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If you grew up in the South (or just grew up loving bold, cheesy comfort food), there’s a good chance pimento cheese had a special place in your fridge. Now imagine that creamy, tangy spread melted into a rich mac and cheese and veganized!

That’s exactly what my Vegan Pimento Mac and Cheese delivers. It’s cheesy, slightly smoky, with that iconic red pepper punch and silky smooth sauce that clings to every noodle. No cashews, no weird ingredients, just pantry staples, vegan cheese, and a lot of Southern charm.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ultra-creamy and comforting with no dairy.
Real pimento cheese vibes but 100% plant-based.
No soaking or cashews required!
Quick to make and bake in 30 minutes or less in the oven!

Some delicious variations!

No pimentos? You can use roasted red peppers instead (just drain well and chop) but pimentos are traditional and authentically taste the best. I found them at Walmart but other retailers should have them as well.
Want more heat? Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a few more dashes of hot sauce.
BBQ twist: Stir in shredded BBQ jackfruit or smoked tofu for a Southern BBQ vibe.
Protein boost: Add cooked vegan chick’n, lentils, or sautéed mushrooms.

What you’ll need:

Elbow macaroni. This shape is traditional but you could use rotini or even penne in a pinch.
Vegan cheese. Vegan cheddar is best for this.
Vegan cream and milk. If you can find vegan half and half (there are a few brands like Silk and Forager) use that or you can use equal amounts of plain vegan milk and vegan cream like Country Crock, Califia or Silk brands. You can use all vegan milk but it won’t be as creamy.
Vegan cream cheese. You need just a little in this but it adds a tang and creaminess and echoes the flavors of pimento cheese.
Pimentos. Pimentos are a specific type of sweet pepper, known for their mild heat, sweet flavor, and heart-shaped, often smaller pods. Red peppers, like red bell peppers, are a broader category of peppers. Both come jarred and roasted but use real pimentos if you can find them for authentic flavor.

Spike seasoning is a go to in the Big Box Vegan household. If you don’t have it, you could just use another seasoned salt or even plain salt, but if there’s a secret ingredient in this recipe, then this would be it. You can buy it at a lot of natural grocers or get it on Amazon which is where I buy the big boxes of it because we use so much! Link at the bottom of the page if you cannot find it in a store near you.

This Vegan Pimento Mac and Cheese is comfort food with a capital C. It’s creamy, nostalgic, and loaded with that bold flavor you’d expect from its dairy-filled cousin but better, because it’s completely plant-based.

Whether you grew up on pimento cheese sandwiches or this is your first taste of Southern flair, you’re gonna want seconds. This recipe is a riff on my classic baked mac and cheese but I think this variation is my favorite way to make it now!

If you try it, tag me @bigboxvegan as I want to see that melty, spicy goodness!

Get more of my macaroni recipes here!

Vegan Pimento Mac and Cheese

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 5 votes

Cuisine: Side, Mac and cheese, non dairy, veganDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A creamy, smoky, Southern-inspired twist on a comfort food classic—100% plant-based and bursting with flavor!

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 onion, medium size, diced
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 1/3 cups vegan milk, half and half or equal parts milk and vegan heavy cream (see notes)
4 tbsp yellow mustard (see notes)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (I use Spike–see notes)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper (or to taste)
12 oz vegan cheddar style cheese (pre-shredded or shred your own)
3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
5 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
10 dashes of hot sauce
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2/4 oz jars diced pimentos, drained

Directions

Heat oven to 375º.
Fill a large pot of water and boil to cook the pasta. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt and cook the pasta for 5 minutes or until it’s just al dente. Remember, the pasta will continue to cook in the oven once assembled.
Melt the vegan butter in a large heavy pot (I use the one I used to cooked the pasta), and add the chopped onion and cook until translucent about 3 minutes. Cook low and slow and do not let it brown. Once cooked, add the flour and cook for a minute to cook off any raw flour taste. Slowly add the vegan milk, half and half or mix of milk and cream (what I use), mustard and seasonings whisking constantly to combine and cook for about 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly on low heat. Add the cream cheese, cheddar style cheese, worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast and hot sauce to finish the sauce.
Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and adjust any seasonings to your taste. Add the diced pimentos and stir to combine. You want the mixture to be a little loose but not runny. If you feel it’s too thick or looks drier, add a little more plain vegan milk or cream a few tablespoons at a time. Remember that as it bakes, the pasta will absorb the sauce and you want it to be creamy and delicious.
Transfer it to a greased baking dish or cook in the pot you made it in if it’s ovenproof.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top. Cool slightly and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge (or freeze) and when reheating, you may need to loosen it with a little vegan milk or cream. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

Elbow shaped macaroni are traditional here but you could use rotini or penne.
For the milk, you can use all vegan milk (choose a plain or unsweetened variety–I prefer soy), vegan half and half (brands like Silk and Forager make them) or an equal mix of plain vegan milk and vegan heavy cream (my preference and brands like Country Crock, Silk, Califia, Violife and others make these). You may need to loosen up the mixture before baking if it seems too thick by adding a little more milk or cream a few tablespoons at a time until it’s creamy but not runny. As it bakes, the pasta will absorb more of the sauce.
For the mustard, I prefer using plain yellow but you could use brown like Gulden’s, Dijon, a grainy mustard or a mix if preferred.
Spike original seasoning is my favorite seasoned salt blend (link here to my favorite foods list on my Amazon store below) but you could use your favorite seasoned salt, a salt blend (Cajun would be nice) or just plain kosher salt.
Pimentos are not the same as roasted red peppers but those can be used as a substitute. Look for a jar that says they’re pimentos on the jar. I found them at Walmart but they may be available elsewhere near you. Here’s a link to an option in my Amazon store but they’ll be much less expensive locally bought.
For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free pasta and maybe cornstarch or arrowroot (mixed with some warm water to loosen it) for the roux.
A lot of Worcestershire sauces are actually vegan friendly. Look for one without anchovies (fish) which a lot don’t contain these days. I use Colgin brand (link to my Amazon storefront) which has a smokiness to it but the one you use may not. If desired, Colgin is the maker of liquid smoke and you could add a few drops for additional smoky flavor.