Learn how to make absolutely #1 The Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce as rated by readers! So easy, dairy-free, oil-free, just 6 ingredients (+salt & pepper) and so incredibly creamy and full of flavor!
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VEGAN GARLIC ALFREDO SAUCE
One of most people’s indulgent comfort foods is alfredo sauce. I admit, I used to love it too, but I didn’t love how after just a few bites, I felt sick. There is such a thing as foods being too rich. Feeling nauseated and in a nasty food coma for hours after eating something isn’t really worth it to me. Enter the best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce you’ll ever have.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE?
Easy, you just need 6 simple ingredients:
- raw cashews
- onion
- garlic
- lemon juice
- nutritional yeast
- low sodium vegetable broth
First, you will cook your onions low and slow until really tender.
Add the garlic and cook until soft. Add the onion and garlic to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
Serve over pasta and enjoy the decadent, but healthy, vegan alfredo sauce!
No need to try any further anymore. This one is dairy-free and oil-free. Most vegan versions contain vegan butter or oil, not healthy. This one is made from cashews which make it exceptionally creamy. I wanted a whole food version and oil-free.
WHY VEGAN ALFREDO IS BETTER THAN TRADITIONAL
Traditional garlic alfredo sauce has butter, milk, cream, parmesan cheese (or other cheeses) and garlic in it. Major dairy overload! Bloated, icky feeling. It also does not have onion in it. However, I wanted to give my alfredo sauce that slightly, sweet richness typically reached by cream and butter, so I added cooked onions, lots of them.
Here’s a little side by side nutrition for my alfredo sauce in comparison to Olive Garden’s version:
Mine per 1/2 cup serving which is a hefty serving:
125.2 calories, 7 g fat, 5.6 g protein, 11.3 carbs
and Olive Garden’s: (they use heavy cream, milk, lots of cheese and 6 egg yolks, see here)
460 calories, 43 g fat!!, 9 carbs, 8 grams protein
Wow, what a difference! Hey, so it has a hair less carbs, but who cares when all of my ingredients are quality ingredients and not heavy on the heart. Nothing wrong with indulging occasionally, but you could eat my alfredo sauce weekly with much less guilt.
DOES IT REALLY TASTE LIKE ALFREDO?
I know what you are thinking….does it really taste like garlic alfredo sauce?? Well, my hubby said, “spot on” and then “it really tastes exactly like garlic alfredo sauce”. I was shocked. I’ll let you be the judge. I’d say it is pretty darn close, especially considering it doesn’t have any of the typical ingredients!
Regardless, it is delicious and very creamy and you can eat this alfredo sauce without tons of guilt.
Other Vegan Alfredo Recipes to try:
Sadly, this recipe is my MOST popular weekly and is continuing to be stolen and copied and posted by other sites/blogs without ANY credit. It is very upsetting, so please know that I worked hard to create this recipe years back and it is my original creation. If you like this recipe, please give credit where credit is due.
the Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion, diced (200g) (MAKE SURE to measure out 1 1/2 cups b/c this is where lots of flavor comes)
- 1-2 cups (240-480g) low sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 x-large (15g) minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 heaping cup (75g) raw unsalted cashews (see NOTE)
- 1/2-1 tablespoon lemon juice (start with just 1/2 and taste after blended!)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (I highly recommend this Sari brand, it is non-fortified with much better taste.)
NOTE
- It is not recommended to sub or eliminate any of these ingredients, as I cannot vouch for the results if any are changed. The lemon juice is crucial, as it eliminates any cashew flavor.
NOTE
- If you are using raw cashews and you don't have a high-powered blender, then you must soak them overnight in a bowl of water, drain and rinse. Otherwise, your result will be gritty and NOT creamy. A food processor usually works better with soaked cashews versus a blender that isn't very powerful.
Instructions
- Add the onion and ONLY 1 cup of the broth to a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is very tender. (Add a tiny bit more broth if it is cooking too fast or turn the heat down, so the onions don't burn) After 8 minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more, stirring often. All of the broth should have evaporated by now. If not, keep letting it cook until the broth is GONE. You don't want any more liquid once it's done cooking, so the end result is thick and creamy.
