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Home Courses 10 Ingredients or Less

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese

EF Egg-Free GF Gluten-free NF Nut-free VG Vegetarian DF Dairy-Free V Vegan
35 mins
4.7 /5
155 Comments
Jump to Recipe
Jessica Beacom
By: Jessica Beacom Updated: 10/26/23

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

The ultimate comfort food just got a major upgrade in this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese!

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese | egg free macaroni and cheese | gluten-free macaroni and cheese | nut-free macaroni and cheese | vegan macaroni and cheese | healthy macaroni and cheese || The Real Food Dietitians #macandcheese #dairyfreepasta #glutenfreesides

Your eyes are not deceiving you, this really is Dairy-free Mac and Cheese

No, really. It is. There is absolutely ZERO cheese involved in this recipe which is partly why it’s so brilliant. The other reason is that is PACKED with vegetables. Um hmmmmm. Veggies!

And you’ll never know they’re in there. This Dairy-free Mac and Cheese is so silky, rich, creamy and cheesy that it fooled even my most discerning, veggie-sniffing daughter. Not kidding, this kid can smell a hidden veggie from miles away like a customs dog on the hunt for pineapples and cigars.

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese | egg free macaroni and cheese | gluten-free macaroni and cheese | nut-free macaroni and cheese | vegan macaroni and cheese | healthy macaroni and cheese || The Real Food Dietitians #macandcheese #dairyfreepasta #glutenfreesides

The day I developed this recipe was the first official ‘real snow’ of the season here in Boulder. The girls came running into the house just as I was pulling the bowl of mac and cheese off the table by the window where I’d been photographing it and they immediately started to inhale it. Still in jackets, hats and snow boots. And there may have been a fight over the last noodle, too.

Naturally, I asked: “Is it good?” They both nodded and smiled. Satisfied with their answer, I turned to walk into my office and heard my oldest say to my mom as I left the room: “That wasn’t REAL mac and cheese. I don’t know what it was but it was good.” YASSSSSSS!

Mom: 1, Veggie-sniffer-outer: 0

The secret is in the sauce

Okay, enough about my on-going endeavor to hide all the veggies – you came here to learn how to make the BEST Dairy-free Mac and Cheese, right?

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese | egg free macaroni and cheese | gluten-free macaroni and cheese | nut-free macaroni and cheese | vegan macaroni and cheese | healthy macaroni and cheese || The Real Food Dietitians #macandcheese #dairyfreepasta #glutenfreesides

Well, the secret (as you might imagine) is veggies. Taking a cue from an old vegan cookbook I leafed through at a thrift store this summer I combined butternut squash, cauliflower, onions and garlic to create a silky smooth puree in the perfect shade of orange. Then to make it tangy and savory like cheese I used nutritional yeast, lemon juice and a bit of dijon mustard  (like we did here in this Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce) and voila!

Super creamy, non-dairy, nut-free cheesiness if now yours to pour all over your favorite gluten-free pasta (or roasted cauliflower if you’re looking for a grain-free and/or lower carb option).

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese | egg free macaroni and cheese | gluten-free macaroni and cheese | nut-free macaroni and cheese | vegan macaroni and cheese | healthy macaroni and cheese || The Real Food Dietitians #macandcheese #dairyfreepasta #glutenfreesides

A food-allergy sufferers dream come true

Whether it’s dairy, soy, gluten, eggs or corn that can’t tolerate, you can make this recipe work for you. Even our plant-based friends can partake in this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

#macandcheeseforeveryone

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese | egg free macaroni and cheese | gluten-free macaroni and cheese | nut-free macaroni and cheese | vegan macaroni and cheese | healthy macaroni and cheese || The Real Food Dietitians #macandcheese #dairyfreepasta #glutenfreesides

Put the ultimate comfort food back on the menu with this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese!

