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Simple, cozy, and ridiculously delicious, vegan cauliflower cheese. Cauliflower cheese is essentially a cauliflower gratin. Tender roasted cauliflower florets and thyme-infused creamy white sauce baked together until crispy on top, and the cheesy sauce is bubbling around the edges. Best part? It’s made with a handful of ingredients you probably already have at home. Each mouthful is packed with perfectly cooked cauliflower florets coated in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Make this cozy side dish throughout the winter months, and during the holiday season.
This vegan cauliflower cheese recipe…
- is a super simple holiday side dish.
- will be loved by everyone.
- is not made with any cashew nuts!
Ingredients for vegan cauliflower cheese
- Cauliflower: A whole cauliflower. I used one large head, but you can use two small heads of cauliflower.
- Flour: All-purpose flour will gift us with a creamy sauce.
- Vegan butter: I love using salted vegan butter, but feel free to use unsalted. Or even olive oil!
- Plant-based milk: Oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk or even rice milk. Any non-dairy milk will work!
- Dijon mustard: Just a little to give this vegan cauliflower cheese that umami kick.
- Herbs: Fresh thyme, or rosemary!
- Garlic: A few grated garlic cloves.
- Spices: Nutmeg powder, salt and black pepper.
- Vegan cheese: To save time I use a bag of grated vegan cheese.
Roasting the Cauliflower…
Tear the cauliflower into florets. You’ll want all the florets to be a similar size, so if you notice any large florets, cut them in half to create bite-sized florets. Next, pop it into a baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Give everything a good mix together until all the florets are evenly covered. Place the cauliflower florets into a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven, for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. I love roasting the cauliflower before cooking it with the vegan cheese sauce as it gifts us with cauliflower florets that are perfectly cooked.
Making the creamy cheesy sauce…
Now onto my favorite part, making the creamy vegan cauliflower cheese sauce. In a medium-large saucepan over medium heat, add the vegan butter along with thyme leaves. Once the butter has melted, cook for a few seconds. This will allow the butter to become infused with thyme! YUM. Next, add in the flour, and cook for a minute or two. Make sure you are consistently mixing the flour while it cooks to prevent any burning.
Pour the oat milk into the pot a little bit at a time. And while you’re pouring in the oat milk, with your other hand whisk the mixture together to prevent clumping. Turn off the heat, and mix in the ground nutmeg and most of the vegan cheese. I like to add 3/4 of the vegan cheese into the sauce, and then use the rest to sprinkle over the cauliflower cheese before baking! If the vegan cheese isn’t melting easily, turn the heat back on and cook over low heat until all the cheese has melted.
Final touches…
Grab your favorite casserole dish, and pop in all the cooked, tender cauliflower florets. Pour in all that creamy, thick, vegan cheese sauce all over the roasted cauliflower florets.
Give everything a gentle mix together until all the florets are evenly covered in the cheesy sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining vegan cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes. The tops will start to become a little golden and to get more of a golden brown crisp on top, turn on the grill/broil and cook for a couple of minutes. Garnish with a little more fresh thyme leaves, and serve warm.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container, and keep them refrigerated for 2-4 days.
Once you try this vegan cauliflower cheese recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I try my best to respond to you all. Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram – I can’t wait to see your images!!
More vegan recipes for Christmas dinner..
- Garlic Sweet Potato Stacks
- Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese With Thyme Breadcrumbs
- Walnut Mushroom Wellington With Caramelized Onions
- Sheet Pan Pecan Crusted Chik’n
- Curried Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large cauliflower (1KG/2lbs)
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups oat milk
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups grated vegan cheese
- salt + black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/390°F
- Roasting: Cut the cauliflower into medium, bite-sized florets. Transfer onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and black pepper. Toss together and bake for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Cheese sauce: Melt the vegan butter in a pan. Mix in thyme leaves and cook for a few seconds. Add the flour, and while consistently mixing, cook for 1-2 minutes. With one hand, stream in the oat milk, and with the other consistently mix everything together to prevent lumps. Turn off the heat and mix in the 1 cup grated vegan cheese and ground nutmeg.
- Final touches: Transfer tender, roasted cauliflower into a baking dish. Pour over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining grated vegan cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes. For a crispier top, turn on your grill/broiler and cook for a few minutes. Enjoy!
