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This ridiculously easy one pot butternut squash mac and cheese is just as rich and indulgent as classic, but with added roasted butternut squash and kale for a deeply flavorful and hearty fall meal! Just 5 simple dairy free ingredients, you can either bake the butternut squash Mac and cheese or simply serve as is for a delicious holiday side or comforting winter dinner the whole family loves!

plate of butternut squash Mac and cheese

Why you’ll love this roasted butternut squash mac and cheese:

If you’re looking for an indulgent yet plant-forward meal that the entire family will rave about, then it’s definitely this roasted butternut squash mac and cheese.

It’s like mac and cheese, but loaded with fresh kale and butternut squash to fully celebrate the fall produce, all while tasting like the most indulgent mac and cheese you’ve ever had. We’re only using 5 simple plant based ingredients too (yep, this entire dish is dairy free and vegan, but you’d never know thanks to my easy swaps!).

scooping out the butternut squash Mac and cheese

You also only need one pot. Once the butternut squash is blended with the cashew milk, you’ll pour that into the pot that cooked the pasta, along with the cheeses and done!

And you can absolutely skip the second bake and just serve from the stovetop. Or top with breadcrumbs and bake for an elevated holiday side dish (my family LOVES this on Thanksgiving!).

5 Simple Key Ingredients:

  • Butternut squash: We roast this with the skin on for less prep and because you can actually eat the skin of the butternut squash when washed well! No need to waste and so much quicker to chop up.
  • Dairy free milk: Because this is a vegan blog, we’re using cashew milk, but you can also use oat milk, soy milk, almond milk or your favorite milk of choice.
  • Vegan cheddar cheese: I love Miyoko’s cheddar cheese shreds, which are made with oat milk and cashews. However, you can also use vegan mozzarella, pepper Jack or your favorite shredded cheese.
  • Vegan cream cheese: I personally love a vegan cashew cream cheese here, but you can also use my homemade vegan cream cheese!
  • Pasta of choice: I went with casarecce for a more classic box mac and cheese feel, but you can use elbows, shells, rigatoni, or your favorite shape!
post of butternut squash Mac and cheese

Overview: Step by step how to make butternut squash mac and cheese:

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

roasted butternut squash
We’ll start by roasting the butternut squash until golden and crispy.
blended butternut squash
Blend with the dairy free milk and set aside.
cooked pasta
Then we’ll cook the pasta in the same pot with the kale, reserving 1 cup of pasta water once done.
butternut squash Mac and cheese in a pot
Add in the butternut squash puree, shredded cheese, and cream cheese, and stir to combine.
butternut squash Mac and cheese before baking
Pour into a casserole dish with additional cheese and bake.
butternut squash Mac and cheese after baking
Serve warm and enjoy!

Once baked, serve warm and with fresh herbs alongside some more roasted or steamed veggies! I really like my roasted Brussels sprouts or garlic bread or even my sweet potato Parker house rolls!

Other than that, of course you can use whole wheat pasta or any type really.

Pro tips for a seamless holiday side dish:

  • Cook the pasta al-dente: the pasta will continue to cook while baking, so you want to make sure that it doesn’t get too soggy before it’s baked.
  • Use whichever pasta you’d like: pastas that have crevices, like casarecce, elbow, shells, and fusilli tend to do best, as they can soak up more sauce.
  • Have leftovers? Store any leftover vegan mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe - Dairy Free pinterest pin
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plate of butternut squash Mac and cheese

Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This ridiculously easy one pot butternut squash mac and cheese is just as rich and indulgent as classic, but with added roasted butternut squash and kale for a deeply flavorful and hearty fall meal! Just 5 simple dairy free ingredients, you can either bake the butternut squash Mac and cheese or simply serve as is for a delicious holiday side or comforting winter dinner the whole family loves!

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Butternut Squash:

  • 1 large butternut squash, rinsed, de-seeded, and chopped (you can leave the peel on)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder 

Cheese Sauce:

  • 16 ounces pasta of choice
  • 5 cups water
  • 3 cups chopped kale, optional
  • 1 cup (240 mL) dairy free milk
  • 8 ounces vegan shredded cheese
  • 8 ounces vegan cream cheese

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Roast: Arrange the diced butternut squash onto the baking sheet, and toss with the olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt to evenly coat. Roast for 38-42 minutes, or until the edges of the butternut squash are golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool. Keep the oven on if you plan on baking the Mac and cheese.
  3. Cook the pasta: While the butternut squash is cooling, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add in your pasta of choice, and cook according to the packaging. Add in the chopped kale with 5 minutes left to cook your pasta. Drain the pasta except for 1 cup of the pasta water and keep the pasta, kale, and reserved pasta water in the pot.
  4. While the pasta is cooking: Blend the butternut squash with the dairy free milk in either a heat-safe blender or using an immersion blender. 
  5. Finish the sauce: Add in the roasted butternut squash puree, along with the shredded vegan cheese and cream cheese. Toss to evenly coat and melt the cheeses all together. Now you can either serve here or move onto the baking portion.
  6. Bake: Pour the Mac and cheese into a 10×13″ casserole dish and top with additional cheese or breadcrumbs if desired. Bake for 20 minutes. 
  7. Serve: Serve warm with your choice of sides (see blog post) and enjoy!
  8.  

Equipment

Notes

Gluten free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

Storage: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.