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Home » Main Dish Recipes » Butternut Mac and Cheese (Vegan, Oil-Free)

Butternut Mac and Cheese (Vegan, Oil-Free)

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Butternut mac and cheese is ultra creamy, rich and delicious.  This vegan mac and cheese is comfort food at its finest, but without the guilt!  This oil free macaroni and cheese is packed full of nutrition for a healthy and hearty meal.

Butternut Mac and Cheese on plates

Macaroni and cheese is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods.  I mean, who doesn’t like a great big bowl of noodles and cheese?  Rhetorical question.  You don’t have to answer that.

Since going vegan, I’ve tried all the boxed mac and cheese’s hoping to find something akin to the one’s of my childhood.  But, not one of them satisfied me.  Plus, all of those boxed varieties contained a ton of ingredients, and were far from being considered plant based.  I am happy to report that this whole foods plant based mac and cheese recipe is gluten free, oil free and so unbelievably tasty.

This vegan mac and cheese is kid-approved, by my own kids, and that is saying a lot.  My kids hate vegetables, which is a constant source of frustration in our household.  When I made this the first time I was sure it would be met with moans and groans.  But, I put it in front of them and they started eating it without complaining. Huh?  And now they request it for dinner.  This is a huge huge win in our household.  My 10-year old daughter even helped me cook this and did some photography of her own.  She is a budding artist in so many areas and I am always impressed with the quality of her work.  The pic below is hers, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Butternut Mac and Cheese

What is Vegan Mac and Cheese Made Of?

  • Butternut Squash – You can use fresh peeled, or frozen squash.  The roasting time will be approximately the same.  You can roast butternut squash from frozen and it will save you the time of peeling and chopping, for a much quicker meal.  I have had success making this with sweet potatoes too, but it will have a slightly sweeter flavor.
  • Aquafaba – Aquafaba is the water leftover from a can of chickpeas and can be used in place of oil when roasting. For more information about how to use aquafaba, see this post on maple-mustard roasted carrots and apples.
  • Cashews – If you need this to be nut free, you can omit the cashews or replace with sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
  • Nutritional Yeast – This adds a cheesy and tangy flavor to vegan cheese sauces.  You can omit this if you don’t care for the taste, but it does add a great flavor to the sauce.
  • Macaroni Noodles – Feel free to use any shaped noodle here that you desire.  Macaroni is a classic shape, but I’ve made this with penne and fusilli and it turned out great.

How to Make Roasted Butternut Mac and Cheese

This meal is largely hands off, and most of the time required to make this meal involves roasting the squash.  Start by preheating the oven to 425F (220C) and lining a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Toss the squash, onion and garlic with aquafaba or water and a pinch of salt if desired.  Spread in a single layer onto the sheet pan and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until easily pierced with a fork.

butternut squash, onion and garlic on a sheet pan

While the squash is roasting cook the macaroni noodles until al dente.  Drain, rinse and add back to the cooking pot.

When the squash has finished roasting add the entire pan to a blender along with the cashews, water and salt to taste.  Blend until smooth and creamy, adding a little more water, a tablespoon at a time, to create a smooth pourable sauce.  Pour half of the sauce over the cooked noodles and stir to combine, then turn the heat on to medium.  Add more sauce to the noodles to reach desired consistency, gently stirring to coat the noodles and warm through.  Enjoy!

Noodles in a pan with cheese sauce

What to Serve with Butternut Mac and Cheese

I love to serve this mac and cheese with something green.  I especially like it alongside this shaved asparagus salad, kale salad with oil free balsamic vinaigrette or Asian slaw.

Butternut mac and cheese on plates

I absolutely love butternut squash.  If you liked this recipe, you may also like this butternut squash soup with coconut and ginger.

Butternut Mac and Cheese on plates
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Butternut Mac and Cheese (Vegan, GF, Oil Free)

Butternut mac and cheese is ultra creamy, rich and delicious.  This plant based mac and cheese is comfort food at its finest, but without the guilt!  
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Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butternut mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 408kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) butternut squash* peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled, whole
  • 2 tablespoons aquafaba or water
  • 16 ounces gluten free macaroni noodles
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews**
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425F (220C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Toss the squash, onion and garlic with aquafaba or water and a pinch of salt if desired.  Spread in a single layer onto the sheet pan and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until easily pierced with a fork.
  • While the squash is roasting, cook the macaroni noodles until al dente.  Drain, rinse and add back to the cooking pot.
  • When the squash has finished roasting add the entire pan to a blender along with the cashews, water and salt to taste.  Blend until smooth and creamy, adding a little more water, a tablespoon at a time, to create a smooth pourable sauce. 
  • Pour half of the sauce over the cooked noodles and stir to combine. Turn the heat on to medium and add more sauce to the noodles to reach desired consistency, gently stirring to coat the noodles and warm through.  Enjoy immediately.

Notes

*Frozen squash can be used for this recipe and will make this recipe even quicker to prepare.  No need to thaw frozen squash, just proceed as directed in the recipe.  
**Nut-Free Option: Replace cashews with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or simply omit.  The sauce will be less creamy if you omit them, but is still very delicious!
Make Ahead: The cheese sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.  The sauce will thicken up as it sits in the fridge.  When ready to use, add the sauce back to the blender and blend with a little hot water to loosen the sauce and make it pourable again.  Pour over noodles and heat through as directed.
Leftover Cheese Sauce: Use any leftover cheese sauce as a dip for veggies or chips, or pour over roasted potatoes for easy potato nachos.
Nutrition Facts
Butternut Mac and Cheese (Vegan, GF, Oil Free)
Amount per Serving
Calories
408
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Sodium
 
438
mg
19
%
Potassium
 
506
mg
14
%
Carbohydrates
 
73
g
24
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
12
g
24
%
Vitamin A
 
9922
IU
198
%
Vitamin C
 
21
mg
25
%
Calcium
 
58
mg
6
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love or think my readers will find useful.

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Previous Post: « Chickpea Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
Next Post: Loaded Vegan Potato Nachos »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachel

    March 11, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    This was a great recipe – and the sauce is definitely something that can used in many different ways, not just Mac and cheese!

    Reply
    • Maggie

      March 12, 2021 at 10:07 am

      Thanks for the great feedback Rachel! We love that cheese sauce on lots of other things too! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply

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Welcome!

Maggie Wescott Cooking
Hi! I’m Maggie and I’m so excited you stopped by! I am a vegan and gluten free chef and bring my expertise and love for food, health and wellness to Alternative Dish.  My focus is on creating easy recipes that are friendly to those with food sensitivities and allergies.  I believe that everyone can still eat healthy, delicious food despite their dietary restrictions. Read on to find flavorful recipes to suit almost any dietary lifestyle…

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