If you love an old fashioned, creamy Macaroni Salad, than this easy gluten-free recipe is ideal! Gluten-free macaroni salad has a classic tangy, delicious taste with a creamy dressing and crisp bites of celery, red onion, and apple. This easy recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes and includes simple tips to prevent a mushy macaroni salad!
Gluten-free Dairy-free macaroni salad
A summer BBQ get together is just not complete without some classic recipes. American potluck favorites, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and a good old fashioned macaroni salad are celebrated for their taste and easy preparation.
This gluten-free macaroni salad recipe is no exception with a super creamy (yet dairy-free) dressing and perfect balance of tangy and sweet. Just like when making gluten-free Pasta salad, you may be tempted to simply swap out GF pasta for a classic recipe, but there is an easy and better way to make it!
First of all, this recipe gets a creamy from the ratio of pasta to dressing. While most recipes call for 8 ounces dried elbow macaroni, I’ve found gluten-free pasta soaks up more of the dressing, leaving drier results.
Wheat flour pasta has more of a barrier to separate the pasta from absorbing the dressing, but GF macaroni is made of starches that readily soaks up moisture. Therefore, slightly decreasing the amount of pasta, but keeping the mayo dressing the same, maintains creamy results, even after sitting.
Another common issue with gluten-free cold macaroni salad comes from overcooked, mushy pasta. To prevent accidental overcooking and maintain a tender, but not mushy bite, boil gluten-free macaroni 1 minute less than al dente. Then, immediately rinse in cold water to stop cooking.
Read on to learn more easy tips for making the best gluten-free macaroni pasta salad, including serving tips, the best GF pasta to use, and suggested add-ins to boost flavor and texture!
Ingredient Notes
Not only does this recipe come together in minutes, but it’s an affordable dish perfect for large gatherings, just like these famous gluten-free baked beans. The recipe makes enough for 6 one-cup portions, but I find it stretches further. Usually smaller servings are sampled when lots of potluck or cook-out dishes are offered.
- Gluten-free macaroni noodles – A small, short elbow pasta works well with the bite-sized veggies and diced apple. See Recommended Gluten-Free Macaroni section for my preferred brand and cooking tips.
- Vegetables – For a classic taste use celery and red onion, diced very fine. I prefer red onion because it has a mild flavor. See the More Add-Ins section for additional mix-in ideas.
- Apple – A red delicious apple, with its skin on, not only adds a bit of sweet flavor, but nice vibrant color.
- Lemon juice – Used to keep the apples from turning brown and also adds acidity to the dressing. Many recipes use vinegar, but I prefer the mild citrus taste.
- Mayo – Since this recipe uses only mayo, and no sour cream, not only is this macaroni salad gluten-free, but dairy-free as well. For a vegan adaptation, use vegan mayo in its place.
how to make gluten-free macaroni salad
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
- Boil the gluten-free pasta for 1 minute less than package instructions calls for al dente. Once the cooking time has ended, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until the pasta is room temperature. This helps prevent mushy GF macaroni.
- While the pasta is cooking, dice the apple and place in a small bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, to prevent the apples from turning brown as the salad is served and stored.
- In a large bowl stir together the mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, diced celery, red onion, relish, sugar, dijon mustard, and seasoned salt. Stir to combine. Add the well-drained pasta and apple with lemon juice. Gently fold until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. When ready to serve, let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to take chill off of pasta, softening the bite, before enjoying.
Recommended gluten-free macaroni Tips
Use these easy tips to make a gluten-free macaroni taste just like the classic, old fashioned recipes you grew up on!
- My preferred brand to use is gluten-free Barilla elbow pasta. It replicates wheat pasta’s taste, without any strong, off-putting flavors, and their brand holds up better when cooking.
- When boiling gluten-free pasta, do not salt the water. The starches will absorb too much of the seasoning, making for an overly salty dish.
- Boil for 1 minute less than al dente (according to package directions) and then rinse immediately in cold water to stop further cooking.
- Make sure the elbow pasta is well-drained before adding to the dressing.
Is mayonnaise dairy-free?
Traditionally mayonnaise is made from an emulsion of egg yolks, oil, and some sort of acid, like lemon juice or vinegar. Therefore, it is naturally dairy-free.
Manufactured, commercial mayonnaise uses pasteurized eggs, soybean oil, and seasonings, so it is still dairy-free and safe to use for this gluten-free dairy-free macaroni salad.
Storing and serving tips
A cold pasta salad is an ideal make-ahead dish, and it even tastes better if you let it sit up to overnight before serving. However, while traditional recipes will keep in the fridge 5-7 days, I don’t recommend this for gluten-free recipes.
You may make the salad up to 24 hours before serving. When it’s time to serve, let it sit out for 30-45 minutes, stirring a couple times, so it comes to room temp. This softens the bite of the pasta.
If you plan on serving this creamy macaroni salad for an outdoor cook-out, it will not keep in the heat for very long. To prevent spoilage, fill a bowl larger than your serving bowl with ice, then place the serving bowl inside to keep cool.
more add-in ideas
There are many mix-in options for macaroni salad. Consider swapping out the celery, onion, or apple with any of these ideas. However, the total amount of mix-ins should be 2 cups to maintain the creamy balance of pasta, add-ins, and dressing.
- canned tiny shrimp – rinsed and well-drained
- red bell pepper, diced
- chopped hard-boiled eggs
- diced pickles
- grated carrots
- pimentos
- frozen peas, thawed
- fresh herbs, such as dill
- grated cheese (omit for dairy-free recipe)
What to serve with creamy macaroni salad?
Many of these easy sides for baked beans would pair great with macaroni salad. Popular choices include coleslaw, deviled eggs, and Amish potato salad.
If hosting a cook-out and you want to impress guests (GF or not!), bake a batch of gluten-free hamburger buns or gluten-free hot dog buns, so soft and squishy they are devoured by everyone!
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Creamy Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad (Easy Tips)
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups gluten-free macaroni (Barilla brand recommended)
- 1 red apple cored and diced
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice divided
- 1 cup mayonnaise regular or light
- 1 celery stalk finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
Instructions
- Begin by placing the gluten-free pasta in boiling unsalted water. Cook for 1 minute less than al dente. Once the cooking time has ended, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until the pasta is room temperature. This helps prevent mushy gluten-free pasta.2 ¼ cups gluten-free macaroni
- While the pasta is cooking, dice the apple and place in a small bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, reserving the remaining lemon juice. Set aside.1 red apple, 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- In a large bowl stir together the mayonnaise, remaining ½ tablespoon lemon juice, diced celery, red onion, relish, sugar, dijon mustard, and seasoned salt. Stir to combine. Add the well-drained pasta and apple with lemon juice. Gently fold until well combined.1 cup mayonnaise, 1 celery stalk, ¼ cup red onion, 2 tablespoons sweet relish, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. When ready to serve, let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to take chill off of pasta, softening the bite, before enjoying.
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