You only need 15 minutes, less than 10 ingredients, and a blender to make this uber creamy and satisfying vegan alfredo sauce recipe! Vegan and gluten-free.
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When I want to get a satisfying and delicious dinner on the table super quick, my go-to is always pasta.
I used to just reach for a jar of pre-made tomato sauce but I’ve been trying to eat less processed foods lately, so I created the most delicious and easy to make creamy vegan alfredo sauce (cashew-based)! This is my #1 favorite pasta sauce recipe and I know that as soon as you taste it you’ll love it too.
Does Alfredo Sauce Have Dairy?
Yes, traditional alfredo sauce is loaded with dairy. It almost always contains, milk, heavy cream, butter, and parmesan cheese. My version of dairy-free alfredo sauce recipe does not contain any of those harmful ingredients, and in my opinion, it tastes 100x better!
Can Vegetarians Eat Alfredo Sauce?
Vegans cannot but vegetarians can eat traditional alfredo sauce because it’s made of milk, cream, butter, and cheese (vegetarians still consume dairy). However, this vegan sauce is a better healthy option for both vegans and vegetarians to enjoy.
How To Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce
I focus on creating easy vegan recipes here at Stacey Homemaker and that’s exactly what this recipe is…EASY! All you need is 8 ingredients (not counting water, salt, and pepper), a high-speed blender, and pasta to pour this addicting sauce all over.
Start by soaking the raw cashews. You have two options:
- Soak the cashews in cold water in the fridge overnight.
- Cover the cashews in water and boil them for 10 minutes.
It’s important to soak the cashews because its easier for your body to digest them. I usually don’t remember to soak the cashews overnight so I tend to boil them right before I need them to make the sauce.
While the cashews are boiling, get a separate pot with water going to cook the pasta in. I like to cook the pasta while I’m making the alfredo sauce recipe so everything is ready at the same time.
After you boil the cashews, drain the water and put the cashews into a high-speed blender. This is the blender that I use almost every single day and I love it.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, Italian seasonings, chili flakes, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and unsweetened coconut milk to the blender with the cashews. Blend all the ingredients together until the sauce is super smooth and creamy.
You can pour the creamy vegan sauce from the blender directly over the hot noodles (I usually do this because I don’t want to dirty another pan and the noodles are hot enough to warm the sauce) or you can pour the sauce into a new pan and heat it up before you add it to the noodles.
If you prefer a cauliflower-based sauce (with half the amount of cashews), try this cauliflower alfredo vegan sauce instead. It’s delicious too!
Can You Freeze Leftover Sauce?
Yes, you absolutely can freeze this creamy vegan sauce. I like to freeze the sauce by itself (without noodles) in a glass snapware container and then let it defrost in the fridge overnight. Then you heat it up in a large pan and you might need to add additional coconut milk or water to the sauce to thin it out a bit.
Notes & Substitutions
- Use fresh lemon juice, the stuff in a squeezy bottle is not as good as fresh!
- If you have extra time and want to add an extra punch of flavor to the sauce, you can substitute roasted or sauteed garlic instead of using garlic powder. I use garlic powder because it’s quick and convenient but when I have time then I like to ramp up the flavor with cooked garlic.
- Do not substitute any other nuts or seeds for the cashews because it won’t turn out the same. You need to use cashews to get the creamy buttery consistency that alfredo sauce is known for.
- This creamy dairy-free alfredo sauce is a fantastic base! You can eat it plain just like this (just noodles and sauce) or you can add spinach, vegetables, or vegan meat replacements (like Gardein chickenless strips or sliced Field Roast Italian sausage).
More Vegan Creamy Cashew Recipes You’ll Love
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells
Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp garlic powder*
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes**
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk***
- juice of half a lemon (about 1 tbsp)
Instructions
- (Cook the pasta while you're making the vegan alfredo sauce) Put the raw cashews in a small pot and cover them with water. Boil for 10 minutes and then carefully drain the water.
- Put the soaked cashews, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, Italian seasonings, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, soy milk, and lemon juice in a high-speed blender and blend in high until smooth and creamy. Pour the sauce over the hot noodles.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice, the stuff in a squeezy bottle is not as good as fresh!
- If you have extra time and want to add an extra punch of flavor to the creamy vegan sauce, you can substitute roasted or sauteed garlic instead of using garlic powder. I use garlic powder because it's quick and convenient but when I have time then I like to ramp up the flavor with cooked garlic.
- Do not substitute any other nuts or seeds for the cashews because it won't turn out the same. You need to use cashews to get the creamy buttery consistency that alfredo sauce is known for.
- This creamy dairy-free alfredo sauce is a fantastic base! You can eat it plain just like this (just noodles and sauce) or you can add spinach, vegetables, or vegan meat replacements (like Gardein chickenless strips or sliced Field Roast Italian sausage).
Nutrition
What can I substitute for cashews as my daughter is allergic to cashews
Hi Allison. No, I’m sorry but I don’t have a substitute for the cashews.
Ive used boiled ( 10 minutes) sunflower seeds to replace cashews in many plant based cheese recipes, they tend to work well.
One of the photos with blender looks like you added just water, not the coconut milk. Is that a mistake?
Hey, Veronika! No, it’s not water, it’s unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton). It just looks weird because I squeezed the lemon juice on top of the coconut milk and it separated a little bit. You could make it with water instead of coconut milk but it won’t be as creamy. Enjoy!