This Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food—it’s warm, creamy, and cheesy. It’s a metaphorical hug in a bowl. And every time I eat it, I am transported back to my parent’s kitchen table, where my mom would serve us macaroni and cheese nearly every Saturday afternoon.
Sure, it was the boxed variety made with neon orange processed cheese powder, but it was made with love, and that’s what counts. Plus, this was the 90s, and nobody knew anything about nutrition.
If you’re skeptical about a macaroni and cheese recipe without actual cheese, rest assured, you won’t be disappointed. This vegan version is way better than any dairy-laced version I remember from my pre-vegan days. Even if you’re avoiding refined carbs like pasta (sad), I still recommend making this cheeze sauce because it’s outrageously delicious and versatile.
You can drizzle it over roasted veggies, or better yet, sweet potato fries for grain-free nachos. You can spread it on a crusty hunk of bread (there I go again with carbs) or toss it with spiralized veggie noodles for a light yet creamy dinner. Or, if you love pasta but are gluten-free, just toss it with your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Cooking Tips + Ingredient Rundown
Now that I’ve professed my love for this pumpkin cheese sauce, let’s talk ingredients. This vegan mac and cheese recipe starts with pumpkin, no surprise there. Or butternut squash. I’ve tried this recipe with both, and they work great. Red kuri squash would also be a great option.
While you can definitely use canned pumpkin purée if you’re in a hurry and want to devour some mac and cheese immediately (I get it, it happens), I really recommend using whole pumpkin or squash. The pumpkin/squash gives the sauce the most beautiful golden color and brings a rich earthiness.
For pumpkins, you’re looking for the smaller sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins, not the huge pumpkins that kids use to carve creepy faces on Halloween. The sugar pumpkins have a lot more flavor than the carving pumpkins. I used a very small sugar pumpkin that weighed about 2 1/2 pounds, but if you can’t find such a tiny one, use whatever you can find and then measure out 1 1/2 cups of the purée.
Since you’re not serving the pumpkin whole and instead using it in a sauce, the flesh should be very soft and nearly falling apart. Once it’s fully cooked, you can easily scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. If you’re using butternut squash, follow the same procedure.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I recommend roasting the pumpkin or squash in the oven. Roasting vegetables adds maximal flavor and is ordinarily my go-to way to cook vegetables, but this sauce is already bursting with so much flavor so steaming/pressure cooking is totally sufficient here.
As for the rest of the ingredients, each ingredient is designed to impart the flavor and/or texture associated with traditional macaroni and cheese.
Regarding taste, the dry mustard powder, for instance, adds a nice sharp tanginess without being overwhelming. The nutritional yeast, of course, is the secret ingredient to vegan cheesy goodness, and as you can see, my recipe doesn’t skimp on it. A lot of vegan cheese recipes call for using just a few tablespoons, but to get maximal cheesiness, this recipe uses a half cup. Plus, those flakes are packed with B vitamins, including Vitamin B12, which is otherwise lacking in plant-based foods.
Then there’s the miso paste, which imparts that irresistible and indescribable savory flavor and mouthfeel, replicating the umami found in dairy-based cheese. I recommend a light flavored white or yellow miso pate, which won’t overpower the other ingredients. If you taste the sauce and find it needs a little more umami, add a bit more miso paste and blend away.
And I can’t complete this blog post without talking about this pumpkin cheese sauce’s creamy texture. Cashews bring the luscious, rich creaminess that characteristic of any good mac and cheese. If you forget to soak the cashews overnight, don’t fret—you can do a quick soak by submerging the cashews in boiling water for one hour.
The sauce gets more creaminess from canned lite coconut milk. I use the “lite” variety because the full-fat makes the sauce too thick. You can also use a carton-style plant-based milk, but I recommend something thicker than standard almond milk, such as cashew milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Be sure to buy unsweetened mylk because nobody wants a slightly sweet, vanilla-infused mac and cheese.
Once you’ve cooked the pumpkin or butternut squash and have all your cheese sauce ingredients ready, just whiz everything up in the blender. It really helps to have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Ninja to complely pulverize the cashes. If you don’t have one of these bad boys, be sure to blend your sauce for several minutes and check to make sure it’s completely smooth (no one wants to bite into a piece of cashew when eating mac and cheese).
Regarding the pasta, you can use any pasta you like, including traditional macaroni shells, but I prefer a bigger, heartier pasta like rigatoni.
More delicious pasta recipes
Ready for even more delicious pasta recipes?
- For another take on Mac and Cheese, try my Crispy Baked Mac and Cheese. Think less pumpkin, more crispy breadcrumb topping.
