This Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is the ultimate vegan comfort food. This creamy, spicy vegan pasta dish is made healthy by adding lots of cauliflower and spinach - plus it's dairy-free, gluten-free, and totally delicious! Best of all, it's made with just 11 ingredients and will be on the table in only 30 minutes.
Sometimes I feel like I have glitter running through my veins, but then I realize it's just hot sauce. I simply cannot get enough of the stuff. My buffalo obsession has been going on for years.
I've loved buffalo sauce ever since my roommate in college (who, fun fact, was actually from Buffalo) got me throwing hot sauce on everything. It's become a bit of an obsession of mine. No joke, I actually keep a bottle in my purse for emergencies. 😂
I know it's a popular flavor among carnivores and vegans alike, which is I bring my Quinoa Buffalo Balls to parties and make my Vegan Buffalo Chicken Rice Skillet throughout football season. So how could I not have a vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese in my repertoire? I'm happy to report I've fixed that omission.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you don't need much to make this delightfully creamy vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Mac & Cheese. Here's what to grab:
- Gluten-Free Pasta - Or feel free to use regular pasta if you don't need gluten-free. Any short shape will work!
- Cauliflower - Feel free to grab frozen cauliflower florets to cut back on prep or save a few bucks. You can also use broccoli if you want.
- Fresh Spinach - Frozen will work, too!
- Raw Cashews - You can also swap in raw macadamia nuts or almonds here. If nuts are off the table, try using raw sunflower seeds instead.
- Vegetable Broth - Homemade or store-bought both work.
- Hot Sauce - Preferably Buffalo hot sauce like Frank's Red Hot, but feel free to use whichever vinegar-based hot sauce you prefer.
- Nutritional Yeast - For that cheesy goodness, sans cheese.
- Dijon Mustard - For a bit of tanginess. You can easily substitute yellow mustard or mustard powder if needed.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder - For lots of savory allium flavor without the work.
- Tapioca Flour - To thicken the sauce. Feel free to use cornstarch instead.
How To Make Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
This veggie-filled vegan buffalo mac and cheese comes together in just 30 minutes. Here's how it's done:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Cook Pasta & Cauliflower. In a large pot, cook the pasta to package directions and with about 3-5 minutes remaining, add in the chopped cauliflower and cook until pasta and cauliflower is is done to your liking.
Step 3: Make Buffalo Cheese Sauce. While pasta (and cauliflower) cooks, add all the buffalo sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender* and blend until smooth.
Step 4: Assemble. Take a large casserole dish (I used 9x12) and add the spinach. Believe me, me makes less of a struggle to add in the spinach first. When pasta/cauliflower are ready, add them on top of the spinach and then pour in the creamy buffalo sauce and mix everything together.
Step 5: Bake. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Enjoy!
Optional Variations
While Matt and I think this buffalo cauliflower mac is simply the bee's knees, taste is entirely subjective and my goal is to empower each and every one of you to customize EVERY recipe to fit your needs. Here are a few ways to tweak this tasty recipe:
- For those of your that can't handle too much spice you can cut down to ¼ cup of hot sauce and add a few more tablespoons of veggie broth.
- For picky eaters who don't love veggies try adding sweet green peas instead of spinach, or just keep it simple with cauliflower. They won't even know it's in there!
- For added richness and crunch consider adding a crispy gluten-free panko or crumbled cracker topping.
- For added protein consider serving this with my Vegan Chicken Strips for a fun, flavorful, kid-friendly meal!
Expert Tips
- Buy frozen cauliflower florets to cut back on prep time. Frozen veggies are just as nutritious (sometimes even more so) than fresh, so you'll still get all the benefits!
- Don't toss the stems. Contrary to what you might think, cauliflower (and broccoli) stems are completely edible. Simply give them a quick peel using a veggie peeler to remove the tough exterior, then chop the stems into bite-sized pieces. They taste great and are good for you, plus eating them helps to reduce food waste and stretch your budget. I call that a win-win-win-win. Beat that.
- Meal Prep for effortless weeknights. Despite being super speedy to make, I know that life can get hectic. Do yourself a favor and make this on your meal-prep day. The assembled (baked or unbaked) casserole will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. If cooking from frozen, allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight (or from the morning of the day you plan on cooking it) first.
Cauliflower Buffalo Mac and Cheese Nutrition
I love adding veggies to pasta dishes to add phyonutrients as well as fiber. The veggies add a heartiness to the dish without having to double the pasta.
Cauliflower is high nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and magnesium. It's a brassica and cruciferous vegetable which contain nutrients with anti-cancer properties like sulforaphane. Cauliflower can be considered a heart protective veggie because the fiber in it can help lower blood cholesterol levels.
The other vegetable I added was spinach which also contains vitamin C and iron as well as beta carotene. Get those greens in!
FAQs
When I came up with the idea for my Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, I was going to do a straight pasta dish. I usually do that because I always have big salad or side of veggies when I have pasta.
