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    Home » Sides

    Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

    Published: Jun 23, 2021 Updated: Jun 23, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

    Vegan cauliflower cheese is the most delicious way to eat cauliflower! Roasted cauliflower smothered in vegan cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden.

    Vegan cauliflower cheese in a white dish with a serving removed.

    Cauliflower cheese is a dish popular in the UK, as well as South Africa, where we’re from. Growing up you didn’t want to see cauliflower unless it was smothered in a cheese sauce and topped with either more cheese or breadcrumbs.

    This vegan cauliflower cheese is our vegan take on this classic dish and it was super easy to veganize too.

    It can also be called a vegan cauliflower casserole or a vegan cauliflower bake. No matter what you call it, it’s seriously delicious, to the point that I would say that it’s the MOST delicious way to eat cauliflower.

    It makes the perfect vegan side dish for any special occasion but it’s also easy enough to make so that it works for a regular Wednesday night dinner too!

    If you love cauliflower then also check out our vegan cauliflower curry, BBQ cauliflower wings, vegan buffalo cauliflower and bang bang cauliflower.

    What Goes In Cauliflower Cheese:

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan cauliflower cheese.

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    • Cauliflower florets – are the main ingredient of course. These are roasted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper which brings all that gorgeous roasted flavor to this dish.
    • Dijon mustard – is great for adding cheesy flavor but any prepared yellow mustard will work.
    • Nutritional yeast flakes – also adds cheesy flavor to the sauce. If you need to omit this however you can do so.
    • Soy milk – we used soy milk for our vegan cheese sauce. You can switch this for a different non-dairy milk if you prefer. A creamy plant milk option tends to work best.
    Vegan cauliflower cheese bake in a white baking dish.

    How To Make Vegan Cauliflower Cheese – Step By Step

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add cauliflower florets to a mixing bowl along with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and toss the cauliflower florets so that they are lightly coated in the oil and spices.
    Two photo collage showing cauliflower florets, olive oil and salt and pepper added to mixing bowl and tossed together.
    • Transfer to a roasting pan or a parchment lined tray and bake in the oven at 430°F for 20 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Turn the oven down to 400°F.
    Two photo collage showing cauliflower florets added to roasting pan and roasted.
    • While the cauliflower is roasting prepare your cheese sauce.
    • Add vegan butter to a saucepan on medium to high heat and when melted add in all purpose flour. Fry the flour in the vegan butter briefly.
    Two photo collage showing flour added to melted vegan butter in a saucepan and whisked together.
    • Add the soy milk all at once and whisk it in. Bring to the boil stirring and whisking constantly.
    • When it boils keep stirring for a few minutes until it has thickened noticeably.
    Two photo collage showing soy milk added to saucepan and brought to the boil.
    • Remove from the heat, add nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and whisk in.
    Two photo collage showing spices added to sauce and whisked in.
    • Place the roasted cauliflower into a mixing bowl, pour over the cheese sauce and toss the cauliflower gently in the sauce.
    Two photo collage showing roasted cauliflower and sauce added to mixing bowl and tossed together.
    • Prepare your breadcrumbs by adding them to a bowl with melted vegan butter and toss the breadcrumbs with the butter so that they’re lightly coated. 
    Two photo collage showing breadcrumbs added to bowl and tossed with melted vegan butter.
    • Transfer the roasted cauliflower and sauce to a 9×13 baking dish and smooth down.
    • Spread the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
    Two photo collage showing cauliflower and sauce added to white baking dish and then topped with breadcrumbs.
    • Bake in the oven (uncovered) at 400°F for 25-30 minutes until browned on top.
    Freshly baked vegan cauliflower cheese in a white baking dish on a wire cooling rack.

    What To Serve With Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

    This is wonderful served as a side dish but also works as a main course if you add a delicious salad on the side.

    Serve it with a vegan nut roast or vegan meatloaf or alongside a vegan ham roast for a special occasion. Or serve it as a main course alongside a vegan chickpea salad, vegan kale salad, roasted butternut squash salad, vegan caesar salad or vegan Greek salad.

    Serving spoon full of vegan cauliflower cheese.

    Recipe FAQ

    Can you make this gluten-free?

    You can make this recipe gluten-free if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour to make your vegan cheese sauce. You’ll also need to use gluten-free breadcrumbs for the topping, or switch breadcrumbs up for some grated vegan cheese or vegan cheese slices instead.

    How to store it?

    Keep leftovers stored in the fridge (covered) for 3-4 days.

    Can you freeze it?

    This is not ideal for freezing as the cauliflower may become watery once thawed.

    Serving of vegan cauliflower cheese on a white plate.

    More Vegan Sides

    1. Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
    2. Vegan Stuffing
    3. Vegan Green Bean Casserole
    4. Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
    5. Vegan Mashed Potatoes
    6. Vegan Cornbread

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan cauliflower cheese in a white dish with a serving removed.

    Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

    Vegan cauliflower cheese is the most delicious way to eat cauliflower! Roasted cauliflower smothered in vegan cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden.
    5 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Savory, Side
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 302kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    Roasted Cauliflower:

    • 2 pounds Cauliflower Florets (1kg)
    • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
    • ½ tsp Sea Salt
    • ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper

    Vegan Cheese Sauce:

    • 6 Tbsp Vegan Butter
    • 6 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
    • 3 cups Soy Milk (720ml) or other creamy non-dairy milk
    • ⅓ cup Nutritional Yeast (20g)
    • 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
    • 1 tsp Onion Powder
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • ¾ tsp Sea Salt

    Topping:

    • ½ cup Vegan Breadcrumbs
    • 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter Melted

    Serving:

    • Fresh Parsley
    • Ground Black Pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
    • Add cauliflower florets to a mixing bowl along with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and toss the cauliflower florets so that they are lightly coated in the oil and spices.
    • Transfer to a roasting pan or a parchment lined tray and bake in the oven at 430°F for 20 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and then turn the oven down to 400°F.
    • While the cauliflower is roasting prepare your cheese sauce. Add vegan butter to a saucepan on medium to high heat and when melted add in all purpose flour. Fry the flour in the vegan butter briefly.
    • Add the soy milk all at once and whisk it in. Bring to the boil stirring and whisking constantly. When it boils keep stirring for a few minutes until it has thickened noticeably.
    • Remove from the heat, add nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and whisk in.
    • Place the roasted cauliflower into a mixing bowl, pour over the cheese sauce and toss the cauliflower gently in the sauce.
    • Prepare your breadcrumbs by adding them to a bowl with melted vegan butter and toss the breadcrumbs with the butter so that they’re lightly coated.
    • Transfer the roasted cauliflower and sauce to a 9×13 baking dish and smooth down.
    • Spread the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
    • Bake in the oven (uncovered) at 400°F for 25-30 minutes until browned on top.
    • Serve topped with some fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.

    Notes

    1. Gluten-Free: You can make this recipe gluten-free if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour to make your vegan cheese sauce. You’ll also need to use gluten-free breadcrumbs for the topping, or switch breadcrumbs up for some grated vegan cheese or vegan cheese slices instead.
    2. Storing: Keep leftovers stored in the fridge (covered) for 3-4 days.
    3. Freezing: This is not ideal for freezing as the cauliflower may become watery once thawed.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1179IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 2mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emma says

      December 26, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      Made this for Christmas this year, delicious! I had a gluten free person with us so I skipped on the breadcrumbs and added less sauce. I used buckwheat flour and realised then it might not thicken so added cornflour, I didn’t have any all purpose flour gf.

      It worked out awesome, cooked that morning and reheated for dinner. Thank you so much!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 29, 2022 at 9:39 am

        So happy it was a success! Thanks for sharing and the awesome review.

        Reply
    2. Sam says

      April 21, 2022 at 4:17 pm

      Can I make this the night before? Then, bake it the next day? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 22, 2022 at 9:33 am

        Sure! You can get it all assembled in the dish, cover and refrigerate and then bake the next day. All the best!

        Reply
    3. Angela says

      December 05, 2021 at 10:56 pm

      We all loved this one – totally delicious – no left overs!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 06, 2021 at 2:21 pm

        Fantastic! Thanks Angela!

        Reply
    4. Alan Firth says

      November 27, 2021 at 11:31 pm

      My wife was exhausted after Thanksgiving cooking so I, an Englishman offered to cook an old favourite of mine but to make it vegan and slightly simpler. I boiled the cauliflower (less washing up!) and I added all the vegan cheese sauce ingredients (except the vegan butter – to reduce calories) together and heated it up like a roux. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 29, 2021 at 1:09 pm

        Fantastic! So happy to hear it was a success!

        Reply
    5. Nancy Bustamam Sulistyo says

      October 11, 2021 at 2:34 am

      Brilliant recipe Alison, I tried with plain soy milk, can I use the sweetened soy milk too? And what is the green inside on the picture? Is it shallots? What green should I use? What other meals serve best with this? Thanks so much Alison. Two times I have tried this and I will make it again.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 11, 2021 at 9:44 am

        Hi Nancy, so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s fresh chopped parsley on top of the dish. There is a section in the blog post called ‘what to serve with cauliflower cheese’ that has a lot of ideas on what to serve it with. Regarding sweetened soy milk, I guess it really depends on how sweetened. I often use ‘regular’ soy milk, which does have some sugar in it but doesn’t have a ‘sweet’ taste. I think if it tasted too sweet it may interfere with the other flavors.

        Reply
    6. Fiona Lown says

      September 26, 2021 at 10:40 pm

      Yet another fabulous recipe my family loved it !!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        September 27, 2021 at 11:17 am

        Thanks so much Fiona!

        Reply
    7. Sandy says

      August 13, 2021 at 8:32 am

      My favourite all-time cauli dish comfort food! Thank you so many recipes here that are foolproof and tasty ! ❤️

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 13, 2021 at 11:16 am

        You’re so welcome Sandy! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Catherine says

      August 09, 2021 at 9:20 am

      Made this for the first time last night and it was an instant hit in our house.
      I have used the sauce before for vegan Mac and nobody believes there is no cheese in it!
      I added a teaspoon of turmeric for a slightly red cheesy colour.
      The sauce worked brilliantly with the roasted cauliflower.
      Thanks Alison for another superb recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 10, 2021 at 10:17 am

        Yay! Thanks so much Catherine!

        Reply
    9. Anna says

      June 28, 2021 at 6:33 am

      Tried this out last night! So tasty and easily converted to the gluten free version. Thanks so much for another excellent recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 28, 2021 at 9:01 am

        Oh wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing Anna!

        Reply
    10. Tania Allan says

      June 23, 2021 at 4:11 pm

      This looks yummy and so versatile! I betcha it would be great if you used scalloped potatoes, or macaroni, or broccoli … so many options!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 24, 2021 at 8:34 am

        Hi Tania! Thanks! Yes it would be great with roasted broccoli too. And we use a very similar sauce in our baked vegan mac and cheese too so definitely versatile! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Marina says

      June 23, 2021 at 3:07 pm

      This is awesome thanks so much! One of my favorite recipes is cauliflower cheese so I can’t wait to make this vegan version. 5 stars

      Reply

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