This vegan butternut squash mac and cheese is rich, creamy and super cheesy! It’s also so easy to make and the perfect comfort food.
This vegan butternut squash mac and cheese is everything you want it to be. Cheesy, saucy, creamy, rich and satisfying.
And you will seriously not believe how cheesy this is! But oh my – it is.
It’s also really quite simple to make. The hardest part is waiting for the butternut squash to roast in the oven. Once your butternut squash is roasted, it’s just a case of blending up your sauce, mixing it with your pasta and dinner is served.
And of course if you love a good mac and cheese recipe then check out our classic baked vegan mac and cheese!
How To Make Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
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.
- Roast the butternut squash. Add peeled and cubed butternut squash to a mixing bowl along with olive oil, crushed garlic, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and toss together well.
- Spread it out evenly in a roasting pan or parchment lined baking tray and roast in the oven at 390°F (200°C) for 35 minutes.
- Prepare your sauce. Add raw cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, dijon mustard, lemon juice and 1 cup of vegetable stock to the blender jug and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare your pasta. 15 minutes before the butternut is finished roasting, cook and drain your pasta.
- Put it all together. When the butternut squash has roasted, add it to the blender jug on top of your cashew sauce. Add in another cup of vegetable stock and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Return the cooked pasta to the pot, pour over the sauce and gently toss it together until the pasta is well coated. Stir it over low to medium heat for a few minutes to gently warm everything together.
- Serve. Serve it topped with fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.
Ingredient Notes
Raw Cashews. These make up the base of the sauce. If you have a cashew allergy then slivered or blanched almonds would also work. We did not soak them first as when they are first blended up there is quite a lot of liquid so it is an easy blend. But you know your blender best, if you think your blender will struggle, then soak them first. Place the cashews into a bowl, pour over hot water from the kettle and let them soak for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse.
Nutritional Yeast. Creates some of the cheesy flavor. This is completely different to a regular yeast that you would use in baking bread. Nutritional yeast is a cheesy flavor bomb and it’s delicious. However, we do also create cheesy flavor here with the cashews and butternut squash so you can leave it out if it’s really hard to find where you are, or if you don’t like it.
Dijon Mustard. This is one of our favorite ingredients to really bring out cheesy flavor! Regular prepared yellow mustard also works just fine.
Pasta. We used macaroni pasta but elbow macaroni or penne or shells would also work great.
Add Veggies. If you want to add some veggies in then green veggies like broccoli or peas would be a great addition, also cauliflower, roasted bell peppers, asparagus or zucchini. Just toss the cooked veggies with the pasta and sauce.
Recipe Q&A
You absolutely can, it’s super easy to do. All you have to do is use a gluten-free pasta and you’re done! The cheese part of this macaroni and cheese is already gluten-free.
You sure can. If you want to bake this, it would be divine! Instead of serving it right away, transfer it into a 9×13 baking dish, top with some vegan cheese or breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes at 390°F (200°C).
Leftovers keep wonderfully in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove. You can add in a dash of non-dairy milk when reheating if the sauce gets too thick.
It’s freezer friendly for up to 3 months if you want to freeze it.
More Delicious Vegan Dinners
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Classic Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Pasta Bake
- Vegan Stuffed Shells
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 5 cups Butternut Squash (750g) Peeled and Chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Crushed Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Cashew Cheese Sauce:
- 1 cup Raw Cashews (150g)
- 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 cups Vegetable Stock (480ml) Divided
Pasta:
- 16 ounces Macaroni Pasta (450g) Dry Weight
Serving:
- Fresh Chopped Parsley
- Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Add peeled and cubed butternut squash to a mixing bowl along with olive oil, crushed garlic, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and toss together well.
- Spread it out evenly in a roasting pan or on a parchment lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 35 minutes until roasted.
- While butternut squash is roasting, add raw cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, dijon mustard, lemon juice and 1 cup of vegetable stock to the blender jug and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- 15 minutes before the butternut is finished roasting, cook and drain your pasta.
- When the butternut squash has roasted, add it to the blender jug on top of your cashew cheese sauce. Add in the remaining cup of vegetable stock and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Return the cooked pasta to the pot, pour over the sauce and gently toss it together until the pasta is well coated. Stir over low to medium heat for a few minutes to gently warm everything together.
- Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Cashews: We did not soak them first as when they are first blended up there is quite a lot of liquid so it is an easy blend. But you know your blender best, if you think your blender will struggle, then soak them first. Place the cashews into a bowl, pour over hot water from the kettle and let them soak for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- Pasta: We used macaroni pasta but elbow macaroni or penne or shells would also work great.
- Add veggies: If you want to add some veggies in then green veggies like broccoli or peas would be a great addition, also cauliflower, roasted bell peppers, asparagus or zucchini. Just toss the cooked veggies with the pasta and sauce.
- Make It Gluten-Free: Just use a gluten-free pasta to make this meal gluten-free.
- Storing and Freezing: Leftovers keep wonderfully in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove. You can add in a dash of non-dairy milk when reheating if the sauce gets too thick. It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months if you want to freeze it.
- This recipe was first published in October 2017. The recipe has been updated with new photos and an improved and simplified recipe.
The flavor of this dish was delicious. It was very creamy and I enjoyed the spices. I made the mistake of making it the night before then putting it in the oven to reheat. It really dried out the “cheese”. For Christmas I will serve it immediately. Definitely going into my vegan recipe folder.
Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review Kathy!