This vegan pumpkin mac and cheese is incredibly creamy and the cheesiness is unbelievable. Dairy-free mac and cheese can certainly rise to the expectations of your most discerning household customers! True comfort food at its best.
Why is this Vegan Mac and Cheese Better for You?
Regular mac and cheese is loaded with dairy. Dairy is very inflammatory and high in saturated fat, which contributes to heart disease. It also has high concentrations of casein protein, which has been linked to cancer.
This mac and cheese not only omits the cheese, but bumps up the nutrient content in spades. The creaminess comes from the freshly roasted and puréed pumpkin. We are posting this recipe in October in Canada where pumpkin season is in full force. You can use pumpkins for more than just carving jack o’ lanterns for Halloween!
Pumpkin is full of the antioxidant beta carotene and is a good source of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamins A, C and E. That’s perfect for when cold and flu season is ramping up.
Many traditional boxed mac and cheese products contain MSG, which manufacturers often include for Unami flavour. Studies show that MSG excites the nervous system and many people complain of headaches and brain fog when ingesting it. It is far from a whole food!
What Makes it so Cheesy?
The nutritional yeast in this mac and cheese recipe adds the cheesiness and also adds the Unami flavour to the dish. It also contains vitamin B12, a harder vitamin to get naturally in the plant based world.
If you are looking for more vegan cheesiness, try this Vegan Cashew Queso Dip. If it’s savoury pasta on the menu, try out our One Pot Lentil Bolognese, this Vegan Mushroom Cream Sauce with Truffle Oil or this Simple Weeknight Marinara Sauce.
We hope that this vegan pumpkin mac and cheese makes you smile like it does for us. Try it out and let us know how you liked it . We are always excited to have your feedback! Leave a comment and a rating and don’t forget to tag us @plantedandpicked on Instagram and hashtag it #plantedandpicked. Put on your comfy clothes and have some mac n’cheese!
Ingredients
- 750 g pumpkin cubed
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced finely
- ½ tbsp garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ cup sundried tomato chopped finely
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 150 ml plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Peel pumkin and cut into 1 inch cubes. Season with pepper and half of the sea salt (½ tsp as per original recipe). Roast in oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until fork tender.
- While pumpkin is roasting, season onion and garlic with remaining sea salt (½ tsp as per original recipe) and sauté in olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes or unitl transluscent.
- Add cumin, smoked paprika, paprika and sundried tomato to pan and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Mix together coconut milk, plant-based milk of choice (we use soy milk for a nut-free version) and arrowroot starch and add to pan with nutritional yeast. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Transfer sauce and roasted pumpkin to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
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