The ultimate comfort food just got a major upgrade in this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese!
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.
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?
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).
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
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
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
- In a medium saucepan with lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften.
- Add garlic, stir and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add squash, cauliflower, and broth and bring to a steady simmer.
- 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.
- When veggies are very tender, transfer to a blender. Add the lemon juice, mustard, salt, and nutritional yeast and blend until very smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before pouring over your favorite cooked pasta (or roasted vegetables).
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
- Calories: 376
- Fat: 7g
- Sodium: 340mg
- Carbohydrate: 71g
- (Fiber: 10g
- Sugar: 7g)
- Protein: 12g
Dietary
What’s your favorite thing serve with Mac and Cheese? Are you a vegetable hider too? Share in the comments below.
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Thank you, can’t wait to try this recipe. Our family has a dairy allergy so hoping this is a good replacement for my 7 year old.
Hope you enjoy(ed) it!
This is so awesome! I’ve been trying to shift my mac&cheese obsessed daughter off dairy, but she wouldn’t touch any of the dairy-free box versions. I started by mixing this half&half with some Annie’s – no complaints. Now she’s happily eating 100% this. Also, in answer to some earlier comments, it does freeze well, but separates a bit and doesn’t look quite as smooth once thawed. I solved it by adding some avocado oil and some arrowroot starch (equal parts, about 1 tsp/cup of sauce). Truth be told I also added some avocado oil and arrowroot starch to the original batch, just to give it some of the stretchiness and plastic sheen (LOL) of the box stuff, and, of course, to get some good fats in.
This is so awesome! Glad to hear you found a dairy-free Mac & Cheese alternative for you daughter! And thanks for sharing your feedback and suggestions about freezing and reheating. Appreciate it!
Can you used sweet potatoes instead of squash???
Hi Cherie,
I’m guessing you can. You may need to add a bit more liquid to get the consistency but it should be an easy swap.
We love this recipe! It’s REALLY good with some taco meat and a little salsa… Reminds me a lot of the Velveeta dip I grew up enjoying.
Amazing! And love the addition of taco meat…yummmm!
I want to try this recipe, especially since I’m definitely not a fan of cheese but I love pasta. Does this recipe taste like cheese or just mimic the consistency? I would love to have this recipe doe next holiday with traditional macaroni and cheese, I wonder if my fs family will be able to tell the difference.
Hi Tricey,
The sauce has the same tangy, savory, salty (umami) flavors of cheese but it’s not a dead ringer for the real deal (though in my opinion, neither is the powdered cheese in the box). That said, it’s pretty close but lacks the mouthfeel of real, melted cheese. I’d suggest giving it a try before the holidays and halving the recipe to make a smaller batch to see what you think. Keep in mind, you may need to tweak the amount of salt, yeast, and mustard to suit your palate as we all experience flavors slightly different.