This Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the perfect healthy comfort food! It’s super delicious, cheesy, low-fat, and filled with plant-based ingredients. The recipe is very easy and quick to make.
To me, nothing is more autumnal than pumpkin. So, the first thing that came to my mind was making a creamy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese since I saw all these big pumpkins at the market. There is nothing better than enjoying a big bowl of creamy, dreamy pumpkin pasta on cozy fall days, right? This dish is also absolutely perfect for any time – no matter the weather or season.
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with healthy ingredients
This healthy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese recipe is adapted from my classic Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe, which contains basically vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. For this recipe, I simply used pumpkin instead, but you could also use butternut squash or sweet potatoes if you like.
Creamy, plant-based vegan cheese sauce
Further ingredients are cashews, spices, and nutritional yeast flakes which are essential for a creamy sauce with a cheesy flavor. If you’re allergic to cashews or nuts in general, you can swap out to sunflower seeds or simply use plant-based cream. Macadamia nuts are a good choice too, but it may alter the taste and color. For both alternatives make sure to soak the nuts/ seeds before.
Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Hokkaido (Red Kuri Squash)
My favorite type of pumpkin is Hokkaido. It has a delicious, flavorful taste and becomes super creamy when it’s puréed. Another great thing about using Hokkaido, you don’t have to peel it. Simply cut in a half, remove the seeds with a tablespoon, and roast in the oven or cook/ steam according to this recipe -> Pumpkin Purée – 3 ways to make it.
I like roasted pumpkin best because it has a more intense flavor than cooked. To save time, I use to make a big batch of pumpkin purée ahead and store in the fridge or freeze leftovers for further meals. Of course, you could also use canned pumpkin or squash as an option.
This Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese recipe is:
- Healthy
- Plant-based
- Dairy-free
- Flavorful
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- Easy to make
- Super delicious
- The perfect quick lunch or dinner pasta dish!
Serve with any veggies you like!
This pasta recipe is super versatile because you can add any vegetables you like to this dish. For example, you could add sautéed garlic mushrooms, courgettes, egg-plants, tomatoes, or any other vegetables you like. I usually add spinach and mushrooms, and vegan parmesan because they make the perfect toppings for this creamy pumpkin pasta. This dish makes about 4 servings and it’s perfect for company or meal-prep or just when you need an easy weeknight meal this fall.
If you try this vegan pumpkin mac and cheese recipe, please leave me a comment and star rating below sharing how you liked it! And if you take a picture of your creamy pasta dish and share it on Instagram, please make sure to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka, so I won’t miss your post! Enjoy your meal!
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese (easy recipe)
Author:Ingredients
- 14 oz gluten-free pasta* (400 g)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 14 oz pumpkin purée or squash (400 g) cooked or canned
- 2/3 cup cashews* (100 g) presoaked in water (for at least 3h)
- 3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- about 1 cup water (or vegetable broth)
- salt, pepper (to taste)
Toppings (optional):
- dairy-free parmesan cheese
- parsley chopped
Instructions
*Note: Watch the recipe video for visual instruction!
- Soak Cashews for at least 3 hours (or up to overnight). Then drain and rinse with fresh water. (Alternatively, simply cook them in a pot for about 10-15 minutes).
- Prepare pumpkin purée (if using homemade). It's ready in only 2-3 minutes when cooking in the microwave.
- Cook pasta according package instructions to 'al dente'.
In the meantime, make the sauce:
- Heat up oil in a small pan and roast garlic for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add softened cashews along with water, pumpkin, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast, and spices to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water, if the sauce is too thick.
- Drain pasta, put back into the pot, pour sauce over and heat everything up while stirring occasionally.
- Season again to taste, and top off with fresh chopped parsley and vegan parmesan, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this dish GLUTEN-FREE, you can use gluten-free pasta.
- If you’re NUT ALLERGIC, you can sub sunflower seeds or just use plant-based cream. Read more suggestions in the text above.
- To make a PASTA BAKE, you can fill your pumpkin pasta in a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 355°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes, until golden-brown and crumbly.
- The vegan pumpkin cheese sauce can be stored in a closed jar and refrigerated, for about 3-4 days. It is also suitable for freezing.
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Liked the base of this recipe when I didn’t want to run to the store and wanted to use what was in my pantry! I added mustard powder onion powder and garlic powder for a little more flavor. I also added some almond milk I needed some more liquid.
Great! Thanks so much for making the recipe! ♥️
I love so many of your recipes so I was disappointed in this one. It was very bland. Do you have any suggestions for spices to add to make it tastier?
Hi Jackie,
which kind of pumpkin did you use? I recommend using Hokkaido (red Kuri squash) or butternut squash for best flavor.
You could also add vegan parmesan.
Best, Bianca
We used smoked paprika instead of regular (and double what the recipe called for), extra minced garlic PLUS garlic powder near the end, cumin & curry powder, turmeric, and some finely chopped broccoli. We definitely needed to add more liquid (veg stock) because I have a regular blender that couldn’t handle the thick sauce.
Delicious!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed this meal. 🙂 Thanks for your feedback, Rachel!
I’ve added two teaspoons of dijon mustard and that helped!