This vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese is a creamy, spicy, and cheesy dish that is perfect for a cozy dinner or a fun game day dish. Grab your favorite gluten-free pasta and your favorite vegan cheese and let's get to it!
This recipe combines two of my all time favorite recipes; vegan mac and cheese (no cashews or nutritional yeast) and easy baked buffalo cauliflower bites. The result is an extremely flavorful and cozy dish. It's bright, bold, cheesy, and such a staple of a vegan comfort meal. It also makes for a great Super Bowl party dish!
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Buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese ingredients
Buffalo cauliflower:
- Frozen organic cauliflower florets (or use fresh florets, buying the frozen is a time saver)
- Avocado oil
- Garlic granules
- Salt + pepper
- Vegan buffalo sauce (see the buffalo sauce section below for my recommendations)
Vegan mac and cheese (gluten-free, no cashews):
- Gluten-free pasta (I love Tolerant, Cybele's, Jovial, and Banza)
- Vegan cheese (I prefer Follow Your Heart parmesan, but feel free to substitute with your favorite vegan cheese)
- Vegan butter (Miyoko's is the best vegan butter)
Toppings:
- Hemp hearts
- Gluten-free vegan crackers (or substitute with gluten-free vegan bread crumbs of choice)
- Scallions, chives, and/or fresh (or dried) herbs of choice.
Is buffalo sauce vegan?
Buffalo sauce is most frequently made with butter or egg yolk, making it unsuitable for vegans. However, there are a few vegan store-bought options.
Primal Kitchen is the best vegan buffalo sauce I have come across. They offer two flavor variations:
- No-dairy buffalo sauce (medium-heat)
- Jalapeño buffalo sauce (hot, great for those who really love spice/heat)
The flavor is creamy yet tangy and exactly what you expect from a traditional buffalo sauce. I've made this vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese with both variations, so you can't go wrong! Choose whichever option best suits your preference of heat.
Additionally, there are a few other vegan buffalo brands such as Tessamae's and Noble Made.
How to make vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese
Here is a brief snapshot of how we are going to make this vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese recipe:
First, sear cauliflower in a skillet, then coat in buffalo sauce.
Then, cook pasta until al dente, drain and add ingredients for mac and cheese into pot over low heat.
Combine cauliflower & mac and cheese. Add to an oven-safe baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs (& other toppings of choice) and bake.
For full step-by-step directions, scroll to the recipe card below
Vegan gluten-free breadcrumb options
There are a few store-bought vegan gluten-free breadcrumbs available such as
- Cauli Crunch
- Paleo Powder breading
However, it's also easy to make a breadcrumb topping at home! All you need is your favorite crackers. I love using Simple Mills (available at most grocery stores, Target, Whole Foods, Thrive Market, and Amazon). My favorite flavors for this recipe are; Everything, Original, or Garlic & Herb.
To make homemade vegan gluten-free breadcrumbs: add a large handful (or 1 cup) of GF crackers to a food processor and pulse until a sandlike texture is achieved. 1 cup of crackers = ⅓ cup of breadcrumbs.
Substitutions
Frozen cauliflower florets: fresh cauliflower florets also work, just skip the steaming and get right to searing. Broccoli florets should also work in the recipe, however I haven't tried it this way yet so keep me posted if you give it a try!
Avocado oil: substitue with your favorite oil or vegan butter of choice.
Vegan parmesan cheese: use your favorite vegan cheese! Cheddar or a mixed cheese blend would also be delicious in this dish.
Vegan butter: substitue with avocado oil or oil of choice.
Cilantro: fresh chopped cilantro adds additional flavors and brightness to the buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese. However, parsley, rosemary, or even a bit of dill works too! Alternatively, use dried herbs of choice or omit.
Hemp hearts: optional, but a great easy way to get add more protein and omega-3 fatty acids to any meal!
Variations
Want more protein? Use a chickpea or lentil based pasta and/or add seared tofu after the mac and cheese has baked.
