When you need an appetizer and want comforting finger food, these cheesy, gooey, baked mac and cheese bites (with a vegan option) are the perfect choice! Make them with chickpea pasta for an added protein boost and bake them instead of frying for a lighter, healthier twist on the classic dish, this tasty snack is a crowd-pleaser.
Why You'll Love Mac and Cheese Bites
- Finger Foods are so popular! People LOVE bite-size foods, especially when they’re made in muffin tins. Quite frankly, what’s not to love? Portion controlled, easy to eat, and best of all, super easy to prepare!
- Versatile. These Mac and Cheese Bites Can Be Vegan or Vegetarian. Just switch up the cheeses to suit your preference.
- Easy to Prepare. These mac and cheese bites are easily prepared on the stove, then portioned out, coated with Panko bread crumbs, and baked in mini muffin tins until golden brown and crispy.
How to Make Mac and Cheese Bites
Making these tasty bites is so easy! Start by preheating your oven and getting your muffin tin ready. Then, prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box. When it is ready strain and set aside.
Next, make a roux with olive oil and flour in a large saucepan. Add milk or non-dairy milk for a vegan option with salt and pepper and stir until it thickens. Add the pasta and the remaining ingredients except for the panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Move the mac and cheese to a baking pan so that it is spread out a little and can cool. Let the mac and cheese cool until it can be handled.
Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan while the mac and cheese is cooling. Then, scoop out portions of the mac and cheese and roll them in the breadcrumb mixture. You can use a spoon or an ice cream scoop for more evenly sized portions. Place each one in a muffin pan because this will allow it to keep its shape. Coat the mac and cheese bites with baking spray on top and bake for twenty minutes. The baking spray allows the coating to get a little crispy without frying.
How to Serve Mac and Cheese Bites
Serve with marinara sauce or buffalo sauce for dipping! These can be a side dish or an appetizer and work just as well for all of your favorite parties or events as they do at the family dinner table.
Mac and Cheese Bites Recipe Tips
- Make these mac and cheese bites vegan by using vegan cheese and plant-based milk.
- We used mozzarella and cheddar cheese, but these mac and cheese bites could be made with other cheeses like fontina, gouda, gruyère, etc.
- While our recipe calls for olive oil, you can use avocado oil, butter, or whatever you have on hand.
- You can make the recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free Panko and gluten-free pasta.
- The mac and cheese baked bites can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Just refrigerate the base. When ready to serve, portion, coat with bread crumbs, and bake.
- Don't skip the mustard, it cuts on the richness of the mac and cheese and it give the bites a wonderful flavor.
- For a touch of heat, add a splash of buffalo or hot sauce to the mac and cheese and red pepper flakes or cayenne to the Panko.
- Serve the mac and cheese bites warm, with a side of marinara sauce.
- Want more food bites? You can pretty much make a “muffin” out of anything. It can be sweet, it can be savory, like these sweet potato meatballs. It can be a cute little appetizer, like these green papaya salad cups with peanut dressing, a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack, or even part of a light dinner, like these baked green falafel with lemony tahini.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave or oven.
More Appetizer Recipes
Want more food bites? You can make different appetizers in a mini muffin tin.
- They can be sweet, they can be savory, like these sweet potato meatballs.
- They can be a cute little appetizer, like these green papaya salad cups with peanut dressing,
- A quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack, or even part of a light dinner, like these baked green falafel with lemony tahini
- Our award winning, Potato cups filled with spinach
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Vegan Mac And Cheese Baked Bites
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 balls 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
You'll love these baked-to-perfection, cheesy, gooey mac and cheese bites (with a vegan option). Use chickpea pasta for added protein.
Ingredients
- 8oz elbow macaroni (use chickpea pasta for added protein)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (you can also use any gluten-free flour)
- 1 ¼ cups of low-fat mil or unsweetened non-dairy milk, not vanilla flavored.
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ¼ to ⅛ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced (optional) or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tbsp brown mustard
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese or vegan shredded mozzarella cheese(
- 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese or vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs (you can use gluten-free Panko)
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese or vegan parmesan cheese
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat the mini muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Set aside
- Break the pasta into approximately 2-inch pieces and cook it according to the directions on the box. Rinse very lightly and drain well (the pasta should be slightly sticky). Set aside
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the flour and cook over medium heat for just 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly and breaking up any lumps that might form. Add the salt and pepper and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken
- Turn off the heat, add the basil, garlic (if using), mustard, both kinds of cheese, and nutritional yeast, and keep whisking until the cheese has melted. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Transfer to a large baking dish and let it cool, just enough so it's safe to handle with your hands
- Place the Panko bread crumbs and the parmesan cheese in a bowl. Working with approximately 1 ½ tablespoons at a time (use an ice cream scoop if you have one), scoop the mac and cheese, roll it into a ball using your hands and coat it with Panko (make sure it's well coated on all sides). Place the ball in a muffin tin hole, and repeat the process with the rest of the mac and cheese. Coat them generously with cooking spray and place them on the top rack of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
Mac and cheese bites recipe tips:
- Use chickpea pasta, instead of regular pasta to increase protein content
- Use regular cheese or vegan cheese
- We used mozzarella and cheddar cheese. These mac and cheese bites could be made with other cheeses like fontina, gouda, gruyère, etc.
- Make the recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta, gluten-free flour, and gluten-free Panko.
- The mac and cheese baked bites can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time. Just refrigerate the base. When ready to serve, portion, bread, and bake.
- If you are short on time you can bake the mac and cheese bites, and reheat them in a 250ºF oven until warm.
- For the mac and cheese balls to keep their shape, make sure you bake them inside the muffin tins.
- For a touch of heat, add a splash of buffalo or hot sauce to the mac and cheese, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to the Panko.
- Serve the mac and cheese bites warm, with a side of marinara sauce.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 119
- Sodium: 165.6
- Fat: 6.2
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 12.2
- Fiber: 1.1
- Protein: 3.6
- Cholesterol: 0
Cindy
What a great idea for one of my favorite foods. Although I had to go buy several of the ingredients it was worth it!!!
Vicky & Ruth
Who doesn't like Mac and Cheese right?