Nothing is more comforting than a big bed of pasta blanketed in a creamy sauce. This vegan alfredo sauce recipe checks off all the boxes sans all the dairy and cheese. Best of all, it’s quick and easy to whip up, making it a perfect candidate for a weeknight meal.
There are certain foods that I love making vegan versions of – and alfredo is one of those foods.
This is the recipe you can feed to your carnivore friends and play that “I-can’t-believe-this-is-vegan” game.
We all know that game.
Whether you are strictly vegan or just looking for a lightened up alfredo, this recipe is for you my friend.
Ingredients for vegan alfredo sauce
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cashews
- Plant-based milk
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon Juice
- Salt and pepper
- Pasta of choice
Note: This recipe calls for soaked cashews so there’s a little prep work to remember.
Quick cashew soaking method:
If you forget to soak the cashews OR you just realized you need this recipe in your life right now (which I don’t blame you), you can do the quick soaking cashew method…
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Remove from heat and pour into a glass or mason jar. Add cashews and let sit uncovered for 15 minutes.
How to make the best vegan alfredo sauce
Follow these 2 easy steps for making a creamy, luxurious vegan alfredo sauce:
- First, cook the onions and garlic.
- Then add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Yup, it’s THAT easy.
How do you thicken vegan alfredo sauce?
This recipe with soaked cashews and dairy-free milk creates a wonderfully smooth cream sauce. However if after blending you want a thicker vegan alfredo sauce, try adding a bit more nutritional yeast and blend again for a moment. You also can toss in some shredded plant-based parmesan cheese to the blender for added thickness and richness.
How to use homemade vegan alfredo sauce
Mix your sauce with warm pasta and steamed broccoli (highly recommended) for a delicious dinner. You can use gluten-free pasta if you like!
Alfredo sauce is also yummy served directly over your other cooked veggies or on rice. It’s so good I bet you’ll give it a try on nearly all of your most loved sides! Let me know in the comments your favorite ways to enjoy 🙂
Tip: You can find fancy pasta in the food section at Home Goods which is where I bought this fettuccine. It is wayyyy better than the typical grocery store kind and pretty comparable in price (winning!)
Which plant-based milk is best for this recipe?
Some alfredo recipes call for coconut milk (for extra creaminess). I personally prefer unsweetened almond milk. You can taste the coconut milk in the alfredo sauce and I personally am not a fan. Almond milk is more neutral and lets the other flavors shine through.
This alfredo sauce recipe is included in my Plug and Play Vegan Recipes ebook where you can learn to customize your own plant-based recipes!
Ways to customize this vegan alfredo sauce recipe
- Use roasted garlic for a garlicky sauce.
- Pair the sauce with pasta and sauteed mushrooms (yum!).
- Top your pasta with vegan-friendly shredded or grated parmesan cheese.
- Use a gluten-free pasta to make this comforting dish GF.
- Add meatless chicken strips (like Gardein) to make a rendition of chicken alfredo.
How to store dairy-free alfredo sauce
Transfer cooled vegan alfredo to an airtight container before storing in the fridge. It will keep well for up to 4 days, and is easy to reheat in the microwave. Just stir between short bursts until slightly warm, and then add to hot pasta or veggies.
It is not recommended that you freeze alfredo sauce.
If you tried this vegan alfredo sauce recipe, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!
If you like this vegan Italian recipe, you’ll LOVE:
Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Serving Suggestions:
- fettuccine pasta about 1/2 package uncooked
- 1 cup steamed broccoli
Alfredo Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked in water for at least 4 hours (see notes for quicker method)
- 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Tools:
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pan on low- medium heat.
- Sauté onions until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add to high-speed blender along with remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Cook pasta according to instructions. To steam the broccoli, I like to put a wire mesh strainer over the pot of pasta and add the broccoli. Steam until bright green.
- Combine cooked pasta, broccoli, and sauce. Serve warm. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about 5 days.
Video
Notes
- Boil a pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Pout water into glass or mason jar and add cashews.
- Let sit uncovered for 15 minutes.
Nutrition
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My favorite type of pasta is the one that goes with creamy sauce because it is such a great combo! And the fact that your sauce is vegan makes it even better – I can use this recipe when my vegan friends stop by. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Laura!
Hi Amanda! I just made this sauce recipe and it was delicious! I’m not vegan but have been eating more plant based meals recently so thought I’d try it out. Super creamy and a nice flavor. I will definitely make again. I like my saucer a smidge on the thinner side so may try with a little more milk. Oh and I used oat milk instead of almond milk 👌
So great to hear! A little extra plant based milk will do the trick!
Cashews are great for creating a creamy texture without the actual cream. Looks like a great vegan alternative.
Thanks, Caroline!
I love using nuts to thicken sauces, it is a technique used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking all of the time, but I have never thought of trying it with a pasta sauce, genius! This sounds delicious!
What a great idea to cook for my vegan friend, always struggling to think of a vegan dish, she loves nuts and I am sure this will be an amazing dish and she will love it. Thanks so much for saving my evening 😉
I absolutely agree. Coconut milk is too flavorful to be good in Alfredo! I would use the almond milk too! This looks so creamy and delicious! I think I will try to trick my Alfredo loving husband with this dish! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Can you use any other nuts in the recipe? One of my children is allergic to cashews, almonds and macadamia nuts. So trying to work around those but not sure peanuts would taste so great. Maybe sunflower or pumpkin?
Hmm I’ve never tested another nut but maybe soaking sunflower seeds would do the trick!
Holy cow this was amazing! Even if I wasn’t avoiding dairy, I would prefer this to regular Alfredo. It was so easy to throw together ! Great recipe!!
Thanks so much, Denise! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment as well 🙂
Love this Alfredo Sauce! We’re not vegan, but my husband can’t eat flour, and we are both avoiding dairy. So this sauce works for both of us. One question I have–can this sauce be made ahead and frozen? I think I’d cook with it more often if I didn’t have to make it fresh each time.
I’m so happy you love this recipe, Diane! Yes, this sauce freezes well so it’s great for a make ahead meal.
Absolutely amazing! Love your recipes!
Thanks so much! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.