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.
Years ago, before I was vegan, my little girl LOVED this place in town that served a pretty mean Alfredo. Sadly, more often than not, one of the chefs made a really, really BAD one, in opposition to the other chef, who made a really, really GOOD one. The odds were like, 5:1 that you’d get a bad one. So, way back in the nineties, I got turned off for Alfredo sauce.
Until tonight. My little Princess of a wife made this, and I became an Alfredo lover again! THEN, she showed me the nutritionals on it. LMAO! Olive Garden can KEEP the ‘cardiac event’ version, because this stuff just became a household standard.
Haha, this comment really made my day Steve! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I’m so very happy to hear it was such a hit!
I made this last night, and everything went well. I made sure to soak the cashews for a looong time because our blender is just your run of the mil Cuisinart. It was smooth as smooth can be. However, it did not taste like alfredo. It didn’t taste bad, just not what I was expecting. I am 100% sure it is because of the nutritional yeast I used. Do you have any favorites, that don’t have such a strong flavor?
Hi Michelle! Yes, the nutritional yeast definitely can ruin the taste. This is my most popular recipe and as you can see by the reviews above, it’s a big hit, so I definitely want to help you! Most nutritional yeasts have fortified vitamins added which can give a really strong, nasty taste. I only use this nutritional yeast. It’s all natural and no synthetic vitamins added. It is much milder and doesn’t overpower like most brands in the stores. Also, make sure you are using a really light veggie broth, not a tomato or carrot based one, as that can ruin the flavor too.
http://amzn.to/2fFVCm9
I got a vitamix blender 4 months ago and honestly, the recipes I have tried did not turn out very well so I haven’t used it much at all in the past 4 months. I came across this recipe and had everything but the cashews, so went to bulk barn to get some…made this recipe a couple of hours ago and OH MY GOD is this alfredo sauce SOOOOO GOOOODDDD!!! I put it on raw spiralized zucchini noodles, and after blending for a couple of minutes, the vitamix made the sauce hot so when I poured it over the noodles, it warmed everything up and made it just right. Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I can see myself making this on a regular basis and am now glad I have a vitamix after all this time! lol
I’m so very happy to hear you loved this so much Angie!! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I really appreciate it!
I gave this link to my daughter to make your recipe first, and her sister and another guest loved it and let me know how good it was. So, tonight, I’ve made it and tasted the sauce and its delectable. Please keep this web site going with recipes and or probably publish a book to buy on Kindle or hardcover.
It sounds amazing! Reading through this, I don’t understand when the whole sauce is heated up, and the best method for that? Or is it served cold?
Made this last night for a carbonara. Delicious. Really rich and decadent. My carnivore husband loved it too!
That’s so awesome Stephanie, thank you so much for the feedback!
Update on this sauce: it’s perfect over broccoli! I had a little leftover from last night’s carbonara so I thinned it with some veggie broth and over my side dish it went. Right alongside my jackfruit BBQ sandwich. Such a good meal!
I just made it. It is amazing! Thank you!
Wonderful, so glad to hear!
Just started seeing your blog and the ideas sound good but do you have a recipe for creamy sauce without nuts and potatoes. I am low salt low potassium and low carb
Hi Sandy! Without nuts or potatoes? That is going to be pretty hard because one or the other is needed to make things creamy. I do not do low carb or low salt, so this is definitely not a low carb blog. The right kind of healthy carbs are needed and super good for us, so I am not sure if I will have the kind of recipes you are looking for. There are recipes out there online that use tofu instead of nuts or potatoes, but I don’t do tofu because it is so highly processed and prefer to use the whole food nutrient ingredients like nuts or potatoes. If you are avoiding both, try googling some tofu sauces. Hope that helps!
Just made it. A very delicious! Do you or does anyone know if you can freeze the sauce?
Hi Kara, so glad you enjoyed it! I have never tried freezing it, but I’d imagine it would be okay. Just reheat it slowly on the stove and add any broth if needed. I’m sure it will freeze really hard, so I’d suggest thawing it first in the fridge. Hope that helps!
Amazing—unbelievably amazing and delicious! WOW!
So glad to hear you loved it so much JoAnn! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
Just bought a Vitamix today and this was my first recipe. So awesome! I made it just as described except that I doubled the lemon – I’m tart like that 😉
Thank you for sharing.
So very happy to hear you loved this Sandy! I’m so honored you chose my recipe to break in your new Vitamix, yay! Thank you for the feedback 🙂
SO glad I made this! Will make again. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
This is my new alfredo go-to sauce. It was absolutely delicious and so quick to make- I just love it. I added a bag of heated frozen peas and a can of petite diced tomatoes and it was to die for. The peas added protein while the tomatoes added a juicy component. I am trying to eat low fat so I also added the extras to increase bulk so that I got less fat in my serving. By my nutrition calculations with 2 cups of pasta and dividing the sauce into 6 servings, it came to 9% of calories from fat (my goal is 10% or less). So it definitely does not have as much fat as some other cashew sauces- and of course, wins hands down compared to Olive Garden!! Great recipe Brandi- your genius is a true blessing on my journey to better health. You are a goddess!!!
