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.
Amazing! I put this on gluten-free chickpea rotini and added sauteed mushrooms along with a pinch of basil. This is fantastic. My husband and I agreed that we could actually eat this as a soup as it needs nothing else. Thanks so much!
I have tried many vegan Alfredo sauce recipes and finally I have found one all my kids love! Thank you for another great recipe!
Omg this Alfredo is amazing thank you so much
Penny
Thank you so much Penny!
I made this today and it was fantastic! My husband and kids all approved, and we ate it all right away over fettuccine. Thank you for sharing. I haven’t had Alfredo sauce in 8 years because I can’t have dairy anymore, and this was awesome!
I have made this sooooo many times. I Love It!!! Guilt free Alfredo sauce? Duh I’ll have 2nds. LOL.
I highly recommend a Vitamix for this recipe. The sauce not only comes out silky smooth and creamy (with raw cashews) but also, the Vitamix heats it as well. Ready to pour over pasta or zoodles or vegetables in minutes.
Thank you for the recipe.
Wow just wow. I have been vegan for 4 years and I never knew that this recipe was exactly what was missing in my life. I made this recipe today for me and my non vegan husband. He said it was the best thing he has ever eaten and his new favorite meal. I was so impressed with this recipe, I even took a plate to my mom and sister for their non vegan opinions- and they also loved it! This recipe was perfect. I served this over pasta with broccoli and garlic bread. It’s so tempting to go back for seconds and thirds, so I am thinking next time I will make this and serve it over some baked veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes so I can gorge myself on yummy and healthy veggies – mhmmm. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
This is the nicest thing I’ve cooked for myself since turning vegan 6 years ago. Thanks so much for coming up with it!
Awww that is the sweetest thing to hear, so glad you loved it so much David! Thank you for the review!
Oh my goodness!! Just made this for the first time today and served over mushroom stuffed ravioli!! So amazingly wonderful! I did add a few veggie sautéed sliced baby portabellas AFTER making the sauce.
Thank You!
I honestly cannot believe how exquisitely decadent and full on DELICIOUS this sauce is. I’m absolutely blown away. I’ve tried MANY different dairy free and cashew based white sauces before and this one even takes the dairy version! I’m floored. I did also grind the cashews and simmered them with the onion in the broth and it turned out perfectly.
I tried this twice because that’s how good it is. I will never ever eat dairy Alfredo ever again. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you for this delicious and easy to make recipe. It’s definitely going to be a staple.
Yay, that is wonderful to hear, thank you Cam!
What difference in taste does the color of the onion make?
White or yellow is best for both flavor and color. Either will work. Red onions become very sweet, so I just wouldn’t use those personally and it might give the sauce a funny color.
Just made this for dinner tonight – it was amazing!!! I had one issue – no onions at the store (people hoarding everything due to Coronavirus)! The only thing I could find was a container of pearl onions, so I peeled about 20 of them and used that…tasted great!
Ahhh, yes, the stores are a bit crazy right now! So glad you were still able to make it, thank you so much for the awesome review!
This was a delish recipe! My non-vegan husband really enjoyed it! Can’t wait to share with the family.
I made this today for the second time and it is, by far, vegan or not vegan, THE BEST ALFREDO SAUCE EVER! The flavor is perfect and it’s just the epitome of comfort food. Your recipes are my go-to, always, for myself or for a crowd. I love the flavor of lemon in savory recipes and this sauce used it beautifully.
Woohoo! That is the best thing to hear, thank you so much Molly!!
Wow-Delicious !!!😋
Just made this pasta for my kids and they loved it!! They said it smelled like Mac and cheese 🤷♀️Haha (mine turned out a little more on the yellow side, I think it’s due to the vegetable broth I used) I Definitely will be making this tasty dish again !! Yum ! 🤤
Thanks for sharing !!
SO happy to hear that! Yes, it could be the yeast or broth used! Some broths are very rich in color!
