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The PERFECT vegan mac and cheese! You will not believe how good this is!!! No soy, fake cheese or nutritional yeast. Made with real whole food ingredients, this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese will become a regular on your dinner table!
**This recipe was featured on CBS’ The Doctors tv show in 2017. I talked about the recipe with Dr. Travis and then we served the dish to kids for a taste test without them knowing it wasn’t traditional mac and cheese. The results: they all loved it!
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The only vegan mac and cheese recipe you’ll ever need!
It’s made with 100% whole food ingredients – No soy. No processed cheese. No oil. No nutritional yeast.
Just good for you healthy food!
The kids love it. Husband, family, friends, and neighbors…they all love it.!
Pleasing vegans, omnivores, adults, and kids alike, this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is one creamy pasta dish you don’t want to miss!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Noodles ~ Elbow noodles are classic for mac and cheese, but this sauce will work with any of your favorite noodle shapes. Small shells, penne, and rotini are our other faves for this dish.
Use gluten free noodles, if you need/want.
*Pro tip: After learning of our daughters gluten sensitivity, we have tried nearly every kind of gluten-free pasta out there. Our favorite is by far the Tinkyada noodles! They stay al dente, they don’t clump up, my kids can’t tell the difference between these and regular pasta, and its made from just organic brown rice and water! Try it!
Butternut Squash ~ This healthy veggie gives us the classic golden color of mac and cheese. It’s nutty and earthy with a slight sweetness. It blends up super creamy when paired with the other ingredients.
I buy a whole one and prep it myself, but most grocery stores now sell pre-chopped butternut squash in the produce section and you can often find it frozen as well. It costs more to buy the pre-chopped kind, but it can save you time for sure. Use what you’re comfortable with.
Pumpkin or sweet potato can be used instead though both will give slight flavor variations to the final dish.
Love butternut squash? You’ll love my vegan butternut squash risotto and baked butternut squash fries!
Cashews ~ Raw cashews blend up silky smooth and help to give this dish its thick creamy texture.
For a nut free version, try using white beans, like cannellini or Great Northern, in place of the cashews.
Spices ~ Mustard provides a sharp, tangy kick that balances the the other flavors and helps to create a “cheesy” taste.
A clove of fresh garlic can be used instead of the garlic powder.
Smoked paprika lends a great subtle smokiness that is great paired with “cheesy” dishes.
Turmeric adds extra oomph to the bright golden color. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out.
I was always taught to add a pinch of nutmeg to creamy “white” sauces. You won’t taste it in the final dish, but it gives a little extra something to the background flavors. Again, if you don’t have it, you can leave it out.
Optional add-ins ~ For an extra “cheesy” flavor, try adding 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or 1 tablespoon of mellow white miso. Blend into the sauce until smooth.
How to make the recipe
Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Before draining, be sure to save 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to add to the sauce!
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
To prep the butternut squash, first slice it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife and chop it into cubes and slice the onion thinly.
Add the squash and onions along with the raw cashews to a pot and cover with water by about 1 to 2 inches.
Cook the squash/onion/cashew mixture until the squash is tender. Pierce a piece with a fork or knife. If it slides in easily, it’s done. Drain.
Add the veggies and cashews to a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until perfectly smooth.
Stir the sauce into the cooked noodles and serve!
Serving suggestions
This creamy pasta dish is a meal by itself, but if you are wanting more here are some options.
- Add some frozen green peas to the pasta just before draining.
- Add a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese or store-bought shredded vegan cheddar to individual servings.
- Crumble some vegan tempeh bacon over the top before serving.
- Transfer the cooked butternut squash mac and cheese to a casserole dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake in the oven until the top is browned and crispy.
- Serve it alongside baked tofu or vegan chicken cutlets and a some garlic green beans or a side salad.
Storage and freezing
Fridge: The sauce mixed with the noodles will keep in the fridge for several days. You will need to add a bit more liquid – plain, unsweetened almond or oat milk works well – when reheating.
The sauce by itself is great for prepping ahead. It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze the mac and cheese (noodles and sauce together), but please note that the noodles will likely be a tad soft when thawing and reheating.