Video: How to make dairy free mac and cheese

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Dairy-free Mac and Cheese | The Real Food Dietitians | https://therealfooddietitians.com/dairy-free-mac-and-cheese/
Recipe
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 29 reviews

Dairy-free Mac and Cheese

Prep: 15 minsCook: 20 minsTotal: 35 mins
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Servings: 6 1x

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. coconut or avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen
  • 2 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for vegan)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Scant ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 – 1 ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 16 ounces gluten-free pasta of choice

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan with lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
  2. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften.
  3. Add garlic, stir and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until garlic is fragrant.
  4. Add squash, cauliflower, and broth and bring to a steady simmer.
  5. Once simmering, cover pan with lid and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15-18 minutes. You may need to lower the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and prevent it from boiling.
  6. When veggies are very tender, transfer to a blender. Add the lemon juice, mustard, salt, and nutritional yeast and blend until very smooth.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning before pouring over your favorite cooked pasta (or roasted vegetables).

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
  • Calories: 376
  • Fat: 7g
  • Sodium: 340mg
  • Carbohydrate: 71g
  • (Fiber: 10g
  • Sugar: 7g)
  • Protein: 12g

Dietary

Dairy-FreeEgg-FreeGluten-freeNut-freeVeganVegetarian
© The Real Food Dietitians
Recipe By: The Real Food Dietitians

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What’s your favorite thing serve with Mac and Cheese? Are you a vegetable hider too? Share in the comments below.


All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

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Jessica Beacom

Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her husband and two daughters. She's been raising backyard chickens for over a decade. When she's not in the kitchen you'll find her mountain biking, gravel cycling, telemark skiing, and camping.

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Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. AvatarTeresa says

    Posted on 10/15/23 at 4:51 pm

    Just the recipe I was looking for (vegan butter/cheese, no cashews, full of veggies).
    When I tasted the sauce by itself I felt it just tasted like squash, cauliflower, and nutritional yeast. But my 4 girls (8months-8years) loved it so that’s what counts. I’m sure I will make it again- but with a little less nutritional yeast and a little more salt.
    I used about half a squash and half a large head of cauliflower, so it will be easy to double the recipe next time and freeze the extra sauce.

    Reply
    • Jessie ShaferJessie Shafer says

      Posted on 10/16/23 at 9:52 am

      Hi Teresa, we’re so glad to hear this recipe checked all the boxes for you and was toddler friendly, too!

      Reply
  2. AvatarDeeDee says

    Posted on 10/24/23 at 5:55 am

    I made this recipe last night for a friend of the family who is GF/DF, & it was a big hit! I made his with GF pasta & used reg elbow for the rest of the family. I left the onion out (family doesn’t like) & added a bit of turmeric for color & thyme. I may cut down on the nutritional yeast next time, the undertone of that flavor seemed to override the garlic & thyme.
    Thanks for a great recipe – I plan on making it for Thanksgiving. I’m wondering if you’ve tried baking the dish after putting it together? I was thinking of adding GF breadcrumbs with melted DF ‘butter’ for extra flavor

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 10/24/23 at 12:01 pm

      You are so welcome DeeDee! We appreciate the feedback and 5-star review!

      Reply
  3. AvatarDanette says

    Posted on 2/4/24 at 3:21 pm

    I have been struggling finding a good non-dairy recipe that isn’t a box at $6. Made this today and my son (who hates squash of any kind …shhh) said this was the best non-dairy Mac and Cheese- even better than the box. This was a huge win for me. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 2/5/24 at 4:38 am

      A total victory Danette! Thanks so much for sharing this great feedback with us, we appreciate the 5-star review!

      Reply
  4. AvatarByrdie says

    Posted on 8/7/24 at 6:51 pm

    I have been a cheese lover all my life and now have to give up dairy. This was a good and inexpensive recipe overall to make. I added some chili powder and a little bit of garlic salt to taste. I really liked it. My boys even liked it.

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 8/12/24 at 10:07 am

      Great! Thanks so much for the 5-star review!

      Reply
  5. AvatarVicki spycher says

    Posted on 8/9/24 at 7:17 pm

    For allergies to yeast, is there a sub ?

    Reply
    • Stacie HassingStacie Hassing says

      Posted on 8/12/24 at 9:58 am

      You could just leave it out Vicki, enjoy!

      Reply
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