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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Published: Oct 11, 2021 by Lexi

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This baked vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese has an easy, cheesy cashew-free sauce, steamed broccoli and chickpeas and a crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping. It's a delicious, easy, kid-friendly weeknight dinner (and a great way to get in an extra serving of veggies!).

This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are our own.

overhead view of vegan broccoli mac and cheese with crispy breadcrumb topping in large skillet.
Jump to:
  • 🥦 Why We Love This Recipe
  • 🧀 Ingredients
  • 📖 Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
  • 🍽  Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

🥦 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Kid and adult approved: This vegan broccoli mac and cheese is a dinner recipe that the whole family can enjoy. Enough cheesy deliciousness that your kids will go back for seconds, and enough vegetables and fiber to keep parents happy! You can also pack leftovers for work or school lunch.
  • Easy weeknight dinner: to make this broccoli mac and cheese even faster, skip the breadcrumb topping and baking. It's just as delicious, and it can be ready in about 20 minutes!
  • Mac and cheese, with a healthier twist: who doesn't love mac and cheese? Broccoli is the perfect vegetable to toss in for a nutritional boost without changing the flavor. We also toss in chickpeas for extra plant-based protein and fiber, making this a full meal.
  • Allergy friendly: many vegan cheese sauces contain cashews, but ours is nut free, so it's great for those with allergies. This broccoli mac and cheese is also fully vegan and easy to make gluten free by swapping in your favorite GF pasta.

🧀 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need for this vegan broccoli mac and cheese:

overhead view of ingredients for vegan broccoli mac and cheese on wood table.

📖 Ingredient Notes

  • Onion: feel free to use yellow onion or shallot in this recipe. We often use shallots since you only need a small quantity (shallots are smaller, so you don't have to waste and un-used onion!). If you're sensitive to alliums, feel free to leave out the onion.
  • Broccoli: for best results, make sure to chop your broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. If the pieces are too big, they won't cook evenly. You can also use broccolini.
  • Chickpeas: these are an optional addition – we like to add them to give this dish a bit more heft. You can sub with white beans if preferred, or leave them out altogether.
  • Pasta: to keep this vegan broccoli mac and cheese a bit more traditional, you can use elbow (macaroni) pasta or shells. Really any variety will do in this recipe! Feel free to use gluten free if needed. (Same goes for the breadcrumbs and flour.)
  • Seasonings: you can keep it simple with just salt and pepper, but we find that garlic powder, paprika and chili powder add a nice extra kick of flavor.
  • Mustard: it may seem like a strange ingredient, but we find that a small amount adds a nice flavor boost to the vegan cheese sauce.
  • Nondairy milk: full fat oat milk is my favorite choice for savory vegan recipes. It's thick and creamy and has a neutral flavor.
  • Nutritional yeast: nutritional yeast (aka "nooch") is an inactive form of yeast that has a buttery, cheesy flavor and is an excellent source of B vitamins. It's often used in vegan and vegetarian recipes to add a cheesy, rich flavor to mimic dairy ingredients. We use Bob's Red Mill Nutritional yeast in all sorts of recipes, but it's especially delicious in this broccoli mac and cheese for that savory, cheesy flavor.
    • You can find Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast in thousands of grocery stores across the country or online. We love and highly recommend all of their products. We use their Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour in just about all of our baking recipes!
overhead view of vegan broccoli mac and cheese with crispy breadcrumb topping in large skillet.

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

(1) In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoon of vegan butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to soften. Stir in broccoli and continue cooking until broccoli is softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and remove from heat. 

sautéed broccoli, onion and chickpea in a large skillet.

(2) In a saucepan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Let the flour cook for a minute or two, stirring often so it doesn't burn.

(3) Slowly pour in milk, whisking well, until smooth. Let the mixture thicken (stirring often), then add in nutritional yeast, mustard, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. Whisk until smooth. 

before and after adding milk and nutritional yeast to vegan cheese sauce in pan.

