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Home » Dinner » BBQ Jackfruit Sweet Potato Mac

BBQ Jackfruit Sweet Potato Mac

May 29, 2014 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 16 Comments

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When I make vegan mac n’ stuff, I aim for creaminess, a little sweetness, a little tang, and tasty mix-ins if I’m in the mood. If I can achieve those things then it takes the focus squarely off of whether it tastes like dairy cheese. That way we can just focus on eating. I know I’m not alone when I say that I would rather be putting food in my mouth than arguing about cheese substitutes. Yea or nay? Anyway, the crazy thing about this sweet potato sauce is that it has that almost neon-orange color that bears a kind of unfortunate resemblance to Easy Mac. But looks can be deceiving! This BBQ jackfruit sweet potato mac is sweet, savory, and spicy, all at once. Doctor it up even more with your favorite spices, and as always, season to taste. The salt and acid will definitely need to be adjusted depending on the size and variety of sweet potato used.

close up of bbq mac and cheese pasta with jackfruit garnished with cilantro served in a white bowl

vegan sweet potato cashew mac and cheese with barbecue jackfruit served in a white bowl with a black pot full of

As far as the BBQ jackfruit goes, I would stick with a barbecue sauce that’s more spicy/tangy rather than sweet. That will help the two components here to complement each other as much as possible. I almost always buy Stubb’s BBQ sauce, the spicy kind. I love sauces that are made with tamarind – it’s a really unique and toothsome taste. All Stubb’s sauces are vegan except for the honey flavor. They are all-natural and sold at Whole Foods as well as my local supermarket. Not a sponsored plug, just a product that I like :).

BBQ jackfruit method adapted from Luminous Vegans. Sweet potato mac was tweaked up by me, but inspired by The Kind Life/Detoxinista/others that I’ve seen around the internet.

Enjoy this sweet potato mac! And if you’re looking for a classic vegan macaroni and cheese, I’ve perfected my recipe over the years so head on over!

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5 from 2 votes

BBQ Jackfruit Sweet Potato Mac

Creamy sweet potato mac topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit. Vegan recipe.
Course entree, Main Course, pasta
Cuisine gluten-free, oil-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword bbq jackfruit
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 387kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For the BBQ jackfruit:

  • 1 14 oz. can young green jackfruit in brine or water rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

For the sweet potato mac:

  • 8 oz whole wheat pasta of choice (or gluten-free pasta if needed)
  • 1 medium-sized sweet potato cooked and peeled
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked in water overnight
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tbsp prepared mustard
  • 1/8 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
  • 2 tbsp plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (optional)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch
  • salt and pepper
  • chopped fresh cilantro or green onions for serving

Instructions

For the BBQ jackfruit:

  • Slice off any hard ends of the jackfruit pieces and discard. Rub the pieces of jackfruit between your fingers to separate them and remove any seeds.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the jackfruit to a small saucepan or skillet, and add enough BBQ sauce to coat. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the briney taste is gone from the jackfruit.
  • Spread the jackfruit out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat, and bake for 10 minutes or until it starts to dry out and crisp up. Remove and set aside.

For the sweet potato mac:

  • Cook the whole wheat pasta to al dente, according to package instructions, and drain.
  • Add the sweet potato, cashews, garlic, and a couple of splashes of the nondairy milk to a blender or food processor, and blend until completely smooth.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
  • Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens slightly, 2-3 minutes. Fold in the cooked pasta and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Serve topped with BBQ jackfruit and cilantro or green onions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fourth recipe | Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5000IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg

creamy saucy BBQ Jackfruit Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese noodles garnished with cilantro served in a white bowl

Soo… no more sweet potato recipes for a while, I promise =].

Looking for a more classic vegan mac and cheese? <- I’ve got you covered!

For the sweet potato lover, may I suggest these BBQ pulled sweet potato sandwiches?

Filed Under: Dinner, Spring Tagged With: oil-free, pasta, plant-strong, refined sugar-free

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Comments

  1. Kimberly says

    June 6, 2021 at 15:35

    How long can leftovers be stored, your advise on storage and reheating please? thanks.

    Reply
  2. Paula says

    June 19, 2018 at 10:30

    Publix has frozen jackfruit in the frozen fruits section!

    Reply
  3. Jenn says

    February 13, 2018 at 23:28

    This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! As someone who loves a “mac and cheese” I have to suggest VegNews version. I’ve made many changes to this recipe, I use sweet potatoes, not white potatoes, and I replace a lot of the margarine with cashews (still lots of fatty creaminess but let’s face it, whole food fat will always be better for you than straight oil or non-dairy margarine) and I use whole wheat penne instead of macaroni. And finally I add broccoli because I can’t eat a whole serving of pasta without some green goodness to break it up (and I personally adore broccoli) Looking forward to trying your recipe, I never get tired of tasting new versions of mac!!

    Reply
  4. Riya says

    October 29, 2014 at 04:16

    5 stars
    Looks good. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      November 2, 2014 at 20:01

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Beth says

    June 26, 2014 at 12:52

    5 stars
    Love your blog! I think I stumbled upon it while browsing recipes on Pinterest. I was wondering where you buy your jackfruit. This recipe looks so delicious (like all of yours on here), and would love to try my hand at jackfruit, but I’ve not been able to locate it during my food shopping adventures. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      June 26, 2014 at 14:02

      Hi Beth – thanks so much! I’ve heard that sometimes people can find jackfruit at Whole Foods.. I’ve never seen it at my local store, though. I ended up buying a pack of 4 cans of it on eBay because I had been wanting to try it for a while. Shipping was a little pricey, it was not really ideal. Sorry, I wish I had a better answer to this!

      Reply
      • Glenda says

        July 12, 2017 at 21:21

        I buy canned jackfruit at a local Asian grocery store.

  6. Katie @ Produce on Parade says

    June 2, 2014 at 19:44

    So cool! I need to find some jackfruit for sure!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      June 3, 2014 at 14:57

      Thank you! I used up my last can for this, so I need to find some more as well :[

      Reply
  7. Tashiana says

    June 1, 2014 at 09:35

    Yummo! This is such a great combo 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      June 1, 2014 at 20:23

      Thanks, Tashiana 🙂

      Reply
  8. Karissa @ Vegan À La Mode says

    May 30, 2014 at 16:19

    This looks so delicious! I haven’t tried jackfruit but my boyfriend has raved about how great it tasted after eating it at both Native Foods Cafe and Sage Vegan Bistro. I bet he would love this dish!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      June 1, 2014 at 20:22

      Both places on my vegan bucket list!! I’m sure their jackfruit is better than mine ever could be!

      Reply
  9. rika@vm says

    May 29, 2014 at 11:22

    That mac n cheese dish with jackfruit looks phenomenal! Drools!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      May 30, 2014 at 08:55

      Thanks, Rika!

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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