This vegan butternut squash mac and cheese tastes phenomenal and beats the Trader Joe’s version any day! Yep, the Trader Joe’s butternut squash mac and cheese doesn’t hold a candle to this recipe!!
This vegan mac and cheese is creamy, cheesy, packed with flavor and genuinely tastes like traditional mac and cheese.
Unlike most vegan mac and cheese recipes, this recipe uses ZERO vegan cheese and instead relies on butternut squash, cashews, and nutritional yeast for that creamy cheesy flavor!!
Did I mention that this healthy vegan butternut squash mac and cheese is PERFECT for meal prep?
The vegan cheese sauce is made separately and stores super well in the fridge for up to a week. So you can whip up an elevated bowl of mac and cheese whenever you want.
This truly is the BEST vegan butternut squash mac and cheese!!
Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this creamy butternut squash mac and cheese.
- Butternut squash: Kabocha squash also tastes fantastic as does pumpkin.
- Garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Cashews: If you want to make this butternut squash mac and cheese nut-free, you can substitute the cashews for coconut cream instead.
- Cashew milk or any creamy plant milk: Linking my homemade cashew milk recipe here.
- Nutritional yeast: I highly recommend Bragg’s nutritional yeast; it tastes the best!
- Lemon juice
- Bragg’s amino acids or low-sodium soy sauce
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Pasta shells or elbows
- Fresh thyme or oregano for garnish
How to Make the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Sauce
The full recipe with detailed instructions and measurements is in the recipe card below, but giving you a brief overview here.
- Start by roasting the squash and garlic cloves. I like to drizzle the squash and garlic with olive oil and salt to help them caramelize (which will add more flavor to the sauce). Once the squash and garlic are done, let it cool for 15 minutes (otherwise you’ll burn your hands) and scoop out the flesh. You’ll need a total of 1 cup. However, if you want a more prominent squash flavor, you can use 2 cups.
- Add the squash flesh, roasted garlic, cashews, cashew milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, amino acids, salt and pepper into a high-speed blender. Start blending the sauce on low, slowly ramping the speed up to high. Blend for a total of 2 minutes. Then stop, scrape down the sides, and adjust salt as needed. Blend for an additional 1 minute on high.
Assembling the Mac and Cheese
Again, the full recipe is below in the recipe card!
- Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions and then drain. I don’t like to rinse the pasta, because the residual pasta water on the shells will help the cheese sauce cling to the pasta better.
- Pour all the sauce into the pot of cooked pasta, turn the heat on medium-low, and stir to coat the shells. Continue to cook and stir the pasta until the sauce clings to the pasta. Serve with a sprinkle of minced thyme or oregano and freshly cracked black pepper!
Storing & Reheating
If you don’t finish all the mac and cheese, simply store it in a glass tupperware in the fridge; it’ll keep well for up to 3 days.
To reheat the mac and cheese, add it to a pot with a generous splash of cashew milk. Turn the heat on medium-low and gently stir the mac and cheese until the sauce loosens a little bit. Continue this process until the mac and cheese is piping hot (takes about 8 minutes).
Meal-Prepping This Mac and Cheese
I like to make a batch of cheese sauce and store it in a glass jar that has a seal. If your jar has a regular screw lid, place a small piece of plastic wrap directly on the cheese sauce before screwing on the lid. This will prevent the sauce from developing a skin.
The sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week. Keep in mind that it will thicken in the fridge, so when you’re ready to use the sauce, I’d recommend thinning it out with a splash or two of cashew milk (or any creamy plant milk).
If you’re making a single portion of mac and cheese, I’d use ½ cup of the sauce for every 4 oz of pasta. DO NOT rinse your pasta after you drain it, because the residual pasta water will help the cheese sauce cling to the pasta. Additionally, feel free to thin out the sauce with more cashew milk, depending on how you like your mac and cheese.
More Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Recipes
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PrintVegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Description
This vegan butternut squash mac and cheese tastes phenomenal and beats the Trader Joe’s version any day! It’s creamy, cheesy, packed with flavor and genuinely tastes like traditional mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- Butternut squash (need 1 cup of the flesh)*
- 2 garlic cloves
- Olive oil and kosher salt
- ½ cup raw, unsalted cashews**
- ¾ cup unsweetened cashew milk or water
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp amino acids
- ¼ teaspoon mustard (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni or medium shells
- Fresh thyme or oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Cut the butternut squash in half or quarters and place on the prepared tray with the garlic. I like to drizzle the squash and garlic with olive oil and salt to help them caramelize (which will add more flavor to the sauce). Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the squash is fork-tender. Once the squash and garlic are done, let it cool for 15 minutes (otherwise you’ll burn your hands) and scoop out the flesh. You’ll need a total of 1 cup of the squash However, if you want a more prominent squash flavor, you can use 2 cups.
- While the squash is roasting, cook the pasta shells according to package instructions and then drain. Don’t rinse the pasta, because the residual pasta water on the shells will help the cheese sauce cling to the pasta.
- Add the squash flesh, roasted garlic, cashews, cashew milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, amino acids, salt, and pepper into a high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix). Start blending the sauce on low, slowly ramping the speed up to high. Blend for a total of 2 minutes. Then stop, scrape down the sides, and adjust the salt as needed. Blend for an additional 1 minute on high.
- Pour all the sauce into the pot of cooked pasta, turn the heat on medium-low, and stir to coat the shells. Continue to cook and stir the pasta until the sauce clings to the pasta. Serve with a sprinkle of minced thyme or oregano and freshly cracked black pepper!
- Store any leftovers in a glass tupperware in the fridge for up to 3 days. See notes for reheating!***
Notes
*If you want a more prominent squash flavor, use 2 cups of the butternut squash flesh. I prefer using just 1 cup, but taste-test the sauce and add more if you like!
**If you want to make this butternut squash mac and cheese nut-free, you can substitute the cashews for coconut cream.
***To reheat the mac and cheese, add it to a pot with a generous splash of cashew milk. Turn the heat on medium-low and gently stir the mac and cheese until the sauce loosens a little bit. Continue this process until the mac and cheese is piping hot (takes about 8 minutes).
If you want to take this mac and cheese a step further, follow the directions for the entire recipe and then pour the finished mac and cheese into a casserole dish. Sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs and then bake in a 450°F oven for 15 minutes or until crispy!
Yasmeen Mariyah Ali says
Hi Shamyla! I would highly recommend using silken tofu, as it makes the sauce super creamy. Additionally, silken tofu doesn’t need to be baked before eating. That said, you could experiment with using firm tofu — but I have a feeling the sauce won’t be quite as creamy/smooth. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Kara says
Yum this is the best vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever made! Thank you!
Yasmeen Mariyah Ali says
Thrilled you liked it Kara! Thank you so much for sharing a review.