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

This vegan cauliflower cheese is a gluten-free and dairy-free version of the British classic. Creamy, hearty, and comforting, it's right at home as a side dish for a Sunday meal or Christmas dinner.

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 crispy tofu bacon.

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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. 

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 rounded off with vegan Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

How to make this recipe 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 a nut-free version.

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 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 and my go-to plant-based milk (use unsweetened here).
• Soya milk: This is also a decent all-rounder and works well (although it may thicken more than oat milk – 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.

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 mustard, nutritional yeast, 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 for vegan cauliflower cheese

This vegan cauliflower cheese is the perfect accompaniment to a vegan Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. It's great with other sides such as roasted Jerusalem artichokes, vegan mashed potatoes or crispy baked potato wedges.

Thinking more outside the box, you could also try it alongside mains such as vegan haggis or king oyster mushroom steaks.

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips

• 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.
• Cauliflower leaves: These are perfectly edible and delicious. I like to keep them to use in a soup or stir-fry. 
• Butter/oil: You could replace the butter with approx. 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• 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 some breadcrumbs before baking (gluten-free if necessary).

How to store vegan nut-free cauliflower cheese

Refrigerate: You can refrigerate this cauliflower cheese for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave or in an oven on low heat.

Freeze: Freezing the cauliflower cheese will make it more watery, however you can freeze it in sealed containers or resealable bags for up to six months. Reheat from frozen in the oven for around 30 minutes or until piping hot.

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Soup
• Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin Seeds
• Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Chickpea & Cauliflower Coconut Curry
• Vegan Cheesy Pasta Sauce
• Easy Vegan Stovies (Scottish Potato Stew)
• Vegan Cottage Pie
• Vegan Skirlie

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

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