- Add the cooked veggies (the onion and garlic) to a blender. Start out by adding JUST 1/2 cup more of the remaining broth and add the remaining ingredients (salt, pepper, cashews, starting with JUST 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, nutritional yeast-starting with just 2 tablespoons yeast). Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. I did not. If you don't add more broth, you would likely not need any more yeast. Taste and add any more salt & pepper or lemon, if desired.
- Serve over preferred pasta. Note: When preparing your pasta, make sure to salt your water well, so your pasta has flavor and isn't bland, which can affect the end flavor result of the dish. I add around a tablespoon to a large pot of boiling water. Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. Add any veggies you like. I like to add broccoli or even peas. Store leftovers in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up even more overnight, which you can thin out a little with a touch of broth when reheating, if necessary.
Brandi this sauce was yummy! My husband, 4yr old 1 1/2 yr old loved it. My 4yr old kept saying, this is so good Mommy! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
It looks delish! I am gluten intolerant, allergic to dairy & would love to try it, but sadly, I am allergic to lemon too. You would not believe how hard it is to find recipes that are GFCF and free of lemon/lime! Wish I could find an alternative…
Oh my goodness you are allergic to lemons too?! I’m so sorry! Hmmm, well you could still make it without it, it just won’t have that definitive tang…you could try subbing with apple juice, or maybe a little bit of apple cider vinegar or maybe even balsamic vinegar and see how it turns out. I would only start out with a teaspoon first and taste and see if it needs any more…you don’t want it to taste like vinegar! Let me know if you make it 🙂
I made this last night and it was a big hit. I am too disorganised to soak cashews overnight, so I did two soaks in boiling water (i.e. drain and put boiling water on again when it cools) over two hours.
I didn’t have any lemons but had white wine. I did saute the onions a bit first and then boiled them in about a cup of white wine. While the onions were cooking I blended the cashews as I don’t have a high-speed blender with a little stock. I didn’t have any problem with a grainy finish even though it’s a totally average food processor, the extra time did the trick.
After that, I followed all the instructions when the stock had cooked into the onions I added them hot to the cashews.
I added roasted asparagus, edamame beans and peas and served with a green side salad.
Will be making this again!!
What kind of noodles did you use? I wonder how rice noodles would work in this recipe? If you need gluten free that is.
I actually used gluten-free brown rice noodles, so yes, use any noodles you like 🙂
My daughter is allergic to raw or fermented yeast. How will this turn out without it?
Hi Lydia! It should still turn out good. The nutritional yeast is there to give it extra depth of flavor and a cheesy flavor, but it should still be good and flavorful without it. Let me know!
Brandi, you’re amazing. You’ve managed to take fatty (albeit absolutely delicious) alfredo sauce and make it healthy and vegan! I never make it at home because of how fatty it is and rarely order it out in restaurants (I only eat it once or twice a year as a treat). I can’t wait to try this.
Another super yummy (and EASY!) recipe!! I made this tonight and served it over organic whole grain pasta shells and added sautéed baby portabellas on top- OMG!! My husband and 15month old gobbled it all up! 😀
Wonderful Tatiana!! Sounds fabulous with the mushrooms..mmmm! Thank you so much for letting me know…it means a lot to me when people like you leave feedback! Thank you so much! 🙂
Seriously delicious. It’s going in the regular rotation. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Thank you so much Caroline! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I’m very appreciative of you leaving feedback!
Well, I’ve made it twice this week. The second time I used it as a dip for buffalo cauliflower “wings”. Oh. my. gosh. The flavors worked perfectly together! The hubs is diabetic so we don’t eat pasta very often, but I’m scheming of ways to use it otherwise…. and in fact, am planning on making it a third time over the weekend. LOL. I’m hooked!
That’s so awesome to hear and using it on buffalo cauliflower sounds AWESOME!! Omg!
This looks almost identical to a vegan alfredo sauce I made up from the top of my head and posted on my page. The difference is that I used a little white wine in mine. It truly is creamy,
Interesting! I’m not sure what page you are referring to where you posted it, your link doesn’t go anywhere. Do you have a blog/site? Guess we have similar ideas because I made this from the top of my head too! I’ve never had a version with onions, but most vegan versions have cashews. Yours with white wine I’m sure is tasty!
Happy New Year Brandi! I hope you still remember me 🙂 I’m sorry it took me so long to visit your new blog. What a great transformation and you look more stunning then ever! This is a sauce that I will make. Same like you, I love Alfredo but the classic ones are just too dairy overload. And thanks for having a printable version too! Warmest, Danny – now writing from hong kong.
