This green mac and cheese is a creamy cheesy dairy free version of the traditional but packed with greens! A delicious way to get veggies in.
This is loaded with hidden veggies. It's so creamy and flavorful you won't believe it's dairy free! Serve this recipe for St. Patrick's Day or anytime you want to mix up your mac and cheese game!
This recipe was originally published on 3/13/17
I start St. Patrick's Day with my healthy shamrock shake and end it with this green mac and cheese. Both are packed with hidden veggies but you'd never know!
Ingredients
The special base of this green mac and cheese with veggies is so incredibly creamy you'd have no idea it's plant based!
Here is what you need to make the dairy free mac and cheese recipe:
- Cauliflower - this magical hidden veggie sweetens once it is roasted and blends into the other flavors of the sauce wonderfully while adding extra nutrients.
- Potato - most mac and cheese recipes use a roux made with butter and all purpose flour in order to thicken the cheese and milk mixture; this vegan version skips all of that. Believe it or not, when cooked potato is blended it creates a thick and gooey consistency just like a cheese sauce! Russets, red, or yukon gold potatoes are best for this.
- Onion - this adds to the overall flavor of the sauce.
- Spinach - not only does this create the green color without food coloring, it offers plenty of nutrition.
- Garlic - fresh garlic cloves will give you the best flavor. In a pinch feel free to use jarred minced garlic instead.
- Cashews - in addition to the potatoes, these give the sauce a thick and creamy texture as well as a rich flavor. Make sure to use raw cashews.
- Dairy free milk - the creamier the milk the creamier the sauce! Cashew milk and oat milk are great options, but feel free to use your favorite. If you do not need to avoid dairy you can make it with dairy milk as well.
- Apple cider vinegar - a little tang goes a long way. You could substitute it for white wine vinegar, but the taste will be slightly different.
- Lemon juice - for the best results make sure to freshly squeeze your own.
- Seasonings - mustard powder and salt keep it simple yet delicious!
- Pasta of choice - macaroni noodles are the go-to choice for mac and cheese, but any shape will work. Use gluten free pasta if needed.
How to Make Green Mac and Cheese
The steps are similar to my other dairy free mac and cheese recipes, just more green from the hidden veggies! Lucky for us it's super simple. Don't you love it when healthy food isn't a complicated process?
- Put the cooked veggies in a blender with all of the sauce ingredients.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add the mixture to your favorite cooked pasta and stir to coat.
- Serve!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Variations
Customize your macaroni and cheese with any of the following options:
- Add extra green veggies - think broccoli florets, peas, zucchini, even chopped up green beans!
- Flavor the sauce even more - keep it simple with black pepper, add spice with cayenne, blend in dried or fresh herbs, get creative! Start small and add more to taste.
- Make it baked and extra cheesy - mix in a little extra shredded cheese to the sauce and pasta mixture, and once you pour the mac and cheese into the baking dish sprinkle more on top. Bake covered at 375°F for 15 minutes, uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, or until it's bubbling and the cheese is melted.
- Try cheddar cheese (white cheddar cheese to keep the green color), mozzarella, jack cheese, or gouda.
- Keep the mac and cheese vegan by using dairy free cheese.
What to Serve With Green Mac and Cheese
Make an entirely green meal by pairing this green macaroni and cheese with any of the following:
How to Prep Ahead and Storage Tips
Want to have this green mac and cheese ready to go when you are? You can either prep a lot or a little:
- Cook the cauliflower, potato, onion and cashews in advance.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to blend.
- Boil the noodles ahead of time in salted water, strain, and store in the fridge until you're ready to use.
- You can reheat them in a large pot of simmering water, or quickly in the microwave.
- Completely make the sauce and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- Freeze the dairy free cheese sauce for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Defrost in the refrigerator the night before, or quickly in the microwave.
- Reheat the prepared sauce in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave.
- The consistency may change a little, simply give a good stir or re-blend.
- If you need to thin it out you can stir in some dairy free milk until you reach your desired consistency.
What is vegan mac and cheese made of?
I usually make my vegan mac and cheese with veggie based cheesy sauces like classic vegan cheese sauce or vegan sharp white cheese sauce. But for this dairy free mac and cheese recipe I upped my game and made a fun colorful version.
