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.
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!
BBQ Jackfruit Sweet Potato Mac
Creamy sweet potato mac topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit. Vegan recipe.
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.
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?
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Paula says
Publix has frozen jackfruit in the frozen fruits section!
Jenn says
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!!
Riya says
Looks good. Thanks for the recipe.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you!
Beth says
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!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
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!
Glenda says
I buy canned jackfruit at a local Asian grocery store.
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
So cool! I need to find some jackfruit for sure!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you! I used up my last can for this, so I need to find some more as well :[
Tashiana says
Yummo! This is such a great combo 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks, Tashiana 🙂
Karissa @ Vegan À La Mode says
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!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Both places on my vegan bucket list!! I’m sure their jackfruit is better than mine ever could be!
rika@vm says
That mac n cheese dish with jackfruit looks phenomenal! Drools!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks, Rika!