The ultimate comfort food just got a major upgrade in this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese!
Your eyes are not deceiving you, this really is Dairy-free Mac and Cheese
No, really. It is. There is absolutely ZERO cheese involved in this recipe which is partly why it’s so brilliant. The other reason is that is PACKED with vegetables. Um hmmmmm. Veggies!
And you’ll never know they’re in there. This Dairy-free Mac and Cheese is so silky, rich, creamy and cheesy that it fooled even my most discerning, veggie-sniffing daughter. Not kidding, this kid can smell a hidden veggie from miles away like a customs dog on the hunt for pineapples and cigars.
The day I developed this recipe was the first official ‘real snow’ of the season here in Boulder. The girls came running into the house just as I was pulling the bowl of mac and cheese off the table by the window where I’d been photographing it and they immediately started to inhale it. Still in jackets, hats and snow boots. And there may have been a fight over the last noodle, too.
Naturally, I asked: “Is it good?” They both nodded and smiled. Satisfied with their answer, I turned to walk into my office and heard my oldest say to my mom as I left the room: “That wasn’t REAL mac and cheese. I don’t know what it was but it was good.” YASSSSSSS!
Mom: 1, Veggie-sniffer-outer: 0
The secret is in the sauce
Okay, enough about my on-going endeavor to hide all the veggies – you came here to learn how to make the BEST Dairy-free Mac and Cheese, right?
Well, the secret (as you might imagine) is veggies. Taking a cue from an old vegan cookbook I leafed through at a thrift store this summer I combined butternut squash, cauliflower, onions and garlic to create a silky smooth puree in the perfect shade of orange. Then to make it tangy and savory like cheese I used nutritional yeast, lemon juice and a bit of dijon mustard (like we did here in this Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce) and voila!
Super creamy, non-dairy, nut-free cheesiness if now yours to pour all over your favorite gluten-free pasta (or roasted cauliflower if you’re looking for a grain-free and/or lower carb option).
Veggies are the secret to this ultra creamy Dairy-free, Nut-Free Mac and Cheese #realfood Click To Tweet
A food-allergy sufferers dream come true
Whether it’s dairy, soy, gluten, eggs or corn that can’t tolerate, you can make this recipe work for you. Even our plant-based friends can partake in this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
#macandcheeseforeveryone
Put the ultimate comfort food back on the menu with this Dairy-free Mac and Cheese!
Hungry for More? Subscribe to get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Dairy-free Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main-dish, Side dish
- Cuisine: Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Dairy-free
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. coconut or avocado oil
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen
- 3 cups cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen
- 2 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for vegan)
- 1 ½ tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Scant ¾ tsp. dijon mustard
- 1 – 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 16 ounces gluten-free pasta of choice
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan with lid, melt oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften.
- Add garlic, stir and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add squash, cauliflower and broth and bring to a steady simmer.
- Once simmering, cover pan with lid and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15-18 minutes. You may need to lower the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and prevent it from boiling.
- When veggies are very tender, transfer to a blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before pouring our your favorite cooked pasta (or roasted vegetables).
Notes
All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
- Calories: 376
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 340mg
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 71g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 12g
What’s your favorite thing serve with Mac and Cheese? Are you a vegetable hider too? Share in the comments below.
Pin now, save later!
This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a percentage of the sale if you use the link to make your purchase. This does not change the price of the product. This income directly offsets the cost of web hosting and maintenance so we greatly appreciate your support.
Is nutritional yeast safe for those who have psoriasis? Thanks!
Yup, you will be fine with nutritional yeast.
Yum! any suggestions for Something to sub out nutritional yeast for those that cant have it? Thanks! 🙂
If you can tolerate cheese, you could add cheese (or dairy-free cheese) and if not, you could increase the dijon mustard and lemon juice to taste.
Isnt ghee dairy like butter? My son is allegic to dairy the milk proteins i want to make sure
Hi Ashley,
Yes, technically ghee is dairy since it’s made from butter. However, very high quality ghee is often 99.9-100% free of lactose, casein and whey making it suitable for SOME people with dairy allergy (depending on how sensitive they are).
If you have never challenged your son with ANY dairy then I could recommend replacing the ghee with coconut or avocado oil instead.
Do you just add the veggies to the blender or all of the contents of the pot (broth included)?
