour vegan cheese sauce over your cooked macaroni pasta. Adjust salt and seasoning at this stage.
  10. If mac and cheese haven’t thickened completely, turn the pot to SAUTE mode and cook for a few minutes while stirring.
  11. Sprinkle a dash of paprika and serve the Instant Pot Pressure cooker Vegan Mac and Cheese warm! OR place macaroni mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until crumbs are turning golden brown.

Stovetop Pot Method:

  1. Cook macaroni al dente according to the package instructions.
  2. In a large pot pour 2-3 cups of water and bring it to boil and add diced potatoes, carrot, onions and cook till they are tender and soft. It roughly takes about 10 minutes. Cooking time will vary slightly, based on how big or small you have chopped your vegetables. Reserve some boiled water for making the vegan cheese sauce.
  3. Now, place all of the ingredients for the vegan cheese sauce ie, soaked cashews, boiled veggies, seasoning ingredients, milk, water, lemon juice into a high-speed blender jar. Blend the mixture until smooth. Don't worry if the sauce is runny. It will thicken on mixing with pasta. If the sauce is thick you can add some more milk or water for the right consistency.
  4. Add cheese sauce to the cooked pasta and give it a mix. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes to warm through.
  5. Sprinkle a dash of paprika and serve the Vegan Mac and Cheese warm!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.