Happy New Year Danny! Of course I still remember you! So good to hear from you and thank you so much for the compliments…no apology needed…we all have busy lives. Thanks so much for visiting 🙂
Oh my gosh, I love this recipe! I love Alfredo sauce too, but I usually only use a little bit because it’s so rich and indulgent. I love that your sauce is pretty much guilt free…you’re amazing Brandi!
Nothing like a dish that needs 4 kinds of dairy to make it rich. Love yours much better and I’m sure it even tastes better than it’s traditional version. I always thought Alfredo was like swallowing paste after a few bites the way it coats your throat and sits in your stomach. Much better here with the cashews and onion 😉
Hahaha you’re so right Angela… Yes traditional alfredo sauce is tasty at first, but a little too rich and thick….totally paste like now that I think about it! I just hate that only a few bites and I’d be sick to my stomach. No more!! This one is perfect for us. 🙂
I’ve made cauliflower based alfredo but I wasn’t a big fan. I’ll definitely have to try this cashew one! Yummy! I use cashews in my mac and cheese 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Oh, I agree….cauliflower unfortunately is never going to get that ultra creamy “alfredo” texture. This one tastes very authentic. I sure hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Just made this sauce…. I had some sautéed mushrooms that I added on top of the pasta cause I love them…. Poured the sauce on top of it all with a splash of hot sauce…. I loved it!
I made this last night for my carnivorous parents who are visiting for the holidays. My husband and I thought it was quite amazing, but I knew it was a real winner when my dad asked my mom if she could get the recipe from me and try making it at home. Thank you for developing these tasty and healthy recipes :).
Thank you so much Bromley for the wonderful feedback!! I’m so happy everybody enjoyed it…and what a compliment from your parents! 🙂
It doesn’t say when to add the yeast and cashews? Do I blend it when blending the onion? I’m confused.
Hi Rebecca! It’s there! First sentence in the second paragraph “Add the cooked veggies to a blender. Start out by just adding 3/4 cup more of the broth ‘with the remaining ingredients’.”
This recipe is to die for! I haven’t eaten real alfredo sauce in years, too afraid of the fat content; but this sauce is the personification of alfredo. It’s is super easy to make so it will definitely become a regular in my menu planning. My husband said it tasted exactly like alfredo sauce and called it “fantastic”. He even went back for seconds which he doesn’t do unless he’s really impressed. You have out done yourself on this one!
How wonderful taht yo’ve been able to recreate this classic alla vegan! There are many who will sing your praises. Way to go, Brandi! Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year!
Thank you so much John!! Yes, several have already made it all with amazing feedback! My mother made it tonight and served it to my dad unknowingly that it was vegan and was shocked … My mom loved it so much , she said she wanted to drink it, haha! The response has been overwhelming just in the past 24 hours with 1600 views already… Who knew so many wanted a real tasting vegan garlic alfredo sauce ?! Exciting!
I completely agree with you on the traditional Alfredo Sauce – it’s waaayy too rich for me. I can’t eat any nuts except pine nuts. I’d love to try this – do you think it would work with pine nuts too?
I’m not sure…I’ve only tried it with cashews and cashews become very, very creamy which is why it works so well to mimic alfredo sauce. However, I’m sure the pine nuts would work for the recipe, it just may not be as creamy, but I’d love to hear how it turns out for you, texture and taste wise! Please let me know 🙂
MMMMM,…A beautiful plate of fine, healthy & very delectable food! I never tasted ” the classic Alfredo sauce ” before but being lactose-intolerant, I will go for your tasty re-creation, for sure!
It looks lipsmacking delicous, dear Brandi! 🙂
Yum Yum yummmmmmmmm! 🙂 xxx
Thank you so much Sophie!! I’m sure you will love it! 🙂
I made it alreday 3 times & I am loving it every time, dear Brandi!It is that goodddddd! xxx
Wow, Sophie! Thank you so much! So happy to hear that 🙂
When I was younger Olive Gardens fettuccine alfredo was my favorite dish..I am so disgusted by that fact now! HAH! As I got older I started liking alfredo less and less, and now of course I don’t eat alfredo at all. I am obsessed with making nut cream sauces, but always keep them fairly simple. I will have to try these spice additions! This would be great on a grilled pizza too!
