Vegan Cauliflower Cheese (Nut-Free + Gluten-Free)

This creamy vegan cauliflower cheese is a hearty and comforting take on the British classic. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, it's right at home as a side dish for a Sunday meal or Christmas dinner.

Recipe originally written in 2020 and updated in 2023.

While many vegan recipes rely on a creamy cashew sauce, I decided to make this version nut-free. Featuring a couple of plant-based ingredients that add a cheesy flavour to the sauce, it's then up to you to decide whether to top it all off with grated vegan cheese.

For more vegan sides to go with this dish, check out these recipes for vegan scalloped potatoes (dauphinoise), crispy roast potatoes, and roasted sprouts with tofu bacon.

What is cauliflower cheese?

Cauliflower cheese is a British dish consisting of cauliflower pieces baked in a cheesy béchamel sauce (or white sauce). It is traditionally popular as an accompaniment to a Sunday roast or festive dinner.

Why you'll love this recipe

• It's free from dairy, gluten, and nuts
• You can have it ready in 45 minutes
• It has a creamy texture while being slightly crispy on top
• The savoury cheesy flavour is complemented by a subtle sharpness

Fancy more vegan cauliflower recipes? 👇

How to make cauliflower cheese vegan

Traditional cauliflower cheese includes lots of dairy in the form of butter, milk, and cheese. While the butter and milk are fairly simple to replace, there are a few other ingredients that help to replicate the cheesiness of the classic dish.

First up is nutritional yeast or ‘nooch’ – a flaky yellowish powder that lends a cheesy umami flavour to the sauce. Just one of the many weird vegan ingredients to include in your plant-based cooking, it also happens to be a good source of vitamin B12.

In addition to the nutritional yeast, I add cider vinegar to bring some of the sharpness found in cheddar cheese. These flavours are then complemented by vegan Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

Making vegan cauliflower bake without cashews (or other nuts)

Many vegan recipes go down the route of using blended cashew nuts to create a creamy sauce. While I'm a big fan of this approach (see my recipes for vegan cheesy pasta sauce, vegan whisky cream sauce, and the ultimate vegan fish pie), I decided to make this without cashews.

Similar to traditional recipes, I first use gluten-free flour and dairy-free butter to create a roux. I then whisk in plant-based milk to create a creamy white sauce, with the cheesy flavours coming from the other ingredients mentioned above.

Which plant-based milk is best?

Here’s my take on some of the options:

• Oat milk: A good, versatile all-rounder (I usually go with an unsweetened variety).
• Soy milk: This is also a decent all-rounder and works well (it usually thickens more than oat and so you may need slightly more – see recipe notes).
• Cashew milk: If you're not worried about making this dish nut-free, creamy cashew milk would probably work well.
• Rice milk: I haven’t experimented much with rice milk, but reckon it would be slightly too sweet here.
• Almond milk: I’ve always found almond milk to be a little overpowering, so unless you like the taste I’d avoid it.

What you'll need

To make this delicious cheesy cauliflower bake, you'll need:

• Cauliflower as the star of the show (you can include the leaves or save them for another recipe)
• Plain flour (I've used a gluten-free variety here)
• Plant-based butter and milk to make the creamy sauce
• Nutritional yeast for its cheesy flavour
• Cider vinegar and mustard for sharpness and tang
• Vegan cheese to grate over before baking (optional)

How to make vegan cauliflower cheese

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil then add the cauliflower florets.

Cook for 5 minutes or until just starting to become tender. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Using the same saucepan (with all the water drained away), melt the butter on low/medium heat. Add the flour and combine well, cooking over the heat for a minute to form a paste.

After a minute, add in around one third of the plant-based milk. Use a whisk to gently whisk the mixture until it comes together and thickens, making sure there are no lumps.

Feel free to remove the pan from the heat at any point while you do this.

Once combined, gradually whisk in the rest of the milk and add the nutritional yeast, mustard, cider vinegar, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk for a few minutes over the heat to thicken the sauce.

Once cooked, the consistency should be creamy and fairly thick. If you want it thinner, simply whisk in a little more liquid. Adjust the seasoning (I sometimes add a little more mustard) and turn off the heat.

Pour around a quarter of the sauce into a deep ovenproof dish. Add the cauliflower pieces, then cover with the rest of the sauce.

If including grated vegan cheese, sprinkle this over the top.

Bake in a preheated oven for around 20 minutes or until starting to turn golden-brown.

If you want some extra colour and crispiness on top, switch to the grill for a few minutes towards the end of cooking.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve.

Serving suggestions

This vegan cauliflower cheese is the perfect accompaniment to a vegan Sunday roast or Christmas dinner, which for me often involves vegan haggis. You could also enjoy it alongside the likes of vegan cottage pie or vegan fish pie.

Similar sides include:

• Vegan roast potatoes
• Cheesy roasted parsnips
• Vegan mashed potatoes
• Neeps (mashed swede)
• Roasted sprouts with tofu bacon
• Roasted Jerusalem artichokes
• Vegan skirlie (oatmeal stuffing)

Recipe testing notes

• Cauliflower leaves: The leaves and stems are perfectly edible and good to use here (just like when you roast cauliflower). Alternatively, you can keep them to use in a soup or stir-fry.
• Dish shape: If possible, it's best to avoid a very wide or shallow oven dish. A deeper, narrower dish shape will help to submerge the cauliflower pieces in the sauce.
• Vegan cheese: This is optional and the quality of vegan cheese products will vary, but I personally enjoyed making this with a smoked variety for extra flavour.

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips for vegan cauliflower cheese

• Cauliflower size: I'd describe a large cauliflower as somewhere between 800 grams and 1 kg (before removing the core and leaves). You could always use a couple of smaller ones instead.
• Dijon mustard: Since Dijon mustard is traditionally made with white wine, it’s not always strictly vegan. That being said, I’ve seen several varieties around that are labelled vegan. You can swap this out for the same amount of wholegrain mustard or a little less of English mustard.
• Other veg: Great additions to this dish include fried onions, leeks, garlic, or parboiled potato. 
• Breadcrumbs: For an extra-crispy topping, sprinkle over super seed mix or breadcrumbs before baking (gluten-free if necessary).

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

You can also check out my full list of vegan side dishes.

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