Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This healthier butternut squash mac and cheese is creamy, flavourful and so easy to make. Vegan and gluten-free, this is comfort food at its finest! The perfect cozy fall weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy.

Along with dairy-free chicken alfredo, this butternut squash mac and cheese is one of the most delicious dairy-free pasta dishes!

Originally published October 15, 2020, Updated November 8, 2021

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Who doesn't love a good mac and cheese? Sometimes, all you need is comfort food - especially during the fall and winter months.

This butternut squash mac and cheese tastes super cheesy, but is surprisingly 100% dairy-free and vegan. Instead, it's packed with flavour from the nutritional yeast, cashew cream, and squash. But don't worry, your kiddos won't be any the wiser! I've served this to family without telling them that the main ingredient is butternut squash, and they would have never guessed.

This is such an easy weeknight meal. I recommend roasting the squash well in advance of preparing this recipe to make things easier. If you work from home, you can pop it in the oven mid-afternoon to roast and save time once you're ready to prep dinner. Or, roast it the night before and store it in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients

• Butternut squash - we're using half, but I like to roast the entire squash and save the other half for soup!
• Elbow pasta - I like to use gluten-free brown rice noodles for this recipe. This kind is really delicious, and doesn't sacrifice any flavour or texture.
• Veggie stock - vegetbale stock if vegan, or you can use chicken stock if just making this dairy-free
• Nutritional yeast - adds lots of flavour and is the key ingreidnet to make this recipe cheesy without any dairy. A bonus: nutritional yeast is high in B Vitamins!
• Garlic - will be roasted with the butternut squash
• Cashews - raw, unsalted cashews; soaked for at least 4 hours in water to soften before blending
• Coconut milk - full fat canned coconut milk
• Avocado oil - or olive oil, to brush the butternut squash with before roasting
• Vegan butter - is optional but adds more buttery rich flavour

Equipment You'll Need

• A food processor or high speed blender
• Large casserole / baking dish
• Baking sheet
• Medium size pot

Step by Step Instructions

1. Roast - Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the butternut squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with avocado oil or olive oil to coat the surface of the cut side.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay the butternut squash cut-side down, and stash the garlic cloves in the hole of the butternut squash. They will roast in there giving the squash extra flavour. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until squash is fork-tender.

2. Cook Pasta - While the squash is roasting, prepare the elbow pasta as per the directions on the label. Once cooked, set aside and drizzle with some olive oil so it doesn't stick together.

3. Blend Cashew and Coconut Milk - Add the canned coconut milk and cashews to a food processor or blender. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.

4. Blend Butternut Squash - Once the squash is roasted and cool, scoop out 2 cups of the flesh and add to a food processor (or blender). Add the roasted garlic (peeled), vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Blend until it reaches a smooth consistency.

5. Combine - In a medium pot on medium heat, melt the vegan butter and blended butternut squash mixture. Add in the cashew coconut cream. If the consistency is a little thick, you can add more vegetable stock to thin it out. Let it simmer to let the ingredients combine.

Add the elbow pasta large oven-proof casserole dish. Pour the butternut squash cheese sauce over the elbow pasta and mix thoroughly to combine.

6. Bake - Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Bake (uncovered) for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. It should be golden and slightly crispy on top.

Optional - you can sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of the mac and cheese before baking to add more cheesy flavour!

FAQ

Storage

• Let cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10 minutes until steaming hot, or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat. It may dry out slightly from reheating - to help this I add a little bit of unsweetened dairy-free milk and a drizzel of olive oil.

Please tag me @nourishmintkitchen and share on your IG stories if you make this recipe, I would love to see your creations!

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