You can freeze in an airtight container for a month and defrost when ready for use. The sauce can also be prepped in advance or made in bulk. You can roast your squash ahead of time (1-2 days) in advance and store in the fridge after cooling to save time on making the sauce.Always ensure packaged breadcrumbs are egg or dairy free! For gluten free options, you can use crushed up corn tortilla chips, corn flakes, or your favorite gluten free crackers would work too! This recipe on its own is great as is, so you can also omit the breadcrumbs. Panko Breadcrumbs – Or Japanese bread crumbs as the crispy topping.I like to use Country Crock plant-based butter. Vegan Butter – Your favorite butter will do.While dried pastas are normally egg free, always double check the labels! You can also substitute for your favorite gluten free pasta. Here are the few other main ingredients that will be needed to make this mac and cheese: Spice/herb blends – such as garlic and onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning.Nutritional Yeast – for the added “cheesy” flavor and color.Almond and oat based milks are watery which would leave your sauce soupy. For this recipe, I highly recommend sticking with creamier milks such as soy or cashew. Unsweetened plain plant milk – ensure that it is unsweetened and unflavored so that you avoid unnecessary flavors.Quality Vegan Cheese – the choice of cheese matters! I love to use VioLife for my “cheesy” recipes.

Roasted Squash – preferably honey nut squash or butternut squash and bake/air fry to soften.Food processor / high speed blender – to ensure all ingredients are pureed and blended for a smooth consistency.The best part, there is no need to create an unnecessary roux with flour on the stove top. Let alone, squash will give the sauce a velvety texture. However, if you want to impress and popping it into the oven (or air fryer), and leaving it alone to roast for half an hour is totally worth the effort! This vegan cheese sauce will be creamy, rich, and adding the squash will give it a subtle hint of sweetness. Normally, I would have an “easy” alternative to this, like using a canned pumpkin puree. And you will get to feeling like you’ve leveled up your kitchen skills! Making the squash cheese sauce requires roasting an actual squash. While it may seem overwhelming looking at the amount of preparation to get to the finish product, they are very simple steps.

Easy dairy free mac and cheese