Name: Butternut Squash Cheese Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups butternut squash chunks (about 1 medium squash); 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 3/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup almond milk or for nut free: 1/2 cup reserved “squash water” and 2 tablespoons olive oil

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This vegan paleo butternut squash cheese sauce is nightshade free and made with a few simple ingredients so it comes together quickly and can be used throughout the week.

Cheese has stolen the hearts of many. Most people can’t fathom a life without cheese. This butternut squash cheese sauce was created for two reasons. 1. For a dairy free cheeseburger macaroni (recipe coming soon!) and 2. As a cheesy sauce to slather on things. Turns out, I also really like to add it to some rice pasta with some roasted broccoli (upgraded mac and cheese) or mix with some shredded chicken and add to a vegan cauliflower tortilla for a quick snack.

What does butternut squash cheese sauce taste like?

It’s not going to fool anyone into thinking they are eating cheese if you are using it on noodles for mac and cheese or as a taco topping. It will fool someone into thinking they are eating cheese with the (coming soon!) cheeseburger macaroni recipe. And it also fills the cheese void when serving over roasted broccoli or with refried beans on a tortilla. It’s a creamy, almost cheese that gets a cheesy flavor from the mix of lemon, butternut squash, salt and nutritional yeast.

What is in butternut squash cheese sauce?

This sauce is nightshade free and includes these 7 ingredients:

Butternut squash cubes – best from a fresh butternut squash, but pre-cut from the store, even pre-cut and frozen, work well.
Almond milk – I’m going to recommend this almond milk recipe as it’s the only way I have made this sauce, though I am sure any homemade almond milk will work.
Nutritional yeast – you can find nutritional yeast at Trader Joe’s or any health food store. You can also find it at Vitacost.
Lemon juice
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt

How to make butternut squash cheese sauce

First, try not to die while cutting your squash into cubes. Chopping squash can be avoided by buying pre-cut or pre-cut and frozen squash.

Next, steam your butternut squash. You can do this however you would like. I add the cut squash to a sauce pan, add 1 cup of water, cover and cook on medium high heat for 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain your squash and add to a blender with remaining ingredients.

Put the blender lid on, but if your butternut squash is hot, you want to remove the lid cap and put a towel over to allow the steam to escape (so your blender lid doesn’t blow off and cover your kitchen with butternut squash).

Serve or pour into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

What can you eat with butternut squash cheese sauce?

Make dairy free (secret veggie) cheeseburger macaroni. No one will know there’s no cheese.
Pour it on top of vegetables, like roasted cauliflower and/or broccoli.
Pour it on top of your favorite noodles (I like these rice noodles). It’s extra good with peas and you can also chop a hot dog and add to it – you know, pretend you are five in 1989 again.
Make a mix with cauli rice and leftover ground beef tacos (made with nightshade free taco seasoning, of course).

What did you make with this butternut squash cheese sauce?

Butternut Squash Cheese Sauce

Author: Jen
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3 cups 1x

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Description

This vegan paleo butternut squash cheese sauce is nightshade free and made with a few simple ingredients so it comes together quickly and can be used throughout the week.

Ingredients

Scale

4 cups butternut squash chunks (about 1 medium squash)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup almond milk or for nut free: 1/2 cup reserved “squash water” and 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Cut and steam your butternut squash. An easy way to steam is to add cut squash into a saucepan with one cup of water, cover and cook on medium high heat for 12-15 minutes.
Add steamed squash and remaining ingredients to blender. Put the blender lid on, but remove the lid cap and cover with a towel over to allow the steam to escape.
Blend on high for 45-60 seconds until fully blended.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 15
Category: Sauce
Method: Blender
Cuisine: American