The sauce by itself can be thawed and reheated without losing any of the creamy texture. Again, you may need to add a bit more liquid, however, to loosen it up as it will thicken as it sits.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Use raw cashews. They blend up super creamy and have a mild sweet flavor that complements the other flavors of the butternut squash mac and cheese. Roasted salted cashews will be too strong.
~ Although the peel of butternut squash is edible, peel it! The end result will be much creamier without the peel.
~ To save time, feel free to use pre-chopped butternut squash found in the produce section of the grocery store. Frozen chopped squash can also be used.
~ Don’t forget to save ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid before draining the noodles! The starch in the water helps create the silky creamy texture.
~ Use a high speed blender to ensure the sauce blends up silky smooth.
~ If you are making this sauce on it’s own without the noodles, you can use water, unsweetened plain non-dairy milk, or the cooking liquid from the squash/onions in place of the pasta cooking water.
~ For an extra “cheesy” flavor, try adding 1 tablespoon of mellow white miso (note: contains soy) or 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Blend into the sauce until smooth.
~ To make this nut free, use white beans (cannelllini or Great Northern) instead of cashews.
~ This sauce is already gluten-free. To make the final dish gluten-free, choose gluten-free noodles.
~ This dreamy butternut squash mac and cheese sauce is so versatile. Try serving it over baked potatoes or steamed broccoli, use it as a dip for tortilla chips or french fries, or stir it into soups or chilis. It can also be made into Vegan Chili Mac.
FAQs
While this butternut squash mac and cheese doesn’t taste exactly like what you’ll get from that classic blue box or from a homemade dairy loaded version, it does have the creamy, earthy, slightly sharp/tangy flavor that everyone loves. It is a delicious pasta dish that I know you’ll love!
Vegan mac and cheese can be made a number of different ways. Some use store-bought vegan cheese, some use potatoes and carrots, some start with a roux, and of course, this version uses butternut squash.
Yes! This butternut squash mac and cheese is healthy! Using all whole food plant based ingredients, there are plenty of nutrients packed into each creamy, “cheesy” bite!
Technically, the peel of this winter squash is edible. However, this butternut squash mac and cheese will be much creamier if you get rid of it.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces package small macaroni noodles cooked according to package directions (use gluten free noodles, if desired)
- ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid or from the squash/onion…either one will work)
- 1 ½ cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
- ½ large sweet onion peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Add butternut squash, onions and cashews to a pot and cover with water by at least an inch or two. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes or so).
- Meanwhile, cook macaroni noodles according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid once noodles are done cooking and before draining. Place noodles back in pot and set aside.
- When squash and onions are tender, drain and add them to a high speed blender with the cashews, lemon juice, salt, dijon, garlic powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, nutmeg and reserved cooking liquid from the noodles. Blend until completely smooth. Use a tamper if necessary to push ingredients to the bottom of the blender.
- Add butternut squash sauce to the macaroni noodles and stir, making sure every noodle is covered in sauce. Warm through if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Andrew
Maybe I did something wrong… the sauce texture wise came out perfectly creamy, but for some reason it tasted bland despite the fact I put in the spices and even added more in when I realized it did not have much of a flavor. I will let it sit overnight to see if it has more of a taste tomorrow
Jenn Sebestyen
Well, everyone has different tastes…you may just need a stronger flavor. Try adding some more salt to punch up the flavors. You can also add a tablespoon of miso or nutritional yeast to enhance the savory flavor.
Tiffanie
This recipe is a staple in my house! I made a large part of it thinking we would have it for a few days and my husband ate the entire thing! I follow the recipe pretty precisely and it comes out perfectly each time
Jenn Sebestyen
HaHa! I always double the recipe and we still barely have any leftovers. I’m so glad you love it. Thank you so much for your comment!
Janet
I was so disappointed with this recipe. The only thing I did different was I used my immersion blender. The squash sauce was like glue even after I added a cup of starch water.. I was so looking forward to enjoying this recipe. I had to throw it out. I would like to know if I screwed up using the immersion blender. I have made some of your other recipes and enjoyed them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Jenn Sebestyen
Oh no! It definitely should not have turned out like glue. Did you add potatoes or flour? The squash isn’t starchy enough to have that effect on its own. I have never tried using an immersion blender for this recipe, but I purée soups with an immersion blender all the time with no issues. I’m baffled.
