This Baked Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is so creamy and delicious. It’s the perfect dairy-free comfort food for dinner and a great dish for the holidays.
Oh yes, you heard that right, I made some Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese! I took my basic vegan mac and cheese that I make with sweet potatoes (that reminds me I need to put that recipe up soon) and pumpkin-ized it for fall!
I’m pretty much pumpkin obsessed, which I’m sure you can tell if you’ve seen my Vegan Pumpkin Pasta and Pumpkin Vegetable Casserole.
This recipe one is totally different than my other pumpkin pasta because it’s baked and has some extra cheesy flavor…if you’re into that sort of thing (and I’m sure you are if you’re reading this post).
Creamy and Delicious Comfort Food
When there’s a bit of a chill in the air, all I want are cozy things like sweaters, fuzzy socks, hot cocoa and baked creamy pasta. They’re warming and comforting and I can’t get enough.
I used to think that I should always be eating salads or smoothies because they’re “healthy” food. But I never felt good after putting something cold into my already cold body in the chilly weather.
Nowadays, I am more in tune with my body’s cues so when it’s cold out and I feel like I need something warming, I give my body what it’s craving like this vegan pumpkin mac and cheese, Vegetable Bean Casserole or Cashew Mac & Cheese recipes.
Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite things to eat right now. I’ve’ tested this so many times and I still can’t get enough.
You could use canned pumpkin if you don’t have (or don’t feel like using) fresh pumpkin. Japanese pumpkin (aka kabocha squash) is a great one to use in this dish. While I recommend the roasted pumpkin because it adds more depth, flavor, and creaminess, sometimes we’re in a rush and don’t have time to roast a pumpkin so the canned pumpkin is still good.
I usually roast the pumpkin during my regular Sunday meal prep if I know I’m making the my pumpkin mac and cheese that week. FYI, for more info on my meal prep tips, check out my Vegan Meal Prep post.
My mac and cheese is healthier than any store-bought kind. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and delicious!
The pasta is best eaten right out of the oven so grab a bowl, put on the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, and dig in!
Okay if you really need a few more reasons to try this bake vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese (and I doubt you do), here they are:
- it’s healthier than regular mac and cheese
- it’s not overly pumpkin flavored so those that aren’t pumpkin-crazy will like it too
- it’s kid-friendly
- it would be a great dish for Thanksgiving
- pumpkin is high in vitamin A
- it’s gluten & dairy-free
- it’s vegan pumpkin mac and cheese! who doesn’t want that!?
Meal Prep Tip: Bake the pumpkin the weekend before so it’s ready to go when you’re making this mac and cheese!
[clickToTweet tweet=”This baked #vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is creamy and delicious! The perfect fall comfort food!” quote=”This baked vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is creamy and delicious! The perfect fall comfort food!”]
If you make my vegan pumpkin mac and cheese recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
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Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This Baked Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is so creamy and delicious. It's the perfect comfort food for fall and a great dish for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free elbow pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 1 small pumpkin, baked about 2 cups of pumpkin (you can sub canned pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours or in hot water for 10 mins
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cashew or soy milk
- 2 TB tapioca starch
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white miso (or another 1/2 tsp salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Topping
- 2/3 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (or regular if not gluten free)
- 1.5 TB extra virgin olive oil (or vegan butter)
- 1 TB vegan parmesan (optional)
- 1 tsp dried parsely (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degree
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Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, then rinse.
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Meanwhile, add cashews and water and blend in a high-speed blender*.
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Add rest of sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
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Add pasta and sauce to oven safe pan or casserole dish.
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Top with breadcrumbs.
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Bake for 20 minutes or until breadcrumb topping is browned.
Recipe Notes
* I use a high speed blender like a Vitamix when blending the cashews.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT FOODS?
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Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who helps clients regain their energy, confidence and health by adapting and enjoying a plant-based diet. By uniting her functional nutrition education with her passion for plants and mindfulness, Mary Ellen offers a completely holistic and science-based approach to designing a healthy, plant-based life. When she’s not reading up on the latest nutrition research, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two rescue shih tzus, creating the perfect vegan mac & cheese, or exploring the world with her husband.
