An ultra creamy, cheesy, and secretly healthy cauliflower mac and cheese recipe, perfect for feeding a crowd!
Easy Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
This super healthy baked cauliflower mac & cheese is the ultimate lightened-up comfort food – with just 7 ingredients!
Even people who normally go for regular mac and cheese and have no interest in healthy eating whatsoever give it their passionate stamp of approval.
The recipe is a huge crowd pleaser!
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Above – watch the video of how to make cauliflower mac and cheese
Healthy Cauliflower Macaroni Casserole
The idea for this homemade cauliflower mac and cheese came from a party I attended about a year ago.
One of the guests had brought a traditional macaroni and cheese casserole dish made with cauliflower, and people at the party could not stop raving about it or asking for the recipe.
So I asked for the recipe too, with the hope of recreating my own vegan and healthy version.
It took a few tries, and when I finally got it right, it was time to put the recipe to the ultimate test: serving the cauliflower mac & cheese to others, without mentioning that it was low fat and healthier… and watching to see the reception.
I did what I often do with recipes, which is to make it for a large gathering of people and quietly set the dish down, not telling anyone it was mine, to ensure their unbiased reactions.
I was so excited when—just like they had with my friend’s traditional mac & cheese—people went completely crazy for the lower-calorie cauliflower version!
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I haven’t tried it, but for a keto and low carb cauliflower mac and cheese with no pasta you might try simply replacing the macaroni noodles with additional cauliflower and using almond meal instead of the flour. Be sure to report back if you try it that way!
Use your favorite vegan cheese for a totally vegan cauliflower mac and cheese, and the recipe can also be gluten free if you use gf pasta and flour.
The casserole is Weight Watchers friendly and makes about six servings as written. Or it can easily be doubled to fit a 9×13 pan and feed a larger crowd.
The concept of cauliflower macaroni and cheese actually dates back to at least 2011, when Kraft debuted their box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Cauliflower.
I’ve never tried the Kraft version, but homemade is always better anyway, not to mention healthier! If you try this recipe, be sure to rate it or leave a comment below.
Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, chopped small
- 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 3 tbsp spelt, white, or sorghum flour
- optional 2 tbsp buttery spread
- 1/2 tsp salt, and dash pepper if desired
- 2 cups Cheddar shreds (such as fyh vegan)
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs, gf if desired
- 2 tsp oil, butter, or oil spray
- optional nutritional yeast as desired
Instructions
- Boil the water in a large pot. Add cauliflower and macaroni; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Drain; return to saucepan, and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 pan. In a medium pot, stir milk, flour, optional butter spread, and salt with a whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Combine sauce and pasta mixture, stirring and breaking up any large cauliflower pieces. Taste, and season as desired. I like to add a little extra salt and a pinch of nutmeg, but it’s optional. Smooth into the 8×8 pan. Toss breadcrumbs with the 2 tsp buttery spread or spray with oil. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the pan. Bake on the center rack for 30-40 minutes or until edges are bubbly and breadcrumbs are golden.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
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Great recipe. This was delicious and easy to make. Will definitely be in rotation going forward.
That was a solid recipe. My 13 year old enjoyed cauliflower tonight. I used some different cheese because that’s what I had. Everything else was spot on with your recipe. Thanks
Hi, i was wondering, i made your vegan cheese which was amazing! Did you ever think of putting that over the mac??
I usually avoid using vegan cheeses because they have so many additives. Any suggestions for if i wanted to make it without those?
i was hesitant to try this as it seemed almost too easy (and as if it didn’t have enough ingredients), but boy was i wrong! this is so delicious that it is now a weekly dinner in my house. everyone LOVES it, and even my niece was mad and asked for more when her bowl was empty! i love to use a really sharp cheddar (i prefer the kerrygold irish shredded sharp cheddar) and add in bacon for some protein + a crisp bite. i also love how quickly it comes together (about 30 minutes for me) 🙂 you will not regret trying this recipe! thank you, katie 🙂
Could I make this recipe without using the noodles? Just the Cauliflower?
We haven’t tried, but if you experiment, be sure to report back!
Hi Katie,
This recipe is too good! We included it on our “Best Vegan Pasta” list with a little review: https://theplantbasedschool.com/best-vegan-pasta-recipes/
Thank you for your beautiful recipes, your blog is just amazing!
Warm regards,
Louise
Love this recipe! It’s so delicious and easy to make.
Hi, hoping to get an answer …. I want to double the recipe and freeze one before last step, which is cooking in the oven. I’m wondering if it will make too much water when defrosting.
Delicious! Can’t tell it’s low fat and healthy. Definately will make this again.