Wow, Swann, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and kind words! You are incredibly sweet. I’m so happy you loved this so much!! 🙂
My pantry was bare tonight but I had most of what I needed for this so set out to make it. I only subbed a tsp onion powder for the onion and I used a tsp of vegeta powder and a cup of water. Everything else in the recipe was left intact. Oh. WOW!!! This stuff cannot not be laced with cream, oil and cheese….it was simply astoundingly the best pasta I have ever tasted!!!! Scared now to try it with the real onions as I can’t see it possibly getting better lol!! Thank you !!
So wonderful to hear Esther!! I’m so happy that you loved this so much, wow, such great feedback! You made my day 🙂 Thank you!
So is it 2 cups of raw cashews or 1/2 cup? I’m seeing two different measurements?
Hi Maria! I’m sorry, where do you see 2 cups, it only states 1/2 cup in the ingredient list. It is just 1/2 cup.
I love this recipe, have made it several times. Just now I put some leftover sauce on rice with the juice from artichokes that come in a jar and it was really delicious. I used roasted cashews this time because I didn’t have raw and it turned out fine. I cooked them in the simmering broth and onion for a few mins to soften them up and it seemed just as creamy.
So so wonderful to hear Meg, thank you so much for the feedback!
Literally JUST finished my plate and was about to close this window, but this was so good that I had to comment. This hit the creamy, cheesey spot.
Yay Melissah! So glad to hear!!
This is my second time making it and i’ve had the same problem as someone before. My sauce came out orangy and gritty. The orange colour doesnt bother me because it really depends on the vegetable broth you use. Some are darker in colour than others. However, I cant get a smooth consistency. I soaked my raw cashews in hot water over night. literally 8+ hours. I have the ninja blender, and I thought it was a high quality blender. Could the blender really be the problem?
Overall, the taste of the sauce is great and my vegan friends love it.
Hi Elda! Yes, unfortunately a Vitamix and Blendtec are more powerful than a Ninja and seems to be the only way to get it 100% smooth. However, if you blend it really long, I would think that should work, OR, do you have a food processor? I make my cream cheese in my food processor after soaking the cashews 12-18 hours and blending it for several minutes gets it incredibly smooth, so it is possible. But it’s harder for some blenders to work unless it is a Vitamix style.
Just made this, AMAZING!! It was a little too wet so i added cauliflower to thicken it. SO GOOD!
So glad to hear that Joseph, thank you so much for the feedback!
Amazing. I added some zucchini and summer squash, and some gardein meatless chicken. Added a bit of basil and oregano also.
Simply fantastic. Thanks!
So happy to hear you loved this Greg, thank you so much for leaving feedback!
Hi, I was wondering if we could substitute coconut milk instead of blending the cashews? will it come out the same? I guess my question would be for any recipe that calls for blending cashews if like cashew milk or coconut milk would work the same, or is it a thicker texture and if there is a recipe to get the same texture if we used the milk instead of processing it etc.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Melissa! I’m so sorry, I somehow missed this comment! You actually need to use the cashews because coconut milk doesn’t reach the same thickness or creaminess, or flavor even, as cashews. If you used coconut milk, it would taste like coconut unfortunately. If you are needing a nut-free alfredo, I have one of those! Here is the recipe: https://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/
Hi, I was wondering if we could substitute coconut milk instead of blending the cashews? will it come out the same? I guess my question would be for any recipe that calls for blending cashews if like cashew milk or coconut milk would work the same, or is it a thicker texture and if there is a recipe to get the same texture if we used the milk instead of processing it etc.
Hi Melissa! I don’t think coconut milk will work the same since the cashews are so heavy, they really are what makes this so creamy. You would have to use full fat coconut milk to even get a close result and then it would taste like coconut, which I don’t think would be very good, haha! If you need a nut-free alfredo, then try this one. It’s super popular with readers and no nuts! https://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/
I made this for supper tonight and it went over great! Even my 2 year old daughter loved it! I don’t have Instagram or I would have taken a picture and tagged you. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
SO happy to hear that Mary, what great feedback, thank you so much!
Soooo delicious!!! I made it with spaghetti squash, so all veggie and amazing!! Thank you for making this available for free, I am learning how to cook and prepare food differently and I can’t wait to try your other recipes!! One happy family over here!
I’m looking forward to trying this! I tried a similar recipe from someone else’s sight, and it used steamed cauliflower, the same amount of cashews as yours, AND 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts. I used 2 tbsp of lemon juice, but still…all I could taste were nuts! It wasn’t wonderful. Since yours calls for less nuts and no cauliflower, I’m sure that won’t be a problem!