Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This is the BEST vegan butternut squash mac and cheese, hands down. The nut-free and dairy-free sauce is beyond creamy, dreamy, and cheezy! This pasta dish is comfort food to the max, and definitely a favorite recipe in my household.

If you love mac and cheese, try my ultimate vegan mac & cheese or this baked vegan mac and cheese with sweet potato next.

Why You’ll Love this Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Okay…I’m really excited to share this recipe with you all today. Chris, my husband, said (and I quote): “Hands down, and I’m not exaggerating, this is the best mac & cheese I’ve ever had.”

And BOY, is he right. This super creamy vegan mac and cheese (without cashews may I add) is so rich, decadent, but also healthy(ish). Say what?! You can have both everyone!

With all my recipes I wish I somehow had a way to give all of you a taste test, but with this one, in particular, I really wish that was a reality. Y’all, I’ve never had mac & cheese this creamy, (even when I wasn’t vegan).

There are a few ingredients and steps in this recipe that really amp up the creamy & cheesy factor. This recipe is right up there on my favs list along with my Creamy Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese.

Key Ingredients

This recipe is fabulous if you’re lactose intolerant, dairy-free, vegan, or nut-free! To make it, you’ll need to gather the following:

• butternut squash
• sweet potato
• vegan cheddar cheese, I used Daiya brand
• vegan butter, I prefer Earth Balance (Nut Free) or Country Crock Plant Butter
• all-purpose flour
• unsweetened unflavored non-dairy milk
• nutritional yeast
• black pepper
• onion powder
• yellow onion
• garlic
• and of course- macaroni!

nut-free vegan cheeses

A lot of people have mixed opinions around vegan cheese. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Vegan cheese can be hit or miss, so even if you’re not a dairy-free cheese lover, I recommend trying out multiple brands to find the one that you like the most!

Below are a couple of brands I love that are also nut-free.

• Daiya: they have a whole section on their website that talks about their Allergen Control Program.
• Violife: they have more info about their products and what’s in them here.

Below are some of my personal favorites when it comes to vegan cheese.

Daiya Cutting Board Cheddar Shreds (tree nut-free): Daiya often gets a bad wrap for having a very distinctive taste. BUT they’ve modified their recipe over the years and came out with the Cutting Board Collection. So if you haven’t tried them recently you should try them out again. Daiya is the brand that often goes on sale the most at my local big-box grocery store making it the most affordable option for me.

Violife Just Like Cheddar Shreds (tree nut-free): This is what I used in this recipe. Violife’s cheddar melts beautifully and has a creamy texture without having an overpowering taste. It’s saltier than some other brands I’ve tried, so keep that in mind when adding seasoning to recipes.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Cheddar Shreds (not nut-free): I love Trader Joe’s vegan cheese. It’s affordable and works great in dishes where the cheese will be melted. Most of their cheeses contain cashews! So I recommend Daiya or Violife to keep this completely free from nuts.

Field Roast Chao Cheese Shreds (maybe nut free): Chao just came out with their shredded vegan cheese and I’m all about it! It’s on the pricier side, but for good reason because this is one of my favorite vegan cheese brands. While the ingredients list contains no tree nuts (it does contain coconut), it’s unclear whether this cheese is completely allergen friendly. Their website doesn’t list much info about cross-contamination or an allergen program.

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the squash and sweet potato

A couple of the other key ingredients are the butternut squash and the sweet potato. I ended up using one medium-sized butternut squash which made about 1 cup of puree once cooked.

I added about 1/2 cup of sweet potato puree to the mix which helps balance out the flavors and adds some needed sweetness.

substitutions or swaps

But if you’re in a pinch, you could probably sub in any orange root vegetable you have, and the taste would turn out similar. So, think sweet potatoes or acorn squash. 

In total, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of puree. If you want to use all butternut squash, I recommend roasting at least 2 medium-sized squashes.

This recipe also calls for roasted onion and garlic which add SO much flavor to the cheese sauce. You definitely don’t want to skip these ingredients. 

the best dairy-free milk

This recipe can be made with any unsweetened dairy-free milk. I usually use almond milk or soy milk because those are what I have on hand. If you’d like to make this vegan mac and cheese completely nut-free, below are some options:

• Soy Milk
• Rice Milk
• Oat Milk
• Flax Milk

Here’s a great article that goes into depth about more options and brands that are free from nuts!

Any of the above should work, just make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored for the best results. (We don’t want any vanilla milk in our cheese sauce!)

Some kinds of milk do have more flavor than others, so just be aware that if you used coconut milk, for example, the mac & cheese would probably have a subtle coconut flavor. I’ve found that plain unsweetened almond milk has the least flavor. 

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how to make vegan mac & cheese without cashews

the cream sauce

Traditional mac & cheese is typically made by first making a roux. Typically it is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour. A roux is a way of creating a thick cream sauce, and it’s also really easy to make vegan.

You’ll melt some vegan butter in a skillet and slowly add in flour.

The trick to a smooth, creamy sauce is making sure you consistently whisk the roux, preventing clumps from forming.

The flour and butter should come together into a spreadable paste consistency. After the flour has cooked for a minute, you’ll slowly whisk in non-dairy milk. 

don’t forget the vegan cheese

Because I wanted to be sure this vegan mac and cheese still had a cheesy flavor, I decided to add in a few handfuls of vegan cheddar cheese.

I used Daiya cheese in this recipe because it melts smoothly and the flavor is awesome. You could use any of the recommendations above though.

You’ll want to add the vegan cheese to the cream sauce and whisk until it’s completely melted.

blending up the vegan cheese

Once the squash and sweet potato are cooked, scoop them into a blender. Add the cooked onion and garlic, as well as the nutritional yeast, pepper, onion powder, and 1 cup of non-dairy milk.

You’ll want to blend everything up until smooth.

Tips for the creamiest vegan mac and cheese without cashews!

Once the rest of the cheese sauce (the roux) is ready, you can add it to the blender with the squash mixture. This will ensure the sauce is completely lump-free.

Make sure the squash and sweet potato are completely cooked. If they’re not cooked all the way, the sauce will be less creamy.

storing the mac and cheese

If you have leftovers, you’re in luck, because this recipe stores very well. Package it up into a Tupperware and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. Note: like most pasta dishes, the pasta will absorb some of the sauce the longer it sits.

OR you can freeze it for up to 3 months. It freezes and reheats best if stored in single-serve containers but you can also store it in a baking dish or a larger air-tight container.

to reheat the refrigerated vegan mac:

• Microwave: spoon into a microwavable bowl, cover with a paper towel or lid, and microwave for 1-2 minutes, stopping halfway to stir. Add in a splash of dairy-free milk if the mixture looks dry.
• Stovetop: add the vegan mac and cheese to a saucepan with a splash or two of dairy-free milk (or a tablespoon of vegan butter). Heat on medium-low until the desired temperature is reached.

the BEST vegan mac and cheese without cashews

What’s great about this recipe is that you end up only needing about half the amount of vegan cheese as you would in normal mac & cheese.

You get your veggies but the flavor is still unmatched! Creamy, cheesy, with the slightest touch of sweetness from the squash and sweet potatoes, this dish is just about perfect. Even though it’s currently Fall, I’ll for sure be making this super creamy vegan mac & cheese year-round. 

Serve this mac and cheese with this dairy free and eggless cornbread, a simple side salad, or roasted Brussel sprouts! You can also top it with these meatless crumbles for some extra protein.

vegan mac & cheese faq

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