Extra heat: add nacho sliced jalapeños, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or additional buffalo sauce.
Extra cheesy vegan mac and cheese: use an additional ½ cup of cheese and/or use a combination of cheeses (like parmesan and cheddar). Feel free to mix in additional nutritional yeast, too!
Craving additional flavors?
- Sauté minced shallots and fresh garlic with the cauliflower.
- Top mac and cheese with fresh chopped cilantro, parsley or other fresh herbs.
- Add additional dried spices such as; onion powder, truffle salt, mustard seed or paprika.
For more vegetables: use Cybele's Superfood white shells and/or add chopped kale to the cauliflower when it is almost done sautéing and stir until the kale has slightly wilted.
Storing baked vegan buffalo mac and cheese
The mac and cheese tastes best fresh out of the oven. It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
To reheat on the stovetop: add a splash of oil to a skillet over medium heat and stir frequently. Optional: add a few extra pinches of cheese and cover on low to melt.
To reheat in the microwave: add desired amount to a bowl with a tiny splash of water and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Feel free to add additional cheese and/or spices as needed.
If you made this vegan buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese, leave a review below and let me know how it went!
📋 Recipe
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- large rimmed skillet
- sauce pan or small stock pot
- baking dish (glass or ceramic) 9x13 or 10.5x7.5
- food processor (optional)
Ingredients
Buffalo Cauliflower
- 16 oz / 1lb bag of organic frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon each of; garlic granules, salt, & pepper
- ⅓ cup vegan buffalo sauce (I used Primal Kitchen No Dairy)
Mac and Cheese
- 1 box / 8 oz gluten-free pasta of choice (see blog post for recommendations)
- ½ heaping cup vegan parmesan cheese (or swap for your favorite vegan cheese) (for extra cheesy mac and cheese, use up to 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (I used Miyoko's)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼-½ teaspoon garlic granules (use more if you love garlic)
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
Toppings
- ¼ cup crushed crackers (or sub with breadcrumbs)
- a few additional sprinkles of cheese
- additional buffalo sauce, scallions, chives, and/or fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Grease a baking dish (9x13 or 10.5x7.5) with just a tiny bit of avocado oil and set aside.
- Cook cauliflower: Warm a skillet (I used a rimmed cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Add a bag of frozen cauliflower and a splash of water (roughly 1 tablespoon). Cover and let steam for 5-7 minutes or until cauliflower is slightly tender. Remove cover and add oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Leave uncovered and stir occasionally, allowing the cauliflower to sear on all sides. Once seared (5-6 minutes), remove from heat and coat in buffalo sauce. Set aside.
- Cook pasta al dente: while the cauliflower is steaming, add water to a sauce pan & bring to a boil. Add pasta once boiling and cook for 5-6 minutes. Important: do not cook pasta fully, as it will continue to cook in the oven!
- Preheat oven & prepare toppings: preheat oven to 400° F after you add the pasta to the boiling water. While the pasta cooks, add crackers to a food processor (if making homemade breadcrumbs) and chop scallions and cilantro (optional).
- Make mac and cheese: drain and rinse pasta. Place back into the sauce pan and reduce heat to low. Add butter, cheese, pepper, garlic, and hemp seeds. Stir to combine, until cheese and butter have melted then remove from heat. If the cheese and butter aren't melting, cover for a minute or two (on low heat) and stir again.
- Combine & bake: add the buffalo cauliflower to the mac and cheese, then add to the greased baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and additional cheese. Additionally feel free to add fresh chopped herbs, an additional drizzle of buffalo sauce, or more hemp seeds. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are golden. Feel free to broil for 3-4 minutes with the oven door ajar for additional crispness!
Michael says
I’ve recently gone vegan within the last year, recipes like this are life savers for someone like me. I have eaten this three nights in a row and it tastes just as good on night 3 ! Thank you
Morgan says
This is so awesome to read! I'm filled with joy knowing you're loving the recipe so much. Thank you for your kind review!
Kristen says
I cannot wait to try this one!!