Janine Barclay
I like that the cheese sauce is made with squash, makes it a bit healthier and it is creamy. I would cut down the lemon though it kind of came through a bit too strong for me.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you for your feedback, Janine. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Janine Barclay
I thought I would like this but I didn’t. It tasted like a slightly creamy pasta with chili and the whole thing just didn’t work for me. My partner didn’t really like it either.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I’m confused about the chili taste, though, as there aren’t any chili spices in the recipe.
Janine
Sorry that comment was made for the chili Mac I liked the cheese sauce but not the chili Mac. Sorry for the confusion
Jenn Sebestyen
Oh, got it. That makes more sense. Again, sorry it didn’t work out for you.
Paige
Made this tonight with some chickpea pasta (didn’t have any regular pasta). Used navy beans in place of the nuts (cannot have nuts or dairy), added the nutritional yeast, added a can of chili beans (not chili with meat added, just the seasoned beans). Doubled the sauce so I have enough left over for the buffalo taquitos recipe. Not sure if it tastes like cheese, but it tastes very good. Very easy to make. Will have to try with regular pasta next time.
Jenn Sebestyen
So glad you liked it, Paige. Love the idea of adding chili beans!
Kelly
Hi! I’m goiNg to try this tonight! I’m the directions it says to add onions, squash & cashews to the boiling water but it shows just onions & squash in the video with cashews being added in later. Does it matter which way we do this?
Jenn Sebestyen
Originally, I was soaking the cashews separately. I realized much later that I could just throw them in with the squash and onions and save myself another bowl to wash, so I changed it in the directions. It works just fine either way. Let me know how it turns out!
Kelly
I ended up not soaking the cashews or adding them to the boiling water. Just put them in the food processor with everything else. IT WAS REALLY GOOD! My 3 year old ate his whole portion. Thanks for the recipe!
Jenn Sebestyen
Oh, that’s great! I’m glad the cashews blended up nicely without any soaking. And if the kids eat it, it’s always a win!
Jessica
Wow! I needed a recipe to sneak vegetables into, and they had no idea it wasn’t cheese. They said it was better than the macaroni and cheese from the blue box! They asked me to make it again tomorrow night. Thank you so much!!
Jenn Sebestyen
This is awesome! I’m so glad your family loved it! Thank you so much for your feedback, Jessica!
Karla A Strauss
Made it for dinner tonight, I did add nooch & white miso. It is very good but still feel it needs a little something. I will be making it again and will experiment a little bit for my taste!
Jenn Sebestyen
Thanks for your feedback, Karla. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Mireille
I made this last night and I’m so excited that there are leftovers for lunch today! This was an outstanding mac and cheese recipe. I added the 1 T of miso and 2 T of nutritional yeast from the notes, to the sauce. I did find that I needed more than half a cup of pasta water to add to the sauce. As time went on it thickened up a bit, which was fine. Glad I took up 1 cup of pasta water just in case. We served it with Lima beans and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you, Mireille!
Orsi
Just perfect! I made it without nutritional yeast, it was really nice.
Jenn Sebestyen
So great to hear. Thank you, Orsi!
Charlene
This is the absolute best tasting Mac and cheese recipe I have tried! Yummy!
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you, Charlene! So happy to hear this!
Michelle
I have frozen butternut squash I picked up in the freezer section of the store and wanted to use that if possible. Would all the instructions be the same, just add to the pot with the rest straight from the frozen bag and bring to a boil? Thank you so much! I love your recipes and look forward to making this 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Michelle. Frozen will work great. It’s already cooked, so you’ll just need to cook it long enough to heat it. As soon as you can pierce it with a fork or knife, it’s ready. Hope you enjoy!
Debbie
Oh my gosh. This is unbelievable even the hubby loves it. He just came back for more. Thank you so so much.
Jenn Sebestyen
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for your feedback.
Elina
Delicious! Thank you for this great recipe! I use half the lemon juice as it seems too lemony to me.
Jenn Sebestyen
Wonderful, so glad you enjoy it! Thanks, Elina!