In my time being dairy-free, there have been many things I have missed, but none so much as mac and cheese. I have tried a ridiculous amount of mac and cheeses, hoping that one would be equivalent to the real thing. The closet I’ve gotten has been Annie’s Vegan Mac in the Macaroni and Cheddar flavor ($2.99 at Target).

While shopping in Target last week, I came across a new vegan mac and cheese from the brand Goodles. They have a variety of flavors, along with a vegan option that is white cheddar flavor ($3.99 at Target). This vegan mac and cheese boasts 12 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 21 nutrients from plants per serving. This is an impressive feat, but I wondered if it would actually taste good. 

I decided I would give this vegan mac a try for lunch. I carefully read the instructions and got the rest of my ingredients ready before setting the pot of water to boil. The instructions call for 1 ½ tablespoons of vegan butter and 1/3 cup of non-dairy milk. I used original Smart Balance butter and Silk Protein milk respectively. Silk Protein Milk is a blend of almond and cashew milk and has a neutral flavor, something that is incredibly important when making dairy-free mac and cheese. Traditional almond, soy, and coconut milk can be sweeter and alter the overall taste of the mac and cheese.

I initially thought the butter to milk ratio seemed a bit skewed, but with trying a new product I try to follow the instructions as closely as I can since vegan/non-dairy products often behave in strange and unexpected ways.  

The noodles boiled for the recommended time, then sat in the strainer while I heated the butter and milk mixture in the same pot. When I added the vegan cheddar powder to the milk and butter mixture, the sauce quickly thickened. This was a bit tricky while trying to get the powder evenly mixed into the sauce. After I did my best to make sure there were no clumps in the sauce, I added the noodles in.

The noodles were spirals, and I was skeptical that this type of noodle would not hold on to the sauce as well as shells or traditional elbow macaroni. I also noticed that after stirring the noodles and sauce together that it was not as saucy as other mac and cheeses. This wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but something to note if you prefer a little looser consistency. Most vegan/non-dairy mac and cheeses also have a chalky consistency when it comes to the sauces, and I have to say I was wary that this mac and cheese would also fall into this category.

The mac and cheese was ready to try, and after taking a quick picture, I dug in.

I was surprised. There was no chalky texture to the sauce, in fact it had a rather smooth, albeit thick, consistency. There was a slight tang that is normally associated with white cheddar, though the smell and initial taste was more parmesan than white cheddar. After several bites, I noticed no weird after-taste that happens with some other vegan brands. After quickly jotting down a few notes, I swiftly finished my bowl!

This mac and cheese was rather rich, partly due to its white cheddar flavor, so after one helping I slightly cooled the rest of the mac and put it in the refrigerator to eat at a later date (I ended up eating the rest later that night).

If you’re dairy-free, vegan, or are just looking to get some extra protein and nutrients in, I would highly suggest giving this mac and cheese a try! It has dethroned Annie’s Vegan Mac and Cheese as my favorite vegan mac and cheese option!