creamy, dreamy, ultra-rich, and cheesy, my Lactose-Free Mac and Cheese has all the flavor of your childhood favorite *without* any of the unpleasant side effects.
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Table of contents
- creamy, dreamy, ultra-rich, and cheesy, my Lactose-Free Mac and Cheese has all the flavor of your childhood favorite *without* any of the unpleasant side effects.
- Save this recipe for later on Pinterest:
- You'll love this lactose-free mac and cheese because it's:
- What is lactose-free milk?
- What's the difference between lactose-free and dairy-free?
- Ingredients:
- Choosing a lactose-free cheddar cheese
- Ingredient substitutions:
- How to make this creamy lactose-free mac & cheese
- Recipe pro-tips:
- Recipe Variations:
- Recipe FAQs
- Storage and freezing directions:
- Tools needed to make this recipe:
- More mac and cheese recipes:
Mac and cheese has always been a favorite of mine (I literally have half a dozen different recipes on the site!!), but pregnancy threw me a big curveball. I'm now allergic to dairy, but my cravings for cheesy pasta are still strong. 😬
What's a girl to do? Why, take matters into her own hands of course! After some serious experimentation, I've discovered the absolute best recipe for making mac and cheese for lactose intolerant folks like myself. And friends? It tastes just as good as the real thing.
Made with just 9 ingredients using barely more effort than it'd take to whip up a batch of blue box goodness, this simple pasta recipe has turned my food-allergy frown upside down. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Save this recipe for later on Pinterest:
You'll love this lactose-free mac and cheese because it's:
- Craveably Creamy. It's honestly amazing how much this lactose-free cheddar cheese sauce tastes like regular ol' mac and cheese!
- Allergen-Friendly. Aside from being lactose-free, you can easily make this kid-friendly pasta dish gluten-free and vegan to boot! Read on below to learn all the sneaky tricks.
- Made With Just 9 Easy-To-Find Ingredients. This is a whole food meal you can feel good about feeding your family.
- Quick & Easy. You'll have a bowl of cheesy goodness on the table in just 20 minutes!
What is lactose-free milk?
According to Megan Byrd, RDN,
"Lactose-free milk is regular cow's milk that has the enzyme lactase added to it. This enzyme is what our bodies naturally produce (or should produce) to break down the sugar in milk, and by adding it to regular milk, the enzyme does all the work for you!
The enzyme eliminates lactose from the milk while maintaining all the milk's other nutritional benefits. It's completely natural and does not alter the milk's micronutrient content at all.
Lactose-free and regular milk are virtually identical nutritionally, containing the same amount of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium!"
What's the difference between lactose-free and dairy-free?
Lactose-free products are made with dairy products that have had the lactose removed, whereas dairy-free products have no milk or milk products in them at all.
Ingredients:
As promised, you only need 9 simple ingredients to make this lactose free cheesy pasta:
- Elbow Macaroni - It's tough to beat the classic pasta shape for this iconic dish!
- Vegan Butter - I use Earth Balance, but use whichever brand you prefer.
- All-Purpose Flour - For thickening the cheese sauce (a.k.a. mornay).
- Lactose-Free 2% or Whole Milk - Brands like Lactaid or Fairlife make lactose-free dairy super accessible.
- Nut Milk Cheddar Cheese - While Lactaid cheese isn't a thing yet (fingers crossed it will be soon!), plant-based cheese has come a long way. Check the vegan refrigerated section of your grocery store; you'll likely have at least one brand available. You can also get crafty and make your own!
- Nutritional Yeast - These little flakes have tons of cheesy flavor without any dairy whatsoever.
- Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt - For lots of savory flavor.
Choosing a lactose-free cheddar cheese
Lactose-free recipes like this mac & cheese are designed to give you all the cheesy goodness you crave, but without the accompanying tummy troubles and headaches lactose can bring.
If you're lucky enough to find a store that stocks it, dairy brand Cabot has a whole line of lactose-free cheeses. Unfortunately, I was unable to find it so I had to turn to nut-based cheese.
While there are lots of vegan cheese brands on the market these days, I'm a big fan of Daiya vegan cheddar. Remarkably, it tastes and melts almost identically to the real stuff!
A note on using real cheddar cheese:
You may already know this, but apparently, high-quality cheddar cheese is lactose-free (or at least mostly so) as long as the label says it has 0g sugar. Amazing, right? This is also true of many hard or aged cheeses.
Depending on your level of lactose sensitivity, you may be able to use real cheddar cheese. I, for one, will be sticking to nut cheeses for the foreseeable future.
Ingredient substitutions:
The ingredients listed in the recipe card are my personal preferences, but there's always plenty of room for customization with just about any recipe. Here are some easy swaps you can try:
- Elbow Macaroni - Feel free to swap in any short pasta shape you prefer like shells, farfalle, or penne. The pasta-bilities are endless!
- Vegan Butter - You can also use margarine or ghee (clarified butter, which has all the milk solids pulled out).
- All-Purpose Flour - You can also use Wondra, gluten-free cup-for-cup flour, or cake flour.
- Lactose-Free Milk - Feel free to swap in your favorite non-dairy milk substitute. Unsweetened and unflavored varieties are best.
- Nut Milk Cheddar Cheese - Feel free to try any other plant-based melting cheese, or, if you can get your hands on it, specifically lactose-free cheese brands like Cabot.
