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This veggie-loaded Vegan Cauliflower Casserole is layered with ooey-gooey cheese, topped with buttery breadcrumbs and then baked to perfection. It's easy and delicious!
Autumn is right around the corner and that means it's time for everything warm, comforting and definitely cheesy! Am I right? So, to celebrate, I'm sharing this Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole to kickoff the season.
It will fit right into your weeknight dinner routine, weekends or for your holiday table. It'll be on our Thanksgiving table along with my Meatless Loaf, Sourdough Bread Stuffing, Vegan Greenbean Casserole, and my Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe. I can't wait!
This veggie-packed casserole is also kid-friendly. I mean, who wouldn't eat their veggies when they are smothered in a cheesy sauce?
How to Make Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
(full ingredient amounts in recipe card below)
STEP 1
Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic and melted butter together. This will create a buttery and crispy top to your casserole!
Note: You'll need to soften the cashews first for the vegan cheese sauce. To do this, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 15-20 minutes until they're softened.
STEP 2
Cover and steam the cauliflower in about 1" of water in a Large Pot. Cover and steam until just tender (about 7-10 minutes). Uncover and remove from heat.
Note: You can also boil the cauliflower until just tender (about 5 minutes). Drain really well before putting in the casserole dish.
STEP 3
Time to make the vegan cheese sauce! To get started, drain and rinse the cashews (discard soaking water). Now place all cheese sauce ingredients in a High-Speed Blender. Blend until cashews have completely broken down and the sauce is smooth.
Note: If you don't have a high-speed blender, the cashews might not completely break down and this could result in a gritty texture. You can try soaking the cashews longer for 12 hours or more.
STEP 4
Now for the stretchy cheesy goodness! Pour blended vegan cheese sauce into a medium skillet/pot over medium heat (I used the same pot for steaming the cauliflower). Cook for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up a lot and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent it from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Note: If the cheese sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add a little soy milk or broth to thin it out. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
STEP 5
Pour half of the vegan cheese sauce into the greased casserole dish and spread along the bottom. Now add the cauliflower florets on top in mostly one layer.
STEP 6
Top with more vegan cheese sauce! Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top of the cauliflower and spread out evenly. You can sprinkle the top with fresh-cracked pepper if desired.
STEP 7
Now sprinkle the top with prepared panko breadcrumbs and cover with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are light golden brown.
Topping Ideas:
- Fresh-Cut Parsley
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Enjoy!
Tidbits:
- I recently switched to Sari Foods Nutritional Yeast. I like it better because the vitamins and minerals are naturally occurring. They don't add any synthetic vitamins, so it's better for you and it doesn't taste as bitter either. It's a few dollars more than most brands but so worth it. (*It doesn't contain B12, so you'll have to supplement if you depend on nutritional yeast for that)
- If you have Vegan Lactic Acid, you can use that in replace of the lemon juice. It adds a similar tangy flavor that cultured cheese has. I usually add 1 ¼ teaspoons in place of the lemon juice. You'll need to add a few tablespoons of broth or non-dairy milk to make up the liquid portion of the lemon juice.
I'd love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Cauliflower Casserole, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don't miss it.
Recipe
Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower , cut into bite-size florets (about 2.5 pounds)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (GF if preferred)
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , melted (+ more for greasing dish)
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked in very hot water
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup tapioca flour/starch
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic , (+ a pinch for breadcrumbs)
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt , more to taste
Optional Toppings
- Fresh-cut parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish and set aside.
- Combine the melted butter, breadcrumbs and a pinch of granulated garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
- To soak cashews, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 15-20 minutes, until softened (*see note).
- While the cashews are soaking, you can steam the cauliflower. Place about 1 " of water into a med/large pot that will fit your steamer basket. Place your basket on the bottom and cover pot with a lid. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to med-low to maintain a low boil and place cauliflower florets into the basket. Cover and steam for 7-10 minutes, until just tender. Uncover and remove from heat.
- Drain and rinse cashews (discard soaking water). Now place all cheese sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until cashews have completely broken down and the sauce is smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour cheese sauce into a medium skillet/pot over medium heat (I used the same pot for steaming the cauliflower). Cook for 4-5 minutes until it thickens up a lot and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent burning. If sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add a little soy milk or broth to thin it out. Taste for seasoning, and add more if needed.
