Vegan Baked Miso Mac and Cheese (with Togarashi Crumb)
Nov 15, 2023 • Updated Sep 25, 2024
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My take on a classic dish, this Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese features a secret ingredient: white miso paste! Complete with a creamy vegan cheese sauce, pasta of your choice, and a spicy togarashi crumb topping, this Holiday side dish truly has it all.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
If you’re looking for the best vegan mac and cheese, with all of the creamy goodness of the classic version, but none of tummy troubles, this Vegan Baked Miso Mac and Cheese recipe is for you!
In this baked version, a creamy, cheesy sauce is made from a base of cashews, veggies, aromatics, spices, nutritional yeast, and a magical ingredient that adds incredible umami flavor– white miso paste! It’s blended into a smooth sauce, poured over cooked pasta and baked with a spicy cornflake topping.
If you see me this holiday season this will be my contribution and everyone can eat it tummy-ache-free because it’s dairy-free and made with veggies! The ultimate comfort food made vegan!
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some light equipment for this recipe– a food processor, high-speed blender, mandoline (or sharp knife), and pots and pans. If you’re struggling to source ingredients from a regular grocery store, I recommend checking out your local Asian market or online.
For a full list of ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Miso Cheese Sauce
- raw cashews: I haven’t tested this with regular plant-based milk, but it could work if you use thicker milk like cashew milk, full-fat coconut milk, or oat milk.
- vegetable broth
- carrot
- yellow onion
- nutritional yeast: Adds a nutty and cheesy flavor without any cheese!
- russet potato
- garlic cloves
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- white miso paste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- pasta of choice
Togarashi Breadcrumb
- unsweetened cornflakes
- garlic
- vegan butter
- white miso paste
- ichimi togarashi: This is a Japanese spice blend, most commonly known as ichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend). It offers a spicy, citrusy, umami flair to this dish.
- salt and pepper
- green onion
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparing the Miso Cheese Sauce
Step 1: Start by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil. Pour into a small bowl and add raw cashews, making sure they are completely submerged in the water. Let soak for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Bring a medium pot of filtered water to a boil and add carrot, onion, potato and garlic. Boil for 8 minutes or so, until veggies are fork tender, then drain and transfer the veggies to a high-powered blender.
Step 3: Add soaked cashews, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, miso paste, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Step 4: Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of water over medium-high heat. If you like al dente, cook for 1-2 minutes less than instructed. Once cooked, transfer to a heat-safe baking dish or casserole dish. Add cheese sauce, stir to combine, and set aside.
Step 5: At this point, preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare your breadcrumb.
Prepare Togarashi Breadcrumb
Step 1: Thinly slice garlic cloves using a mandolin.
Step 2: Melt down butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add garlic to the pan before the butter starts to sizzle. Stir continuously, keeping an eye on the garlic slices, and as soon as they start to brown slightly, remove from the heat. Transfer to a paper towel and season with a pinch of salt.
Step 3: Transfer the remaining butter in the pan into a small bowl and whisk in miso paste until smooth. Set aside.
Step 4: Add garlic chips, cornflakes, togarashi, and salt and pepper to taste to a food processor and pulse until an even crumb forms. Transfer the mixture to a bowl then pour in the miso butter mixture and stir to create your crumb topping.
Bake!
Step 5: Generously add the breadcrumb mixture to the top of the mac and cheese, then transfer the dish to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the topping is nicely golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Top with sliced scallions to garnish and enjoy immediately.
Secrets to Success
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use your favorite brand of gluten-free pasta. Some good options include elbow macaroni, penne, or another short pasta of your choice.
- If you’re looking for a stovetop version of mac and cheese, check out this High Protein Vegan Mac and Cheese.
Serving Tips
For best results, serve immediately with sliced scallions. Feel free to serve with vegan parmesan cheese as well. This is an excellent take-along dish for special occasions (think holiday season!) or a fun recipe to make and try for dinner at home.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend reheating in the oven to crisp up the topping, but a microwave will work as well.
Recipe FAQs
White miso paste is a fermented soybean paste that has a rich, umami flavor that can resemble the savory and tangy taste of cheese. The fermentation process produces compounds similar to the ones found in aged cheeses, which enhance umami. White miso is slightly sweet and mild, and has a super creamy texture, which mimics cheese and makes it the perfect ingredient in a recipe like this vegan baked mac and cheese!
More Vegan Holiday Recipes
Sweet & Savory Holiday Harvest Rice
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Vegan Baked Miso Mac and Cheese (with Togarashi Crumb)
Equipment
- Baking Dish 5×7"
- blender
Ingredients
Miso Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup carrot peeled and diced
- 1 cup yellow onion
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup russet potato diced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8-10 oz pasta of choice
Togarashi Breadcrumb
- 1 1/2 cups cornflakes unsweetened
- 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2-3 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- 1-2 tsp ichimi togarashi adjust to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 stalks green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
Preparing the Miso Cheese Sauce
- Start by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil. Pour into a small bowl and add raw cashews, making sure they are completely submerged in the water. Let soak for 10 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of filtered water to a boil and add carrot, onion, potato and garlic. Boil for 8 minutes or so, until veggies are fork tender, then drain and transfer the veggies to a blender.
- Add soaked cashews, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, miso paste, garlic powder and smoked paprika to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and once cooked, transfer to a heat safe baking dish. Add your sauce, stir to combine and set aside.
- At this point, preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare your breadcrumb.
Prepare Togarashi Breadcrumb
- Thinly slice garlic cloves using a mandolin.
- Melt down butter in a shallow pan over medium heat and add garlic to the pan before the butter starts to sizzle. Stir continuously, keeping an eye on the garlic slices and as soon as they start to brown slightly, remove from the heat. Transfer to a paper towel and season with a pinch of salt.
- Transfer the remaining butter in the pan into a small bowl and whisk in miso paste until smooth. Set aside.
- Add garlic chips, cornflakes, togarashi and salt and pepper to taste to a food processor and pulse until an even crumb forms. Transfer the mixture to a bowl then pour in the miso butter mixture and stir to create your crumb topping.
- Generously top your sauced up pasta with the breadcrumb mixture then transfer the dish to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until topping is nicely golden brown and sauce is bubbling. Top with sliced scallions to garnish and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Secrets to Success
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use your favorite brand of gluten-free pasta. Some good options include elbow macaroni, penne, or another short pasta of your choice.
- If you’re looking for a stovetop version of mac and cheese, check out this High Protein Vegan Mac and Cheese.
Serving Tips
For best results, serve immediately with sliced scallions. Feel free to serve with vegan parmesan cheese as well. This is an excellent take-along dish for special occasions (think holiday season!) or a fun recipe to make and try for dinner at home.Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend reheating in the oven to crisp up the topping, but a microwave will work as well.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post may contain affiliate links.
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