Oh me too! This one is so simple and few ingredients…most vegan recipes have at least 10-15 ingredients for this sauce!
Easy to make and we really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for making it and I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed it!
It has garlic and lemon – it has to be fabulous!!!
I’m with you on too much dairy. This sounds like a wonderful alternative.
I am impressed – it looks delicious
Thank you Cindy so much!
Omg!!! Your a genious girl! I was craving this but can’t do cheese. I saw your recipe today and I was like YES! I made it anf so in luv with it! Making it again this week!!!
Thank you so much Tiffany!!! You made my day with this comment….and thank you for jumping to make it so quick! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your photo on Facebook as well! 🙂
Cashews really are pretty magical aren’t they. Must say your Alfredo looks exactly like the real deal, the nutritional yeast will give that cheesy taste. This is a perfect sub for dairy laden Alfredo! Very nice!
Oh yes Suzanne, they mimic the creaminess of butter and milk! Adding the onion makes it soooo flavorful too! Thank you.
It’s great for people who can’t or don’t want dairy either!
What do you recommend for someone who is allergic to cashews/nuts? How would you replace for the sauce? Thanks!
Hi Kristen! I actually created a nut-free version of this sauce here just for that reason 🙂 https://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/
If you’re allergice to nuts, you can use seeds or coconut cream. Pretty sure that the cashews are to add fat which makes alfredo creamy from the traditional cream, milk and butter. Also, you can use coconut oil to add more fat if it’s not rich enough for you.
I created a very rich and creamy alfredo for those who can’t have nuts. It’s already tested and posted here. It’s made with tahini. Doesn’t need oil, it’s rich and creamy! https://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/
Brandi I cannot thank you enough for sharing this absolutely incredible recipe! As a vegan it warms my heart when I come across recipes such as these 🙂 Question for you – do you know if the sauce would do okay if i stuck it in the freezer to save?
I measured each ingredient as listed and follow each step. My sauce turned out gritty and orange-yellow. I’m clueless on how others are saying it’s perfect.
Hi there! Hmm, not sure what went wrong on your end. I make this monthly and it is smooth creamy and perfect everytime and there are 80+ reviews I’ve gotten with all excellent results. The only reason your sauce would be gritty is if you didn’t soak the cashews prior and/or your blender isn’t powerful enough or it wasn’t blended long enough. Soaking and blending the cashews turns them completely creamy. I use cashews weekly and they are a trademark in vegan cooking for turning creamy, but some people’s blenders may not be powerful enough, which is why soaking is suggested. As far as orange, the only reason it would be orange is that you used a broth that was a strong tomato or carrot base or there wasn’t enough broth added to the blender because of the nutritional yeast added. Some broths are very dark I’ve noticed. I always use light colored broth and the sauce is a very pale yellow as pictured.
Hey! I just made your recipe, and while it was delicious, mine also turned out gritty. I think the problem was either that I didn’t soak the cashews for long enough or that my blender isn’t powerful enough. I’m not sure if I understand the soaking directions. Do you think soaking the cashews the day before I make the recipe instead of the 2-4 hours in hot water would achieve the creaminess I’m trying to get at? I also have a ninja blender. Is that not powerful enough to get the desired results?
Hi Danielle! Yes, it was definitely because of the blender or not soaking long enough. A ninja isn’t as powerful as a vitamix or blendtec, so I would soak the cashews overnight just to ensure they are plenty soft and just blend it for a long time until smooth. There’s over a 100 reviews and every one has been success, the only ther one who’s turned out gritty was because she used a food processor and that will never work for this sauce (she left a comment on Pinterest telling me she had used a processor) and I want you to have success like the others, so just soak them overnight in warm water and that should work better! Thank you!
The sauce may be gritty if roasted cashews are subbed.
If you have a high-powered blender, it would still be smooth, but roasted cashews I wouldn’t recommend because it will make the sauce taste more like cashews.
Also different vehetable broths have different colors. The broth I used had a carrot like color so my sauce ended up looking a bit like nacho cheese sauce but still had great consistency and color.
Lady K: I agree with Brandie as to the reasoning behind the grittiness, however, is it possible you used Vegetable Stock instead of Vegetable Broth. Many vegetable stocks have more of an orange-red color (I think there is more tomato) whereas vegetable broth tends to resemble the color of chicken stock. Hope this helps!
