With the holiday season fast approaching, you’ll need this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese to wow your dinner guests or potluck friends. Set the perfect table with vegan ham, maple glazed carrots, and crispy smashed potatoes to boot!

Looking at this baked mac and cheese, you can’t even tell it’s plant-based! The smell, the color, the hearty cheesy bite. It’s perfect for a family get-together, vegan holiday feast, or a potluck.

The not-so-secret ingredient that makes this dish so beautiful is butternut squash. Not only does it make a great base for the cheesy sauce, you’re sneaking veggies into an indulgent meal!

If you love including as many plants as possible in your meals, you need PlantYou Cookbook and Scrappy Cooking ASAP. Both of my cookbooks teach you how to cook a diversity of plant foods in creative and delicious ways!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Need to sneak some vegetables into your kids’ meals? This vegan butternut squash mac and cheese is the perfect opportunity to do so!
  • You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy this mac and cheese. If you have a dairy allergy or simply trying to reduce your dairy intake, this is a great alternative.
  • One of the benefits of WFPB cooking is that you know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Indulgent as it is, this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese is still full of amazing plant-based nutrients.
  • If you’re cooking for non-vegan friends and family, it’s nice to have a dish that feels familiar to everyone. Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?
  • Cooking up a feast for a holiday table? This baked vegan mac and cheese makes the perfect side.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for vegan butternut squash mac and cheese clearly labeled and laid on a white background.
  • Macaroni is the classic choice of pasta for mac and cheese. You can use regular macaroni, whole-wheat, or gluten-free variations.
  • Butternut squash is an amazing winter vegetable that isn’t too starchy. For this recipe, it creates a nice base for the cheese sauce and gives it a vibrant orange color.
  • Cashews add the creamy component to the mixture when blended. See below for nut-free alternatives.
  • Garlic and onion add dimension to the recipe without overpowering the overall flavor profile.
  • Breadcrumbs are a nice final touch to create a crispy element that complements the squishy, creamy mac and cheese.

Hack It!

  • Gluten-free pasta alternatives: brown rice pasta, gluten-free macaroni, chickpea noodles (doubles as high-protein). Check your local store for options!
  • Gluten-free breadcrumbs alternatives: cornmeal, crispy rice, fried onions, gluten-free breadcrumbs. If you have gluten-free bread, you can even make your own breadcrumbs!
  • Nut-free alternatives: instead of cashews, try blending sunflower seeds (soak beforehand) or firm tofu.
  • Can’t find butternut squash in the store? Try this recipe with carrots (3-4 cups, roughly chopped). The taste will be slightly sweeter but not dissimilar.

How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut squash, onions, and garlic with thyme in a baking dish.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the squash, garlic, onion, and thyme to a baking dish.

Butternut squash, onions, garlic and thyme after fully roasting in the oven.

Step 2: Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, until the squash is soft. 

Macaroni in a steel pot.

Step 3: In the meantime, cook your macaroni until al dente. Drain the excess but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. 

Vegetables, cashews, spices, and water in a blender.

Step 4: Once the veggies are ready, let them cool enough to handle. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skins straight to a high-speed blender with the squash (skin on), onion, thyme, cashews, vegan milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and paprika. 

Vegan cheesy sauce blended together in a high speed blender.

Step 5: Adding a little bit of pasta water at a time, blend until completely smooth. Add extra water or broth as needed to thin. 

Cooked macaroni in a casserole dish with the vegan cheese sauce on top.

Step 6: Transfer the cooked macaroni to a casserole dish. Pour the vegan cheese sauce over the top. 

Vegan cheese sauce mixed with the macaroni in the casserole dish until fully coated.

Step 7: Mix in the casserole dish until completely coated. 

Vegan mac and cheese baked with breadcrumbs on top.

Step 8: Top with bread crumbs and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the top is slightly golden. 

Vegan butternut squash mac and cheese served on a white plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use store-bought vegan cheese in this recipe?

If you’re craving a melted cheese topping, you can grate some vegan cheese on top. I would leave the butternut squash cheese sauce as it is.

Is this a side dish or a main?

Up to you! It yields 4-6 servings depending on how you present it. And on your appetite, of course.

How do I store leftovers?

Let the dish fully cool down. Transfer to a container with a lid or cover up the casserole dish. Store this vegan butternut squash mac and cheese in the fridge for up to 4 days.

More Plant-Based Holiday Recipes

Just because you’re eating plenty of fruit and veggies, doesn’t always mean your nutritional criteria are met. I have recently collaborated with an amazing women-led supplement company to create a multinutrient aimed at plant-based and plant-centered eaters. With Complement x PlantYou Essential, thriving on a vegan diet has never been easier!

The Recipe: Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Classic holiday side dish and comfort meal, veganized!
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Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, cut in half, seeds removed
  • 1 head garlic, top sliced off
  • 1 red onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight or boiled 10 minutes
  • 1 cup plant-based milk
  • 1 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 lbs macaroni, dry
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs, vegan

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • In a baking dish, add the squash, garlic, onion and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until the squash is soft. 
  • In the meantime, cook your macaroni until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. 
  • In a high speed blender, add the squash (skin on), garlic bulbs (skin discarded), onion, thyme (I include the sprigs), cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, paprika and pasta water. Blend until completely smooth, adding more water as needed to thin. 
  • Transfer the cooked macaroni to a casserole dish, and pour the sauce over top. You will likely have more sauce than is needed, which you can freeze or prepare a double batch. Mix until completely coated. Top with bread crumbs, if desired. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Enjoy immediately, or store in the fridge for up to four days. 

Notes

  • Gluten-free pasta alternatives: brown rice pasta, gluten-free macaroni, chickpea noodles (doubles as high-protein). Check your local store for options!
  • Gluten-free breadcrumbs alternatives: cornmeal, crispy rice, fried onions, gluten-free breadcrumbs. If you have gluten-free bread, you can even make your own breadcrumbs!
  • Nut-free alternatives: instead of cashews, try blending sunflower seeds (soak beforehand) or firm tofu.
  • Can’t find butternut squash in the store? Try this recipe with carrots (3-4 cups, roughly chopped). The taste will be slightly sweeter but not dissimilar.
  • This recipe yields 4-6 servings depending on whether you enjoy it as a side or main.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 592kcal, Carbohydrates: 100g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 12.8g, Saturated Fat: 2.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g, Sodium: 553.1mg, Potassium: 1062.1mg, Fiber: 9.4g, Sugar: 9.5g, Vitamin A: 13488.4IU, Vitamin C: 43.1mg, Calcium: 190.8mg, Iron: 5.1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Author: carleigh