This homemade vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is so delicious that no one will notice it is hiding tons of vegetables! It features a vegan cauliflower cheese sauce and a crunchy panko topping. Such a keeper and perfect weeknight dinner you can meal-prep ahead, both kids and adults will love it!
This amazing vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is the BEST and DREAMIEST cheesy vegan comfort food! It is saucy, so creamy and topped with a crispy cheesy breadcrumb topping.
We have made this healthy butternut squash mac and cheese often, especially during busy weeknights or in the fall, and I love to use this vegan mac and cheese mix for speedy dinners. But I'm happy to now add this easy cauliflower mac and cheese to the blog for all the cheese lovers! I am sure you will love it.
The mostly tasteless cauliflower florets are blended to smooth with cashews to make the most silky, flour-free and fully dairy-free cheese sauce you will ever have. We love to bake it in the oven, but you don't have to for a quicker version.
And you will love that no store-bought vegan cheese was used in this recipe but instead only wholesome ingredients and tons of good-for-you vegetables. This hidden cauliflower mac and cheese is a must-try next time you crave a cozy bowl of cheesy pasta but still are looking for something healthy!
Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️
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❤️ This vegan cauliflower cheese pasta dish is:
- Unbelievably gooey and flavorful
- Approved by kids and hides extra veggies no one will notice
- Dairy-free, entirely plant-based and easy to make gluten-free
- Perfect crowd-pleaser!
- The vegan cheese sauce with cauliflower can be made ahead for easy meals during the week.
- So satisfying and filling!
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
For the saucy mac and cheese:
- Macaroni elbow noodles: or any short noodles, such as rigatoni, ziti or penne. Choose your favorite!
- Cauliflower: you will need a small head for this recipe or about 4 cups.
- Raw cashews: cashews are rich in healthy fats, which makes the cauliflower cheese sauce irresistibly rich and creamy, even if made completely dairy-free.
- Potato: just like in this vegan queso, blending cooked potatoes adds a little bit of a stringy feeling or a pull to the cheesy sauce.
- Carrot: mostly for color, but also adds more vitamins. If you don't have carrots, then simply use more potatoes!
- Plant-based milk: choose any kind, as long as it is unflavored and unsweetened.
- Nutritional yeast: essential ingredient for a cheesy flavor, try not to omit it.
- Apple cider vinegar: lemon juice works too. Brightens up the overall cheesy taste.
For the breadcrumb topping:
- Regular breadcrumb + panko breadcrumb: I like using both to make for a perfectly textured topping, although only use one type if that's easier.
- Onion and garlic powder: flavoring ingredients, swap/add paprika or dried herbs, such as dried basil or parsley.
⭐️ Find the full list of ingredients with quantities down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variation ideas
- Spices: try adding smoked paprika or a pinch of turmeric to the blender when making the sauce. Turmeric would add nutrition, but also make the result more 'cheesy yellow'. Careful not to add too much, you don't really want to taste it, a tiny pinch goes a long way!
- Vegetables: you can use fewer noodles (about 12 oz), but add more veggies such as broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms or green peas. Cook the veggies first.
- For a spicy cauliflower mac and cheese: add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of spicy sauce to the blender. OR, try adding some spicy jalapeño or a can of spicy green chiles to the dish.
- For a smoky flavor: add some vegan TVP bacon bits!
🍽 How to make vegan cauliflower mac and cheese
Step 1: Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 10 minutes and cook the noodles al dente, drain and set aside.
Step 2: Transfer the chopped cauliflower, potato and carrot to a medium pot and cover with water. Then, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain well, then remove about 2 cups of the cauliflower florets and set them aside (optional).
Step 3: Transfer the remaining vegetables to a blender alongside the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, salt and plant-based milk.
Step 4: Blend on high until smooth. Take a break or two to scrape the walls and make sure all pieces are blended. It should become very creamy with a rich texture.
Step 5: In a large pot (the one used to cook the noodles) add the noodles, the 2 cups of cauliflower florets that you set aside (if you did, optional) and the blended cheese sauce.
Step 6: Stir well until combined and taste to adjust salt.
Step 7: In a small bowl, combine the regular and panko breadcrumbs with the nutritional yeast, salt, onion and garlic powder.
