This Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is the perfect fall dish to make on a chilly evening. It’s easily gluten free by using your favourite gluten free noodles. This butternut squash mac and cheese is creamy, loaded with flavour and straightforward to make. I don’t know about you, but for me, I love a big bowl of pasta during the darker, chillier months. I always look forward to a comforting vegan pasta recipe for dinner and this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese has easily become a favourite for me and the Picky Husband.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Mac And Cheese
- This gluten free mac and cheese uses baked butternut squash which adds some epic fall flavours to the dish. The squash also keeps the mac and cheese creamy and yellow/orangey in colour!
- Although this vegan pasta recipe takes over an hour to make, most of that time is waiting for the butternut squash to roast and the cashews to soak. If you like planning ahead, you could easily roast and puree the squash the day before and then this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese will take at the most 30 minutes to make!
- This plant based butternut squash mac and cheese is an awesome way to sneak some veggies into a meal. Traditionally, mac and cheese is filled with milk, butter and lots of cheese and isn’t overly healthy. But this vegan mac and cheese has that squash in the sauce (which you barely notice) and is definitely on the healthier side!
How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
- Start with the roasting of the squash. For this gluten free mac and cheese, you can easily roast the squash the morning of or the day before. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cut the butternut squash in half (length-wise). Remove the seeds and brush with 1-2 tsp of oil on each half. Place face down on a baking sheet. And poke a few holes in the top of the squash. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. The squash will be done when a fork can easily run through the squash.
- While the squash is in the oven, soak the raw cashews in boiled water for at least 30 minutes to soften.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for the pasta). Once boiling, add the pasta and cook via package instructions. Let’s get the noods cooking for this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese!
- Let the cooked butternut squash cool for a few minutes before removing the skin. Scoop out half the butternut squash and puree it in a high-speed blender. This should measure roughly 1 cup (but will depend on the size of your butternut squash). Use the other half of the squash for another recipe like my favourite butternut squash risotto or creamy butternut squash soup.
- Once the squash has been measured, add the rest of the vegan mac and cheese sauce ingredients to the high-speed blender. Drain the water from the cashews, then add the cashews to the blender. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, dijon, oil, vegetable broth and starch. Blend everything until smooth.
- Drain the water from the pasta, and then pour the sauce into the pasta pot with the pasta. Stir until everything for the vegan butternut squash mac and cheese is combined. This gluten free mac and cheese is best enjoyed fresh.
Check Out These Other Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you are looking for your new favourite vegan pasta recipe, look no further. Celebrate the darker days with a big bowl of vegan butternut mac and cheese. The vegan cheese sauce for this recipe is velvety smooth and packed full of fall flavours. It’s such a delicious vegan pasta dish that you might just start having on the regular. This gluten free mac and cheese is also healthy, easy to prepare ahead of time and a good way to sneak some veggies into a traditionally rich and heavy meal! This recipe is one for the books! I hope you enjoy it!
Let me know if you end up making this Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese by leaving a comment below! I always love connecting with this community!
Vegan Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
This vegan mac and cheese is loaded with butternut squash and delicious fall flavours. The cheese sauce is creamy, healthy and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butternut squash puree (roughly half a small roasted butternut squash- see instructions)
- 2 tsp avocado oil (if roasting your own squash)
- 1/2 cup cashews (soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes)
- 4 cups macaroni pasta noodles
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot starch/ corn starch
Optional Toppings
- pepper
- green onion
- ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the butternut squash in half (length-wise). Remove the seeds and brush with 1-2 tsp of oil on each half. Place face down on the baking sheet. And poke a few holes in the top of the squash. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Squash will be done when you can poke a fork all the way through.
- While the squash is in the oven. Soak the cashews in boiled water for at least 30 minutes to soften. Set aside.
- When there is roughly 10 minutes left in the cooking time for the squash, bring a large pot of water to a boil (for the pasta). Once boiling, add the pasta and cook via package instructions.
- When the squash is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes before removing the skin. Scoop out half the butternut squash and puree it in a high-speed blender. This should measure roughly 1 cup (but will depend on the size of your butternut squash). Use the other half of the squash for another recipe (suggestions in the post).
- Once the squash has been measured, add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the high-speed blender. Drain the water from the cashews, then add the cashews to the blender. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, dijon, oil, vegetable broth and starch. Blend everything until smooth.
- Drain the water from the pasta, and then pour the sauce into the pasta pot with the pasta. Stir until combined. The sauce should naturally be warm (from the noodles and if you just roasted the squash) but if you would like the dish warmer, let it sit on the stove on low (stirring constantly) for a few minutes. Top with black pepper, green onions, ketchup (optional). Best enjoyed fresh.
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Hi
Do you have any suggestions for nut free mac n cheese? I have a child with severe nut allergies so cashews are out!
Thanks!
Hi Sue! For this butternut mac and cheese, you could probably sub 1 cup cubed and boiled potatoes (then blend it with the rest of the ingredients- although I haven’t tested it). I also took a peek online and this recipe looks like it would be quite yummy and creamy and it’s nut-free https://nyssaskitchen.com/creamy-vegan-mac-and-cheese-vegan-gluten-free-nut-free/
Hope that helps! let me know if you end up trying it out!
Robin