Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe
You and your kids will love this fool-proof Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe that is super quick to make, it literally only takes as long to make as boiling your pasta!
It’s silky smooth and has a slight lemony & cheesy flavor. It’s delicious and so easy to make, even if you’ve never made a sauce before in your life!
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Plus, it doesn’t use any weird vegan ingredients (like nutritional yeast) that you may not have on hand. Just 5 basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Originally Published: October 20, 2021
My favorite thing about this vegan alfredo sauce recipe is how creamy and delicious the sauce turns out and how it makes a fettuccine pasta ‘fancy’ (at least according to my kids)!
When I was re-doing the photos for this recipe my kids continuously asked me to make this recipe for them. I think I made it every week for a month straight before they stopped begging me to make it everyday!
So, if you have kids, or picky eaters, this recipe is gold!
Other ‘fancy’ pasta dishes my kids love are my pasta salad, vegan spaghettios, and my chickpea broccoli pasta (which they may or may not sometimes pick the broccoli out of).
What You’ll Need To Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Cashews: Cashews are the base to this sauce and soaking the cashews overnight (or boiling for 15 minutes if you forget to soak them) is what gives this sauce it’s lusciously creamy texture!
Non-Dairy Milk: For best results, I recommend a non-dairy milk on the thicker side, such as soy milk, oat milk, or Silk’s Next Milk.
You can certainly use other milks, such as almond, but you may need to use a little less or heat the sauce on the stove after blending all of the ingredients together to help thicken it a bit.
You can even use water if you want, but definitely thicken it on the stove after blending!
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic helps give this sauce it’s wonderful flavor! You can use jarred minced garlic to save time.
Lemon Juice: Believe it or not, it’s the lemon juice that helps bring out a more tangy and cheesy flavor in this sauce! I use lemon juice from a bottle, but you can certainly use freshly squeezed lemon juice if that’s what you prefer.
Garlic Salt: Garlic salt is honestly my new favorite obsession when it comes to seasonings! It just makes everything taste so much better.
If you don’t have garlic salt, you can replace it with some salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and some type of dried herb like parsley, basil, or oregano.
Fresh Parsley (optional): Fresh parsley adds a bit more flavor, and color, to this alfredo sauce and is 100% optional.
If making this sauce for picky eaters, I recommend leaving this ingredient out unless they specifically ask for it – it does add a different texture to the dish.
How to Make this Vegan alfredo sauce for your favorite pasta
Step 1: Soak
Start by soaking your cashews overnight in fresh water.
Or, if you don’t plan ahead…start by boiling your cashews on the stove for 10-15 minutes.
Then get out your high speed blender or food processor to add all the ingredients in.
Step 2: Blend!
Blend the non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon juice, garlic salt, and your cashews until everything is smooth, or mostly smooth, depending on the way you like it. This should take about 45-60 seconds.
Step 3: Pour
Pour your alfredo sauce over you favorite pasta or veggies!
Yep, it’s that simple, just 1, 2, 3, and you’re done!
Ways To Enjoy Vegan Alfredo Sauce
This dairy-free alfredo sauce is best poured over fettuccine pasta or other pastas.
But, it can also be poured over:
- Steamed or roasted vegetables
- Couscous (one of my kids current obsession)
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Vegan bowls
- Vegan Chicken products
- As a base for a creamy casserole
- And more!
You could even use it as a dipping sauce for little ones who love to dip food in sauces! Sometimes the best way to get kids to eat their vegetables, or other food, is to let them have something to dip it in, and this sauce is perfect for that!
How to Store It
Fridge: Store in an airtight container, preferably glass, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days for the best results.
Freezer: Store in a freezer safe container by itself (not with pasta or another grain), leaving space in the container for it to expand.
Defrost gradually if possible, leaving it in the fridge overnight before needing it, and then warming it up on the stove or in the microwave. Be sure to stir well, especially if warming with a microwave to ensure it warms evenly.
The secret to making this the best vegan alfredo sauce
- Make sure your cashews are SOFT! They either need to soak overnight in fresh water OR boil on the stove for 10-15 minutes (or longer) to become soft enough to make this sauce magically creamy.
- Don’t use too much lemon juice, you’ll get a very lemony sauce if you do, so unless that’s what you’re going for only add the amount in the ingredient list below.
- Use a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec), other blenders or a food processor may work, but there’s the potential you may not be able to get the sauce super silky smooth.
- Blend for longer than you think you need to! At a minimum, 45-60 seconds.
- Be sure to use unflavored plant milk! It does NOT taste good with vanilla almond milk, lol, don’t ask me how I know!
What if I don’t have a high powered blender?
A high speed blender is vital to making this sauce creamy with no cashew chunks. You could possibly use a food processor, however it may not end with the same creamy texture that alfredo sauce is known for. I recommend, and use, a Vitamix for best results.
Does It Really Taste Like Alfredo?
Absolutely, and without the cruelty to animals, too! It’s amazing, it tastes tangy, lemony, silky, slightly cheesy, creamy, and smooth all at once!
Why You Will LOVE This Vegan alfredo sauce!
You and your kids will love this Vegan alfredo sauce recipe because…
- it’s creamy
- it actually tastes like alfredo sauce (unlike the vegan alfredo at stores)
- and it’s delicious!!
More Vegan Pasta Recipes You’ll Love:
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Chickpea Broccoli Pasta
- Quick Vegan Garlic Knots (that Kids Love)
- Homemade Vegan Spaghettios
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese | Picky Eater Approved
- Lazy Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Lazy Vegan No-Bake Ziti
Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Shawna ClapperEquipment
- High Speed Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews boiled for 5-10 minutes
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight OR boil for 10-15 minutes.
- Combine cashews, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon juice, and garlic salt in a high speed blender until creamy, about 45-60 seconds.
- Pour over your choice of warm pasta and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Soy milk and oat milk have been tested with great results for making a thick and creamy vegan alfredo sauce. Oat milk seemed to help make it taste creamier, but feel free to use what you have. I would not recommend flavored non-dairy milks.
- If you don’t have garlic salt, feel free to add salt, garlic or onion powder, and other seasonings as you feel is fit.
- The cashews must be softened in order for this sauce to become creamy, if not softened enough, the texture may be grainy.
- If the consistency seems a bit thin after blending you can thicken it by cooking it on the stove, stirring occasionally.
- Feel free to add in more garlic if desired.
- Nutrition facts are an estimate and using soy milk, if exact nutrition calculation is needed, please be sure to calculate it yourself in a nutrition calculator you trust with the exact ingredients (ex. type & brand of milk, cashews, etc.) that you used.