- Pour ½ the cheese sauce on the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Now add the cauliflower on top in one layer. Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top of the cauliflower. Now sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs and cover with foil. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are light golden brown. Remove from oven. *Sprinkle with optional fresh-cut parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Maggie
I was craving a “cheesy” casserole and found this recipe on Pinterest. I’m trying to get my family to eat more vegan meals, but I have a meat/cheese loving hubby and an extremely picky 5 year old that doesn’t like veggies. I was hesitant to make it because my son has never willingly eaten cauliflower in his life. I made it anyway. He ate an entire bowl full without any push from my husband or me. And my husband said he’d eat it again, which is a huge win!! I will definitely be making this often! Thanks for the great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
This is the greatest compliment! I'm so glad it went over well with everyone. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Kelly
Delicious and super creamy!
Melissa Huggins
Glad you liked it! Thank you 🙂
Kelly
I made this for a potluck mid December and it was a HUGE hit. It was so good that we made it again as a side for our vegan Christmas dinner this year and we are making it again tonight! My mom requested it for Sunday dinner tonight, and she’s the furthest thing from vegan lol so happy I found this recipe it’s definitely a keeper, I will be making this again and again!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kelly, this is such a nice compliment! I'm so glad it was a hit with your family. Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Farfalo Didymus
Most delicious, thank you. I added a bag of frozen peas for some green & top with a splash of sriracha.
Korrin
I'm so glad I made this tonight! My family really liked it. Our 3 year old particularly loved the panko breadcrumb topping and hummed the whole time he ate 😂! Thank you for sharing!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Korrin, this makes me happy! Humming to food is the greatest compliment! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Lisa G.
Does this recipe reheat well? I only have one oven and am trying to make some dishes ahead of time. I can’t wait to try this!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lisa, Yes, fully prepare it up until the baking step and refrigerate without the buttered breadcrumb topping. Then add the breadcrumbs right before baking the next day. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
lulu
hi, I am going to make this dish with broccoli and cauliflower for this Christmas dinner. Can you tell me what brand of vegetable broth do you recommend? thanks Lulu
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lulu, I like Imagine, Pacific or Sprouts brand. I typically use low sodium and add salt to taste. I hope this helps. Have a Merry Christmas! 😀
Erani
I don’t have any soy milk left at home. can I use the almond or coconut milk instead, please?
Melissa Huggins
Yes, you can use any plant-based milk that is unsweetened. 🙂
Erani
I don’t have a soy milk at home atm. Can I use almond or coconut milk instead?
Erika Miller
This is so delicious. I think that the mustard in the cheese sauce really makes it perfect. My husband also loved it. Thanks for this recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Erika, I'm so glad you both loved it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Kris G
This is is crazy good! A massive hit for my family.
I had some mushrooms that needed used up, so I rough chopped them, sautéed in small amt veggie broth, drained that off, and then added the cheese to the sauce pan to thicken. (Also added a pinch of cayenne). The thickening part while heating the cheese sauce is like watching magic happen. I just topped it with the crumbs. Then sprinkled a little smoked paprika over the top.
Everyone loved it and I could have eat the entire thing by myself. The super cool thing is that the cheesy sauce is a great base for many other recipes. Everyone had fun coming up with ways to use it. Cheesy potato soup, creamy enchilada sauce, a dip; let your imagination loose.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kris, I'm so glad it was a hit with your family! It sounds so delicious with the sautéed mushrooms and cayenne. Thank you for giving it a try! Btw, I love all the ideas you have for the cheese sauce. YUM! 🙂
Jane Palmer
Loved it. I added extra nutritional yeast cause I always want more of that stuff. I also neglected to cook the cheese sauce on the stove after blending the ingredients (let’s just say maybe 1 wine too many while cooking) but it still turned out with a great cheesy, gooey consistency and tasted awesome.
Colleen
Cant wait to try this! For the sauce, how long would you leave it in the fridge? Could I double or triple the recipe and freeze the sauce for later?
thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Colleen, it will last in the fridge for 3-5 days and you can freeze it for 2-3 months. You may need to add a little more liquid on the reheat (water, milk or broth). Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
David
Turned out really good
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Samantha
The casserole is great, but I'm rating the sauce! I make it in batches so I've got some on hand when I need to put together a fast veggie casserole for dinner, or mac & cheeze when we just want some comfort food. I discovered that replacing the broth with beer turns it into an amazing dip for homemade soft pretzels! Thanks so much for this one!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Samanta, this is such a nice compliment! We use the cheese sauce for various things, too. However, I haven't tried making it with beer. It sounds amazing! Going to try it soon 🙂
Molly
Best vegan cheese sauce! Delicious!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