Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This extra yummy vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is the best healthy comfort food you need! It’s protein rich, gluten-free, oil free, easy to make, tastes really good hot or cold, and it comes with a nut free option!
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It’s perfect as a healthy lunch or dinner, and so much better than traditional store bought mac and cheese. I used chickpea pasta to make it high in protein and more filling than regular pasta. I used cauliflower for the cheese sauce and cherry tomatoes mixed in to make it extra nutritious!
Vegan Gluten Free Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
I am not gonna lie, I was never into mac and cheese. It didn’t even exist in the Chilean Patagonia when I was growing up, and when I tried it for the first time in the US I thought it was pretty bad… don’t judge. Someone gave me the traditional store bought and it wasn’t my cup of tea.
Years went by until one of my friends recently asked me if I had a good vegan mac and cheese recipe. I said “No, but I will!”. And so, this simple yet delicious cauliflower mac and cheese came to life. I love this recipe because it’s:
Healthier than most mac and cheese recipes I’ve seen.
Super quick and easy to make.
It’s packed with protein, because I used chickpea pasta.
It’s incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
Chickpea pasta
Cashews
Cauliflower
Nutritional yeast
Apple cider vinegar
Dried oregano
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Smoked chili powder
Turmeric powder
Liquid smoke (optional)
Cherry tomatoes (optional)
This was the first time I tried chickpea pasta and it’s perfect for this recipe. Other pastas that would also work are traditional elbow pasta, mung bean pasta, lentil pasta, and black bean pasta.
Nut free: if you need a nut free option, replace the cashews with sunflower seeds.
Apple cider vinegar: it’s not essential for the vegan cheese sauce recipe, but it gives it a great touch.
Cauliflower: I used raw cauliflower instead of steamed for the cheese sauce, which means the cheese took a few minutes in the food processor to get extra creamy. If you prefer to use steamed cauliflower, keep in mind that you will need less liquid for the cheese sauce.
How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower?
You need a food processor to make the vegan cheese sauce and a pot to cook the pasta.
Gather the ingredients, since the cheese has a few, it will make the process easier and faster.
Follow package instructions to cook your pasta.
Add all vegan cheese sauce ingredients to the food processor and process until the cheese has a creamy texture.
Pour the vegan cheese sauce on top of your pasta, stir it and enjoy!
Optional: add one pound of fresh cherry tomatoes and sauté everything for a few minutes.
This Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Is
Gluten free
Egg-free
Dairy-free (without butter)
Healthier than most mac and cheese recipes I’ve seen
Oil free
Easy to make
A fantastic healthy alternative for lunch or dinner!
Thanks!
Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This extra yummy vegan cauliflower mac and cheese is the best healthy comfort food you need! It’s protein rich, gluten-free, oil free, easy to make, tastes really good hot or cold, and it comes with a nut free option!
Ingredients (US Customary)
- 8 oz Chickpea pasta
- 1 cup cashew pieces
- 2 cups raw cauliflower chunks
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water (+ or -)
- 2 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked chili powder
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes (optional)
Ingredients (Metric)
- 227 grs Chickpea pasta
- 150 grs cashew pieces
- 200 grs raw cauliflower chunks
- 20 grs nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 125 ml water (+ or -)
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked chili powder
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
- 456 grs cherry tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients, since the vegan cheese sauce has a few, it will make the process easier and faster.
- Follow the pasta package instructions to cook your pasta.
- Vegan cheese sauce: add all vegan cheese sauce ingredients to the food processor and process until the cheese has a creamy texture. This took about 4-5 minutes in my food processor. I recommend adding only 1/3 cup of water at first and only use the whole 1/2 cup if needed (it's all about texture). Some people prefer the cheese sauce thicker than others. Add more nutritional yeast or salt to your taste if necessary.
- Pour the vegan cheese sauce on top of your pasta, stir it and enjoy!
- Optional: add one pound of fresh cherry tomatoes to the mac and cheese pot and cook for a few minutes. Alternatively, you could sauté the cherry tomatoes separately with some olive oil over medium heat for 7 minutes and then add them to the mac and cheese pot.
Notes
Nutrition facts: it's only an estimation and it doesn't include the cherry tomatoes.
Amount of cheese sauce: you will have plenty of cheese sauce. Use as much as you want depending how cheesy you like your mac and cheese.
Pasta replacements: other kind of pastas that would also work are traditional elbow pasta, mung bean pasta, lentil pasta, and black bean pasta.
Nut free option: sunflower seeds can be substituted for cashews.
Cauliflower: I used raw cauliflower instead of steamed, which means the vegan cheese sauce took a few minutes in the food processor to get extra creamy. If you prefer to use steamed cauliflower, keep in mind that you will need less liquid for the cheese sauce.
Turmeric: it helps with the yellow color and adds nutrition.
Light cheese sauce: you could use less cashews and replace them with some extra cauliflour and carrots to decrease fat content in this recipe.
Visit VeggiElation.com for more plant-based recipes that are both healthy and tasty!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1
Servings: 4
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories 426 | ||
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 19g | 31% | |
| Saturated Fat 3.2g | 17.8% | |
| Total Carbohydrates 48g | 19% | |
| Fiber 9g | 32% | |
| Sugar 8g | 20% | |
| Protein 22g | 28% | |
*Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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