The cheesiest mac just went vegan!

As of 2024, Kraft NotMac&Cheese has been slowly making its way into supermarkets across the country. This is the first-ever plant-based Kraft Mac & Cheese in the US and I am so here for it!

The Kraft Heinz Company has partnered with plant-based brand NotCo “to create vegan versions of favorites that will help people improve their diet without making drastic changes“. NotCo uses the power of AI with their unique tool named “Giuseppe”. Giuseppe can combine data from thousands of plants and identify combinations to replicate animal products on a molecular level. “Leveraging the strengths of both companies, Kraft Notco can offer the creamy and comforting experience KRAFT Mac & Cheese fans have loved for over 85 years – without the dairy”.

Kraft introduced their Mac & Cheese in 1937 as a boxed “Kraft Dinner”, boasting that you could “make a meal for four in nine minutes”. Kraft Mac & Cheese was introduced during World War II and was an instant hit as you could get two boxes for a single ration, was shelf stable, and was a great protein replacement for meat. The boxed meal was invented using a surplus of Kraft’s processed cheese powder, leaving the consumer to add their own refrigerated dairy products at home- which were more expensive and time-sensitive. This allowed Kraft to ship lightweight boxes without fear of expiration. To this day- 1 million boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese are sold a day. Do you think this will increase with the advent of their NotCheese variety? Or will consumers simply switch to the plant-based version instead?

When I heard word this box was making its way to stores near me, I was immediately on the hunt. I was first introduced to the Kraft Heinz NotCo partnership when I attended the Natural Products Expo West exhibition in 2023. I visited their booth and tried the Kraft NotCo NotCheese slices, but knew Mac & Cheese could only be next.

I have now tried both the Plant-Based Kraft NotMac&Cheese Original Mac & NotCheese and White Cheddar Style Shells & NotCheese. My favorite is of course the Original Kraft NotMac&Cheese, but the White Cheddar Style is also delicious! It has been over a decade since I have tasted Kraft Mac & Cheese, but I would say it’s a ringer! The cheese sauce tastes like a mix of cheeses but I primarily taste a mild or sharp cheddar with a tinge of sweet. The Mac is so creamy, melty, and buttery just like I remember (and my mom said she can’t taste a difference). The Kraft NotMac&Cheese White Cheddar Style Shells had a more mellow flavor. Cheddary but also a tad bit tangy to replicate cheese’s sour notes. Both were so tasty and at around $4 a box. I can see myself dressing up these bowls of mac in the future with some pepper, peas, panko, or even plant-based bacon bits.

I found my Plant-Based Kraft Not Mac & Cheese at my local Safeway. It’s vegan, made with no artificial dyes, and offers 11g of protein per serving. You all know I LOVE when big brands go vegan, so I can’t wait to see what additions we get from the Kraft Heinz NotCo partnership. I hope to find them at Expo West again this year so stay tuned! (PSA: I was accepted to attend Expo West 2024!)

Are you stoked on this new product release? Have you tried the vegan Kraft Mac & Cheese yet?

Kraft Plant-Based Mac & Cheese Original Ingredients: Enriched Macaroni (wheat Flour, Durum Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate [iron], Thiamin Mononitrate (vitamin B1], Riboflavin [vitamin B2], Folic Acid); Sauce Mix (coconut Oil Powder, Gum Arabic, Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Fava Bean Protein Isolate, Salt, Contains Less Than 2% Of Dried Pineapple, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Natural Flavor, Oleoresin Paprika And Turmeric Oleoresin [for Color], Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid And Tocopherols [added To Support Quality]).

Kraft Plant-Based Mac & Cheese White Cheddar Ingredients: Enriched Macaroni Product (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate [Iron], Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid); Sauce Mix (Coconut Oil Powder, Gum Arabic, Modified Food Starch, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Fava Bean Protein Isolate, Salt, Contains Less Than 2% Of Maltodextrin, Natural Flavor, Dried Pineapple, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Onion Powder).

Safeway Location: 2001 McHenry Ave c, Modesto, CA 95350

The Food That Built America- S3 E12- “Pasta Party”

Kraft Heinz NotCo

NotCo- Partnerships