Rich, creamy, and loaded with cheesy flavor, this vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is so satisfying, you won’t even miss the pasta! Easy to prepare and the ultimate comfort food.
This vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is rich, creamy, and full of cheesy flavor! The best part is that it’s full of veggies and easy to make! Sounds too good to be true, right?
We absolutely loved creating this delicious dish. By replacing the pasta with cauliflower, you’ll get a lighter, veggie-packed dish that still satisfies those cheese cravings. And trust us, you won’t even miss the mac!
Cauliflower is an incredibly versatile vegetable, and when steamed and roasted, it makes the perfect base for our “cheese” sauce. It has a mild flavor, so it absorbs the savory, cheesy notes of the sauce perfectly!
This vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food! It’s perfect for serving at your next luncheon or family gathering, where everyone will swoon over your delicious homemade cuisine.
And if you like easy baked meals, then you should also try our Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, Vegan Stuffing and Vegan Cauliflower Cheese.
Ingredients needed for vegan cauliflower macaroni and cheese
Take note of the ingredients
- Cauliflower florets – they are the main ingredient obviously. These are blanched in salted water before adding them to the creamy cheese sauce, which ensures that the cauliflower absorbs the sauce evenly.
- Dijon mustard – is great for adding cheesy flavor, but any prepared yellow mustard will work.
- Nutritional yeast flakes – also adds cheesy flavor to the sauce. If you need to omit it, however, you can do so.
- Raw cashews – It is not necessary to soak the cashews before adding them to the blender along with the other ingredients. However, if you don’t have a powerful blender, like the Vitamix, you’ll need to soak the nuts in hot water for 15 minutes. This will soften the nuts to ensure you have a smooth sauce.
How to make vegan cauliflower cheese
You’ll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with photos of the process.
- Place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- At the same time as cooking the potatoes, bring a large pot full of water to the boil. Add the salt and cauliflower florets and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook until the onions are soft.
- Add the garlic, onion powder and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the potatoes to the pan and toss gently to coat them in the spices. Cook for a few minutes to blend the flavors.
- Transfer the potato and onion mixture to a high-speed blender and add the cashews, vinegar, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, low-sodium soy sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Make the breadcrumbs by adding them to a bowl with the melted vegan butter and mix the breadcrumbs with the butter so that they are lightly coated.
- Transfer the cooked cauliflower florets to a large bowl and pour the cheese sauce over them and toss gently to coat.
- Transfer the cauliflower to an 8×8-inch baking dish and smooth it out slightly, being careful not to break the cauliflower florets.
- Spread the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
- Bake (uncovered) at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and serve with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.
Gluten-free option for vegan cauliflower mac and cheese
You can make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the soy sauce with liquid aminos or gluten-free soy sauce. You will also want to use gluten-free breadcrumbs for the topping, or replace the breadcrumbs with grated vegan cheese.
Storage and freezing
Reserve leftover vegan cauliflower macaroni and store in the refrigerator in a covered plate or container for up to 3-4 days. This is not ideal for freezing as the cauliflower may become watery when thawed.
More delicious vegan cauliflower dishes
Did you prepare this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Rich, creamy, and loaded with cheesy flavor, this vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is so satisfying, you won’t even miss the pasta! Easy to prepare and the ultimate comfort food.
Press Pin EvaluatePortions: 6
Calories: 219kcal
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Instructions
Place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
At the same time as cooking the potatoes, bring a large pot full of water to the boil. Add the salt and cauliflower florets and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook until the onions are soft.
Add the garlic, onion powder and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the potatoes to the pan and toss gently to coat them in the spices. Cook for a few minutes to blend the flavors.
Transfer the potato and onion mixture to a high-speed blender and add the cashews, vinegar, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, low-sodium soy sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Blend on high speed until smooth.
Transfer the cooked cauliflower florets to a large bowl and pour the cheese sauce over them and toss gently to coat.
Make the breadcrumbs by adding them to a bowl with the melted vegan butter and mix the breadcrumbs with the butter so that they are lightly coated.
Transfer the cauliflower to an 8×8-inch baking dish and smooth it out slightly, being careful not to break the cauliflower florets.
Spread the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
Bake (uncovered) at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and serve with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.
Notes
-
- Cauliflower florets – they are the main ingredient of course. These are blanched in salted water before adding them to the creamy cheese sauce, which ensures that the cauliflower absorbs the sauce evenly.
-
- Dijon mustard – is great for adding cheesy flavor, but any prepared yellow mustard will work.
-
- Nutritional yeast flakes – it also adds cheesy flavor to the sauce. If you need to omit it, however, you can do so.
-
- Raw cashews – It is not necessary to soak the cashews before adding them to the blender along with the other ingredients. However, if you don’t have a powerful blender, like the Vitamix, you’ll need to soak the nuts in hot water for 15 minutes. This will soften the nuts to ensure you have a smooth sauce.
- Gluten free – You can make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the soy sauce with liquid aminos or gluten-free soy sauce. You will also want to use gluten-free breadcrumbs for the topping, or replace the breadcrumbs with grated vegan cheese.
- Storage and freezing – Reserve leftover vegan cauliflower macaroni and store in the refrigerator in a covered plate or container for up to 3-4 days. This is not ideal for freezing as the cauliflower may become watery when thawed.
Nutrition
Serve: 1serve | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 26G | Protein: 7G | Fat: 11G | Sodium: 455mg | Fiber: 6G | Sugar: 6G