How much pasta would you recommend using this with? I usually cook a whole (14-16oz) box of pasta, would I need to double the sauce?
It will depend on how much broth you add, it should make enough for that amount of pasta, as the sauce is really rich. But it will depend on how saucy you like your pasta too. You could always double it if you like, just make sure to get the amounts accurately, so the flavor turns out right. OR, you could always try making it as written the first time and see if it’s enough sauce for you!
One question, how can I stop licking the blender? Omgosh this is decadent.
Haha!! I feel the same!
We are just starting to eat some vegan meals and this was so satisfying and delicious that we will eat this and not miss the dairy at all. I hadn’t soaked my cashews so I blenderized them first and let soak in some broth while I made the onions and garlic and that worked well, not gritty at all. Thank you for the recipe!
JoAnn
That is amazing to hear JoAnn, thank you so much for the feedback!
I’ve been vegan for almost 8 years now and this is the best vegan alfredo I’ve ever made!!! Bookmarked and will be my go-to from now on! Nice work!!
Oh and just FYI – I had only seen the ingredients at the top of the page when I did my grocery shopping so I only had yellow and red onions, not white, so I used yellow. I’ll do white next time to follow the recipe exactly but making it the yellow onion turned out delicious in case anyone is wondering!
That is so amazing to hear Nicole!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
My daughter and I sort of panic if we can’t find the sheet with this recipe, so we keep bouncing back here to reprint! Ugh… Hey! Thank you for having it here! It’s really good sauce and a big save for us who are only 8 weeks vegan! Tonight we’re having it with Gnocchi and string beans… NO not together, but I guess you could though.
I really questioned this recipe but forged on. You were 100% right on how this feels and tastes with each ingredient you added. Thanks!
I have to comment on this recipe because it is out of this world! It is so rich and creamy and so easy! I dont soak my cashews overnight, I just throw them in a bowl of boiling water when I start cooking the onions and then add them when its time. I have a blendtec and it makes it perfectly creamy. I love to add sauteed peppers/red onion/kale with garlic to my pasta with this sauce.
That is so wonderful to hear Rachelle! So glad it was such a hit!
I don’t have a vitamix, but DO have a magic bullet. Going to try and cut this recipe down and try just 1-2 servings instead. It sounds HEAVENLY!
I would soak them first just to be safe!
I just tried this recipe. I had some cashews in the fridge from the last time I tried making a sauce, not from this site, that was absolutely hideous. I have been put off trying any other sauces because that one was so bad and I thought I would not be able to make the transition to a plant based diet. I have been wanting to do it for quite some time but so many recipies are not great. my husband will not be joining me in this way of eating. Anyway last night I soaked the cashews only to find this morning I only had red onions not the brown skin white ones. I followed the recipe to the letter adding 1 1/2 cups with the onions because i got distracted and it got a bit dry and I added an extra tbsp of nutritional yeast so 3 Tbsp plus the extra half cup of broth. I loved that I didn’t have to fry the onions OMG what a game changer it made it so easy. It came out a brown not very visually pleasing colour but the taste is amazing. It was a tiny bit runny for my pizza topping but I had a few more cashews left so I added them and perfect. I can see myself having a jar of this in the fridge at all times and having it on everything. Hubby wouldn’t even try it. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing. What made me try your recipe above all others was you saying how hard you worked on this recipe and how many people had stolen it from you without giving you credit you definitely deserve.
So very happy this was the Alfredo you enjoyed! Thanks so much for the review!
Very good. Thank you for sharing, my family really enjoyed the creamy texture. We served this with a side of roasted mixed veggies. Yum!
This tasted so lovely! I’m making it again tonight but this time I will be adding steamed broccoli 😁. Who would think cashews could be so creamy👀?
Oh my goodness! I had this over some Kite Hill mushroom ravioli, and it was absolutely fantastic! Tasted just like I had gotten it from a specialty vegan restaurant. Maybe even better! AMAZING!
Woohoo, that is amazing to hear and also, sounds DELICIOUS!!