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Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake. Easy Creamy Pumpkin Sauce with pasta, topped with crisp sage and breadcrumbs. Use butternut or other squash puree for variation. Vegan Soyfree Recipe Nutfree option. Jump to Recipe
This Pumpkin Mac Bake is all things fall! Some sage is crisped with olive oil. The cheese sauce is pumpkin or butternut squash puree + sage + creamy and cheesy components all blended up. Cooked pasta is tossed with the luscious sauce then topped with breadcrumbs and more sage. Bake to golden and done!
This mac and cheese incorporates components from my popular Pumpkin Sage pasta. Its Easy, takes just 15 mins to put together and is flexible to your flavor and texture preference. Can be made without nuts. Adjust the sauce based on preference. Add more or less pumpkin, more non dairy milk and pumpkin for more sauce and so on. Lets make this gorgeous fall meal.
More Savory Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Sage Biscuits
- Pumpkin Sauce Chickpea Pizza
- Pumpkin Cornbread
- Pumpkin Sage pasta with Crisp Sage
Some Sweet
- Pumpkin Donuts – so Moist
- Pumpkin ginger Snaps super popular
- 1 Bowl Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
You can use any squash puree in this bake. If using dried sage, use a mix of rubbed and ground, about 2 tsp rubbed and 1/2 to 1 tsp ground. Dried ground sage is generally a strong flavor as it gets compacted.
If you make this recipe, do let me know in the comments below, rate it and tag me on Instagram #veganricha.
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake
Ingredients
- 7 oz cooked pasta
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion or shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup sage, julienned, divided
- red pepper flakes to taste
Sauce:
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, or use butternut puree for variation
- 1 3/4 cup non dairy milk, such as almond, soy or cashew milk for creamier sauce
- 1 tbsp starch, such as corn or arrowroot, or use flour
- 2 to 4 tbsp nutritional yeast, for cheesiness. ( Easily omitted, or use 1 tsp miso for similar flavor)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 to 2 tsp mustard, (natural stoneground), less or more to preference, if using ground, use 1/2 tsp and add 1 tsp lemon juice
- additional flavors, - dashes of cinnamon, smoked paprika, add tomato paste, some vegan cheddar
Topping:
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to instruction on package, rinse in cold water and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C).
- Add 2 tsp oil in a baking dish. Sprinkle the onion, garlic, a third of the sage and pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Bake for 6 to 8 mins.
- Meanwhile, blend the sauce ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
- Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish. Add the sauce and toss well. Add some sage and mix in.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining sage, salt and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Spread the breadcrumb topping on the pasta. Bake for 20 to 25 mins. Broil for a minute. Let it sit for a few mins before serving.
- To freeze: Bake the mac with half the breadcrumb topping for 20 mins, cool completely and freeze the container. Use foil to seal the top surface of the mac and cheese to avoid freezer burn, or transfer portions to containers whih fit the mac with the least air space on top.To reheat: Thaw overnight, add breadcrumb topping and bake for 15 mins or so until heated through and golden on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Glad to came across a recipe that would be both tasty and healthy. going to try and make with the help of my daughters. They have quite active in the kitchen lately. I just wish it tuns out as good as yours. wish me luck.
Good luck, you’ve got this!
Made it twice in 2 days. So satisfying. The crunchy topping is incredible.
What size casserole dish did you use?
1.5 qt, 9 by 7 inch
I made this last night with some leftover roasted butternut squash. I didn’t have the kind of pasta I would have preferred to use, but the dish was still excellent! I added some extra seasoning and hemp hearts to the breadcrumb topping and added some other ingredients with the sauce to get the flavor I wanted. I had to use ground sage, but the suggestion to start with 1/2 tsp worked very well. It was a surprisingly easy weeknight meal that felt fancy.
yay
So good! I tripled the recipe, used butternut squash, dried sage, and added a few sqeezes of Sriracha. We both had hefty seconds!
Thanks for another great recipe, Richa!
yay!!
Love this!! My 10 month old and 2 year old agree that this is delicious for all ages! Perfect for my baby and I who are dairy intolerant, it doesn’t seem to be lacking in creaminess or flavour! I’m hooked.
awesome! thanks!
I doubled the recipe and it turned out exquisitely! Cannot to make this several times more.
awesome!
How wonderful…. I’m sure my family and friends will love it. Thank you very much
Wow, this is really good. I used mashed roasted pumpkin, as we don’t have pumpkin puree in Australia, used ground sage instead of fresh and 1/2 tsp Masterfood English mustard (the spreadable sort). Used Bonsoy for the milk. Might double the cornflour next time so it’s thicker. Will make again! So delicious, thank you!
awesome! yes adjust away to preference! the consistency of milk and pumpkin varies, so adjust and note it for future 🙂
I love your blog, Richa, and thanks so much for this recipe. I tried this and substituted dairy milk for the vegan milk. I also reduced the amount of milk slightly, and substituted half a boullion cube for the salt and pepper. I also probably didn’t put in enough mustard. I didn’t like it at all. So either the substitutions ruined it, or I just don’t like cheeseless “mac and cheese”. I’ve never liked any other versions, either, so I probably should have known better. I will keep trying other recipes from this blog though!
oh no. I am guessing its the subs and you generally not liking non cheesy options. This one is more a fall sage pumpkin sauce which isnt too cheesy to begin with. You could fold in some non dairy cheese shreds and reheat.
You might like my mac and cheese powder. You can make a small amount of that and try that. https://fettabbau-trim.today/2018/12/vegan-mac-and-cheese-powder.html%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Or try non cheesy recipes fromthe blog:)