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!
*This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.
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.
OMG this was my first vegan recipe that I have made. My boyfriend is a no nonsense meat and potatoes guy so I am always hesitant on trying healthy food options. He told me to go ahead an try it and we were so surprised how yummy it is! He even went in for seconds!
Thank you!
Yay! Thank you so much Amanda for the glowing review! So happy you both loved it, thank you for letting me know!
I’m a baby Vegan and this is absolutely AMAZING!!! I absolutely love fettuccine Alfredo, I just wasn’t sure if I would like this recipe and I am totally blown away!! This recipe is truly delightful!! Eating it now for leftovers!!
Thank you so much Erin, so very happy to hear this! Yay!
Nutritional yeast….
Help me out…..
This is the first time over ever tried it.
I bought a bag of non synthetic stuff about 3 weeks ago.
The smell makes me want to puke!
I’ve tried cooking with it several times, including making this recipe tonight…..
And omg it’s disgusting! I was sooooo excited about finding a cheesy option and yet i can’t even smell it let alone eat it….
What is it actually meant to taste like??
Do I just have a bad batch….. or am I going to forever more miss out on cheese 😩
Hi Alex! Oh no, yeah, some people just absolutely hate nutritional yeast and can’t stomach it. Or, it takes a bit to get used to. Oddly though, many non-vegans make them and have never mentioned anything about the yeast. I would try to sub the yeast with some mellow white miso instead, start with just 1 tbsp and that will give that salty cheesy bite to the overall flavor. Or, I also have this alfredo, it is a Cream Cheese Alfredo but has no nutritional yeast!
https://thevegan8.com/2017/10/13/vegan-cream-cheese-alfredo/
I love this recipe, thank you 💜!! It does make more than I use at one time so I stored it in the fridge. Had the rest tonight (6 days later). That led me to wonder how long it actually can hang out in the fridge. Any thoughts?
Hi Lesley, so glad you loved it! I’d say a good week and then I don’t usually keep it much longer than that, but I’m weird about old food in the fridge, haha. I know others have kept it longer, but I think a solid week is still good!
This Alfredo Sauce is SOOOO GOOOOOOOOD!!! I made it last night and served it for dinner to my boyfriend. He LOVED it as much as I did! Thank you so much!
My 5 stars didn’t power the first time… Anyhow,
This is amazing! It does taste like alfredo sauce! I took a bite as soon as I finished blending and I couldn’t believe it. Thank you for sharing.
Yay, thank you so much Margot, so glad it was a hit!
Hi, I want to make this and I have salted cashews on hand. I’m wondering if it really matters for me to go buy unsalted cashews or if it wouldn’t make a noticeable difference in taste to just use the salted ones? Thanks!
This is amazing! It does taste like alfredo sauce! I took a bite as soon as I finished blending and I couldn’t believe it. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for this 100% spot on recipe! Your directions are great. Including the gram measurements for the garlic and onion took out any guess work. No tweaks needed!
Wonderful Jody! So glad it was such a hit, thank you for the feedback!
This was absolutely delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly . I served it with noodles and broccoli. Wow. I will definitely be using more recipes from this site.
Thank you so much!!
So wonderful to hear Lonnie, thank you so much for the awesome review!
i tried your recipe and the spghetti turned out great!! Thank you so much!
Wonderful, thank you Farida!
I just made this sauce, but added the zest of a lemon also, and it was a delicious lemony, creamy, delightful sauce that I stirred through quinoa and amaranth pasta and added pumpkin and broccoli….will certainly become a regular comfort food dish for me…delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Is it possible to omit the nutritional yeast from the recipe? What is its purpose. I have never used nutritional yeast.
We made this tonight and LOVED IT!! Thanks!
SO awesome to hear that Jeanne! Thank you for the review!
I’m concerned about not having a blender that is powerful enough to really blend up the cashews – could I use oil-free cashew butter instead?
Yes, you can sub with the same weight amount, 75 grams, which is about 5 tablespoons. It should work just the same that way!
I love it! Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing with us!
Wonderful Tina, thank you!
Hey, I was wondering if I could substitute the vegetable broth with anything? I don’t have any vegetable broth, stock, or bouillon cubes.
Hi Dhara! There is a good amount of broth in the recipe for flavor, can you get some? Any store sells veggie broth, as it’s a very basic ingredient and inexpensive, so it shouldn’t be hard to find and water isn’t really a good substitute as it will make the sauce more bland.
THIS IS MY GO-TO DISH to show people what’s possible with plant-bast cuisine. It’s 100% the best vegan alfredo sauce EVER!
I’ve made this for years now. I never comment on recipes, and that’s why I’m finally saying something. I felt I had too after looking up this recipe for the millionth time now. (pretty sure I know it by heart, but I like to double check sometimes)
This is my boyfriend’s favorite dish that I make, and our diets/taste are completely different. He’s also brutally honest about what he likes and dislikes, so when he said, “This is better than other Alfredo sauces.” I knew I found a winner. THANK YOU! I’d be honored to cook with you one day!
Aww, this is the sweetest comment ever Beacon! Thank you so much for making it for years, for one and second, for taking the time to come and rate the recipe and letting me know how much you and your boyfriend love it! I really love hearing it, thank you very much!
Can you freeze this sauce and thaw it later?
Yes, just thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat on low over the stove.
Seriously THE BEST pasta sauce I’ve ever made! I highly recommend to everyone. Cannot get enough of it!!
Whoop, thank you so much Travis! Love to hear that!
Hi Brandi! First I would like to say thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I have a quick question. Since I’ll be cooking for 4 and will have to double the recipe serving amount….Do I just double all the ingredients. Thank you.
Hi Lourena! Yes, you would double everything 🙂 This does make a good amount of sauce though!
I just made this recipe and it is amazing! Thank you. I will be sharing with my vegan friend because we’re always on the look out for cheesy vegan sauces 🙂
So wonderful to hear Caitlin, thank you so much for the awesome review!
I have tried dozens of vegan alfredo recipes and this is by far the best! I highly recommend!
So very awesome to hear that Rayne, thank you so much for the review!
Does this freeze or refrigerate well for real prep or later use? Or should it pretty much be used as it’s made?
Hi Emma, yes you can totally make this ahead of time. You will need to reheat it on very low heat over the stove, do not use the microwave. Cashew-based sauces don’t reheat well in the microwave.
Thank you for the tip. This recipe is great by the way!
Wonderful, I’m so glad to hear that!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic. I’ve tried many many cashew based sauces and this one by far was the best. My husband who is a skeptical plant based convert said it tasted just like Alfredo which was amazing because he taste tests everything trying to find something wrong with it. Going to try this on pizza later in the week. I’m sure it will be awesome. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper for sure.
That makes me so happy to hear Tammy, thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to leave a wonderful review! So happy your skeptical hubby even loved it, haha!
I have to comment because we have used this recipe many times. It is a complete winner and family crowd pleaser. It is our favourite pasta meal!