I love using whole foods to mimic all things creamy and cheesy. And don't think this is a sham, because my vegan creamy sauce game is legit!
My base in this green mac and cheese is loads of veggies: cauliflower, potato and even spinach for that signature green look.
The timing is perfect for St. Patrick's day, but let's be clear, you should eat this ANY DAY. So many reasons why:
- Hidden cauliflower
- Packed with spinach but undetectable in taste
- Fun and colorful
- Easy to make with a quick zip in the trusty high speed blender (or regular blender when you grind the cashews or soak them well)
- Perfectly festive for St. Patrick's day, Easter or even Christmas
How do I get my toddler to eat vegetables?
Let me start with saying, I think it's very important to present your kids with veggies constantly. It takes over 25 times for a child to be exposed to something before they can decide if they like it or not. So keep sharing new veggies and fruit and don't despair!
One great way to to serve mac and cheese with veggies, but here are a few tips I like to live by:
- Always present a new veggie with another you know they like.
- Allow them to come shopping and pick out their own new veggie they'd like to try.
- Get your kids involved with cooking and meal prep so they feel in control
- Present the veggies in many ways, different shapes, placed different containers, and cooked with different techniques
- Use holidays to present themed food, name the meals too, this was a great fun dinner for St. Patrick's Day! I told my kids that this was Leprechaun Mac and Cheese. The only snafu was when they looked wide eyed at me and asked if I made it with actual leprechauns, so I had to think fast and assure them it was purely four leaf clovers. Phew. Crisis averted.
- Have wine stocked near by, it's always a good back up for you
Because the reality is that most of us will constantly be enduring veggie meltdowns, I also advocate to sneak in veggies everywhere you can. Which is why I created this hidden veggie green dairy free mac and cheese recipe!
It's packed full of healthy ingredients, so when the meltdowns happen, I can walk away without a full hostage negotiation.
More Dairy Free Mac and Cheese Recipes
Love the comforting taste and feel of good 'ole macaroni and cheese? Enjoy it any time without the dairy with any of these plant based recipes:
Dairy Free Green Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cauliflower , chopped (about ¼ of a head)
- 1 cup cooked potato , about 1 medium potato
- ¼ of a medium onion
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 clove garlic , medium size
- ¾ cup raw cashews (see note)
- ½ cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk , I use Silk brand
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seed powder
Serve with:
- 16 ounces your favorite pasta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F/ 230 C
- Chop cauliflower and sprinkle with a bit of broth or oil. Spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until slightly crisp.
- Meanwhile, cook potato and onion by boiling until soft.
- Once cauliflower, potato and onion are done, put them in a high speed blender with all other ingredients, except pasta, and blend until smooth.
- Cook your favorite pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse, then return to pot.
- Pour sauce over pasta and mix over low heat until thick and gooey.
- Serve!
Notes
- Sauce makes about 3 cups.
- The best method to cook the potato is by boiling it with the onion. See instructions.
- If you are not using a high speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight, boil them with the potato and onion or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
- Cook cauliflower, potato, onion and cashews.
- Best kid food ever. Overcook pasta for young baby and mash well.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Ashitha Thomas
Just made this yesterday and all of us enjoyed it including my 3.5 year old and 9 month old ! Great way to sneak veggies in. 🤤
Sophia DeSantis
I am so happy you all liked it!! Thanks for letting me know!
CR
I can't eat cauliflower/cruciferous veggies. Any other ideas or combos you've tried?
Looks and sounds yummy!
veggiesdontbite
Hi CR! I'd try this alfredo recipe of mine, then add the greens to that! https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/vegan-alfredo-sauce-recipe/
Mindy Spitz
Oh my god! I just made this on St Patrick’s Day as I’m hunkering down at home. It is such delicious goodness.
veggiesdontbite
I am SO happy you liked it Mindy!!! Any time I can bring comfort in the form of food, I am happy!
Kelly
Do you know if I can use sunflower seeds (or something else) instead of cashews?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Kelly! So sunflower seeds will have a sunflower seed flavor. You can try it but it isn't my favorite. Can you do any nuts? If not, you won't get as creamy result but you can try upping the cauliflower and potato a bit and then add some white beans too. Just use a combo to equal the same amount of cashews!