Vegan Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Looking for the perfect comfort food for chilly weeknights? I gotchu. This vegan sweet potato mac & cheese satisfied all my needs for something warm, cheesy, and comforting, and i’m so excited to share it with you!

It’s dairy-free, gluten-free with the use of brown rice pasta, and topped with a mixture of crushed grain-free crackers and crispy onions! Whether you’re vegan or not, this recipe is going to be a staple!

The sauce is made from a blend of roasted sweet potatoes, raw cashews, non-dairy milk and some spices. It’s truly packed with flavor, and is loaded with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Cashew cheese sauce has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. I love serving it on nachos, like in this vegan nacho platter, or on fries to make vegan cheese fries!

It’s a great base for just about any cheese sauce, and works so well in this vegan mac & cheese.

I love the sweetness that the sweet potatoes provide, and the cheesiness that you get from the nutritional yeast. The sauce pairs well with just about any pasta, so feel free to switch things up!

I topped my mac & cheese with a mixture of crushed up crackers and crispy onions, and it was the perfect savory topping to add.

Whether you have a dairy intolerance, or are just looking to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet, this sweet potato mac & cheese is a must try!

Since this recipe is loaded with fiber and even some protein, you can serve it as is for a simple dinner. You can also serve it with a side salad or roasted broccoli for some extra greens!

Either way, it definitely hits the spot for cheesy goodness. If you try it out, let me know in the comments below!

Other vegan recipes you may like:

Red Lentil Soup

Vegan Pesto Pasta

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Vegan Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

0 from 0 votes

Course: Main

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Total time

55

minutes

NOTES:
If you don’t have a strong blender, I suggest soaking your cashews in hot water for 20-30 minutes while your vegetables roast.

Ingredients

• 16 oz pasta of choice, I used brown rice

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 cup raw cashews

• 1 + 1/2 cup non-dairy milk

• 1/2 cup pasta water, plus more as needed

• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 1/2 – 3/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/8 tsp turmeric

• 1/8 tsp crushed black pepper

• TOP WITH

• whole wheat bread crumbs, crushed crispy onions, or your favorite crackers crushed into crumbs

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 425 F.
• Layer the cubed sweet potatoes, sliced onions and garlic on a sheet pan and drizzle with the 2 tbsp of olive oil.
• Roast for 30 minutes in the oven, flipping the potatoes halfway through and removing the garlic at the halfway point.
• While that roasts, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare your pasta as instructed on package. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, drain your pasta and place back into the pot.
• Once the vegetables are finished roasting, add them to a blender with the raw cashews, milk, pasta water, mustard, nutritional yeast and spices. Blend on high until smooth. Add more milk or pasta water as needed, to thin it out. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Over a low flame, mix in the vegan cheese sauce with the pasta for 2-3 minute until fully incorporated.
• Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top with breadcrumbs, or your favorite crackers crushed into crumbs!
• Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @somethingnutritious on Instagram- I’d love to see your creations!