(4) Add cooked pasta and broccoli mixture to a large skillet or baking dish.

(5) Pour cheese sauce over pasta and toss well to coat evenly. 

before and after pouring cheese sauce onto pasta and broccoli in pan.

(6) In a small bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and olive oil. Top mac and cheese with breadcrumb mixture

(7) Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. 

before and after baking vegan broccoli mac and cheese in large skillet.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Make it gluten free: swap in your favorite gluten free pasta, gluten free breadcrumbs, and gluten free flour. (We use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour!)
  • Variations: add in more veggies (or swap out broccoli), like cauliflower, peas, corn, carrots, squash, or leafy greens like kale or spinach.
  • Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What's the best way to reheat vegan mac and cheese?


For baked mac and cheese like this one, the microwave is your best bet. If you decide not to add the breadcrumbs and bake this, you can also reheat on the stovetop. If the sauce thickens up too much, add in 1-2 tablespoon of oat milk to loosen it up.

What are more uses for nutritional yeast?


We always keep a bag (or two) of Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast on hand for
vegan recipes. Here are a few more ways to use it up:

-On popcorn (this is my favorite use – cheesy nutritional yeast popcorn is addictive!)
-In scrambled tofu and vegan omelettes for an eggy flavor
-In homemade vegan alfredo sauce
-In cheesy dips, like creamy queso, spinach artichoke and chile con queso
-In broccoli cheddar soup
-On kale chips

close up view of vegan broccoli mac and cheese with crispy breadcrumb topping in large skillet.

🍽  Related Recipes

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    Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
  • Overhead view of butternut squash mac and cheese in a blue bowl garnished with sage.
    Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
  • Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup
  • overhead view of vegan mac and cheese in pot
    The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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overhead view of vegan broccoli mac and cheese with crispy breadcrumb topping in large skillet.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese


  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This baked vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese has an easy, cheesy cashew-free sauce, steamed broccoli and chickpeas and a crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping. It's a delicious, easy, kid-friendly weeknight dinner (and a great way to get in an extra serving of veggies!).


Ingredients

Units Scale

Vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese:

  • 12 oz pasta of choice
  • 6 tbsp vegan butter, divided
  • ½ cup diced yellow onion or shallot
  • 3 cups finely chopped broccoli
  • 1 14.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups nondairy milk
  • ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Breadcrumb topping:

  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoon of vegan butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to soften. Stir in broccoli and continue cooking until broccoli is softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and remove from heat.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Let the flour cook for a minute or two, stirring often so it doesn't burn. Slowly pour in milk, whisking well, until smooth. Let the mixture thicken (stirring often), then add in nutritional yeast, mustard, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. Whisk until smooth.
  4. Add cooked pasta and broccoli mixture to a large skillet or baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and toss well to coat evenly.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and olive oil. Top mac and cheese with breadcrumb mixture, then bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Notes

Make it gluten free: swap in your favorite gluten free pasta, gluten free breadcrumbs, and gluten free flour. (We use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour!)

Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nondairy milk: full fat oat milk is my favorite choice for savory vegan recipes. It's thick and creamy and has a neutral flavor.

Nutritional yeast: nutritional yeast (aka "nooch") is an inactive form of yeast that has a buttery, cheesy flavor and is an excellent source of B vitamins. It's often used in vegan and vegetarian recipes to add a cheesy, rich flavor to mimic dairy ingredients.

Broccoli: for best results, make sure to chop your broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. If the pieces are too big, they won't cook evenly. You can also use broccolini.

Chickpeas: these are an optional addition – we like to add them to give this dish a bit more heft. You can sub with white beans if preferred, or leave them out altogether.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 458
  • Sugar: 3.2 g
  • Sodium: 1044.9 mg
  • Fat: 15.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 65.5 g
  • Fiber: 7.6 g
  • Protein: 15.6 g

Keywords: vegan broccoli mac and cheese

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