- This 10-Ingredient Pantry Pasta is creamy and indulgent and can be on the table in just 30 minutes.
- My 10-ingredient Roasted Eggplant Pasta is another weeknight crowdpleaser.
- And if it’s even more pumpkin pasta you’re after, give this One-Pot Pumpkin Pasta a look!
That’s all I have to say about this recipe, so I really hope you enjoy this Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese! And if you make it, be sure tag me on instagram!
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 small sugar pumpkin (aka “pie pumpkin”), or 1 small butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds or 1 kg)*
- Olive oil or avocado oil, for roasting
- 1/2 cup (~60g) raw cashews, soaked in cool water overnight or for 1 hour in boiling water**
- 1/2 cup (40g) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional but adds a nice sharp tangy flavor)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (can substitute ground, but the flavor is much better with fresh)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon mellow white or yellow miso paste
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup (240mL) canned “lite” coconut milk***
- 10 ounces (280g) of rigatoni pasta, medium-sized macaroni shells, or pasta of your choice
Instructions
- To cook the pumpkin or butternut squash in the oven, use a very sharp knife to slice the pumpkin or butternut squash in half, then scoop out the seeds and stringy bits using a spoon. If the vegetable is too thick or hard to cut, pop it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds to soften. For roasting, follow step 2; for steaming, follow step 3.
- To roast the pumpkin or butternut squash in the oven, preheat the oven to 425°F (or 218°C). Drizzle the pumpkin or squash halves with a bit of olive oil or avocado and season with salt and pepper. Place the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined or aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until completely tender and lightly browned (pumpkin should take about 30 minutes; butternut squash closer to 40 minutes). Once the pumpkin or squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin.
- To steam the pumpkin or butternut squash in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, pour 1 cup of water into the inner cooking pot and lower a compatible steamer rack or the trivet that comes with the Instant Pot into the inner pot. Place the pumpkin or squash halves in the basket or on top of the trivet, close the lid, and pressure cook at high pressure for 12-14 minutes. Once the timer is up, perform a quick pressure release by manually releasing the steam valve. Once the pumpkin or squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin.
- While the squash is cooking, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta according to the box directions until al dente and drain in a colander.
- Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the roasted or steamed pumpkin or butternut squash flesh. Reserve the rest for another use, such as a curry, soup, or side dish.
- In a high-powered blender, add the 1 1/2 cups of the pumpkin or squash flesh. Add in the soaked and drained cashews, nutritional yeast, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper to taste, miso paste, tapioca flour or cornstarch, lemon juice, and lite coconut milk. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly, adding more salt as needed, more miso paste for more umami, or more lemon juice for more acidity.
- Return the cooked and drained pasta back to the saucepan and add the cheese sauce. Heat over medium heat until the sauce is well combined with the pasta and warmed through. Season the mac and cheese to taste.
Notes
I noticed you can sub rolled oats or sunflower seeds for cashews (have some severe nut allergies sadly) – but does anyone know how much of either to use in place of the cashews? Thanks!
Hi Lina, I’ve never tried rolled oats as a sub for cashews, and wouldn’t advise that here. But I’ve subbed raw sunflower seeds for cashews with pretty good results and think it would work here. You’d do a 1:1 sub.
This recipe is incredible! I made it with butternut squash and added a little chipotle chile powder and roasted garlic to the sauce for some smokiness/heat! My non-vegan partner LOVED it! This is now one of my go-to recipes.
Really delicious and creamy. I used red miso and it turned out great. Both my partner and I aren’t vegan and loved the taste. Will absolutely make again. I am trying to cook more plant based and every one of your recipes I’ve tried has been outstanding. Thank you!
I just made thus recipe for 5 of my omni Friends in TX and they said it was one of the best Mac and cheese they’ve ever had. I Tweaked it little though in my opinion balanced out the flavor, Added a tablespoon of turmeric and added a tablespoonish of Apple cider vinegar, and sprinkled chili pepper and bread crumbs on top and baked after I was done. SOOOO good.
I loved the recipe although I think there was way too much nutmeg. I would have only used a pinch. Additionally, I added some jalapeno and a can of rotel tomatoes but would have added 2 cans if I had 2.
HiAny suggestions for replacement on the cashews? Trying to avoid nuts in my diet but would love to make this.
Thanks!Danielle
I’m also wondering what I could use for a cashew substitute cause I have a nut allergy?
Maybe full fat coconut milk?
Rolled oats
I know raw sunflower seeds are a good substitute for cashews in sauces.
