Here’s my adaptation of a popular internet vegan favorite – Spicy Serrano Pepper Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe! Here’s the story behind it.

vegan jalapeno mac and cheese — *So so good!*

Detox Inista’s Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe is one of the most popular Vegan Mac recipes on the internet. Clocking in at a 4.77 rating after 313 reviews at 2021, it definitely should not be underestimated. I highly recommend checking out her original recipe at the link above if you haven’t before.

This is what started it all with my vegan mac and cheese obsession. Ever since then, I’ve craved that delicious bowl of warm vegan mac for lazy Sunday dinners. I’ve even made two different YouTube videos trying her recipe & Tabitha Brown’s recipe below!

I’ve made Detox Inista’s recipe dozens of times now, and I thought it was time to add my twist to it. I’m a bit of a Mac and Cheese purist (well, aside from the vegan part,) so I’m picky about what else goes inside the Mac aside from cheese. I like it to blend all together and complement rather than overpower the cheese.

So I made a few adjustments to their recipe, with serrano pepper as the main star to add an extra kick. Like many well-flavored vegan recipes, Detox Inista’s original has a well-placed kick of spice, with ingredients such as chili powder, paprika, and cayenne powder. I wanted to up the ante a bit, and also adjust the recipe for my preferences.

For example, her recipe also seemed to run drier with my blender, so I increased the amount of water and decreased the amount of pasta. I adjusted the other ingredients, and voila, that’s how you get Hennessy’s delicious Spicy Serrano Pepper Vegan Mac and Cheese!

The final product is a gorgeously yellow-orange peppered bowl of macaroni and cheese, with some sprinklings of serrano peppers. If you like your heat, you’re sure to be a fan of this.

Spicy Serrano Pepper Vegan Mac

Based off Detox Inista's original recipe, this ups the ante on the spice with serrano peppers as the main star.

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Prep Time 10

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

1½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water
2 thinly diced and deseeded serrano peppers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
1½ teaspoons salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 oz Elbow or shell pasta little less than 1lb or one box of pasta
handful of paprika for garnish

Instructions

Soak your cashews for 5 minutes to 2 hours depending on the strength of your blender. Prepare the pasta according to package directions & add a pinch of salt. Then drain and set it back into the pot, off the heat.
Slice, deseed, and dice your jalapenos and add them to the blender, along with the drained cashews. Combine all other ingredients into the blender except for the paprika (lemon juice, vegetable broth, salt, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard.)
Blend until smooth, scrape the sides if needed. If your blender is struggling to puree the sauce, add a little bit of water and try again.
Pour the mixture into the pot. Use a scraper to get everything off the sides. Mix well with a wooden spatula or spoon. Top off with paprika and enjoy!

Notes

If you have a high-powered blender, you can do what I do and drop your cashews in water while you prepare everything else. If your blender is a piece of crap like my old one, you should definitely soak them for at least 2 hours so they soften enough to blend.

I always try to wear food gloves while handling peppers and washing my hands immediately after, because these little buggers can STING when I touch my face later.

Make sure to remove the seeds if you can only handle so much serrano peppers, they’re the main source of heat in the peppers.

The cup of vegetable broth adds extra depth to the mac and cheese, but if you don’t have any on hand, a cup of water will still bring you a delicious dish!

Keyword macaroni and cheese, serrano peppers, serranos, vegan, vegan mac

Why Serrano Pepper?

Serrano peppers are my favorite peppers! I have a hilarious confession in that I used to buy them without realizing that they weren’t jalapeño peppers. Unlike a lot of young cooks, I’m mostly self-taught through books, videos, and improvisation. I used to walk to my local grocery and pick out what I thought were jalapeño peppers and add them to my soups, savory pancakes, and curries. Now I realize that they’re actually Serrano peppers and it blew my mind entirely. I’ve tried this recipe with jalapeños, but I haven’t liked the flavor as much. However, you’re welcome to sub this mac and cheese with jalapeños or any peppers you’d like. That’s the fun part of cooking!

Veggie Broth or Water?

If you don’t have veggie broth, you can always use water instead. I love using veggie broth however, because it adds a savory kick to this mac and cheese. I always keep some in my fridge to splash for this reason.

What do you think of this recipe? If you enjoyed this, I’d love to know your thoughts and if you made any changes as well. Don’t forget to check out my blog for similar fun & delicious plant-based recipes. Bon Appetit!

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