Gluten Free Mac and Cheese is as creamy and decadent as it comes! This one pot recipe is made from fridge and pantry staples in minutes.
It’s a good day to talk mac and cheese (aka any day). Gluten Free Mac and Cheese, to be exact. Get. Ready!
Watch How to Make It!
No Roux Gluten Free Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is one of those meals that’s not inherently gluten free but is a cinch to adapt, especially because my version has no flour roux.
Just 5 ingredients — including salt! — are tossed into a pot then stirred to create the creamiest gluten free mac and cheese that tastes like it has loads of cream and butter but is actually made with, get ready for it…
SKIM MILK.
If you don’t have or like skim milk — no problem. Use whatever you’ve got in the fridge. This recipe is pretty fool proof!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by adding 6oz dry gluten free elbow pasta into a pot with milk and salt. I recommend using a corn/rice blend gluten free pasta vs brown rice pasta, which takes longer to cook, aka you’ll need more liquid.
Again, you can use whatever you’ve got on hand. I’ve used skim, 2%, and whole milk with fantastic results. At this point you can also add a dash of cayenne pepper for a hint of warmth, if you please.
Turn the heat to medium then stir slowly yet constantly with a spatula until the milk comes to a simmer — NOT a boil — 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat down to low then stir slowly yet constantly until the pasta is tender, another 5-7 minutes or so.
Before your very eyes the milk will thicken from the starches released from the pasta. SO creamy!
Once the pasta is tender add freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese then stir until the sauce is smooth, adding in an extra splash of milk if needed.
This is the fun part of the recipe because you can play around with the cheeses you like and/or have in the fridge – you really can’t go wrong! If you want to stick with a more classic sauce though, choose medium-hard cheeses like sharp cheddar, gouda, and fontina.
Let the mac and cheese thicken for a few minutes with the lid on the pan, then scoop and serve.
Make this once and you’ll be whipping it up from memory at least once a week — it’s a keeper. And you can, of course, use regular pasta in place of gluten free pasta, too. Mac and Cheese for all!
More Easy Cheesy Recipes
- Creamy Ham Peas and Pasta
- Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole
- Cheesy Gnocchi Florentine
- Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Pasta
- Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic and Herbs
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Gluten Free Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 6 oz dry gluten free elbow noodles, or other short cut pasta, rice/corn blend recommended
- 2-1/4 cups milk, any kind, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Add the pasta, milk, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using) to a medium-size saucepan. Turn the heat to medium then stir slowly and constantly until milk comes to a simmer — NOT a boil — 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat down to low then stir slowly and constantly until the noodles are tender, adding up to an additional 1/4 cup milk if the noodles have absorbed all the liquid but aren’t tender yet. There should be a bit of milk left in the saucepan to create the cheese sauce.
- Turn off the heat then add half the shredded cheese and stir until smooth. Add the remaining shredded cheese then stir until smooth. Scoop the mac and cheese into bowls then serve.
Notes
- I have used skim, 2% and whole milk for this recipe with great results.
- Adapted from White on Rice Couple
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Never thought of rinsing the pasta, sounds delish! Will be trying this in the next few days for sure.
I hate to say it, but this recipe didn’t really work for me. I ended up with way too much milk in the pan, but I didn’t want to keep cooking it because I didn’t want the pasta to overcook and become mushy. I ended up cooking more pasta separately, and added it in. This helped, and made it edible, but I’ll probably choose a different recipe next time. Just too runny for me. That might just be my preference though, as so many others seemed to like it. Thanks for sharing!
Just wanted to say that I’ve made this 4 or 5 times now, and it’s definitely one of my favorite recipes ever! Most gluten free macaroni and cheese up to this point had been blah to me, but this is soooo delicious! Thanks for posting it!
I’m so glad to hear that, Courtney! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I’ve just made this recipe! I’ve been craving Mac and Cheese for weeks since getting back from Florida but I’ve not been able to find any like I had there! :( finally this recipe is in my life and it’s amazing! However, I’m also dairy free as well as gluten free so I’ve substituted Alpro Soya and Violife vegan cheese and it’s still amazing! Thank you!
Thank you so much about letting us know how the vegan version went! I will have to try this for my son, who’s allergic to dairy!
Both of my daughters are allergic/sensitive to dairy. They love mac and cheese; any ideas? I remember reading that your son is allergic to dairy too. If you have any other ideas on dairy free recipes regarding mac and cheese or any other, I would greatly appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Tracy Criswell
Hi Tracy! You could try this recipe with vegan cheese. I personally haven’t tried it, and am not sure about vegan cheese’s “melting” capabilities, but I’d start there. My little guy is allergic to dairy and so hasn’t had mac and cheese yet, at 3 YO, either!
I’ve just used vegan cheese and it worked a treat Tracy, it just took a little longer to melt than dairy cheese :) I use Violife, I hope that helps xx
This was a real find!
My daughter was craving mac & cheese, but whining that all the GF versions never really stack up. I found your amazeballs recipe and it worked perfectly. Super easy- super delish! Mucho thanx!!
You bet, Krystal!! SO glad your daughter was able to enjoy! :)
how much calories does it contain ?
I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and have been on the hunt for a go-to Mac and cheese recipe. This is definitely a keeper! This is the creamiest Mac and cheese I’ve ever had. I made one small modification…1/4 teaspoon of ground mustard instead of the cayenne. Thanks so much!
I used rice pasta shells and this recipe was a disaster. A horrible clumpy mess was what resulted. I used high quality ingredients. What a waste of money and time. SOrry but it sure didn’t work for me.
Made this for Easter dinner, specifically for my niece who is GF. I will now be making Mac and cheese this way ONLY. Amazing! I used Barilla GF Elbows, Velvetta and whole milk. Came out perfect. Thanks for the recipe!!
I’m so glad to hear it, Johanna! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I made this tonight with fresh white cheddar. After following the recipe, there was a little more sauce than I like .. (my fault not the recipes… i added too much milk at the end) so i decided to stick it in the oven! 350 for 25 minutes with sprinkled cheese on top and it was AMAZING. this is definitely a new favorite!
This is the best gluten free mac n cheese recipe! So simple! I use unsweetened almond milk instead of cow’s milk and raw milk cheddar cheese and my family LOVES it!!
YAYY!! So glad to hear, Amy! Thanks for the feedback!
This sounds great! I’ll be making it for my friend’s gluten-free daughter next time she comes over for dinner :) What kind of gluten free pasta do you use? Brown rice? Corn? Thank you!!
I love Delallo gluten-free brown rice pasta – it’s better than any “normal” pasta I’ve ever tried! It’s tricky to find around here so I usually order it on Amazon: If you don’t want to go to those lengths, Barilla’s corn pasta is great too!