Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

close-up overhead of pasta in pumpkin cheese sauce on white plate

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

This creamy vegan pumpkin mac and cheese is super easy to make in just 15 minutes with less than 10 ingredients! This vitamin A-packed, fall-inspired pasta dish is gluten-free, nut-free and oil-free too! Serve as a main course or side dish.

Course Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Keyword dairy-free, mac and cheese, nutritional yeast, pasta, pumpkin, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings -8

Calories 282kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Equipment

Ingredients

12 oz gluten-free pasta of choice (you can use wheat-based pasta if not avoiding gluten)
15 oz canned pumpkin puree
1 cup canned unsweetened light (or lite) coconut milk *see substitutions below
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch/flour *see substitutions below
1 ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt, plus more to taste, if desired
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Cook your gluten-free pasta of choice according to package directions. Be sure not to overcook. While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.
Add pumpkin puree, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, arrowroot, salt, ground mustard and garlic powder to a high-powered blender.
Blend on high, scraping the sides as needed, until ingredients are well-incorporated. Taste test and add more salt, if desired.
Transfer pumpkin sauce to a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking or stirring frequently until sauce is thoroughly heated.
When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.

Video

Notes

*Substitutions: Instead of the light coconut milk, you can use unsweetened vegan half & half, but if you want to keep this recipe oil-free, ensure the brand you are using does not have any oil in the ingredients. If you prefer, you can use cornstarch in place of the arrowroot, but note that it does make the sauce thicker. Therefore, you can start with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch during blending. Then, add more if needed and blend again.

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed due to variations in products/ingredients. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition was calculated using brown rice pasta, arrowroot and light canned coconut milk.

Nutrition