This vegan cauliflower mac and cheese offers a delightful twist if you’re looking to change things up a bit. Creamy, cheesy, and utterly satisfying, it’s the ideal pick-me-up after a night out or a crowd-pleaser for gatherings. It’s simple, made with nutritional ingredients, and is ready in under an hour.
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If you are looking for more vegan pasta recipes, here are some classic ones like vegan mushroom pasta, vegan pesto pasta, or veggie-loaded nut-free mac and cheese.
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❤️ Why you’ll love it
Cauliflower is a real winner in my book! It’s creamy when cooked and used right, and has a subtle flavor that just works wonders in any dish. This vegan cauliflower mac and cheese strikes that perfect balance between simple and fancy, with easy-to-find ingredients like cauliflower, onions, and chickpeas. My family loves it, and I’m pretty sure you will too!
And the best part? You can totally make it your own. It’s a wallet-friendly, quick, and nutritious option that’s guaranteed to please your taste buds.
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🧾 Key ingredients
Cauliflower is your star nutrient-packed ingredient, adding a subtle creamy, tangy, zesty flavor to my vegan cheese sauce. Not a cauliflower fan? No biggie, check out my other vegan mac and cheese sauce recipe instead!
Nutritional yeast tastes very similar to dairy Parmesan cheese, and can lend the final dish a lovely nutty and rich taste. However, if you find it overpowering, you can replace it with white miso paste or chickpea miso.
What’s mac and cheese without macaroni, right? But you don’t have to limit yourself to the classic elbow macaroni. Feel free to choose any pasta shape you fancy!
Adding some vegan parmesan takes this dish to the next level. Just sprinkle it on top of your vegan cauliflower mac and cheese before popping it in the oven.
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥘 Equipment
I love using a high-speed blender like my Vitamix to make a super creamy and rich vegan cheese sauce. Alternatively, you can also use an immersion blender to blend all the ingredients together.
👩🍳 Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
STEP 1
Prepare your cauliflower by cutting it into small florets. Next, peel the onion, cut them into two and slice one half of it. Peel the cloves of garlic. Thaw the frozen green beans and cut them into inch-long pieces of 25mm.
STEP 2
Boil your pasta in a large pot until it’s just right, al dente. Then, drain and set it aside.
Making vegan cauliflower mac and cheese
STEP 1
Gather some cauliflower florets, half an onion, and garlic. Cook them in a stockpot with vegetable stock over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they’re fork-tender. Don’t forget to save a cup of that tasty veggie broth.
STEP 2
Add the cornstarch, 1⁄2 a cup of chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and the reserved veggie broth to the high-speed blender.
STEP 3
Blend the cooked vegetables with spices, salt, and black pepper until it’s smooth and creamy. That’s your cheese sauce, ready to roll!
STEP 4
Preheat your oven to 430°F (220°C). In a casserole dish, combine the cooked pasta with the blended cheese sauce, green beans, and 1 cup of chickpeas. Reserve some sauce for the top.
STEP 5
Pour the remaining cheese sauce evenly, and sprinkle some vegan parmesan on top. Pop your vegan cauliflower mac and cheese in the oven, and let it bake for 30 minutes.
💡 Expert tip
Don’t worry if your cheese sauce seems runny; it’ll thicken in the oven. If using frozen beans, remember to thaw them first to avoid cooling down other ingredients too quickly. And be cautious not to overbake your vegan cauliflower mac and cheese, or it may become dry.
🔄 Variations
If you’re vying for a tasty twist, give my nut-free vegan mac and cheese a go! Substitute the cauliflower cheese sauce for a creamy sauce made using sunflower seeds, potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
Feel free to sprinkle in a bit of chili flakes for an extra kick. And if you’re craving more protein, toss in some tofu meatballs made from crumbled frozen tofu!
🥣 Serving ideas
Enjoy this vegan cauliflower mac and cheese as is, or jazz it up with toppings like chives, almond flakes, breadcrumbs, crispy onion, fresh parsley, or roasted mushrooms. Serve with a side salad or coleslaw for a complete meal.
❄️ Storing tips
This cauliflower mac and cheese is perfect for meal prep. Make it in batches, cool it to room temperature, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge – it’ll keep well for 3-5 days.
Freezing is simple. Divide the cooled mac n cheese into airtight containers, label them with the date, and they’ll stay good in the freezer for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge and reheat as needed.
For a quick microwave reheating, use a covered, airtight container and heat for 1-2 minutes on medium, stirring halfway. If you prefer the oven, preheat it to 350°F (180°C), cover the dish with foil, and uncover during the last few minutes for a crispy top. Reheating on the stovetop? Add non-dairy milk and keep stirring until it’s piping hot.
🤔 FAQs
If you notice a grainy texture in your cheese sauce, it’s not due to splitting, as the recipe ingredients won’t cause that. It might be because you added the cornstarch directly to the blender without making a slurry first, resulting in the grainy consistency.
Place the cauliflower on a cutting board, quarter it, and remove the longer stem. Break it into florets and rinse them under running water to remove dirt. You can also blanch them briefly in salted water, then transfer to a bowl of ice water.
More vegan pasta recipes
Here is a collection of more than 30 easy and delicious vegan pasta recipes you can choose from, or check out our quick vegan meals collection.
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Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 oz Cauliflower
- 9 oz Green beans
- 1+½ cup Chickpea
- 1 Onion
- 2 clove Garlic
- 4 cup Vegetable broth
- 11 oz Pasta
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
- ⅛ tsp Black pepper
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 oz vegan Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Thaw pre-cooked frozen green beans and cut them into inch-long (25 mm) pieces.
- Add cauliflower florets, half onion, and garlic into a stockpot. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock (or enough at least to cover the vegetables) and cook for 10 minutes.
- Cook pasta separately as per package instructions. Drain it.
- Once vegetables are tender, drain them but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Take a high-power blender and add cooked veggies, salt, black pepper, cornstarch, ½ cup of cooked or canned chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and reserved cooking water. Blend them until it is smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 430 F (220 C).
- Take a casserole dish and add pasta, onion slices, 1 cup of cooked or canned chickpeas, and green beans. Mix them.
- Pour the sauce from the blender on top and spread it evenly.
- Optionally sprinkle some vegan parmesan on top.
- Bake the casserole for 30 minutes.
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