Marina says
Mary Ellen this looks amazing! Like the definition of fall-perfect comfort food! Yum 🙂
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Marina! It’s my favorite fall recipe right now!
johanna @ green gourmet giraffe says
That looks delicious and creamy – it is not quite warming up here so it is still soups and stews and pasta. Mac and cheese goes down well with my 8 year old but I wish she loved pumpkin and I could put it in the casserole like you have – I have used pumpkin to thicken a thin mac and cheese sauce and am a fan.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Johanna! It’s just getting cold here so I’m only just starting to do the casseroles/pasta again. 🙂
Sarah De la Cruz says
I love pumpkin mac and cheese! So delicious, and such a beautiful color!!!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Sarah!
Nadia says
This looks delicious and so comforting! I’ve tried making mac & cheese using butternut squash, but never tired pumpkin! Love the idea and must give it a go soon 😀
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Nadia! I hope you like it if you give it a try!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Agreed, this looks and sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try this, perfect fall flavors and colors. Thanks!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Julie!
Becky Striepe says
OH MY GOSH I have all of these ingredients in my fridge right now, including about 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree. I’m going to make this today or tomorrow!!
Mary Ellen says
Yay! I hope you enjoy it Becky! Let me know how it turns out with the pumpkin puree. 🙂
Sarah says
I want this right now! Looks so good!!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Sarah!
Kate says
I still have yet to try a vegan mac n cheese, but I think this is the recipe that may win me over! It looks so good!
Mary Ellen says
Give it a try if you can Kate, it’s a tasty one!
CC says
Are you using dijon mustard or mustard powder in this recipe? It looks like powder in the video. Thanks for clarifying this.
Mary Ellen says
It’s actual mustard. It fell into the other powders and looked like powder but but it’s regular dijon mustard.
I hope you enjoy if you try it!
Strength and Sunshine says
The ultimate in Fall comfort food! And o so creamy too!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
The start of the pumpkin recipes! Love it 🙂
Jenn says
Pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient! This looks so darn creamy…and the crunchy topping is calling my name! Yum!
Jacinta says
Just made this for tonight’s dinner and it is ridiculously tasty!! Best Mac and cheese I’ve ever had!!
Mary Ellen says
Jancita, I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Jacqueline Meldrum says
What a fabulously seasonal mac and cheese. Oh if only I could dig in! Shared!
Randi Tisdall says
I’m totally with you on this one Mary Ellen lol- die hard pumpkin fan! I think it’s good to listen to your body when you’re craving something warm during the cold months too- it nourishes the soul! I’ll be putting this on my grocery list today, thanks!
Mel | avirtualvegan.com says
Perfect fall food! I love the pumpkin addition and it looks so creamy. I would quite happily eat a massive bowl of this!
Randi Tisdall says
Just wanted to stop back by and tell you that we had this the other night and it was fantastic! I roasted extra pumpkin, so I mixed that in after the sauce was made- the added chunks were yummy! I also skipped out on the miso. But my kids and hubby loved every bite! Thank you!
Mary Ellen says
So excited you all liked it! I love the addition of the extra pumpkin! Thanks for letting me know Randi, you made my day!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
This looks incredible!!! That topping is perfection! Hope you had a nice weekend.
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Julie!
Priy says
First recipe I’ve read by you and I just made this dish which tasted amazing! I did change it up abit since I didn’t have onion and garlic powder. I fried some onion and garlic, as well as add a tiny bit of turmeric which i then blended with everything else. Also i didn’t have enough pumpkin so I baked some carrots too and added that in! Turned out great, mum couldn’t stop going back for more! Definitely will make it again and check out your other recipes! Thank you for this recipe!!
Mary Ellen says
Priy, thank you so much! I’m so glad you and your mom enjoyed it!
Great subs for what you didn’t have on hand. 🙂
Falon Hyde says
Would it be ok if I used corn starch instead of tapioca? Thank you!
Mary Ellen says
Hi Falon! I haven’t tried that myself but I found this online “Use one tablespoon of arrowroot, cornstarch or flour for every 1-1/2 teaspoons of tapioca starch called for” so you could try a little more cornstarch than tapioca. I wouldn’t put too much though maybe TB. It’s not fully necessary for the dish so you could leave it out, it just makes the sauce a bit creamier.
Let me know how it turns out if you try it.