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!
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!