Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is the perfect easy meal! Allergy-friendly, this mac and cheese recipe is made without nuts and will satisfy all the picky eaters!

When you think of the ultimate comfort food, what do you think of? For me, I think of mac and cheese. Before going vegan, it wasn't rare for me to just cozy up to a huge bowl of mac and cheese and make it my dinner. You know what I am talking about, the orangish boxed stuff that was full of preservatives and artery-clogging goodness. Yeah, that stuff.

After going vegan, mac and cheese were one of the first things I learned to cook. When people ask me what would be the first recipe I would encourage new vegans to make it would be mac and cheese.

What I love most about this vegan mac and cheese is how budget and allergy-friendly it is. Most vegan mac and cheese recipes have a cashew-based sauce. This sauce can be problematic for a few reasons, the first being that it isn't safe for those who are allergic to nuts. The second reason is that cashews can be pricy! I don't know about you but I live on a budget so I can't always splurge on expensive nuts. The base of this mac and cheese sauce is cauliflower, making it nut-free, budget-friendly and delicious!

For more delicious fall recipes, check out this Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash or this Fall Butternut Squash Vegan Tortellini

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ's
• Top tip
• Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Food safety

Ingredients

The ingredients in this recipe are easy and budget friendly! Find them all at your local grocery store!

• Cavatappi Noodles
• Cauliflower Head
• Carrots
• Soy Milk
• Vegan Butter
• Breadcrumbs
• Nutritional Yeast
• Tumeric
• Salt
• Smoked Paprika
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Mustard Powder

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop the cauliflower and the carrots. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes.

While the cauliflower is in the oven, bring a pot of salted water to boil and boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

When the cauliflower and carrots are finished in the oven, add the vegetables along with the spices, nutritional yeast and, milk to a blender and blend until smooth.

Toss the cheese sauce in the noodles until fully coated. Lower the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, melt the vegan butter and add the breadcrumbs, stir to combine. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the mac and cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Hint: When making sauces in a blender, it is key to have a high functioning one. One thing I have learned most about being vegan is how much I rely on my blender. Make sure to invest in a good one!

Substitutions

• Eggplant - If you are sensitive to cauliflower and would prefer to make this mac and cheese with eggplant instead of cauliflower, slice the eggplant and roast with the carrots.
• Extra Veggies - Feel free to bulk this up by adding a lot of extra veggies such as bell peppers.
• Extra Creamy - Add vegan cream cheese to the sauce if you want it creamier and thicker. Adding vegan cream cheese will make a creamy sauce that is consistent with what you might find in the Daiya boxed brand.

Variations

Instant Pot instructions

1. Chop the cauliflower and the carrots into bite-sized florets. Add them to the Instant Pot with 1 cup vegetable broth. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release handle (vent) in the “Sealing” position.
2. Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time for two minutes. Note that it takes about 5 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure.
3. Once the timer beeps, vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot using a quick release by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”. Open the pressure cooker lid. Test the cauliflower and if it is the desired tenderness add the remaining sauce ingredients and using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
4. Add in the pasta and 3 additional cups of vegetable broth and close the lid. Make sure to ensure the valve is set to the sealing position. Then cook on high pressure for 4 minutes (it will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure) and quick-release immediately once the timer is complete. When the instant pot is finished venting, safely open the lid and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately.

Crockpot Instructions

1. Add the cauliflower, carrots, and 2 cups of vegetable broth to a crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours. After two hours, check the vegetables for tenderness. If the vegetables are fork-tender, transfer the vegetables to a blender with the remaining sauce ingredients and blend well. Pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni and either serve immediately or add back into the crockpot and set to warm to keep warm.

Check out this other delicious crockpot recipe here!

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I use a ceramic pan like this one to bake my mac and cheese. I also live and breathe by my high-powered blender.

Storage

Store the mac and cheese covered in the fridge for up to four days. I like to store my mac and cheese in glass meal prep containers and portion them out to eat for lunch throughout the week.

This cauliflower mac and cheese does not do well when frozen. It can get gummy and the noodles could fall apart.

FAQ's

Top tip

The key to making this mac and cheese perfect is to make sure you have your ratio of vegetables to milk right. If you don't use enough milk your sauce can be clumpy and you want a smooth sauce.

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.