This creamy gluten-free mac and cheese is the kind of comfort food that brings everyone to the table, even your picky eaters. Tender pasta is coated in a silky cheese sauce, then baked until hot and bubbly with a golden, crispy topping. Every bite is rich, cozy, and packed with cheesy goodness. Whether you serve it as a quick weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing side, this recipe is guaranteed to be a hit with kids and adults alike. I also share a dairy-free option.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
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Mac and cheese is a comfort food that nobody should have to avoid due to Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. My homemade gluten-free macaroni and cheese recipe has creamy sauce and perfectly cooked, al dente macaroni. It tastes so much better than store-bought boxed macaroni and cheese. This comfort food recipe makes an incredible main dish or side dish the whole family will love.
Give my easy recipe a try and see how good this cheesy dinner can be! If you are short on time, you can make it in your slow cooker with my amazing Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe. If you want to change it up, try these Gluten-Free Fried Macaroni and Cheese Bites, which are based on this mac and cheese recipe.
Allergen Information and Swaps:
This easy gluten free macaroni and cheese is pure comfort food. It is also:
- gluten-free
- nut-free
- egg-free
- soy-free
- oat-free
If you love a creamy cheese sauce, you will want to try my Gluten-Free Chicken Tetrazzini or this Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pasta recipe.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Macaroni or Shaped Pasta – I use Jovial and Tinkyada brands. They hold up the best to sitting in a sauce. If you can’t find macaroni-shaped pasta, use penne or rotini.
- Cream Cheese – Full-fat gives the best flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese – You can use mild or sharp cheddar cheese. I used mild, but both taste delicious.
- Heavy Cream – This adds creaminess. Don’t use half-and-half.
- Butter – I used unsalted.
- Gluten-Free Panko or Bread Crumbs – Use one of the topping ideas below mixed into the panko! You can also make your own homemade Gluten-Free Panko.
- Parmesan Cheese – You can use a Parmesan or Parmesan Reggiano blend.
Make it Dairy-Free!
Make this gluten-free baked mac and cheese dairy-free using dairy-free cheese, cream cheese, and heavy cream.
Note: I had the best luck using VioLife Cheddar Cheese. Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese is also a good option. So Delicious makes a wonderful dairy-free heavy cream.
Flavor Variations and Topping Ideas:
- If you love spice, consider adding roasted hatch green chiles or a drizzle of hot sauce.
- This recipe uses leftover ham, rotisserie chicken, or turkey!
- Add some sausage or chorizo for an extra burst of flavor!
- Crumble up cooked hamburger meat to make cheeseburger mac and cheese.
- Top with crushed corn chips, potato chips, or gluten-free crispy onions
How to Make Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese (Step-By-Step)
Note From The Kitchen: Cooking gluten-free pasta can be tricky, but I promise, with a few simple tweaks, you’ll get perfect results. The key is to undercook it slightly and rinse it well to stop it from softening too much in the colander. Don’t worry if it feels firmer than you’re used to after draining. Once it bakes in that cheesy sauce, it softens just right without falling apart. If your past attempts with gluten-free pasta have turned mushy or gluey, this method will give you the confidence to try again.
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Step 1: Cook the pasta for one minute less than the package cook time. Stir pasta frequently because some gluten-free brands stick together. Jovial holds up well but still needs frequent stirring.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Add your cheese sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan, including cream cheese, cheddar cheese, heavy cream, butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Tips to Avoid Mushy Gluten-Free Pasta:
Mushy pasta can ruin a meal faster than anything. Here are my best tips to avoid mushy gluten-free pasta:
- Cook the macaroni a minute less than the package says, so that the pasta is very al dente. This way, it gets moisture from the cheese sauce and doesn’t get mushy.
- After cooking, drain the pasta in a colander. Rinse the pasta well in cold water to halt the cooking process. If you leave the pasta in the colander while it’s hot, it will continue to cook and become mushy.
Step 3: Cook the cheeses over medium-low heat, whisking as it cooks to blend. Stir the cheese mixture frequently to avoid burning. Your cheese sauce will be thick and creamy, like in the photo above! Tip: Avoid boiling the cheese sauce. High heat can cause graininess. Whisk constantly for the smoothest texture.
👀 Sandi Says: For best results, use a non-stick pot to make this gluten-free macaroni and cheese recipe because this cheese sauce can be tough to clean otherwise.
Step 4: Mix the cheese sauce into the pasta to coat the gluten-free macaroni
Step 5: Mix your gluten-free panko ingredients in a small bowl. Spray or grease the baking dish for easier cleanup and to prevent sticking. Add the gluten free macaroni and cheese mixture to an 8×8 baking dish. Use a spoon to spread the mixture evenly.
Step 6: Sprinkle your crispy topping over the macaroni and cheese. Spread it evenly over the top of the mac and cheese.
Step 7: Bake for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
What Macaroni Brands Are Gluten Free?
There are many brands of gluten free macaroni available in grocery stores. I use mostly Tinkyada and Jovial brands. They seem to hold up better than most pasta brands. You can use any gluten-free brand in this recipe, but please cook your gluten-free elbow macaroni according to package directions, since they vary greatly by ingredient.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Store this in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Not really…I am not a fan of freezing gluten-free pasta because it thaws mushy and kind of gross.
