Vegan mac ‘n cheese… but make it fried. Before I went vegan, I used to love the frozen Mac and Cheese Bites from Trader Joe’s. I suddenly thought about them the other day and realized that I could totally veganize them and maybe even make them a bit healthier thanks to my air fryer.
To keep this recipe simple and save time, I used a box vegan mac ‘n cheese (specifically this one from Annie’s) but if you want to make your own, here are three options from my blog! All can be made gluten-free by opting to use gluten-free pasta.
Once you’ve got your mac ‘n cheese, you’ll need a few other key ingredients:
all-purpose flour (can sub gluten-free all-purpose flour),
panko breadcrumbs (can sub gluten-free breadcrumbs),
plant milk,
salt and pepper,
and if you’re like me—a generous amount of sriracha (or ketchup) for dipping!
Air Fryer Vegan Fried Mac 'n Cheese Bites
Ingredients:
- 3 cups prepared vegan mac 'n cheese of choice
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- spray oil
Instructions:
- Place the prepared mac 'n cheese in a freezer-safe container and refrigerate for at least one hour, until solidified.
- In three separate bowls, add plant milk, flour, and breadcrumbs. Season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Take the mac 'n cheese out of the fridge and cut into bite-size triangles.
- Coat each piece in flour, then into the milk, and finally into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the air fryer is heated up, spray a bit of oil to coat the air fryer basket. Place the mac 'n cheese bites in the basket and add spray some more oil on top. This will get them nice and crispy.
- Cook the mac 'n chees ebites for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dips.