The time has come my lovelies, my White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese is finally here. Now, if you’ve been paying close attention, you might have noticed that I made this variation over Thanksgiving last year and I had quite a few of you ask me to share the recipe. Fast forward four months later, you can imagine how good it feels to finally share it with you; I took my time fine tuning it and now I can honestly say it’s perfect and ready to go.
This recipe is very similar to my traditional mac and cheese, which is another popular blog recipe . The main difference is I cut back on the water and removed the cornstarch. The results are still thick and creamy, although I love what the cornstarch adds to the original texture, I also wanted to try a version without it and I think it is just as delicious. I also added a carefully selected group of powerhouse ingredients to elevate the flavor of the dish to be over the top and decadent.
TRUFFLE OIL
The two most important ingredients to this newly revised recipe are: white truffle oil and roasted garlic. What I am about to say is very important, so listen up! You must invest in some good white truffle oil. This specialty oil is expensive and it should be. It is infused with an incredibly expensive, fragrant, and highly desirable mushroom that grows wild and underground. It is one of the most exquisite ingredients humans have to consume. I do not want any eye rolls when you see the prices for different bottles on the market.
First, truffle oil lasts a long time because you don’t need that much for big results. Think of it as a finishing oil. Second, it’s a treat. You shouldn’t be dousing everything you eat in truffle oil. Think of it as a nice bottle of wine or expensive candle. Be conservative. (Unless you’re rich and then I guess it doesn’t matter. Show off.)
My favorite truffle oil is no longer available so I am on the hunt to find a new one that I love. I have used this one from Amazon and I think it’s good for now. My tip is to look for bottles in specialty kitchen stores- they usually have the good stuff. Another trick to finding the best white truffle oil is to smell it. When you open a bottle of good oil, it should hit your nose intensely and make your eyes roll into the back of your head. Smelling and consuming fragrant white truffle oil is a sensual experience. Do note that this oil is not intense like say, a spoonful of soy sauce or hot sauce. It doesn’t explode on your tongue like that. It is more of a deeply aromatic experience than anything. Take your time while eating and savor it.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR WHITE TRUFFLE OIL MACARONI AND CHEESE
If you think you can get away with using black truffle oil- think again! White truffles are more flavorful and aromatic. This makes them more expensive and thusly, the oil is more expensive. Don’t worry tough, this recipe only calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons, so even if the bottle is really nice, it should only be around five dollars worth.
As for roasting the garlic, it is so easy! Please trust me on this, no meltdowns if you’ve never done it before. There are literally a dozen ways to do it. The basic idea is to slice the tip of the garlic head off to reveal all of the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap or cover with foil or baking vessel, and roast until the cloves are golden and caramelized. You can check out the many ways to do that here.
TIPS & TRICKS
For this White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese recipe, I chose to go with small shells with ridges. I feel as though this recipe is for a special occasion and because it uses such an expensive ingredient (i.e. truffle oil), the shape and feel should be fancy, too. You can use whatever noodles you like, but if you want to be cool like me- stick with the small shells.
When making the cheese sauce, please remember to blend the cashews and water FIRST. If you add everything at the same time, your blender will have a very hard time making everything velvety smooth. In fact, it might not even be able to blend up those cashews to the desired consistency. Follow the recipe as written and make the cream first. You will thank me later.
If you are allergic to nuts, you can use any desired plant-based milk (as long as it’s vegan or it won’t work). This may change the texture of this (making it not as thick) and I have not tested it but my gut tells me it should be just fine. I’ve used shelled hemp hearts before (instead of cashews) and it was okay. The flavor was sort of grassy from the hearts, which isn’t ideal, but for all you nut allergy people- you understand. Sorry, folks.
WANT TO TRY SOME OTHER COMFORTING SIDE DISHES?
ENJOY THIS WHITE TRUFFLE MACARONI AND CHEESE
I hope you all enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please let me know in the comments and/or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations. And most importantly, have fun and order white truffle oil today! Happy cooking!
–Timothy
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) pack small pasta shells or desired noodles, plus water + salt to boil
1 cup raw cashews*
3 cups filtered water
1 pack vegan provolone or gouda slices (7 ounces)*
1 pack vegan mozzarella slices (7 ounces)*
1 pack vegan white aged cheddar slices (7 ounces)*
¼ cup vegan butter
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons miso (chickpea, mellow white, or sweet miso)
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 head roasted garlic
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 - 2 tablespoons white truffle oil
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and begin roasting head of garlic.
