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We’re gonna take it down home today, y’all. Macaroni and cheese: the quintessential soul food dish. Comfort on a plate. Grandmama’s most prized recipe. Of course the pounds of cheese and white flour noodles used in the traditional dish don’t come without very heavy baggage: heart disease, cancer, symptoms associated with lactose intolerance, diabetes, and obesity. Is it worth it? Hell no! Especially not when there is amazing, comforting, soul food ordained vegan macaroni and cheese!
This incredible vegan recipe is made with butternut squash, roasted garlic, a lot of nutritional yeast, and arrowroot to make it thick and creamy. I also topped my vegan macaroni and cheese with thinly sliced brussels sprouts that get crispy when baked, and add more balance to the dish. I also like to top it with kale, or stir sundried tomatoes into the cheesy noodles before baking. Oh yeah!!
Vegan mac & cheese has become one of my favorite recipes. It’s rich and carby, yet healthy! Don’t believe me? Give this recipe a try. You can thank me later!!
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Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash cooked/steamed or roasted (roast at 375° for 30 minutes)
- 1 clove roasted garlic roast with squash 375° for 30 minutes
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1 cup unsweetened plain non-dairy milk I use organic soy
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil canola oil, or Earth Balance
- 3 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1/2 lb macaroni noodles 1/2 pack
- 3 cups brussels sprouts thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
Instructions
- Mix the arrowroot in a small bowl with 1/3 cup of the milk. Make sure to get out the clumps. Set aside.
- In a sauce pot, warm oil or melt Earth Balance on medium heat.
- Add in the remaining soy milk along with the mustard, onion powder, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Stir in the arrowroot soy milk mixture, and continue to whisk to combine; over medium-low heat.
- Continue to whisk to combine the ingredients and thicken the sauce (will take around 3 minutes to thicken up).
- Meanwhile, cook your macaroni noodles al dente (follow package instructions––the shells I use cook for 13 minutes).
- Strain the noodles and place in a deep baking dish to cool.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender, then add the butternut squash and roasted garlic.
- Blend until smooth, and season with more nutritional yeast and salt to taste. It should be pretty salty to balance the noodles.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles, and stir well to coat every noodle.
- Massage the sliced brussels sprouts with olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Spread evenly over the macaroni and cheese, then sprinkle red chili flakes over.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Steph / October 23, 2022 at 8:00 pm /
My boyfriend and I don’t typically follow any specific diet (full dairy, meat, etc.) but trying to be better… and both of us loved the flavors. Followed the recipe to a T (tee?) and it was SO GOOD!
Denise / June 26, 2022 at 9:34 am /
Hi Jenne,
I really wanted to like this recipe. I’m incorporating vegan and vegetarian food into our meals. I followed the directions exactly but the taste was not good. I knew it would be different from cheese but the taste was not tasty. I’ve made the burrito bowl and that was excellent and the family loved it.
Katie / May 12, 2022 at 12:59 pm /
Could hemp seeds be used instead of nutritional yeast? Is nutritional yeast used for more than just flavor? I try to avoid yeast.
Melanie Hutsell / April 28, 2022 at 10:18 pm /
I made this tonight with baked “Buffalo chick’n (made with tofu) on top and a side of plain broccoli. Oh my – one of my favorite meals ever.
Kel Reese / April 11, 2022 at 2:33 pm /
Delicious , 1 of my favorite very tasty
Parth / February 16, 2022 at 2:44 am /
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Andrea C. / November 30, 2021 at 11:50 pm /
Hi! Just made this, and I definitely needed to let the sauce thicken more as there was sooooo much of it and it was much thinner…I didn’t watch the video first…my bad!
Please note, the printable recipe does not state what size pan or what temperature to cook at.
Noell / November 30, 2021 at 5:57 pm /
First time making this. Trying to be vegan. But it just doesn’t work for me. It must be a mental thing. It’s just not the same as cheese. But thank you for giving me something to experiment with.
Vanessa Sternick / August 15, 2018 at 8:08 pm /
Do you think this would work with tapioca starch in a pinch, or should I hold out?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 15, 2018 at 11:50 pm /
Ah, I haven’t tried that. Cornstart works in a pinch though. If you try the tapioca, let me know how it goes 🙂
Savitri / August 2, 2018 at 11:52 pm /
This recipe is so delicious!! I made it with zuchini and with broccoli in little pieces (in stead of Brussels sprouts), sprinkled with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp red chiliflakes and 1 tbsp lemonjuice and baked 30 minutes in the oven. We love it!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Christina Austin / October 18, 2017 at 1:09 am /
I made this tonight. It was very good! I loved the brussel sprouts on top. My husband ate 2 plates. Thank you!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / October 25, 2017 at 1:43 am /
Fantastic ! I’m very happy to hear that. Thank you!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / September 26, 2017 at 2:37 pm /
Nice!! How did it go?
Xandri Coetzee / July 8, 2017 at 4:55 pm /
This has been my new go to vegan mac and cheese since I saw your video on YT. Personally, I prefer it above the usual carrot and potato vegan mac and cheese. It has so much more flavour! I cut up a whole onion and roast it with the garlic and butternut. My bf and I are having it again tonight. Can’t wait! Thanks sooo much for the awesome recipe!!!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / July 9, 2017 at 1:31 pm /
Thank you so much for trusting my recipes in the first place. I am so glad you love it!! This is my favorite one too 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 11, 2017 at 6:01 pm /
Thanks Michelle! I have no idea about the calories. This one is probably best in moderation because the processed wheat pasta. If you want it to be lighter and even more nutritious try it with spaghetti squash or over zucchini noodles.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / December 8, 2016 at 5:52 pm /
Amazing!! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂 Thanks, MJ!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / November 26, 2016 at 2:41 pm /
Sure!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / November 26, 2016 at 2:41 pm /
Love it!! Thanks for letting me know, Tawny 🙂 Happy Holidays!! xo
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / October 17, 2016 at 12:17 pm /
I understand. Unless stated otherwise I am referring to type 2 since it accounts for 90% of the diabetes diagnoses. If I talked more about the disease then I would use t1 and t2 to differentiate. Most of the time type 2 diabetes is indeed sparked by lifestyle: diet, lack of exercise, and obesity. In many cases type 2 is reversible through effective lifestyle change. There are type 1 diabetics who use a vegan diet to manage their diabetes as well 🙂 You’ll find evidence on Google, and there are also folks who share their vegan type 1 journey on social media (especially IG). https://www.instagram.com/mindfuldiabeticrobby/ is a great one to follow.
Lots of love to you <3 xo
Annette / July 8, 2016 at 1:44 am /
Hi! What brand of yeast did you use?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / July 11, 2016 at 3:36 pm /
I bought it in bulk, so I’m not sure what brand it is. I think they’re all the same though.
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 22, 2016 at 6:19 pm /
Great question!! I would cook the onion before using. Maybe 1/2 cup before cooking. Let me know how it turns out like that 🙂
MLN / May 4, 2016 at 10:23 am /
Hey, lady! Is this something I could make ahead, cook, and freeze, you think?
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 12, 2016 at 2:34 pm /
I’m not sure about that. The noodles may get a little weird. You could make the sauce and freeze, though!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 27, 2016 at 11:41 pm /
Thank you!
Summer / April 20, 2016 at 1:46 am /
I made this for dinner, it was delicious, the brussel sprout made it so good!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 20, 2016 at 2:03 am /
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout / April 19, 2016 at 12:00 am /
This looks delicious! I love the creaminess here and the brussels sprouts you added- pinning 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 20, 2016 at 2:03 am /
Thank you Medha!! I love a pin 😉 xo