In a medium saucepan with lid, melt oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften. Add garlic, stir and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until garlic is fragrant. Dairy Free (2) Less Sodium (1) Brand Annie's (22) Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (17). That's Smart Deluxe Mac & Cheese Dinner. Log In to Add to Cart. To prepare this mac and cheese, boil six cups of water. Stir in the pasta and boil for 7-10 minutes or to desired tenderness, stirring occasionally. Drain, and do not rinse. Return pasta to the pot and add 1/2 cup of unflavored almond milk and 2 tablespoons of plant-based buttery spread. Add the contents of the seasoning packet. Price: $4.45 per 10- to 11-ounce box. Availability: Annie’s Vegan Deluxe Rich & Creamy Macaroni and Sauce is sold at Target, Publix, and other mainstream retailers. You can also order them on Amazon. Certifications: Annie’s Vegan Deluxe Rich & Creamy Macaroni and Sauce is Certified Organic. Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Annie’s Vegan. Organic Pasta (Organic Wheat Flour), Organic Vegan Cheddar Flavor Seasoning (Organic Rice Syrup Solids, Organic Palm Oil, Sea Salt, Organic Corn Starch, Organic Pea Protein, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Organic Annatto Extract For Color, Silicon Dioxide For Anticaking).

Mac and cheese is quintessential comfort food, and vegans have been missing out thanks to the cheese and other dairy products that are in this beloved food. While there are other brands that make vegan mac and cheese, like Annie's, it's pretty expensive. That's why vegans everywhere are rejoicing that Aldi, everyone's favorite budget grocery store, has released its own version that's made with almond milk and vegan butter — and it's just $1.49 per box (via Reddit).

Boxes of the Earth Grown brand dairy-free mac and cheese haven't been released in stores nationwide yet, but some lucky locations have already stocked it over the past two weeks, and customers in those areas have gotten to try it. One Redditor said it was 'pretty good' and that it is similar to Kraft's boxed macaroni and cheese, but suggested using less almond milk and vegan butter to keep it from getting runny.

On Instagram, one commenter said the Earth Grown vegan mac and cheese was delicious. In fact, when they went back to their store to buy more, it was all sold out. Another Instagrammer confirmed that it is the closest vegan option to tasting like Kraft. Aldi Reviewer concluded, '...while its flavor is more on the mild side and not the cheesiest,' it's definitely not a bad vegan lunch option.

What you should know about Aldi's vegan mac and cheese

While having a vegan mac and cheese option that's really affordable thanks to Aldi's store brand option, there are a few things to be aware of with regard to the nutrition and ingredients, as always. The first is that this is not a gluten-free option. So, if you are vegan and have other dietary restrictions as well, you'll definitely want to read the box. From comments on Instagram, it appears that the dairy-free mac and cheese is free of soy, but again, check the ingredient list to be sure.

In a photo that was taken by a Redditor and posted to Imgur, we know that 1 cup of the pasta dish prepared following the box's instructions rings in around 280 calories. It also has 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 42 grams of carbs, and 420 milligrams of sodium. Lastly, there are 2 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein per serving. Considering its vegan mac and cheese, the nutrition doesn't appear to be atrocious at first glance.

Stop by your local Aldi and keep an eagle-eye out for this new product. It's clearly a winning item that's bound to be bought up quickly.

Make Mac And Cheese Without Milk

Aldi is on top of popular diets such as keto, gluten free, and especially vegan. The grocer sells an entire line of vegan products, with some of them in stores year round and others rotating in for short periods throughout the year. Vegan products I’ve spotted at Aldi during the past couple of years include beefless crumbles, a variety of burger patties, coconut milk ice cream, meatless meatballs, and vegetable potstickers.

One of the most recent vegan items to show up on store shelves was vegan macaroni and cheese.

Earth Grown Vegan Cheddar Flavor Mac & Cheese cost $1.49 for a 6-oz. box at the time of publication.

This is an Aldi Find (Special Buy). That means it’s only in stores for a short time, so if you miss it this time, you’ll have to wait until the next time it comes around, and we don’t know exactly when that might be.

The box says this is a plant-based recipe that is dairy free (hence, vegan).

The first several ingredients include enriched macaroni, maltodextrin, organic palm oil powder, salt, and cane sugar. Like many vegan foods, this does have some processed ingredients.

If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains wheat.

Best Boxed Dairy Free Mac And Cheese

Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

Each box contains about 2.5 servings, and one 1-cup serving has 280 calories, 9 grams of total fat (12% DV), 2.5 grams of saturated fat (13% DV), 420 mg of sodium (18% DV), 42 grams of total carbohydrates (15% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 2 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of added sugar (1% DV), and 6 grams of protein.

Briefly comparing the nutrition info to other boxed macaroni and cheese kits in my pantry, the Earth Grown mac and cheese is lower in calories and sodium compared to Aldi’s Cheese Club Shells and Cheese (which has 360 calories and 830 mg of sodium in 1 cup) and name-brand Kraft Three Cheese mac and cheese (which has 360 calories and 750 mg of sodium in 1 cup).

To prepare this mac and cheese, boil six cups of water. Stir in the pasta and boil for 7-10 minutes or to desired tenderness, stirring occasionally. Drain, and do not rinse. Return pasta to the pot and add 1/2 cup of unflavored almond milk and 2 tablespoons of plant-based buttery spread. Add the contents of the seasoning packet. Mix well until smooth and creamy.

Dairy Free Mac And Cheese Boxing

Because my family does not eat a strictly vegan diet, I prepared this with regular whole milk and butter.

My family noticed the seasoning/cheese powder is a brighter orange color than a lot of other boxed mac and cheese dinners we’ve prepared, but once the powder was stirred in, it looked like standard store-bought mac and cheese.

As for how it tastes, I thought it was okay. Some family members really liked it and asked for seconds. Another family member thought it had a slight aftertaste, but the rest of us didn’t notice, or it wasn’t enough to be an issue for us. Half of us thought this was a more mild or bland-tasting macaroni and cheese without as much cheese flavor as non-vegan varieties we’ve eaten, but it wasn’t bad, and it can always be doctored with salt and pepper, extra cheese, or a cheese substitute if you’re trying to keep it vegan.

Overall, if eating vegan is important to you, this is a decent boxed mac and cheese.

The Verdict:

Earth Grown Mac & Cheese is lower in calories and sodium than a lot of other traditional boxed macaroni and cheeses we’ve tried, and while its flavor is more on the mild side and not the cheesiest, it’s not a bad option if you’re looking for an easy vegan lunch.