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.
Hi Nora,
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it a few times so decided to make a large batch for later use. What do you suggest storing and reheating? Thank you!
I am obsessed with this. So easy, so delicious. It has become a staple sauce!
I made chicken Alfredo with plant based chicken and broccoli out of this and it was the best thing I’ve eaten since going vegan. Thank you
I love this recipe!
Do you think the sauce could be frozen?
Yes! Just thaw overnight and reblend if needed to make it smooth again.
I have made this Garlic Alfredo Sauce many many times, it is so amazing. I often double it and share it with friends. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I love sundried tomatoes and basil with pasta. Do you think those flavors would meld with your recipe, or should I leave them out?
Yes that would be fabulous!
Thanks, I’ll try it!
What type of blender or food processor do you recommend? I used my regular Ninja blender, and while the sauce was delicious, it wasn’t as smooth/creamy as yours looked in the picture. Thanks! We just went vegan and I loved finding this little gem of a recipe! I served it over whole wheat pasta with broccoli and mushrooms. So good!!!
I use a Vitamix! Ninja unfortunately is not as powerful as a vitamix and won’t get it as smooth. A vitamix pulverizes everything in seconds. You could try soaking the cashews for a really long time, like 12 hours first, then draining and blending.
This sauce is soooo delicious!! Love the onion and garlic taste it brings.
Wow! Best Alfredo sauce vegan or otherwise! I made this for supper tonight and everyone loved it. Already have requests to make it again.
This sauce is constantly in my rotation. Even my carnivore partner opts for this sauce. Absolutely delicious and the directions are very clear to provide the best taste!!!
So happy to hear that Tracy!
This was fantastic! I have several food intolerances including cows milk and tomatoes and I’ve been desperately trying to find a sauce I can eat besides pesto! Even my husband (who refuses to eat anything “healthy”) said it was good! I am sure I will be making this weekly, if not more frequently! Thank you thank you for this recipe, it’s truly life changing for me 🙂
I have made this several times since discovering the recipe. I also use it on different foods such as steamed vegetables and sandwiches. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
So wonderful to hear that Christine!
The directions are perfect. YUMMY!!!
My cashews are salted. Can I omit salt before blending or do I need to try to find the unsalted?
Yes, you can try that and if it tastes bland a little, add more salt. They aren’t roasted, right? Roasted will make the cashew flavor stronger.
This is an awesome recipe! Tried it yesterday and my picky eater teen said it was good. Definitely making this again and again.
Wow, definately a 5 star recipe. I understand why people would be tempted to steal it. I had it over steamed broccoli and asparagus with a bed of spaghetti squash. My husband had to comment after each bite how dang good it was. Thanks for all the hard work you did, all the suggestions were spot on.
I made this recipe and added broccoli. It had a great texture, I think I should have added more lemon because it was a little bit bland. I will be making it again!
Did you add too much broth? It shouldn’t be bland at all, it is actually extremely flavorful. Did you leave something out or salt your pasta water? I’ve noticed that no matter how flavorful a sauce is, if the pasta is not salted, it can make the whole dish feel bland.
This sauce is amazing. I found this recipe about a month ago, and I have done it a couple of time already. Thanks a lot.
Hi! I plan to try this. does the sauce freeze well? Also can I use minced garlic from a jar, or should it be minced by hand?
Yes, it freezes well! Just thaw it overnight and reblend if needed to smooth it back out. Fresh always tastes better, but you can try jarred if you want.
Soooooo delicious!!! Very flavorful! Quite close to Alfredo sauce and will definitely quell the craving.
I made this for my picky 10-year-old niece who LOVES alfredo. She was literally singing about how good this was (she actually made up a song about it! LOL) It was a hit–a perfect blend of savory creaminess!
Couldn’t wait to try this, and it was delectable! I never knew something this nice could be so simple to make. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Ok … this truly is a PERFECT vegan Alfredo sauce .. balanced flavors with a slight sweet highlight. I am a (freshman) food blogger and if I can ever create my own sauce remotely this good, I will be sure and give you credit!! So good, my whole family loves it. A rainy day like today called for some good old comfort food like Alfredo pasta. All the best!
I’m so happy you loved it, thank you Amie!!
i loved it. tastes exactly like parmesan cream sauce. This is gonna be á staple in our cooking now. Thank you!
Made this tonight, it was a Vegan 8 day. Served with pasta and the “Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts”. I have made other Alfredo sauces and they were too rich. I think the onions make this recipe.