This take on mac & cheese is loaded with yummy goodness! It is also Caden approved. It is dairy free, egg free, and can also be made gluten free depending on the pasta you select.
With a high dose of vitamin A, fiber, and potassium from the squash or pumpkin and the added vitamin b12 from the nutritional yeast you are sure to be singing the praises of this mac and cheese for you and your little ones.
This “cheese” sauce is so yummy. My first attempt at making a vegan mac and cheese did not go so well but after some tweaking I came away from my kitchen with a keeper recipe. Using my food processor made creating the sauce super easy and as you can see resulted in a very creamy texture.
Ingredients
- 15oz can of pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree , or 2 cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash puree
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard
- 2-3 tablespoons tahini
- Seasonings of your choice
- Pasta of your choice
Directions
- Start with cashews in the food processor. Process until the cashews are in very tiny pieces.
- Place remaining ingredients (minus pasta) into food processor to create cheese sauce.
- Boil pasta and fully drain.
- Return pasta to pot and add desired amount of cheese sauce. You can store any pasta and cheese sauce you do not use separately in your fridge for 3-5 days. If you want to make 1 serving only add enough pasta back onto the stovetop and save the extras for leftover meals.
- Season to taste and enjoy!
If you plan on trying this recipe or make it I would love to hear from you!
xoxo, Tamara
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This looks soo delicious!! Does it really taste like Mac & cheese? If you could compare it to a mac & cheese dish what would you compare it too? I’ve been looking for recipes for mac and cheese to give to my Big and little Darling but for the most part they have such nasty ingredients so I will def have to try this one!! Thanks so much for sharing girl!! XOXO-Heather
I think it tastes really good! Now it doesn’t taste like your Kraft Mac & Cheese or boxed Mac & Cheese but it does have a really great flavor and is so much better for you. You can adjust the “cheesiness” by adding more nutritional yeast. My first batch I made when I was experimenting my husband tried it and said it tasted nothing close to Mac & Cheese but this version he loved so much more. He is my toughest critic. But also the my first attempt was pretty horrible, but I promise this one is so much better :). We also added avocado’s as well for Caden and he really liked that too!
Thanks for this! Recently found out that my 6 month old is allergic to eggs & dairy (through my breastmilk, I’m still exclusively bfeeding, with one solid meal a day). So I’m suddenly having to look for vegan desserts & meals! I’m sure bub will love this when he is old enough too.
Is Caden allergic to anything?
You are welcome! As of right now we have not discovered anything that Caden is allergic too. We have tried to make sure and use the 4 day rule when we introduce him to a new food. So far so good :). Hoping your little one enjoys this!