Easy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake (No Cashews)

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake. Introducing your new favorite pasta for pumpkin season. This vegan pumpkin pasta bake is bathed in a rich, creamy pumpkin sauce with a cheesy flavor that tastes just like actual cheese. Topped with herby, crusty bread crumbs and fried fresh sage, then baked to perfection making it perfect as a cozy fall dinner or one of your new favorite, fall-flavored sides. 

Once you go creamy vegan pumpkin mac, you'll never go back - to regular mac and cheese that is! All things pumpkin start here and this healthy pumpkin mac is one of those savory dishes you'll make again and again. Loaded with fresh sage, oodles of seasonal spices, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast and canned pumpkin puree, this creamy sauce contains no cashews or coconut milk and tastes even better the next day. It will soon become one of your favorite savory pumpkin recipes of the season. Also try my latest pumpkin recipe Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto if you like this one.

🧀 Ingredients (With Substitutions)

• Pasta - Choose your favorite pasta, such as vegan elbow macaroni or vegan penne, and cook it according to the package instructions until it's al dente. Be sure to salt the pasta water for flavor. If gluten intolerant, use your favorite gluten-free pasta. 
• Pumpkin Purée - Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree as the base of your sauce. Pumpkin adds a creamy texture and a lovely autumn flavor. For best results, don't use pumpkin pie filling.
• Vegan Butter: Opt for high-quality vegan butter, like Earth Balance or Miyoko's. You can substitute with equal amounts of olive oil or another neutral oil of your choosing.
• Nutritional Yeast - Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, umami flavor to your sauce. It's a common ingredient in vegan mac and cheese recipes.
• Plant Milk - Use unsweetened and unflavored plant milk, such as almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk, to thin out the sauce and make it creamy.
• Spices and Seasonings - For the sauce, I chose to season with pumpkin pie spice, smoked paprika, cumin and red pepper flakes. Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard gives the recipe a zippy tang and lemon juice adds the right amount of tart. Don't forget some minced garlic or garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper and to adjust all seasonings to taste.
• Toppings - I topped this masterpiece with homemade sourdough breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping and crispy fried sage. You can substitute homemade breadcrumbs with store-bought, like Panko and add other fresh or dried herbs, like rosemary, thyme or basil.

📋 How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Before you begin, preheat oven to 375F/191C. Cook macaroni per package instructions in a large pot. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Drain again. Set aside.

Melt vegan butter. Add garlic, onions and fresh sage and stir well. Sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent (about 3 minutes). 

Add nutritional yeast, cumin, red pepper flakes, pumpkin pie spice, smoked paprika and lemon juice to the skillet. 

Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Add plant milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously until vegan cheese sauce has a smooth, creamy texture.  

Toss in pumpkin purée. Stir until well-incorporated.

Simmer sauce over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in corn starch a little at a time while continuing to stir until dissolved. Bring to gentle boil for one minute (keep stirring). Remove from heat. Season creamy pumpkin sauce with sea salt and black pepper to taste. 

Add cooked pasta to baking dish. Pour in pumpkin cheese sauce. Stir well. 

Top with bread crumbs and crisp sage fried in a bit of olive oil. If you desire, sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, as well. Grab your pasta dish and place in a preheated oven. Bake at 375F/191C for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with a side salad and some crusty bread.  

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

🍅 Variations

• Switch out your herbs - if you're not into sage, try substituting with fresh rosemary, thyme or basil. blah
• Use fresh pumpkin - instead of using canned pumpkin puree, roast pumpkin cubes in the oven until tender. Then puree with an immersion blender or food processor for the sauce.
• Go nuts - instead of topping with breadcrumbs, crush up your favorite toasted nuts, like cashews or pecans.
• Diced tomatoes - Add a burst of freshness and acidity by mixing in diced tomatoes. The contrast can be delicious against the creamy pumpkin sauce.

💭 Frequently Asked Questions

🍞 Serving Suggestions

• Serve as a holiday side along with my Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Cranberry Sauce, Vegan Croissant Stuffing, and Sweet Potato Casserole.
• Serve with this massaged kale salad and a side of vegan garlic bread or vegan focaccia.
• Healthy vegetables make for a nutritious side dish. Think crispy air fryer Brussel sprouts or grilled asparagus with vegan Hollandaise.
• A warm soup, such as a tomato basil soup or this Instant Pot butternut squash soup, can be a comforting addition to your meal. It can provide a nice contrast in terms of temperature and flavor.
• For an extra protein boost, consider serving some grilled or marinated tofu or tempeh alongside this pumpkin pasta bake. It adds texture and protein to the meal.

🌡️ Storage, Freezing, Reheating

🥞 More Pumpkin Recipes

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📖 Recipe

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake Recipe

Introducing your new favorite pasta for pumpkin season. This vegan pumpkin pasta bake is bathed in a rich, creamy pumpkin sauce with a cheesy flavor that tastes just like actual cheese.

5 from 85 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish, Vegan Dinner Recipes, vegan holiday dinner

Cuisine: All

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 362kcal

Author: Deborah

Ingredients

• ▢ 16 oz pasta cooked al dente
• ▢ 1 cup breadcrumbs
• ▢ 15 oz pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• ▢ 1 cup onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 ¾ cup plant milk add more if sauce too thick
• ▢ 4 tablespoon nutritional yeast more or less per your taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoon vegan butter
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon corn starch if too thin add 1 more tbsp
• ▢ 1 tablespoon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ½ cup fresh sage
• ▢ sea salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Before you begin, preheat oven to 375F/191C. Cook macaroni per package instructions in a large pot. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Drain again. Set aside.
• Melt vegan butter. Add garlic, onions and fresh sage and stir well. Sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent (about 3 minutes). 
• Add nutritional yeast, cumin, red pepper flakes, pumpkin pie spice, smoked paprika and lemon juice to the skillet. 
• Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add plant milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously until vegan cheese sauce has a smooth, creamy texture.  
• Toss in pumpkin purée. Stir until well-incorporated.
• Simmer sauce over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in corn starch a little at a time while continuing to stir until dissolved. Bring to gentle boil for one minute (keep stirring). Remove from heat. Season creamy pumpkin sauce with sea salt and black pepper to taste. 
• Add cooked pasta to baking dish. Pour in pumpkin cheese sauce. Stir well. 
• Top with bread crumbs and crisp sage fried in a bit of olive oil. If you desire, sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, as well. Grab your pasta dish and place in a preheated oven. Bake at 375F/blahC for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 5 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Notes

• Choose the Right Pasta - Opt for elbow macaroni, cavatappi, or any small pasta shape with nooks and crannies to hold the creamy sauce.
• Roast Fresh Pumpkin (Optional) - If you have the time and prefer fresh pumpkin flavor, roast pumpkin cubes in the oven until they're tender. You can use this instead of canned pumpkin puree for a more homemade touch.
• Adjust Consistency - If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit more plant milk until you achieve your desired consistency.
• Don't Overcook - Be careful not to overcook the pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Cook pasta al dente (firm to the bite) so it doesn't become mushy when baked.
• Let It Rest - Allow the mac and cheese to rest for a few minutes after baking. This helps the sauce set and makes it easier to serve.
• Nutritional information is only an estimate based on the ingredients I used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 8717IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 3mg

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