Vegan Mac and Cheese With Sunflower Seeds

creamy macaroni and cheese in a small pot sitting on a wood trivet

Vegan Mac and Cheese With Sunflower Seeds

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Soak time 30

Total Time 25

Servings:8 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This nut-free vegan mac and cheese is a total crowd-pleaser! The sunflower seed cheese sauce includes select whole-food ingredients that create an amazingly creamy and cheesy sauce. It's also oil-free (or you can add a pat of vegan butter for extra richness). Make it gluten-free with your choice of pasta.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

16 ounces dry macaroni or gluten-free pasta of choice
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
2½ cups water
3 tablespoons rolled oats - or sub 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 strip jarred roasted red pepper - start with a small piece and increase to taste
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1½ tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon mustard powder - or 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon onion powder
pinch of nutmeg
white pepper, optional, to taste

Option for richer mac and cheese:

2–3 tablespoons vegan butter, optional - Add directly to the pot in step 5.

Instructions

Place raw sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
Cook pasta according to package directions. While the water comes to a boil and the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce.
To make the sauce, in a blender combine sunflower seeds, 1 cup of water, oats, garlic, red pepper, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, both vinegars, salt, mustard powder, onion powder, and nutmeg. Gradually increase speed, and blend on high for about 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed. Blend again until the sauce is completely smooth. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups water, and blend to combine.
Taste the sauce, and adjust the flavor as desired, possibly adding another small piece of red pepper, more onion powder, nutritional yeast, salt, white pepper, etc. Blend again.
When the pasta is done, drain in a colander. Pour the cheese sauce into the empty pot, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. If opting for richer mac and cheese, add the vegan butter now. Add the pasta to the pot, and stir to coat. The sauce will thicken as it sits. Serve hot.

Notes

Tips

As the mac and cheese cools the sauce will thicken and the pasta may soak up quite a bit of the sauciness. Stir in a few splashes of water or non-dairy milk to make it extra creamy again.

I haven't tested this sauce using a standard blender, but achieving a smooth texture shouldn't be too difficult. If you're worried whether your blender is up to the task, feel free to soak the seeds a little bit longer. You can also pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to catch any unblended oat or seed bits.

Storage

Store leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave. Freezing not recommended.

*Nutrition estimates calculated without optional butter.

Nutrition