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On a high carb, high fat diet? 😂 This Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese is perfect for you!
Indulgent Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese
Jokes aside, I don't indulge frequently but when I do - it's on pasta! I probably gained 3 pounds testing this Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese (seriously, I made it 3 times to perfect it and could not resist eating a bowl each time.)
The first time I tested it, I tried to get all complicated and make a cheese sauce on the side. But I think the whole point of an Instant Pot is to make life easier. I settled on a recipe that you can just throw together and EAT.
Store bought vegan cheese makes this recipe happen. My favorite vegan cheeses for mac and cheese are: So Delicious Cheddar Shreds, Chao Creamy Original, and Daiya's Medium Cheddar Block. If you don't like the Daiya shreds, you might like the cheddar block. I like the texture better and find it doesn't have as much of an aftertaste. Whatever the case, grab your favorite vegan cheese, and let's go!
How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese in an Instant Pot
Add a 16oz box of macaroni pasta, 4 cups of water, and a little salt to your Instant Pot (this is the Instant Pot I have.) Put the lid on and make sure the valve is set to seal. On manual mode, set the timer to 4 minutes. Your Instant Pot will heat up, pressurize, and then begin the countdown.
When the timer goes off, release the pressure by moving the valve over (do NOT open the lid yet). Hot steam will roar out and sputter, so be careful!
Once there is no longer steam coming out, your Instant Pot has officially depressurized and you can remove the lid. Set your Instant Pot on sauté mode (this will help the macaroni absorb any liquid left in the pot and also help your cheese melt.) Stir in the non-dairy milk, butter, cheese and your seasonings of choice.
I love super flavorful mac and cheese so I usually add: mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and sometimes a veggie bouillon cube. Vegan cheese is typically less salty than dairy cheese so adding some extra salt via the bouillon cube helps.
You can also add nutritional yeast (if I use Daiya, I'll add some.) We all have different tastes so just add whatever you like.
Serve right away!
If you're looking for baked vegan mac and cheese, try this recipe.
Recipe
Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz box macaroni
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- ½ cup cashew milk or any non-dairy milk
- 2 cups shredded vegan cheese
All of the following seasonings are optional/or to personal taste!
- ⅛ teaspoon mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon or one cube
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- To your instant pot, add in macaroni, water and salt.
- Close the lid and make sure to valve is set to seal.
- Using the manual setting, set to 4 mins.
- Meanwhile, shred or cut up your cheese if necessary.
- When the Instant Pot timer goes off, release the valve and let the steam come out. Once there is no longer steam coming out, open the lid.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode.
- Stir in non-dairy milk, vegan butter, cheese, and seasonings of choice. You might need to add more milk to get a creamy consistency.
- Once the cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, turn off the Instant Pot and serve!
