This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Jess Newman. Find her on Instagram at @_jess_n_. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Growing up hot dogs with mac and cheese was a staple meal in my Western New York household. I’m sure it was a popular meal in a lot of our houses. My favorite mac and cheese was boxed from Kraft, so much so that it was part of my last meal before I went vegan. Since going vegan I’ve had some good mac and cheese and some honestly really nasty ones. I’m going to give you all the details ranking the best dairy free mac and cheese box mixes I’ve had and share some exciting news as well.
If you have had both dairy and dairy free versions of mac and cheese you know that it’s either absolutely gross or you couldn’t tell it from the real thing.
Daiya
I’ve been vegan for almost 9 years and the brand Daiya has come a super long way in that time span. I used to avoid them like the plague, but their shredded cheese and their premade frozen pizzas are now staples for me. (Fun fact: If you have ever been to Blaze Pizza, the dairy-free cheese they have is from Daiya.) The brand has several styles of mac and cheese. I’ve tried two of them. I’ve had their “Dairy Free Gluten Free Cheddar Style Vegan Mac and Cheese” and their “Dairy Free Gluten Free Four Cheeze Style with Herbs Vegan Mac and Cheese”. Both of these varieties are classed as “deluxe” which means they have a cheese pouch sauce instead of a powder like the traditional boxed mac and cheese. I thought this would be better than powder, but I was wrong. The cheddar-style flavor reminded me of Stouffer’s brand. It had that very fake cheese taste and the sauce was thick. This one was better than the four cheeze style though by a longshot. The four cheeze was trying to be an alfredo of some sort, but it tasted like there was cinnamon in there so much so that I had to check the ingredients. There’s nutmeg in this one! Who does that? It was inedible. I had to throw it out which sucks because I hate wasting food. I wish these were better than they are because they make dairy-free look bad and they’re so accessible.
Earth Balance
I’ve had the Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Flavor Mac & Cheese. This one was okay. If it was the only option it would be fine but I wouldn’t seek it out. The flavor is very flat. It needs a lot of salt and chili flakes, but I did like this version better than the sauce packet boxes from Daiya.
Annie’s
The best dairy-free mac and cheese box I’ve had is Annie’s Vegan Mac Macaroni & Cheddar Flavor. The flavor is exactly like the classic Kraft mac and cheese in the blue box from my childhood. I used to find it in store more often, but now that’s not the case. It’s really reasonable to order from Amazon though which is amazing.
MONUMENTAL NEWS
It has just been announced that Kraft is rolling out a new vegan version of boxed mac and cheese in the United States now and into next year. Kraft is collaborating with a company called NotCo. There will be two flavors – original and white cheddar. Kraft has had a vegan boxed mac and cheese available for a while in Australia, but I’m so excited that we (the US) are being included. I cannot wait to get my hands on this and see if it tastes like the boxed mac and cheese I grew up with! It makes my heart happy to see these big companies releasing more vegan options! If you are looking into going vegan or eating more plant-based meals, you can learn about all the benefits in this article.
Will you be trying the new Kraft dairy-free mac and cheese? What do you think is the best dairy free mac and cheese box? Let us know in the comments below!
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