Yes, you add everything from the pot (veggies and broth) to the blender so it’s important to use just the amount of liquid called for in the recipe and not add any extra.
Thank you for your recipes! What are your families favorite gluten free pasta?
You’re welcome, Laura!
At my house we like Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Penne and spaghetti, Banza pasta (all the shapes), Annie Chun’s rice noodles and Lotus Foods Brown or Black Rice Ramen. We also like the gluten-free pastas from Jovial for manicotti and lasagna.
I’ve recently been put on a dairy and soy free diet for as long as I continue nursing my 2 month old. I’m missing comfort foods so much it’s painful. This sauce was so delicious I’ve already told friends about it. My husband is not very adventurous with food, especially when it includes vegetables or anything deemed healthier. I didn’t tell him there was actually no cheese in the dish until after he ate it and said how good it was! Ha!
Followed the recipe exactly. Turned out amazing. I plan on keeping this recipe on hand and definitely making it for my baby when he’s older. Thank you!
★★★★★
This is amazing! So great to hear you enjoyed this recipe and I love the bit about your husband not even realizing it was dairy free. I do that with my husband quite often. haha! And thanks for sharing with friends 🙂
Just like a previous commenter, I recently had to go dairy-free for my nursing baby. I also have a 2 year old, so mac n cheese is a staple in our house, and I’ve been jealous watching him eat it. I made this recipe tonight, and it’s totally delicious and satisfies the comfort food craving! As a bonus, my 2 year old also ate it and unknowingly probably got a week’s worth of veggies. 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Amanda,
This is so great! Glad you were able to satisfy that craving and boost your kiddo’s veggie intake at the same time.
Can you tell me if the “cheese” freezes well? I’d be looking to make the sauce in bulk, and freezing it for quicker use when kiddo wants mac n cheese.
Hi Christy,
Honestly, I can’t say if it freezes well since I haven’t tried it. My guess is that it would be fine but may need to be whisked a bit to bring it back together once it’s thawed. If you try it, we’d love to hear how it works for you.
Made it really had to correct the seasoning and add other spices and seasonings to it as the recipe is very bland.
Hi Adam,
I’m sorry to hear that yours turned out so bland – good call on adding spices to suit your individual taste.
Hi! I am allergic to yeast, is that a necessary ingredient?
★★★★★
Hi Ashley,
The yeast is not necessary as far as texture, etc. It just adds a nice savory (or ‘umami’) flavor that’s much like cheese. You could get the same result from adding a little dijon mustard and perhaps a tiny bit of tamari or something like Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.
My experience with DF mac n cheese it’s dry and stiff the next day instead of creamy like regular Mac n cheese. Also DF man cheese lack flavor .
Hi Daralynn,
I don’t think you’ll have that problem with this DF mac & cheese. Since the sauce is veggie-based, rather than made with highly-processed ‘cheez’ powders, it stays nice and creamy when reheated the next day.
Is Dijon mustard gluten free? I’m making this for my daughter whom has a gluten and dairy allergy.
Hi Daralynn,
Though most brands of Dijon mustard do not contain gluten-containing ingredients, per se, they MAY be produced with vinegar derived from wheat or could be subject to cross-contamination during processing resulting in > 20ppm of gluten.
Your best bet is to use a certified gluten-free brand such as Annie’s or Organicville which are widely available in larger grocery stores and on Amazon and Thrive Market.
I made this and it was delicious! I had quite a bit of extra sauce and wonder if you know if it freezes well?
★★★★
Great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, you should be able to freeze the extra sauce. What I would suggest is that when you’re ready to enjoy it again, to thaw it out, heat it up and then blend it up again to make it nice and smooth.
Wow! It did look tasty. I must try this recipe.
It’s so good! Let us know if you give it a try!
Thank you so much for this delicious and simple recipe! My little boy cannot have dairy or soya. He normally hates all sauces. He wolfed this all down without a word (as did my husband).
I added 1/2 tbsp more nutritional yeast, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a couple of twists of black pepper. I topped it with toasted gluten free breadcrumbs.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Sam. Thrilled to hear your little boy is a fan!
I’m anxious to try dairy free mac n cheese.
Hi Rod,
We hope you enjoy it!
Does it matter if the veggies are frozen vs.fresh?
Hi Donna,
You can use either fresh or frozen since you’ll be cooking them to make the sauce.