2. Fill a large pot with water and a healthy sprinkling of sea salt. Bring to a boil and add the noodles. Boil for about 5 minutes, until they are al dente (remembering it’s ok if they are slightly firm because they will cook more in the oven, so no need to worry). Drain with a colander and transfer to a 9” x 13” baking dish (this recipe will just fit in that!) or desired baking vessel. Set aside.
3. In a high-speed blender, add the cashews and water and blend until smooth and creamy. This should take a minute or two. Add the chopped cheeses, butter, dry mustard, nutmeg, miso, peeled roasted garlic head, and cayenne pepper. Start by blending on low and gradually turn up the speed, until you are left with a smooth and creamy sauce, scraping down the sides and moving everything around as needed (please work with your blender, help it out and don’t give it a brain aneurysm). If using a smaller blender, divide the cashew milk in half and try making the sauce in two separate batches.
4. Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles in the baking dish. Mix well.
5. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden and the cheese is thoroughly melted. Remove from the oven, pour on truffle oil, and stir with a large spoon. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
notes
For the miso, I recommend a pale, more mellow miso. The darker ones are too robust for this recipe, IMO.
If you are not using a vitamix, you may need to soak the cashews in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them.
Hot Tip! At the very end, turn the oven broiler on and place the baking dish on the top shelf. Watch it closely and it will begin to brown and look gorgeous (only a few minutes). Once desired color is achieved, remove and enjoy.
PLEASE STIR AND KEEP CALM. I know someone who made a recipe video of this mac and cheese and she ate it right out of the skillet without mixing or letting it sit. She then mentioned it tasted better after it sat out for a while. HeLLo! That’s what the recipe says to do, booger! By mixing and letting the dish sit, it becomes thicker and creamier. And believe me you will be rewarded for your patience!
I like using Chao cheese or Violife for this recipe.
40 comments
Thanks Mississippi Vegan! Mac and cheese party this weekend! Can’t wait to try this one. Looks heavenly ?✌️
I can’t wait for you to try it!
Christmas dinner tomorrow!
Oh Timmy! ?
Oh dear LORD!!! The mac & cheese king strikes again! Can’t wait to try this out.
Oh my god. This is a masterpiece of vegan Mac and cheese. It tastes like my Mac and cheese dreams. Any non-vegan wouldn’t be able to tell it’s vegan. It has an unreal texture. Not just creamy but slightly grainy (not in a bad way!) and thick like real cheese. The garlic flavor is so good. It’s fatty and oily (good thing!) in a way that I’ve only ever seen in dairy Mac and cheese. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good Mac recipe and anyone who says want to go vegan "but cheese though". Thank you Timmy! Will definitely be making at every Christmas from now on!
You’ve won me so fast. The recipes are gorgeous, you’ve already mentioned a nut-allergy workaround, and that 15 things list … well, I totally dig you! Off to pre-order a book 🙂
even better, i’m a year behind, and i can just order it without the pre-
This is in the oven right now. I. Can. Not. Wait. To dive into this!!
I became a Mississippi Vegan super fan when I tried your first mac & cheese recipe. This new recipe just completely blew my mind. Can’t wait to make this!
Omg I made this tonight and it was awesome! I added nooch and mushroom powder since I didnt have truffle oil. My omni hubby loved it too! Thank you!
This is the most delicious and fancy Mac n cheese I’ve ever had- including my time as a diary and meat eater before I went vegan!! This recipe is a new holiday must for me! I can’t wait to make it again!
I made this last night for Christmas dinner. It was a hit! Quite rich, but very creamy, with a nice balance of flavours – kind of reminded me of cheese fondue from many years ago. Definitely worth all the ingredients, and putting it together was pretty simple. Might be on standing rotation for holiday dinners to come. Thank you!
Made this last night and my whole family loved it!!! So delicious. Thank you!
Oh yay! I’m so glad the whole family got to enjoy this decadent recipe. 🙂
Would a soy-based miso (eg white miso is usually what I use) work instead of the chickpea miso? Or is the flavor totally different?
I would say for this you could use any pale/light-colored miso. So a soy-based mellow white miso would be great!
