Deliciously smooth and tangy, heart of palm mac and cheese is a quick and easy dairy free pasta recipe. Brightly flavored with palm hearts, this is a tasty cheese sauce.
recipe originally published July 29, 2013
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Dairy free mac and cheese without nuts
We have all sorts of vegan cheese recipes, made from all kinds of ingredients. The cheese sauce in this heart of palm mac and cheese checks most of the boxes that come up when developing a recipe:
- gluten free
- dairy free / vegan
- nut free
- soy free
- low fat
- low calorie
When I first made this recipe more than a decade ago, I chose hearts of palm simply because of the tangy flavor. I knew that flavor and texture would make a tasty, smooth cheese sauce.
Sauerkraut is my other long standing ingredient to achieve that classic cheese funk. It is my easy alternative to rejuvelac, which was the way I was initially taught how to make vegan cheese in class.
If you need a vegan cheese recipe that is both soy and nut free, use hemp milk. Unsweetened regular hemp milk is a great choice anyway, because it is often a thicker, creamy option. I like cashew milk for cheese sauce because it is rich and creamy.
On the contrary, if you are not nut free, blend some cashews into this sauce for an extra rich result!
Low carb palm heart mac and cheese
Since this palm heart mac and cheese has been on this website for more than 10 years, it receives traffic from various searches. One of the popular searches that bring people here is keto mac and cheese or some variation looking for a low carb hearts of palm mac and cheese.
My solution for a lower carb "mac" and cheese is to use the heart of palm as the pasta. Simply slice the hearts of palm into rounds and enjoy with a warm cheese sauce.
Mac and cheese toppings and mix ins
Bright and tangy, this pasta is great as is, and is a good base to add extra veggies and flavors.
- Roasted cauliflower or broccoli trees
- Crumbled bacon
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sliced jalapeno pepper
- Fresh baby spinach
- Roasted red pepper
- Hot sauce
- Breadcrumbs
- Sautéed soy curls or tempeh
How long do leftovers last?
This is a great meal prep recipe! Double the recipe on meal prep day and you can enjoy a warm weeknight dinner and lunch that week.
Once the dish is cooled, refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid. Heart of palm mac and cheese is best enjoyed within 3 days.
Reheating mac and cheese
- Oven: For a crispy topping, add breadcrumbs and bake at 325° F until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Add dairy free milk by the tablespoon to soften the sauce.
Did you make this heart of palm mac and cheese?
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Heart of Palm Mac and Cheese
A quick and easy dairy free pasta recipe that is brightly flavored with palm hearts.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten free pasta
- 1 (14 ounce) can palm hearts + â…“ cup brine
- 3 tablespoons sauerkraut
- 1 small shallot, peeledÂ
- â…“ cup dairy free milk
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- fresh chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the pasta noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, make the heart of palm cheese sauce. In a blender jar, add palm hearts, sauerkraut, shallot, milk, lemon juice and zest. Blend at highest speed until smooth.
- To the heart of palm mixture, add nutritional yeast, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend at highest speed until smooth.
- When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and return to pot it was cooked in.
- Pour heart of palm cheese sauce over cooked pasta, stir to combine.
- Garnish with chopped chives, gluten free breadcrumbs, cherry tomatoes.
Notes
For extra rich, creamy sauce
If you are not nut free, blend â…“ cup cashews into this sauce for an extra rich result.
For low carb mac and cheese
My solution for a lower carb "mac" and cheese is to use the heart of palm as the pasta. Simply slice the hearts of palm into rounds and enjoy with a warm cheese sauce.
How long do leftovers last?
This is a great meal prep recipe! Double the recipe on meal prep day and you can enjoy a warm weeknight dinner and lunch that week.
Once the dish is cooled, refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid. Heart of palm mac and cheese is best enjoyed within 3 days.Â
Reheating mac and cheese
- Oven: For a crispy topping, add breadcrumbs and bake at 325° F until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Add dairy free milk by the tablespoon to soften the sauce.Â
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 427Total Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 419mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 14gSugar: 6gProtein: 19g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Heather @ Better With Veggies says
So Delicious makes a cashew milk? How have I missed that one?! I love that you used the HOP in the mix itself, I bet this does taste amazing!
Eileen says
I would never have thought to use hearts of palm in a sauce like this! Super interesting. We usually use them in a salad: crispy lettuce topped with hearts of palm and roasted red pepper, with a tangy vinaigrette. I wonder if roasted red pepper would be good addition to this sauce too?
meri says
I have had an obsession with hearts of palm for several years, yet no one else I know ever eats them. I love their flavor and texture, and frequently eat them with melted cheese and/or mustard type sauces, so I'm surprised I never combined it into a mac and cheese before. Looks yummy! I"m curious about your recipe, I might have to give it a try or invent my own version! Glad to hear there are other fans of the HOP out there (I think they need an abbreviation, don't you?)
Kristen says
This is just so great - and creative! Love it!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
Ohhhh... iiiinteresting. I bet it added a great texture. This may be a way I could love hearts of palm (I don't dislike them, but don't love 'em either).
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
This looks and sounds fantastic. Just pinned to my ever-growing recipe to try list 😉
Miz says
I have no idea how you consistently come up with these amazing recipes...
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
Wow. I NEVER would have thought...
Another day in which your culinary creativity and genius overwhelm me with ideas.
the 3volution of j3nn says
That looks so creamy and delicious! A little breadcrumb crunch on top might take it to another level.
Abby says
You're such a tease, as we don't have that coconut milk around here yet (then again, I probably wouldn't cook anyway, so what am I complaining about?) I also love hearts of palm but save them for a special treat, as they're rather expensive. I guess my point is that this looks delicious, so you need to come to my house and create it for me. OK? Okay.