Best homemade alfredo sauce, dairy-free & gluten-free! Learn how to make a simple white vegan sauce for pasta, a quick and easy whole foods recipe.
Moreover, it's naturally creamy without heavy cream or flour. You need no cream cheese, no tofu, no butter to make the best vegan pasta sauce that's ready in 20 minutes! Clean, rich, and silky, it's a wonderful alternative to traditional alfredo sauce.
Bonus?
It's secretly healthy and full of plant-based ingredients. You can serve it with any kind of pasta, dip roasted broccoli and baked potatoes in it, or use it as a topping for crispy potato latkes or zucchini fritters.
Perfect as a wholesome weeknight-friendly meal or a hearty lunch idea for the whole family.
I'm sure this indulging dairy-free alfredo sauce will please vegans and non-vegans alike!
Simple Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce
Hey friends, today's menu features the ultimate comfort food - cashew alfredo pasta sauce. You're going to love this quick DIY sauce mixed in your fave pasta dish. It's light, super flavorful, and incredibly nourishing.
This easy-to-prepare sauce is made with fragrantly sautéed onion and garlic blended together with soft cashews (soaked in water beforehand), nutritional yeast (for that unique cheesy-like umami flavor), lemon juice (to brighten everything up), salt, and pepper.
It has a gorgeously smooth texture, savory, cheesy-like taste, and is so satisfying. Did I mention that it's packed with heart-healthy fats, lots of fiber, and plant protein? Amazingly good for you, and your tummy, too!
You need to add this dairy-free alfredo sauce to your clean eating list asap.
Now, let's make it together!
Ingredients for Alfredo Garlic Sauce
You'll need a few pantry staples to make this filling homemade pasta sauce. Here they're:
- Raw cashews
- Onion (yellow is best for this recipe)
- Garlic cloves
- Nutritional yeast
- Olive oil (extra virgin)
- Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- Salt and black pepper
- Water
As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Time needed: 20 minutes
How to make vegan alfredo sauce from scratch?
- Sauté onion and garlic
First, soak the cashews for 5-10 minutes in hot, boiling water (alternatively, soak them in cold water for 2 hours or overnight).
While the cashews are soaking, finely chop onion and garlic. Add olive oil into a small frying pan and heat it over medium heat. Sautée onion for 3 minutes, then add garlic and sautée for additional 5 minutes or until they are tender and fragrant.
In the meantime, cook your favorite pasta according to package instructions. I used 450 gr (15 oz) of pasta. - Blend
Next, drain soaked cashews. Rinse them with cold water and drain them again. After that, add sautéed onion and garlic, drained cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and water to a high-powered blender. You can use the starchy pasta water to achieve creamier results. But it'll be perfectly fine with fresh tap water, too, if you are not planning to use it for pasta.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt as per your taste. Also, you can add more water and blend again if you prefer your sauce thinner. Or add more seasonings if you like (I often add dried dill :)) to make it even more delish. - Serve and enjoy
Finally, serve with warm vegan pasta, fresh or roasted veggies, pizza, or salad, and enjoy. Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days, or freeze in a freezer-friendly container or silicone cube tray for up to 2 months.
Sure, you can freeze your homemade alfredo sauce in a freezer-friendly container or silicone cube tray (for easier use) for up to 2 months.
Absolutely! Our dairy-free version of alfredo sauce is completely lactose-free. Although classic alfredo sauce calls for tons of dairy and unhealthy fats, ours is made without milk products and is surprisingly healthy. It's perfectly safe to be eaten by people with lactose or gluten intolerances. The sauce is gluten-free on its own, just make sure you serve gluten-free pasta with it.
Yes, plant-based alfredo is a much better choice than traditional. Traditional sauce is high in saturated fats, sodium, and calories. At the same time, lactose can upset your digestion and cause diarrhea. That's why you will love this nondairy alfredo sauce. It's made with whole foods that are easy to digest and good for your body. An entirely guilt-free and weight-loss-friendly sauce. Win-win!
Why This Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce is the Best?
- No animal ingredients
- No dairy
- Egg-free
- No tofu or soy
- No heavy cream
- Crowd pleasing
- Versatile
- Ready in no time
- Perfect for busy days
- So appetizing!
More Gluten and Dairy-Free Dips and Sauces to Try
- Vegan Ranch Dressing Without Mayo (Oil-Free)
- Protein-Rich Roasted Red Pepper Spread
- Mediterranean-Inspired Parsley-Avocado Sauce
- Vibrant 5 Minute Avocado Dip
📖 Recipe
Best Alfredo Sauce Dairy-Free Recipe (100% Vegan)
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews raw, unsalted, soaked in hot water for 5-10 minutes or 2-3 hours in cold water
- ½ cup yellow onion diced (1 small onion)
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped (about 1 full tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin, for sautéing onions and garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 cup water if cooking pasta, use starchy pasta water for creamier results
Instructions
- First, soak the cashews for 5-10 minutes in hot, boiling water (alternatively, soak them in cold water for 2 hours or overnight). While the cashews are soaking, finely chop onion and garlic. Add olive oil into a small frying pan and heat it over medium heat. Sautée onion for 3 minutes, then add garlic and sautée for additional 5 minutes or until they are tender and fragrant. In the meantime, cook your favorite pasta according to package instructions. I used 450 gr (15 oz) of pasta.
- Next, drain soaked cashews. Rinse them with cold water and drain them again. After that, add sautéed onion and garlic, drained cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and water to a high-powered blender. You can use the starchy pasta water to achieve creamier results. But it'll be perfectly fine with fresh tap water, too, if you are not planning to use it for pasta. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt as per your taste. Also, you can add more water and blend again if you prefer your sauce thinner. Or add more seasonings if you like (I often add dried dill :)) to make it even more delish.
- Finally, serve with warm vegan pasta, fresh or roasted veggies, pizza, or salad, and enjoy. Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days, or freeze in a freezer-friendly container or silicone cube tray for up to 2 months.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 2 cups of sauce.
- For the finest creamy texture use a high-powered blender. If using a regular blender, soak the cashews longer as described above.
- Note that some cashews tend to have a sweeter taste, if yours are like that, taste and add more salt to balance out the sweetness.
- Add a tablespoon of water at a time if you like your sauce to have a thinner texture.
- You can add more seasonings if you like.
Nutrition
Did you try this dairy-free alfredo sauce? If yes, please rate it, leave a comment below, and share your photo on Instagram with the tag @go_eatgreen and hashtag it #go_eatgreen. I would love to hear about your experience and your comments just make my day!
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Love, Marinela💚
Jacqui
Love how healthy this recipe is!
Marinela
I'm happy you like it, Jacqui, thanks a lot for your review!
nancy
thanks for this DF option. i've been looking for one that tastes good and not chalky
Marinela
I'm glad you like it, Nancy. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!