Vegan Butternut Squash Mac Cheese (Printable)

A creamy dairy-free mac with roasted butternut squash and a flavorful smooth sauce, ideal for easy weeknights.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni or other short pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cubed
03 - 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled

→ Sauce Base

05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1½ cups unsweetened soy or oat milk
07 - 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
08 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
09 - 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
10 - ½ tsp ground turmeric
11 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
12 - ½ tsp salt, plus additional to taste
13 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper

→ Topping (optional)

14 - ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
15 - 1 tbsp olive oil

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss butternut squash cubes, chopped onion, and garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and caramelized.
03 - While vegetables roast, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
04 - In a blender, combine roasted vegetables, soy or oat milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, turmeric, smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning as needed.
05 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed through.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until pasta is evenly coated.
07 - For a crispy topping, preheat the broiler. Toss panko breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle over the pasta mixture, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.
08 - Serve hot, optionally garnished with extra black pepper or fresh herbs.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and cheesy without a single drop of dairy, so you can feel good about seconds.
  • The butternut squash adds natural sweetness and a gorgeous golden color that makes the dish look as cozy as it tastes.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, and most of that time is hands-off roasting.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which means easy lunches all week long.
02 -
  • Roast the squash until it's truly soft and starting to brown—underdone squash makes a grainy sauce instead of a silky one.
  • Taste the sauce before mixing it with the pasta and adjust the salt, lemon, or nutritional yeast to your liking, because once it's all combined it's harder to fix.
  • If the sauce feels too thick after blending, add plant milk a splash at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency.
03 -
  • Use a high-speed blender if you have one—it makes the sauce incredibly smooth and almost restaurant-quality.
  • Don't skip the smoked paprika, it's the quiet hero that makes people ask what makes this taste so good.
  • If you're making this gluten-free, check that your nutritional yeast and plant milk are certified gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.

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