Step 8: Transfer the cheesy noodles to a large baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb topping uniformly over the whole dish. Bake in the oven at 375ºF until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes, and let the dish rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ short video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Cooking tips
- Be sure not to overcook the noodles and keep them al dente, even slightly undercooked. They will keep cooking in the oven!
- When preparing the cauliflower, keep the florets large enough so they are easy to grab when setting the 2 cups aside. You can then chop them smaller in bite-size as needed.
- Make sure to taste and add more salt to enhance the cheesy flavor of the dish.
- For a crispier topping, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the breadcrumb mixture before spreading over the noodles. You can use an oil-spray if that's easier!
❗️ Storage tips
Like most baked pasta dishes, it is better and saucier when freshly baked. The noodles soak up the sauce over time, making the noodles softer and the dish less saucy. It still makes for amazing leftovers, but just something to keep in mind.
Keep leftovers very well covered (it dries easily) in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven (covered and at 350ºF until warmed up).
❓ FAQs
I don't recommend it. It is essential for a cheesy flavor, which is what you are looking for in a mac and cheese. If you don't use it, then you will still have a nice creamy sauce, but it might lack flavor.
Use gluten-free noodles and look for gluten-free panko and gluten-free regular breadcrumbs. The rest of the ingredients are naturally GF!
Cashews are the main ingredients in this recipe and cannot be swapped for any nut-free ingredients (I don't think seeds would work well here). If looking for a creamy and nut-free pasta sauce, then check out this cauliflower Alfredo sauce or this vegan mac and cheese without cashews!
You may, although the texture will change significantly after thawed: the noodles will be softer and the dish much less saucy.
🌱More baked pasta recipes you might like
I hope you like this vegan cauliflower mac and cheese as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Blender
- Large pot
- Medium pot
- Large baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups raw cashews
- 4 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 small head)
- 1 large carrot - peeled and roughly chopped (for color)
- 1 medium size potato - peeled and sliced in quarters
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar - lemon juice works too
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 ½-2 tsp salt - or to taste
- 2 cups plant-based milk - plain and unsweetened
- 16 oz macaroni noodles - cooked al dente
Crispy topping
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup regular breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in boiling water for about 10-15 min. Then, drain and set aside. Also, cook your noodles al dente and pre-heat the oven to 375ºF.
- Transfer the cauliflower florets to a large pot alongside the carrots and potatoes. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Keep simmering for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Then, drain well.
- OPTIONAL: Using a fork or tong, carefully remove about 2 cups of cooked cauliflower from the vegetable mix. Set aside (they will be combined within the sauce later).
- Transfer the drained cashews and remaining vegetable mix to a blender alongside the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, clove of garlic, salt and milk. Blend on high until smooth and uniform. Adjust salt to your taste.
- Combine the al dente noodles with the 2 cups of cauliflower florets that you set aside (if you did, optional) and pour the vegan cauliflower cheese sauce over. Stir to combine and transfer to a large baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the crispy topping ingredients and distribute over the whole dish.
- Bake for 25-30 min or until golden brown. You can also bake a few minutes on broil at the end (watch closely). Let the vegan mac and cheese sit for about 10 minutes before eating, enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: the dish is saucier when freshly baked as the noodles keep soaking on the sauce while resting. Keep leftovers in the fridge covered for up to 4 days and reheat using the microwave or the oven.
- Be sure not to overcook the noodles and keep them al dente, even slightly undercooked. They will keep cooking in the oven!
-
- Make sure to taste and add more salt to enhance the cheesy flavor of the dish.
- When preparing the cauliflower, keep the florets large enough so they are easy to grab when setting the 2 cups aside. You can then chop them smaller in bite-size as needed.
- Feel free to add more spices such as smoked paprika, cayenne peppers, more veggies such as steamed broccoli or peas or even diced jalapeño or canned green chiles. You might want to use less noodles if adding lots of veggies (to keep the dish as saucy).
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
I made these tonight and they did not disappoint. The sauce is so creamy and good and it makes enough so that the noodles are creamy when they come out of the oven. I halved the recipe as there are only 2 of us and baked it in 3 single casserole dishes. Delicious. Thank you Jess!
Thanks for sharing Nancy 🙂
Yum! I used a sweet potato because I didn't have a regular potato but left everything else the same and it was delicious. Perfect for meal prep. I ate this mac and cheese for the whole week and it didn't turn mushy. This recipe will go in my regular rotation. Thank you.
Oh that's great, I'm glad to hear that! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