- Nutritional Yeast - Brewer's yeast or white (shiro) miso can also be used.
- Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, & Salt - You can swap in garlic salt or onion salt for either allium powder so long as you omit the added salt or add it to taste!
How to make this creamy lactose-free mac & cheese
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Boil & Drain Pasta according to package directions.
Step 2: Make Roux. Melt the vegan butter whisk in the flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Make Mornay. Whisk the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) into the roux. Whisk and cook until smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Add the Pasta to the cheese sauce & stir until heated through. Serve hot!
Recipe pro-tips:
Salt your pasta water. This is the only opportunity you'll get to add flavor to the actual noodles. Give the water a quick taste test before adding the pasta; it should taste like a sip of the ocean.
Don't rinse the pasta. Contrary to what you might've been taught, most of the time you shouldn't rinse your pasta (unless otherwise instructed). Why? Because the starch on the pasta will help the sauce cling to it!
Whisk the cheese sauce constantly. After making the roux, you'll need to whisk the cheese sauce without interruption so you don't accidentally scorch it!
Recipe Variations:
How to make dairy-free mac and cheese with this recipe: Swapping in your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk will turn this into a vegan, dairy-free macaroni and cheese.
How to make gluten-free and lactose-free mac and cheese: You can easily use 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend and rice (or any other gluten-free) pasta to make this a gluten-free recipe.
Optional add-ins: Feel free to doctor up your cheesy mac with veggies like frozen peas, steamed broccoli, or cauliflower, or with meats like flaked tuna, grilled chicken, or hot dogs.
Top with breadcrumbs: Make this stovetop mac taste like you baked it by adding a sprinkling of buttery, seasoned panko for a bit of texture.
Recipe FAQs
Unfortunately for all of us lactards, no. 😔 Traditional mac and cheese is made with all kinds of tasty things like butter, milk, and cheese, which all have varying levels of lactose.
Nope.
Absolutely! As we learned from our dietician friend Megan, lactose-free milk is nearly identical to regular milk. It just has the addition of an enzyme known as lactase which breaks down (and effectively removes) the offending lactose.
Heck yeah! I use it all the time nowadays.
Normal dairy butter does have lactose, but since it is made from cream, the amount of lactose is small. Depending on your sensitivity, you may be just fine eating regular butter! I personally have had to switch over to vegan butter to avoid it because even trace amounts throw me off.
Lactaid (and other lactose-free milk brands like Fairlife) are not dairy-free. They contain normal cow's milk that has been altered with the addition of an enzyme that counteracts lactose. If you are looking for dairy-free milk, you'll need a plant-based option.
Storage and freezing directions:
Refrigeration: leftover mac and cheese keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: the mac and cheese can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For best results, defrost it in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours before reheating it on medium-high heat in 2-4 minute intervals.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
More mac and cheese recipes:
- Instant Pot Kraft Mac and Cheese
- Healthy Mac and Cheese {Baked or Stovetop + VIDEO!}
- Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese
- Taco Mac and Cheese
- Tuna Mac and Cheese
Creamy Lactose Free Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. elbow macaroni
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegan butter I use Earth Balance
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅔ cup lactose-free 2% or whole milk like Lactaid or Fairlife
- 1 ⅓ cup shredded nut milk cheddar cheese I use Daiya cheddar style shreds
- 2 ½ teaspoons nutritional yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni in a large saucepan in heavily salted water according to the package instructions. Drain the macaroni and set aside.
- Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Melt the vegan butter in the pan. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook over the medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until no longer foaming.
- Whisk the milk, cheddar cheese, nutritional yeast, spices, and salt into the butter and flour base. Whisk and cook over medium-heat for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Turn the heat down to low.
- Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce until heated through. Serve hot!
Notes
- Leftover mac and cheese keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For best results, defrost the mac and cheese in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours before reheating it on medium-high heat in 2-4 minute intervals.
- To make this mac and cheese gluten-free, use 1-to-1 gluten-free flour and rice pasta (or another gluten-free pasta) in place of the all-purpose flour and traditional wheat noodles.
- To make this recipe dairy-free and vegan, swap in your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk for the lactose-free milk.
Just made this, very good. I did add black pepper and hot sauce. Will make again.
Hi, Christy!
Thank you so much for sharing. I'm so glad you liked the recipe!
All the best,
Chelsea
Thanks, this looks delicious. I just learned of a Lactose Free cheese line called Green Valley Creamery. I was able to find 1 of their products at my regular grocery store (Hy-Vee) and more of their products at a local co-op store.
Hi, Beth!
Oh, so fantastic! I love Green Valley! I have found quite a few lactose-free dairy options at my local Safeway and Whole Foods as well, if you happen to have either of those near you!
Hope you enjoy the mac and cheese!
Best,
Chelsea
What to do if sauce is too liquify?
Hi, Sean!
You can either cook on low heat for a minute or two longer or whisk in additional cheese by the tablespoon until thickened to your desired consistency!
Hope this helps-- please let me know how it turns out!
Best,
Chelsea
My nutritionist told me that Cabot cheese is lactose free and its true!! I've had NO ISSUES eating it and I have a severe intolerance to milk. Thought I'd share the good news!
Oh, I am so glad to hear it! It was a lifesaver for me back when I was pregnant and lactose-intolerant! I hope you love the recipe -- thanks for reviewing and sharing!
All the best,
Chelsea