*Brandi* not Brandie
Thanks Carey! Yes, she admitted on Pinterest that she used a food processor and not a blender and that would definitely be why it didn’t work. You must soak and blend the cashews up in a blender…the only way to get it creamy and it makes a HUGE difference!
Just made this and it is incredible. Mine was smooth and creamy without soaking the cashes. I am using a Vitamix and I am sure that makes a big difference. I will make this again and again.
typo meant to type cashews
The orange color could come from the vegetable broth you’re using? I use TJ’s veggie broth and it has a very vibrant reddish orange color. It is by far the most flavorful veggie broth I’ve found; but it can tinge things orange when they would be white with other brands of broth. 😊
Don’t worry about it being yellow, that’s because of the nutritional yeast and can’t be avoided. If someone’s sauce turned out perfectly White, they might have just added more cashews or used less nutritional yeast than the recipe called for. And the reason why it’s gritty is probably because [if you’re using a regular blender or food processor] you didn’t blend for long enough to make it smooth or you needed to soak them longer. Also, it blends smoother if you blend everything right away while it’s still hot so have all your spices and other ingredients already in the blender or on the side ready to add in a second.
Hi there.
Just made your dark chocolate chipotle sweet potato fudge and LOVED it. So, I thought I would look through the other recipes listed. Any ideas for a substitute for the cashews? Unfortunately, I have a nut allergy, which has made my doctor recommended gluten-free vegan diet a real challenge. Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
All good things,
Kristen
Hi Kristen! Oh wonderful! So glad to hear you loved the fudge. Since it’s a brand new recipe, would you mind at all leaving your review on that recipe?….so it’s tied to that one as well…I’d really appreciate it! Also, as far as the nut substitution, I haven’t tried it yet but I’ve heard of people subbing cashews with white beans or even tofu for a creamy effect. I don’t know what the final texture or taste would be, but I do know people have done it. It’s on my list to try it. I would try 1/2 cup of pureed white beans and see how that works. Let me know please if you try it!
White beans do work very well instead of the cashews – I’ve made it this way and it’s a wonderfully smooth texture (and sneaks beans into my kids!).
Wonderful Emma, so glad you loved this! Thank you for the feedback!
Cauliflower would probably work too! Steam some or cook the chopped cauliflower in a pan with some water/vegetable stock for 5-10 mins or until the cauliflower is tender w a fork and just put it in the blender same as u would cashews.
Hi Liz! Yes, there are lots of cauliflower alfredos on the web! I wouldn’t do it here though, as the richness and thickness that comes from the cashews is perfection here! But if one wants cauliflower, there are probably thousands online that I’ve seen, haha 🙂
Agree. The onion and garlic really make it stand out. I made this last night for the family, and the hubby absolutely loved it! I paired it w the lemon herbed zucchini on the side and added broccoli, and sliced tomatoes to the pasta. #Yum! So glad I found your site; what a blessing
I just made your Alfredo and used it on fettuccine. I completely followed your recipe (one exception I reduced the salt in half, though I’m sure it’s just as good with the full amount). I used a delicious homemade vegetable stock (no sodium added).
Before making I looked over your recipe and knew it would work well. I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. Really an ingenious recipe.
Can’t wait to share this with friends and family. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I just tried this recipe for the first time and I LOVED it! It is so creamy and rich. Thank-you! Thank-you!
This sounds amazing although I realize I’m a few years behind 😉 I’m just wondering if the nutritional yeast is added purely for taste or if it also serves another purpose? Thanks!
Hi Jodi! The yeast is added to give a slight cheesy taste to the alfredo and it also helps to thicken it a bit. It will be on the bland side without it. If you prefer not to use it, then I would make either one of these other recipes. The 20 minute alfredo uses 2 tablespoons but you could replace it with extra salt and maybe a pinch of miso or spice to make up for the flavor. It’s really delicious even without the yeast.
https://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/
Or this one doesn’t use any: https://thevegan8.com/2017/10/13/vegan-cream-cheese-alfredo/
Wondering what is the herb (green flakes) pictured. Cannot see it in the recipe
Hi! It’s just dried parsley!
Omg this is amazing.. Soooo happy to have vegan option of my fav pasta. Even my hubby and kid eating