I’m making this for Thanksgiving – two questions: can I make it a day ahead and reheat? And can I use a food processer? I only have a food processer and a bullet smoothie kind of blender to choose from. First time using truffle oil and you’re right – it smells divine!
Hi! I would make the pasta and cheese sauce, mix, cover, and chill until ready to fully bake. No need to bake and then reheat. Just cook it off when ready to serve. It can def. sit in the fridge a day or two in advance. Happy cooking!
Official review:
Holy velvety delicious! This Mac is the most realistic variation I have found in my 10 years of veganism. Velvety and rich, but light and creamy. So so good!!
I made 3 changes: Follow your heart American instead of the mature cheddar, mostly because I had it. Miyokos mozzarella wheel because it’s my favorite vegan cheese, and I mixed the truffle oil into the casserole before baking and it mellowed the flavor which I liked.
My only criticism is that it’s pretty expensive with all the vegan cheeses, nuts, and truffle oil. My bill was $40 USD at the store where I live. So make it on a special occasion. Well worth the price as a treat. And it makes a ton!
Made this for Thanksgiving yesterday and it was a hit!
Everyone (including non vegans) loved it! It’s so easy to make, and it comes out creamy and full of flavor. Thank you!
Amazing! That’s what I like to hear!
Our daughter made this dish and it was heaven in a bowl! Hands down the best mac and cheese we have ever eaten and we are not even vegan! I just ordered a very nice white truffle oil and as soon as it gets here I will be making this for Sunday dinner !
That’s what I like to hear!! Thank you!
Oh wow! So good. I used the cheeses I had on hand which were vegan Parmesan, mozzarella and Gouda. And I was out of mustard powder so I did a tbsp of high quality whole grain mustard. Texture before baking was grainy and I wondered how it would be after baking…..perfect! My non vegan daughter liked it so much we are making it for her graduation party next month! Oh I did top with some breadcrumbs too. And agree—use a high quality truffle oil. Thanks for such good recipes that are fun to make and eat!
Thank you for the lovely comment, Cathy! This makes me so happy to hear. Have a fabulous weekend!
This cheese sauce is absolutely divine!!! I haven’t had mac and cheese in so long trying to find the right recipe. And, this is it. I make the sauce ahead of time to be ready for the pasta. Also, I tried it no carb with cauliflower, and it was so-o-o-o delicious. Thanks so much for sharing.
That is a great idea to use it with cauliflower! I will absolutely try that! So happy you like this recipe. Thank you for being here!
THIS Mac & Cheese with your crumbled tofu bacon over the top is a showstopper and attention getter. Normies don’t even know it’s vegan!!! THANK YOU for all the great recipes you create!
Yesss, so happy to hear you crumbled the tofu bacon over top. That is a pro move right there! Thank you for being here. Happy cooking!
I’ve a been making this recipe for Thanksgiving for a few years now and it is truly the best vegan Mac and cheese I’ve ever had or made!! My non vegan, picky brother asks for it every year! I’m not even vegan anymore but I’m going to continue to make this because it’s just that good!
Hi Sarah! When someone tells me that a recipe becomes a tradition in their home, I can’t ask for something better! Thank you for letting me know. Happy holidays!
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment
is added I get three e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
Many thanks!
Oh gosh, I am so sorry this is happening!! I didn’t even know this was an option. Unfortunately, I don’t know the solution other than moving it to the spam folder for future emails. I am actually upgrading my site to a brand new design this coming year and I will address this with my designer. Thanks for letting me know and sorry again!
Excellent.! a good reason to open that bottle of truffle oil I had received as a gift last Christmas
Love to hear it, Robbie! Thanks for letting me know. Happy cooking!
This was a huge hit at my house–so rich, flavorful, and creamy! I have a couple of eaters who aren’t truffle lovers, so I added a topping of vegan parm, along with minced white mushrooms sautéed with a little soy sauce, liquid smoke, thyme, and oregano. That made everyone happy, and now I have a new “wow” dish to add to my repertoire!
Wow, you have been busy in the kitchen, Melissa! I wish you would cook for me.. ha! So happy to hear y’all liked this decadent dish. I usually make it for the holidays, it is such a treat. So happy y’all enjoyed it. Thanks again for being here.
I am at a beach town and can’t get truffle oil. Would it be okay without it?
Yes, I think it would be ok!