The Best Vegan Macaroni & Cheese Your Favorite Holiday Side Dish

At our recent Human Design Workshop, this recipe was the unexpected star of the table — creamy, nostalgic, and shockingly good for you. Guests couldn’t believe that the sauce, velvety and rich like classic Kraft mac and cheese, was made entirely from vegetables, including a butternut squash from my garden.

You’ll love this recipe because it delivers all the cozy nostalgia of classic mac and cheese with none of the dairy. The blend of potatoes, carrots, and garden butternut squash creates that irresistibly creamy, “cheesy” texture we all grew up with—only this time it’s made from real, nourishing ingredients. It’s rich in beta-carotene, potassium, and antioxidants, with quinoa pasta adding a gentle boost of fiber for happy digestion and steady energy. And with clean fats like ghee or vegan butter, it supports hormone health and keeps inflammation low, proving that comfort food can be both soulful and supportive.

Perfect for holiday gatherings, potlucks, or any cozy night in, this dish is proof that comfort food can be clean, wholesome, and nourishing.

An Instant Holiday Favorite Side Dish

Creamy vegan macaroni and cheese made from butternut squash, carrots, and potatoes — a dairy-free holiday side dish that tastes just like Kraft but nourishes your body with real, whole-food ingredients.

The Recipe

Serves 6

What You Need

• 4 quarts water

• 1 tablespoon Colima sea salt

• 8 ounces quinoa elbow noodles

• 1/3 cup ghee or vegan butter

• 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped

• 1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped

• 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup raw cashews

• 2 teaspoons sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

What You Do

1. In a saucepan, combine shallots, potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, onion, and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (about 7-10 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

3. In a blender, combine cashews, salt, garlic, ghee (or vegan butter), mustard, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, black pepper, and cayenne. Add the cooked vegetables and cooking water; blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Toss pasta with the sauce until evenly coated.

Make This Vegan Mac & Cheese for the Holidays

This vegan mac and cheese fits beautifully on any holiday table — creamy enough for traditionalists, nourishing enough for wellness lovers, and comforting enough for everyone. It’s proof that healthy can taste like home.

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Holiday Upgrade (Optional but Highly Recommended)

Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish, top with gluten-free panko breadcrumbs mixed with melted ghee or vegan butter, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. It takes this from delicious to “wow—who made this?” Be sure to cook the pasta until al dente, and add extra sauce when baking as the pasta absorbs some moisture from the sauce.

Bonus: Turn It Into Vegan Queso

Use the same recipe as a base — just reduce the water and increase the salt and nutritional yeast for a thicker, richer dip.

It’s perfect for nachos during football season and freezes beautifully in mason jars so you can reheat it all fall and winter long.