Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

A cheesy vegan casserole packed with cauliflower smothered in vegan cheese sauce, topped with bread crumbs, and baked to bubbly perfection.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, English, vegan

Keyword cauliflower cheese, vegan cauliflower casserole, vegan cauliflower cheese

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 395kcal

4 cups cauliflower florets
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tapioca starch (aka tapioca flour) use corn starch if you don't have tapioca starch
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Wash a large head of cauliflower and cut it into bite-sized florets. Place them in boiling water for 5 minutes before draining them well. Transfer the drained, blanched cauliflower to a bowl.

To make the vegan cheese sauce, to a pan add a can of coconut milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, 1 tablespoon corn starch, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric and give it a stir with a whisk until all of the starch is dissolved.
Turn the stove to medium heat and stir frequently until the cheese sauce thickens and starts to boil. Then turn down the heat and stir constantly for 1 minute before taking it off the heat.
Pour the hot cheese sauce over the cauliflower florets and mix well until combined. Then transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish.

Melt 3 tablespoons of vegan butter, then add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 cup of bread crumbs or crushed crackers to the melted butter. Then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture onto the top of the casserole.
Bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest cheese sauce.
Add the tapioca and cornstarch to the cold coconut milk. If you try to add this after you start heating the sauce, it will clump and not dissolve.
You can omit the blanching process for the cauliflower before baking, but you will need to bake it for an additional 20 minutes if you skip this step.
For an extra-cheesy sauce, add 1 cup of vegan shredded cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until it has melted completely.