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This Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is loaded with buffalo spiced roasted cauliflower, gluten-free macaroni noodles and gets
Confession: I don’t watch the Super Bowl.
Other confession: I DO love eating all the Super bowl inspired foods.
So in the spirit of tasty game night foods, I bring you this vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese. Which I’m going to enjoy eating on Super Bowl Sunday curled up on the couch probably watching the latest comedy special on Netflix (or anything else that is not the Super Bowl…)
Either way, this recipe is great for any occasion. Game night, Weeknight dinner, Weekend cozy lunch…whatever! You do you friends!
I’m so excited to share this recipe today because this is like mac and cheese gone wild. We’re taking vegan mac and cheese, and giving it a big punch of flavour with some hot sauce, and layering it with roasted bits of buffalo cauliflower, then baking it off with a breadcrumb topping. #YAS.
How to make buffalo cauliflower:
Buffalo cauliflower has become so popular and there are a few different ways to make it depending on your preferences. For one, you can batter it up (like I do in this bang bang cauliflower recipe) and then bake it up so each piece of cauliflower has a nice battered crispy coating. You can also batter up the cauliflower and fry the florets in a pan with oil so they get super crispy. (Though a bit less healthy)
But for today’s recipe, we’re going with just simple roasted buffalo cauliflower. Why? Because we’re going for simple and healthy here. (But if you prefer to do one of the above options, more power to you!)
To make the buffalo cauliflower, simply roast the cauliflower florets and then toss them in some Frank’s red hot sauce. Then they go back in the oven for additional 10 minutes and we’re done! The roasted buffalo cauliflower is delicious on it’s own, so you can definitely make some extra to serve on the side.
A few notes on the recipe:
This vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese is really simple to make, which is why I love it so much!
Once the buffalo cauliflower is prepared, all you have to do is layer it up in a baking dish with your cooked macaroni, tossed in the creamy vegan “cheese” sauce. The sauce is made with a base of raw cashews (make sure to use raw unsalted cashews!) and nutritional yeast to give it that umami flavour.
If you’d like to get a little more fancy you can add some shredded cheese (vegan or non-vegan, whatever works for you) to the cheese sauce too for a little extra pop of flavour!
I use whole-grain gluten-free macaroni for this recipe, but you can use any type of pasta/shape of pasta you like! Shells, fusilli, and penne also work great for a mac and cheese!
I use Frank red hot sauce in this recipe, which isn’t particularly spicy, but if you’re not a fan of spice and still want to make this mac and cheese, just leave out the hot sauce from the cauliflower and the sauce and you can make this into a vegan roasted cauliflower mac and cheese instead!
More mac and cheese recipes to try
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan mac and cheese is loaded with buffalo cauliflower for a mac and cheese that packs a punch!
Ingredients
Buffalo cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
Cheese sauce
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1-4 hours (or overnight)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp Frank’s red hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
Other ingredients
- 250 grams macaroni, cooked according to package directions (or pasta of choice)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- breadcrumbs to top (optional)
Instructions
- Make the buffalo cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Toss the cauliflower in olive oil, salt and paprika and scatter on the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the hot sauce, then place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
- Make the cheese sauce: Drain the cashews and add to a high-speed blender with the water, nutritional yeast, hot sauce and salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Putting it all together: Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cheese sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes while mixing. Add the macaroni and mix together until combined, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed then layer the macaroni and buffalo cauliflower in a baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and place in the oven on broil for 1 minute.
Notes
Top off this mac and cheese with some fresh cilantro!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 1g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 13g
If you tried this Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
want can I use for a substitute for the nutritional yeast?
Hi Ashley, you can leave it out of the recipe, though the nutritional yeast is what gives it that “Cheesy” flavour. You could also add 1 tsp miso paste which will give it a similar savoury taste!
Thank you for such a quick, timely response! Will do!
So good!!! We recently cut out meat and dairy and it’s recipes like this that make us not miss it at all. My husband actually thought this was real dairy cheese. Excited to check out your other recipes!!
Thank you for the review Amy! So happy you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Hi Jess! How long would you say this keeps in the fridge?
Hi Tylar, I’d say it would be best to enjoy it within a couple days. Tastes best fresh though 🙂
This is SO delicious!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Liza!
I tried making this but the cashew sauce was so watery. 1.5 cups water and 0.5 cups cashews doesn’t seem like it will make a creamy sauce. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Kathy, the mixture will be quite liquidy when you blend it up, but the sauce cooks down in the pan and thickens up quite a bit
I didn’t plan on putting it in the oven so I added a bit more cashews to the sauce. I used gnocchi instead of regular pasta and it all turned out great. Thanks!
Jess,
I’ve made this before and it is awesome. I want to bring it to a BBQ but there is a cashew recipe. Is there something you suggest as a replacement that would work well?
Thanks!
Hi Amber, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! you could use coconut milk (full-fat from a can) instead of cashews. If it doesn’t need to be vegan, you can also use cooking cream!
This was so YUMMY! I added some left over broccoli and red pepper strips cut up I had in fridge. I divided between two baking dishes to share as a surprise with my daughter. She and her hubby are on their way home from vacation. ❤️
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
OMG! This recipe looks so freaking delicious! The problem with pasta and I is my massive appetite after I workout, so if I encounter this recipe after I return to the gym, you best believe that I will consume at least three-quarters of this bad boy. No shame, at least if I use a bean-based pasta, LOL!
Thanks so much Cassie! I would do the same 🙂
Made this for dinner last night and it was INCREDIBLE! We used Banza pasta and sprinkled panko over the top mixed with extra garlic powder and smoked paprika and it was amazing! It’s definitely getting added to our favorite meal rotation, thanks for sharing!
Hi Meg, thank you for the review and I’m SO happy you enjoyed the recipe! I love Banza chickpea pasta so I’m sure it was amazing with that to!
I would’ve never thought of using cauliflower in a mac n cheese recipe! It looks really good though, great recipe!
Thanks Bryan! Enjoy!
This buffalo Mac and Cheese looks so delicious Jess! Perfect comfort dish. 🙂
Thanks so much Ela!