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.
I have made this recipe about 6 times now. So delicious! I rave about it every time I make it and have sent your recipe to so many people. Thank you!
Thank you so much Sue!
The best!!!!
Wanted to try a vegan recipe that the whole family could enjoy since my younger sister is vegan, and I love spaghetti this seemed like the perfect thing.
It made enough for us to have with spaghetti twice and for me to use as a base of 2 12″ spinach pizzas. It was really great and I’m already thinking of making it again.
Who needs cheese or milk/cream to make creamy spaghetti if you’ve got this recipe up your sleeve. Totally recommend to others!
This was the bomb!!! I’ve tried other sauce recipes but this by far is the best!!! It’s definitely a keeper!
Woohoo, so glad to hear this Cindy!
OMG! First time trying cashew Alfredo, and OMG! I am never going back to regular. 😍
Yay, glad to hear it Maria!
Yummy in my tum tum 🙂
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Haven’t tried it yet. Just wondering if it’s okay to use roasted cashews instead since that’s all I have available
If you don’t mind a stronger cashew flavor, then yes!
Excellent!
I’ve made a lot of different vegan Alfredo sauces over the years. Most have the same or similar ingredients, but damn… Cooking the onions and garlic like that first changes everything. By far the best one we’ve ever tasted. Thank you so much!! This is the official go to for now on
Yay, love hearing that Katie!
I’ve tried vegan “Alfredo” sauces before, most of which contained some sort of plant-based milk, so I was a bit skeptical. But since I try to avoid extracted/added oils in cooking I decided to give this recipe a try. It is so delicious! Our 4 year-old and nearly 7 year-old grandsons asked for second, third, and fourth helpings! And one of them asked us to bring it every time we come to visit! I doubled the recipe and it was just right for about 20 – 22 ounces of pasta – I used shells, which cradle the yumminess.
Thank you, Brandi!!
I didn’t have a lemon and had lime juice in the fridge that i used instead and it still came out amazing.
Also just used regular fortified nutritional yeast.
Used raw nuts with the ninja nutri auto iq blender and consistency was perfect. https://www.hsn.com/products/ninja-nutri-autoiq-base-for-juices-shakes-smoothies-per/20249446?sz=5&sf=QC0011&ac=
Highly recommend. Will also be adapting this for my nacho cheese recipe.
Best vegan Alfredo recipe! And I’ve tried several over the years since 2012.
And the directions were spot on.
Thanks from Annie
This tasted SO good ! I modified it a bit – I sauteed the onions and garlic in a little butter and olive oil. I used a mushroom bouillion cube and added water to the onions and garlic, then added my cashews to cook for about 3-5 mins. This made the cashews break down and it was super creamy. I also had a tomato sitting around and added that to the pot as well which gave it a nice orange color. Oh and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
I will definitely be making this again !
My whole family, including my 21 month old toddler loved this recipe!!! Wow! Thank you, thank you.
Yay, that is awesome!
Awesome. Love the garlic
YUM! YUM! and YUM!!!
What do you mean by white onion? Yellow onion, or sweet onion (as in Vidalia)? I can’t wait to try this!
Just a standard white onion, not Vidalia. You can also use yellow. There are different white onions.
So Yummy!!! made it for the first time tonight and had over rice pasta (rotini style), 8oz dry pasta works well with a large head of cooked broccoli florets mixed in.
Thank you so much for this new mainstay in our home 🙂
lots of love,
Anna
So this sound delicious. I am definitely going to make this. I am just curious could this be served on butternut squash ravioli? It my favorite ravioli and I would be really happy to find a health sauce to go with it.
Yes that sounds amazing!!
This is delicious! Guest and visiting family worthy and definitely a keeper. Thank you Brandi.
This was insanely good. I wanted to go back for seconds and thirds. Thank you for posting such delicious recipes.
Haha, that is awesome Stacy!
Excellente !
Thanks
I have PCOS and am rying to eliminate dairy which seems to make it worse for me. But I also don’t love to cook 🤫. Can this be made ahead and used for a few days; like if I make it Sunday to use Monday and Tuesday??
Yes, definitely, can be made ahead!
Absolutely THE BEST vegan Alfredo Sauce … so good I use it as the base for so many dinners! And so amazingly simple!
Thank you!