BUT I realized not everyone is eating a salad along with the pasta to get their veggies for the day. That's when I knew I had to create a healthier version with the veggies already in the dish so that everyone could benefit.
I chose to use cauliflower because it's healthy (see below) and it really melds well into the casserole because the cauliflower doesn't have huge overpowering flavor.
Are you eating a piece of pasta or a piece of cauliflower? Who knows, it all tastes like creamy buffalo sauce - yum!
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to a month.
I love the classic, Frank's Red Hot. You can also opt to use Crystal, Texas Pete's, or any other vinegar-based hot sauce you prefer.
More Creamy Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you love creamy vegan pasta, here are a few more that will be right up your alley!
If you make this recipe and LOVE IT, please give it 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free pasta or regular pasta if you don't need gf
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- 3 cups fresh spinach
Buffalo Sauce
- ¾ cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 10 mins
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon tapioca flour or 1 TB of cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large pot, cook the pasta to package directions and with about 3-5 minutes remaining, add in the chopped cauliflower and cook until pasta and cauliflower is is done to you liking.
- While pasta (and cauliflower) cooks, add all the buffalo sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender* and blend until smooth.
- Take a large casserole dish (I used 9x12) and add the spinach. Believe me, me makes less of a struggle to add in the spinach first.
- When pasta/cauliflower are ready, add them on top of the spinach and the pour over the creamy buffalo sauce and then mix everything together so the sauce covers the pasta and veggies.
- Put the dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional information data is computer generated and only an estimate so it should be used only as a guide.
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel clear and confident about what is uniquely nourishing to them. Mary Ellen's recipes and nutrition information have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more.
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel clear and confident about what is uniquely nourishing to them.Mary Ellen's recipes and nutrition information have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more.
Cheryl says
I made this but was not sure if the 3/4 cup of water was to soak cashews or to add to sauce.
Mary Ellen Valverde | VNutrition says
Hi Cheryl, it's to add to the sauce. You just soak the cashews in however much water covers them.
Lauren says
Made this last night - I love it! Next time I would probably use less hot sauce...1/2 was spicy! 🙂 I also love the fact that it makes enough for lunch or dinner the next day.
Mary Ellen says
Lauren, I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Yes, it's a bit spicy for some people. I can basically drink hot sauce at this point without flinching so I try to remember to go easy on it in the recipes (but sometimes not enough). 🙂
David Noel says
This was amazing! The cheese sauce for this was wonderful. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe! My husband loved it! Will definitely be making this on a regular basis! 😊
Mary Ellen says
So happy you both enjoyed it, David! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review!
KL says
How big of cauliflower do I use?
Mary Ellen says
I would say at least medium size but the bigger the better for more veggies!
Sandy says
I made this tonight and really liked it!
Mary Ellen says
So glad you enjoyed Sandy! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and rating!
Forestwoman says
I made this last night and it was amazing!! I used homemade salsa instead of hot sauce tho. Amazing! Thank you!
Mary Ellen says
So happy you enjoyed it! Oh I love salsa so I'll have to try that next time!
Nathalie says
I just made this recipe and it came out sooo delicious! My boyfriend and I are trying to incorporate more vegan meals into our diet and this was our first meal, so thank you!
Mary Ellen says
Hi Natalie! It's great you're trying to incorporate more vegan meals into your diet. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Christine A. says
Do you think this could be made ahead and then baked just before serving?
Mary Ellen says
Hi Christine! I've actually never tried this but I think it should probably work since everything would already be cooked. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out. Next time I make it I'll try it this way too bc I think it would be a great time saver.
Mary says
I am allergic to cashews. What can I use instead?
Mary Ellen says
Hi Mary, some substitutes for cashews could be almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or sesame seeds but I'm really not sure that those would work the same way. I've tried them in other recipes and they're just not the same as the cashews because the sauce doesn't get as creamy or as smooth especially if you don't have a high-speed blender like a vitamix. If you do try it, let me know how it turns out.
Mary Sheehan Dakin says
This is so delicious. I love Franks hot sauce and the whole buffalo sauce thing rocks. Pour it onto Mac and cheese and I’m in gastro heaven. Thank you.
Mary Ellen says
I am totally with you, Mary! I'm a buffalo sauce fiend. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the pasta!
Kate says
This isn on my list for the weekend! I was going to make it yesterday but the snow storm happened so I didn't go out to buy what is needed. It looks soooooo good! Then again, it's hardly surprising coming from you!
Mary Ellen says
Aw, thanks Kate, you're so sweet! I really hope you enjoy if you get a chance to try it!
Megan says
This was so delicious! Even my “Valveeta” loving husband enjoyed this meal(: I will definitely be make this again!
Mary Ellen says
Megan, I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed! I used to be obsessed with velveeta too so I try to make my vegan mac & cheeses just as creamy!
Karly says
Delicious! Can't wait to try!
Jennifer says
This sounds so yummy! I have to make it sometime soon!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Jennifer!