Within the past few years, several dairy-free mac and cheese alternatives have emerged, but most aren’t quite as convenient as Daiya Cheezy Mac. Each box comes with everything you need, including a sauce in a shelf-stable packet that’s fully prepared. You don’t need any added ingredients – just boil the pasta and stir in the sauce. It’s also top allergen free, and at last count, it comes in five cheesy flavors. I’ve updated this post with all current varieties and information.
Daiya Cheezy Mac makes Dairy-Free Mac & Cheese Easy in Five Flavors
We’ve tried the Cheddar Style, and my husband thought it was quite close to dairy boxed mac and cheese (caveat: he hasn’t had any in a long time). The sauce is smooth, quite creamy, and a little sticky, so it clings well to the noodles. It was pleasant, with a subdued but notable cheesy flavor and a slight tang.
Share your own rating and review below if you have tried any of these Daiya Cheezy Mac flavors. It helps others make an informed purchasing decision.
Cheddar Style
Ingredients: brown rice pasta (whole grain brown rice, rice bran, water), filtered water, tapioca starch, non-gmo expeller pressed: canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, sea salt, vegan natural flavours, pea protein isolate, tricalcium phosphate, cane sugar, lactic acid (vegan), xanthan gum, yeast extract, titanium dioxide (naturally occurring mineral), annatto (colour), onion.
Nutrition (per 1/3 package): 290 calories, 9g fat, 49g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 4g protein. Fortified with the following RDA percentages: 15% calcium.*
Alfredo Style
Nutrition (per 1/3 package): 290 calories, 9g fat, 49g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 4g protein. Fortified with the following RDA percentages: 15% calcium.*
White Cheddar Style
Nutrition (per 1/3 package): 290 calories, 9g fat, 48g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 5g protein. Fortified with the following RDA percentages: 15% calcium.*
Bac’n & Cheddar Style
Nutrition (per 1/3 package): 300 calories, 9g fat, 51g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 5g protein. Fortified with the following RDA percentages: 15% calcium.*
Four Cheeze Style
Nutrition (per 1/3 package): 290 calories, 8g fat, 50g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 4g protein. Fortified with the following RDA percentages: 15% calcium.*
More Allergen Notes
Daiya makes many of their products in their own dedicated dairy-free facility, but Daiya Cheezy Mac is produced at another location. Here is what they say regarding this product line:
Our Cheezy Mac is manufactured in another facility where we have an allergen program in place to prevent any cross contamination with dairy ingredients.
More Facts on Daiya Cheezy Mac
Price: $4.99 per 10.6-ounce box (3 servings)
Availability: Daiya Cheezy Mac is sold at Walmart, Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and various other grocers in the U.S. and Canada. You can also order it only from Vitacost or Amazon.
Certifications: Daiya Cheezy Mac is Certified Vegan, Non-GMO Verified, and Certified Gluten Free. Select varieties are Certified Kosher Parve.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Daiya Cheezy Mac is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*
For More Product Information: Visit the Daiya Foods website at daiyafoods.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
Average Reader Review
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What Others Are Saying ...
It seems saltier every time
I bought the cheddar Deluxe Cheese and Mac over 20 times and initially thought it was really good but slightly strange in an okay way. It no longer has a slightly strange but hearty flavor but tastes way, way saltier than my earlier experiences. My favorite thing about it is the creaminess. The price is way more expensive than the 79 cent Kraft Mac n’ Cheese which makes little sense because nobody had to milk a cow in the process. It’s been a huge drain on my pockets as it’s to me a single serving for over $5 and wages are still at $7.25 so since it’s getting salty and it’s too expensive especially as inflation skyrockets I’m finding a different vegan mac n’ cheese alternative.
Inedible
The texture was off-putting to start and the smell was almost petroleum-like but despite its appearance and smell I thought it was still worth a shot. I took one bite and it was like the smell but intensified. It tastes like someone tried to cover up the plastic-like taste by adding stronger tasting ingredients. Like trying to use airfreshener in an already putrid smelling room, the flavours mingle together to create something worse than the original. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth and made me feel sick. I hate wasting food but this went straight in the bin.
yikes
tried the deluxe white cheddar bc back when I ate cheese, annie’s white cheddar was my favorite, but I’m convinced that whoever makes Daiya cheese has never tasted cheese before. it tastes like the worst type of fake nacho cheese. I’m really not a picky eater, but I can’t really stand kraft type cheese or super processed stuff. this made me really nauseous, and it is now my least favorite food. \
Spot-on creamy consistency and a mild, cheesy flavor
Think Velveeta Shells and Cheese only made with more wholesome ingredients and of course, dairy-free. Thus far, we’ve only tried the Cheddar, which was pretty good and with a great creamy consistency and a light cheesy flavor. But take note that the top allergen-free nature, ease (no other ingredients required), and high-quality ingredients (yes, it’s relatively well-balanced!) do come at a bit higher price than the norm.
10 Comments
I got the regular cheezy mac and made it. I can’t give a review for its taste, because the smell was so horrible I couldn’t even bring myself to take a bite. My teenage sisters ran from the kitchen dry-heaving. I mean, they’re teenagers so they’re overly dramatic but it smelled awful. The consistency of the sauce packet, even after kneading thoroughly, was very oily. I put it in the fridge for the next day, thinking maybe it was just me – I can be sensitive to smells at times. But couldn’t even eat it later. Maybe I got a bad batch or they changed their recipe since the last review here. But no stars from me. 5 stars from my dogs.
I just tried the White cheddar with veggies and I am not impressed. Maybe I’m just picky or it’s been too long since I had mac and cheese or I don’t know, but the pasta was spongy and the cheese tasted really bland. I do hate almost all gluten free pastas though, so I should have expected that at least.
I have heard that many greatly prefer the Cheddar-style to the White Cheddar and Alfredo, but can’t weigh in on comparison since I haven’t tried those versions. Thanks for your feedback Katie!
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I tried the white cheddar veggie variety a few days ago. That one is my favorite. It doesn’t have the sour taste that the others have for some reason. It also keeps well.
Thank you for sharing Stephanie!
I tried both the alfredo and the cheddar macaroni. I liked both varieties, but the cheddar was my favorite. Both of the boxes had a slightly sour taste to me, but sourness in the alfredo was much more pronounced. I fixed this by putting some toasted bread on top as croutons.
I really enjoyed the easiness of this product and the fact that it does not take long to make. I have bought this a few times since I enjoyed it so much.
Thanks for sharing this Jordan – very good idea on the crouton topper!
I have tried the cheddar and Alfredo varieties. The white cheddar veggie is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to try. I enjoyed both of the two that I tried. The Alfredo variety does have a little bit of a sour taste, but not too strong that I can’t enjoy (I have a little bit of sensitivity to some sour tastes). For any variety, don’t try to lick the pan like you would with traditional macaroni and cheese. It could be due to the Velveeta like sauce. I did enjoy the simplicity of it. Boil the macaroni and add the sauce. They taste even better left over the next day.
Thanks so much for sharing your take Stephanie! I agree with you on really tasting sour (and bitter) so these notes are helpful. Good to know it keeps well, too.