Enjoy super creamy and satisfying vegan cauliflower macaroni and cheese! This quick and easy three-step recipe can be whipped up in just around 30 minutes - but remember to soak the cashews in time!
The cauliflower macaroni and cheese is coated in a creamy sauce made from cauliflower, potatoes, cashews, and nutritional yeast, giving it a cheesy flavor without any dairy. It's the best vegan mac recipe, a delicious alternative to traditional macaroni and cheese that's easy to make and satisfying to eat.
Serve a bowl of cauliflower mac with a simple salad, Purple Cabbage Slaw, or Air Fryer Asparagus for an easy dinner that's perfect for any day of the week. Check out What to Serve with Mac and Cheese, too; I think you will find some inspiration there.
But if you’re looking for more traditional recipes, try any of our numerous recipes, for instance, Mac and Cheese without Flour, Ricotta Mac and Cheese, or Gouda Mac and Cheese.
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⭐️Why will you love this recipe?
- Delicious flavor: Rich and satisfying cheesy flavor without the need for dairy.
- Vegan-friendly/ dairy-free pasta recipe: The vegan cheese sauce is perfect for those following a vegan diet or looking for dairy-free meals.
- Lighter: This cauliflower macaroni and cheese recipe is a lighter version of classic comfort food with fewer calories and less saturated fat.
- Easy preparation: Soak, boil, and blend; only three simple steps and about 30 minutes of your time to make this recipe.
- Family-friendly: This is a crowd-pleasing dish that even picky eaters will love, making it a hit for the whole family.
Are you looking for more vegan food? Try our Creamy Butter Bean Hummus, Hummus Pasta Sauce, or Tahini Pasta.
📋Recipe ingredients
- Pasta: Use any other pasta shapes you like, long or short. I had spaghetti this time, but I often cook this dish with classic elbow macaroni noodles, penne, farfalle, or linguine. Whatever I happen to have in my pantry.
- Cauliflower: Whether fresh or frozen. Cook frozen cauliflower florets directly from frozen; there’s no need to thaw it.
- Potatoes: A small amount of chopped potatoes makes the cauliflower sauce even creamier.
- Raw cashews require soaking for several hours to soften. Combined with cauliflower and potatoes, they form the foundation of the sauce, lending it a creamy and velvety texture.
- Nutritional yeast comes in flaked form and imparts a cheesy flavor to dishes without the need for actual cheese. Not to be confused with baker’s yeast; it really is an entirely different thing.
- Other ingredients: Coconut milk, garlic, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and lemon juice. Use the remaining coconut milk to make this delicious vegan Sweet Potato, Coconut, and Chili Soup.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🌿Variations on the recipe
- Herbs: Stir in chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or thyme.
- Spices: Add a pinch of smoked paprika, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, or Dijon mustard to spice things up.
- Vegetables: Mix in sautéed vegetables such as spinach, kale, peas, mushrooms, or broccoli. Fold in diced tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Nuts or seeds: Sprinkle toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or crushed almonds on top for added crunch and richness.
- Hot sauce: Drizzle hot sauce or sriracha over the finished dish for a spicy kick.
👩🏻🍳How to make cauliflower macaroni and cheese?
Step #1: Soak the cashews for about hours in cold water.
Step #2: Cook the pasta al dente in one large pot of salted water.
Step #3: Cook the pieces of cauliflower and the chopped potatoes until soft. Drain, but reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water.
Step #4: Blend everything in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add some of the reserved cooking water, if necessary. Adjust taste and combine.
🔊Expert Tips
Pre-soak cashews: To ensure a smooth and creamy sauce, soak raw cashews in water for several hours or overnight. This softens them, making them easier to blend.
Use a food processor or a high-powered blender for best results. For the creamiest texture, use a good food processor or a high-powered blender to mix the sauce ingredients thoroughly. This helps break down the cashews and create a silky-smooth consistency.
Save a little cooking water: Before draining the cooked veggies, reserve a cup of the cooking water. You might need it to thin out the plant-based mac n cheese sauce and bind it to the pasta; it also adds flavor.
❓Recipe FAQs
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast often used as a seasoning or cheese substitute in vegan cooking. It has a cheesy, nutty flavor and is packed with vitamins, making it a popular ingredient in plant-based recipes.
No, nutritional yeast is specifically used for its cheesy flavor, while regular yeast is used for leavening in bread. Nutritional yeast cannot be substituted in this recipe.
You can prepare the creamy cauliflower cheese sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Cook the pasta separately and combine it with the sauce just before serving for the best taste and texture.
Store any leftover vegan cauliflower macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or non-dairy milk to loosen the sauce if necessary.
🍝More mac and cheese recipes
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📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese (Vegan)
Equipment
- Food processor or high-power blender
- 1 large pot
- 1 medium pot
Ingredients
- ¾ cups raw cashews 115 g/ 4 oz
- 1 lb pasta 450 g, Note 1
- 2 ½ cups cauliflower chopped, 300 g/ 10.5 oz, Note 2
- 1 ¾ cups potatoes chopped, 200 g/ 7 oz
- 2 garlic cloves peeled but left whole
- ½ cup coconut milk 125 ml/ 4 fl. oz, Note 3
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast Note 4
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- sweet ground paprika
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water for about 4 hours.
- Cook vegetables: Bring two pots of water to a boil. Add the chopped vegetables and the garlic cloves one pot and cook them for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. Keep about ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.
- Cook the macaroni in the other pot. Drain well.
- Blend the cashews, cauliflower and potatoes, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until really smooth and creamy. Add some of the reserved cooking water little by little to reach the right consistency.
- Adjust the taste again and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pasta: You can use any pasta shape you like.
- Cauliflower: Fresh or frozen. If frozen, you can cook it from frozen; there’s no need to defrost it.
- Coconut milk: Preferably full-fat (creamier & tastier), but low-fat works too.
- Nutritional yeast: Not baker's yeast; they are two completely different products.
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