If your mac and cheese turned out dry, it is because you used too much pasta for the amount of cheese sauce, or you baked it too long and dried it out.
This is a great recipe to cook with the kids. Encouraging your kids to get in the kitchen and learn to cook can be a very empowering experience. Here are some delicious Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids to get you all started!
Serve these sides with gluten-free macaroni and cheese:
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💬 Did you make this gluten-free mac and cheese recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out—and which pan or flour blend you used! Your feedback helps others (and helps me keep improving these recipes for you). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Creamy Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese Recipe (Crispy Topping!)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a pot, cook 12 ounce box gluten free pasta according to the package directions. (*See note) Cook your pasta 1-2 minutes less than the instructions. This will help keep your pasta more al dente after baking in cheese sauce.
- In a non-stick pot (very important to make clean up easy!) add the cheese sauce ingredients. (1/4 cup heavy cream, 8 ounces cheddar cheese, 8 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons salted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.)
- Cook on medium-low heat, whisking to prevent burning. Cook until the cheese is all melted and warm. Don't let the cheese sauce boil, or it may become grainy.
- Drain the pasta into a colander and rinse in cool water to halt the cooking process.
- Pour the pasta into the cheese sauce and mix well. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan.
- In a bowl, add 1/2 cup gluten free panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon dried basil. Whisk to blend. Spoon the panko topping over the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- You can use any gluten-free pasta, but I recommend using Jovial or Tinkyada because they hold up best to being in sauce for a long time.
- Every pasta brand has different cook times, so be sure to follow the cooking time on the box of pasta you bought. TIP: Cook 1-2 minutes less so that it will hold up to being in the cheese sauce and baking.
- Have fun with the toppings! You can use smushed gluten-free potato chips, crackers, pretzels, etc!
- Vary the recipe by adding leftover rotisserie chicken, turkey, ham, or spicy roasted green chiles! You can have a lot of fun changing things up!
- This gluten-free macaroni and cheese will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing it because the pasta will become mushy when thawed.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
This post was updated with more information from an older September 2020 post.
I sometimes make this in the crock pot, but is equally delicious (and we get to eat it a bit sooner! lol) in the oven. This is our go-to, most favorite mac and cheese recipe!!
I am so glad you love both of my mac and cheese recipes. I agree this stovetop/oven recipe is a lot quicker than my Crock Pot mac and cheese recipe. Thank you so much!
You hit it out of the park with this recipe! It’s so yummy!
I’ve made it both with the topping and without and both are amazing.
I made this recipe, doubled, for Thanksgiving and received a lot of complements on it.
I omitted the pepper (sensitivity). I used brown rice pasta.
I’m thinking the next time I make this I’ll use gluten free brown rice spaghetti noodles and see what I think. In my mind it sounds so yummy!
Your recipes are my favorite! Everything that I’ve made has been delicious. Thank you!!
I am so glad you loved this recipe. My kids are asking me to make it before they head back to school. Happy Thanksgiving!
This mac and cheese is fabulous! It’s super creamy and the possibilities to change it up a little are endless. I added some finely crushed red pepper flakes to give it a little kick. I can’t wait to make it again and try a few different varieties of cheeses!
I am so glad you loved this recipe. I love spicy and in the summer I like adding roasted hatch chiles :-).
Hi!! I was going to try to make this for Thanksgiving but how to you make it dairy free with it tasting good? What brands would you use and how much of it?
Hi Amanda, this recipe can be made dairy-free, and I like it mainly with the brand Violife, but it isn’t going to be the real thing. I don’t have the specific measurements.
This turned out so good! We were having dinner at a friends house and I brought this dish, everyone raved about it and couldn’t believe it was gluten free. I used Tinkyada pasta and let the noodles boil for one minute, turned off the burner and covered it like the front of the package said to. I only let it sit in the water for about 10 minutes compared to the 16 suggested and the pasta withstood being baked and then being warmed back up in the oven at the friends house again. Will definitely be making this again! I get real satisfaction out of people not being able to tell things are gluten free
I am so glad you enjoyed it Libby!! It is one of our favorites too 🙂
This was delicious, used Jovial brand Penne-cooked 1 minute less per recipe suggestion.Made recipe exactly as called for, will make again. Not sure if it will be as cheesy the following day as leftovers.
Thank you so much, I am really glad you liked it. I kept mine in an air-tight container and it was cheesy the next day.
We loved this recipe! I made some modifications, as I can only tolerate goat cheese but the whole family raved about it. Instead of cream cheese, I used soft goat cheese ( 4oz of plain and 4oz of a garlic and herb log), used a sliced goat cheddar from Whole Foods, and used goat’s milk instead of heavy cream. I made this for Halloween and stuffed the mac and cheese into orange peppers with jack-o-lantern cutouts, then baked in oven with the crunchy topping dotted with Earth Balance instead of butter. It was really delicious and cute!
I love goat cheese so I will have to try your suggestions. It sounds so good Lisanne!