I bought this amazing book about how to make vegan cheese a few months ago and I haven't made many recipes because some of them use some refined ingredients and others are no super simple, but I want to experiment more and try new vegan cheese recipes for you guys.
Our vegan cheese is quite popular in our blogs and we love it so much because it tastes like real cheese, is made with simple ingredients and everybody can make it! This vegan butternut squash cheese is pretty similar to our vegan cheese, but tastes different and I don't know what is my favorite, I really like both. If you're looking for a healthy vegan mac and cheese recipe, you should give this butternut squash mac and cheese a try!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
- ¼ cup soy milk or any unsweetened plant milk
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1- 1 and ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 7 ounces pasta of your choice
- Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Steam the butternut squash for about 10 minutes or until it's soft. We place a steamer basket in a pot, add some water and when it's boiling we add the squash and cook it over medium-high heat. You can also boil or roast it.
- Place the steamed squash in a blender with the rest of the ingredients (except the pasta) and blend until smooth.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. We don't add any salt, but it's up to you! Cook the pasta while you're steaming the squash, that way you'll save some time.
- Mix the pasta and the sauce in the pot.
- We love to add some fresh parsley on top, but it's optional.
- Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or even freeze it. You can reheat this amazing dish, but add some milk because the sauce probably will be so thick.
Video
Notes
- You can use some water instead of oil if you prefer an oil-free recipe.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment below or tag a picture #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Kathie Ingram says
Spot on! So happy I found this recipe~ I just made the 'cheese' sauce. I'll use it later on everything! Thank you!
Iosune says
Hi Kathie! You're so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Kristin says
My attempts at vegan Mac and cheese have been hit and miss. Most just weren’t creamy enough and lacked flavor. This was the best I’ve tried so far. It was so creamy and delicious! 😋
Iosune says
Hi Kristin! So glad you liked it 🙂
VeggieTater says
Loved this, I'm another weirdo not terribly fond of the sweetness but the lemon and other ingredients countered it nicely. I also threw in a small cooked potato for the same reason, and just added a bit of almond milk to compensate. I wanted a way to use up the bounty of squash that I was blessed with but was intimidated by the monumental task of chopping them up because of an injury that limits my strength and mobility. They are tough! If necessity is the mother of invention, my Instant Pot was the facilitator! I tossed a whole squash into the steamer and all I had to do when it was done was cut it in half, remove the seeds and scoop the buttery flesh out of the shell and into the blender. So much easier and I know I am going to be making this a few times a week for a while because they last forever!
When my kids were young we forgot a butternut on top of the fridge for months, and it became our pet project to see how long it would last before it eroded. It eventually lost moisture and became lighter, but after two years we finally cut it open! It was just a mass of fibers and sure not edible, but intact. Amazing. We had a ceremony for it and buried it in the yard. LOL
Iosune says
Hi! Hahaha thanks a lot for sharing your funny story 🙂 SO glad you liked the recipe, I'm also in love with my Instant Pot. Have a nice day!
Tasha says
Wow, I just made this and it is so delicious! Not a lot of ingredients and the butternut squash really works. This is a keeper!
Iosune says
Hi Tasha! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it so much!
Charlotte says
Made this today and it was delicious! Used fresh onion and garlic instead of powder, omitted the oil and added some Sriracha.. tasted great! I recommend roasting the squash instead of steaming or boiling as it brings out that lovely flavour much better. Fantastic recipe, so easy to make. Butternut squash mac 'n' cheese tastes as great as it sounds. Much healthier than the dairy original and much lower fat than the cashew variations. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Charlotte! So glad you liked it 🙂 Sounds sooo good!
Carol says
I reallllly like the flavor of this cheese sauce...just made a pizza with it, topped with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, spinach and minced garlic...delicious! Wish I could send you the picture! Gorgeous, too.
Iosune says
Hi Carol! Sounds amazing 😀 So glad you liked it!
Peggi Wood says
Rating to go with comment 😁
Iosune says
Thanks a lot 🙂
Peggi Wood says
This was wonderful! I doubled the recipe and blended with an immersion blender. Finished it off with cilantro. At first I thought it was a tad too sweet and that I might add a touch of Dijon mustard, but the sweetness calmed down after I let the flavors marry for a half hour.
Iosune says
Hi Peggy! So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a beatiful day!
Em says
I've had and made a ton of vegan cheese sauces and this one is by far the best! I added some rosemary, fresh garlic, and paprika. Unbelievably good, thank you!
Iosune says
Hi Em! You're so welcome 🙂 I'm so happy for you!
Devin says
This recipe is really wonderful! It definitely gives me hope for vegan cheeses as this blows store-bought vegan mac-n-cheese out of the water. The only issue I ran into is the squash not blending well. The texture of my cheese was still a bit chunky, what went wrong? Did I not cook the squah enough or is it my blender?
Em says
steam your squash very well and blend for longer than you think you need! If its still looking chunky, give it a couple stirs between blends to help form a more consistent texture.
Iosune says
Hi Em! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Have a nice week!
Iosune says
Hi Devin! I think it's because of your blender, but you could try to cook the squash longer if you want... Have a nice day!
Shari says
Hi! Can you tell me what purpose the yeast does? And can one do this recipe and substitute something else for the yeast or leave it out all together? Thanks for your help.
Iosune says
Hi Shari! It gaves the recipe a cheesy flavor 🙂 You can't omit it, sorry!
Suzanne Todd says
Five Stars!
Suzanne Todd says
Thank you! This was excellent. I have an allergy to nuts and I kept seeing recipes for cashews. So when I found your recipe I was hopeful and certainly not disappointed.
Iosune says
Hi Suzanne! Thanks a lot 😀 Have a nice day!
Jessica says
I love the idea of Butternut Squash and have been on the hunt for a recipe that makes me love the taste (I can't stand the sweetness of it, fruit should be sweet not veggies!!) This is it!! I will make this once a week all fall and winter long. My kids love it, I love it and I have finally found the recipe I have been searching for!! Thank you so much for this bowl of deliciousness!!! PS I used lite coconut milk as I love the richness of it, half the oil and cut back a bit on the onion powder (mine is powerful) and a tad less Nutritional Yeast and it's still so cheesy! 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Jessica! I'm so glad to read that 🙂 Thanks a lot for your kind words. Have a nice day!
Just Me says
So how do you cook the pasta once it's blended up with the squash?
Iosune says
Hi there! You have to blend the squash with the rest of the ingredients, except the pasta 🙂
April says
OH YUM!!! I just made a double batch of this and it is excellent!!
No oil and chickpea pasta! I can't believe I am eating mac-n-chz!
Thank you!
Iosune says
Hi April! I'm so glad you liked it 😉 Have a nice day!
abbie says
Great recipe!! Nice flavor, but didn't have that gross fake cheese taste (which sometimes happens with vegan cheese).
Iosune says
Hi Abbie! Thanks a lot 😀 I'm so glad you liked it!
Debbie says
Made this last night and OMG, it was so good. Hubby(Omni) loved it too and said too double it when I make it again. Thank you so much for a delicious meal and easy prep too.
Iosune says
Hi Debbie! You're so welcome 🙂 I'm so glad you loved it. Have a nice day!
ULLI says
HI, thanks for another great recipe, I made it with a hokkaido pumpkin (roasted) and it was amazing, very rich and creamy, thanks again?
Iosune says
Hi Ulli! You're welcome 🙂 I'm so glad you liked it. Have a nice day!
Susan Hinson says
Good stuff! This turned out a thick, very creamy sauce.
Iosune says
Hi Susan! Thanks 😀 I'm so glad you liked it!