This Vegan Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese is the ultimate vegan casserole. The perfect amount of creaminess, spice and crunch!
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links.
What is better than vegan mac and cheese? Vegan mac and cheese filled with jalapeños and topped with a crunchy, garlicky breadcrumb topping.
If you have had my Vegan White Mac & Cheese before, then you will definitely love this version. It has a similar base, but with some additions, takes on a whole new flavor.
As with all of my mac and cheese recipes, the creamy sauce comes from non-dairy milk and vegan cream cheese. You aren't going to be blending cashews, carrots or potatoes. Just straight up creamy goodness.
TSV TIP: To up the jalapeño flavor, I used Kite Hill's Jalapeño Cream Cheese. Feel free to use a plain cream cheese, or other flavor of your choice.
If you are worried about this being too spicy...don't be. This has a very subtle heat level. You can up the heat by adding more jalapeños, or adding hot sauce before eating. Or you can take down the spice level by deseeding the jalapeño before adding it to the sauce.
For the breadcrumb topping I decided to use "butter" crackers. Think Ritz Crackers, but any brand will do. While you might think these aren't vegan, most actually are. Just be sure to check the label before buying.
This mac is seriously creamy and delicious. You won't regret one single bite...I promise!
More of a visual person? Check out this video of how to make this Vegan Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese:
Vegan Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- ¾ lb macaroni dry
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1 jalapeño diced
- 2 cups non-dairy milk unsweetened
- 1 cup vegan chicken broth*
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese**
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard optional
- parsley for topping
- hot sauce for topping
FOR THE BREADCRUMB TOPPING
- 30 "butter" crackers like Ritz***
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 jalapeño diced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add flour a little at a time and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add the jalapeño and garlic to the pot and cook until soft, stirring frequently.
- Slowly add the milk and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add garlic powder, mustard powder, white pepper and black pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
- Add the cream cheese and lemon juice to the pot and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.**** Pour cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to combine. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish.
- Make the breadcrumb topping by combing all of the ingredients in a blender and pulsing until your desired consistency is reached. If you want a more chunky topping, you can break the crackers apart with your hands instead.
- Add breadcrumb topping to the pasta and place in oven under the broiler until the top is crispy.*****
- Serve with fresh parsley and hot sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!
If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!
Lindsey
I make this all the time!! We have some very very “non” vegans who even love this!! Always a crowd pleaser! I’ve also made this, let it sit for a day and then make Mac & cheese balls with it. Soooo good!
Rene
Mac & Cheese Balls?!? OMG, that sounds amazing!
Natalie Robertson
Hi what kind of non dairy milk do you use? I've used unsweetened almond milk but it seemed off was curious what your go-to is
Rene
I typically use soy for savory recipes. I feel like it has the most neutral taste!
Christine
Hi! This recipe looks amazing and I’d like to make it ahead of time. Have you ever baked it and then rebake it the next day with a freshen up of the toppings? I’m trying to get ahead of the craziness in the kitchen on Thanksgiving.
Melissa
This was so delicious!!! Nailed the creaminess I was desiring and the spice from the jalapeño didn’t overwhelm the great depth of flavor in the cheese sauce. Thank you for this recipe!!
Rene
Woo - so glad you liked it!!!
Bev Selby
This was delicious! My family loved it! I used Trader Joe’s Hot & Sweet Jalapenos (about 1/4 cup) and gluten free noodles. I used crushed Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers for the topping. I also used Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese. This is the best vegan mac & cheese I have tried! Thanks so much!
Rene
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! I know vegan mac and cheese can be a daunting task - believe me, it took me a lonnnnngggg time to find a method that I actually liked. So glad your whole family was able to get behind this 🙂
Hayley
I finally found vegan cream cheese in my area! I can't wait to finally try this. I'm allergic to cashews so all the cashew-based macs are a no for me.
Rene
Yay! So happy you will be able to participate in vegan mac and cheese - I mean, it is a necessity in my book 🙂 I hope you love it!