Vegan Butternut Mac'n Cheese with Crispy Coconut Chips
This vegan butternut mac'n cheese recipe is easy to make and ready in under 35 minutes. The creaminess comes from butternut squash and vegan cheddar-style cheese shreds. The recipe also includes fresh broccoli for some hidden greens, making this a great dish for kids as well.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Dairy-Free Butternut "Cheese" Sauce
- 4 cups butternut squash - peeled and cubed
- 2 cups vegetable broth - divided
- 1 onion - chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 8 ounces cheddar-style vegan cheese shreds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk - you can also use 1 tbsp cashew butter instead, which will make it a little creamier, or simply omit if you don’t have unsweetened cashew milk or butter at hand
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt - or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper - or to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard - optional
Other Ingredients
- 1 lb dry elbow pasta - or gluten-free pasta of choice
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
For the Crispy Coconut Chips
- 1/2 cup coconut chips - not shredded coconut!
- 1/2 teaspoon tamari sauce - you can use soy as well, but tamari is gluten-free
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke - or more, to taste
- 1 pinch sea salt - or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
Cook the Squash & Pasta
- In a saucepan/large skillet, sauté the squash, onions, and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth. Set the remaining 1/2 cup aside for later and set a timer for 20 minutes (the total cooking time is 25 minutes).
- While the butternut is cooking in the broth, start cooking the elbow pasta in a pot or large pan in boiling salted water. The cooking time on the package should say 5 minutes, but in order not to overcook it, only cook it in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broccoli florets to the pot with the boiling pasta right before draining it (the florets should be bite-sized, so be sure to cut them into smaller pieces if need be.) Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Make the Crispy Coconut Chips
- Mix the unsweetened coconut chips with the seasonings, olive oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke and maple syrup. You’ll want each coconut chip to be coated, but they shouldn’t be drowning in liquid, so if you’ve accidentally added a little too much, just make sure you remove a little using a kitchen towel.
- Over medium heat, sauté the chips for about 3 minutes, watching them carefully to make sure they don’t burn. They should be golden brown. Set them aside.
Make the Butternut Sauce & Add it to the Pasta
- Blend the butternut base with the seasonings and the unsweetened cashew milk and then pour it over the pasta and broccoli in a large skillet. Add the vegan cheese shreds and cook everything over medium heat until the cheese melts.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup vegetable broth while you’re mixing everything with a wooden spoon or spatula. This step should take about 3 minutes.
Serve & Enjoy!
- Serve everything in bowls topped with the crispy coconut chips.
Equipment
Notes
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and be sure to use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- You can store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
- Instead of vegan cheese, you can also use 1 cup of soaked cashews with 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast and a little extra broth or unsweetened cashew milk. If you're allergic to tree nuts, sunflower seeds work too.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!