How much Pure Pumpkin (canned)?
I see she says 1.5 cups of puree (she says if you use a large pumpkin or squash) but I’m going to try to use canned too. I’ll just use one 15 oz can and see how that goes.
I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this is the absolute BEST vegan mac n cheese I’ve ever tried. It completely blows all of the other ones out of the water! It’s so easy to make, too. Just make sure to pay attention to the need to soak the cashews + steam /roast the squash, that adds a bit of extra time and is easy to do before you get cooking! I also roasted some cherry tomatoes in the oven and sauteed garlic and mushrooms to add to this dish, which was a really nice touch. Can’t wait to make this again and again!
I made this recipe with kabocha squash and it was delicious! I used almond milk instead of coconut because that’s what I had on hand and had to use almost 2 cups of it to blend, I also added sriracha, dijon mustard, mushroom seasoning and apple cider vinegar as extra to balance out the sweetness. Then I felt fancy, so I mixed in some frozen kale and added bread crumbs on top and baked it in the oven. So so good and versatile… Thank you!
This is the most amazing cheese ever! Tastes like old cheddar! I used frozen canned puréed pumpkin. I might tweak just a bit so that it’s stringier but that’s all I would do.
Hi Nisha, what if my miso is too intense (I used a red one that was at hand), can I still save it? Thanks!
Hi Cheryl, have you tasted it already? If it’s too intense, usually bitter flavors tend to balance out savory/umami flavors. I rarely use red miso so I’m not 100% sure what would work, but perhaps thyme or oregano which have a subtle bitterness.
Will canned pumpkin work?
Yep! You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of the purée, which is slightly less than the amount contained in 1 (15 ounce) can. It likely won’t be as flavorful as roasted pumpkin but it’ll still be tasty!
This was soooooo delicious!! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for the awesome recipe :) Love your posts both here and on Instagram! Lots of love from Finland!
Hi Ella, so nice to hear that you loved this recipe :) Thank you for sharing. Hugs from NYC!
I’ve never been a huge fan of regular mac-and-cheese, but I wanted to make a vegan cheese sauce, so I tried this recipe. And it was incredible! My non-vegan room mates can attest to that.
I can now honestly say I prefer vegan mac-and-cheese over the regular kind. Love that this cheese sauce can be versatile and that one butternut squash made enough for some extra sauce.
Yay, that’s so nice to hear, Sam! Thank you for sharing and so great to hear that your roommate also loved it. It is truly a versatile sauce indeed! If you have salsa and pickled jalapenos, you could blend it into the sauce for more of a queso and use it in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos, etc. :)
This is one of my go to recipes. Basically the vegan cheese sauce.I will double the cashews to a cup at times and add turmeric for color.To thicken it I use the vitamix on 10 for 5 min. It heats up like “cream” soups are cooked in vitamix.Mostly I follow the recipe but those are my variations.I use the vegan cheese thickened as Whiz for vegan cheesesteaks. Or add chili powder and some peppers for nachos or smear on tortillas forTacos.Very versatile.
Hi Thomas, I’m so happy you love this recipe. Thank you for sharing your variations. Love that vitamix tip and the addition of turmeric (so good for you). And vegan cheesesteaks – I need to try that soon!
This was my first time making vegan cheese sauce and it was delicious, so incredibly flavorsome, and I will definitely be making it again. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Yay! I am so glad to hear that it was delicious and flavorful :) Such a good sauce to have in the rotation!
Hands down the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made, and such a bonus that it’s made with only clean ingredients! My mom thought the cheese sauce was so good that she ate it straight up as soup, which I thought was hilarious.
I usually double or triple the sauce recipe and save it for another batch. I also sub in chickpea or lentil pasta for extra protein and add in green peas for color, texture, and an extra veggie.
You are too sweet Biota! I am so thankful to hear it was the best mac and cheese you’ve ever made. I love that story about your mom – makes me laugh so hard. Great tip to make more of the sauce and save it for later. I will definitely try that next time :)
This is the BEST vegan cheese I have ever made. Thank you so much 😊 I will use it again and again.
Hey Judy! That’s so awesome to hear :) I am so grateful for your feedback and happy that it was the best vegan cheese sauce you’ve ever made!
One of my favorite vegan cheese sauces! I subbed butternut squash & used a bit more smoked paprika. Used the sauce to make the pumpkin grilled cheese from Nisha’s Instagram page & served it with tomato soup. Perfect cozy dinner!
This was absolutely delicious and easy to make. I made a bunch of sauce and stored it in the fridge for later use. Thank you for all your delicious recipes, they never disappoint