This Vegan Alfredo Sauce is almost too good to be true! Made with healthy cauliflower (yet picky-eater-approved) and no cashews, coconut milk, or oil. It's full of the cheesy, garlicky, rich flavors you crave and none of the dairy or saturated fat! This vegan Alfredo is velvety smooth, low-fat, oil-free, freezer-friendly, and ready in 30 minutes!
Enjoy dairy-free Alfredo sauce on more than just pasta. Whip up a batch anytime to pair with roasted veggies, potatoes, and grain bowls.
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What makes this vegan Alfredo sauce different?
The only added fat in this vegan Alfredo recipe is 2 tablespoons of tahini. And it makes a huge amount of sauce!
Also, trust me when I tell you it does NOT taste low in fat.
It's not just that we're using blended cauliflower to give the sauce body and a silky smooth consistency, it's all about the flavor developed by sautéing garlic in a mixture of tahini and vegetable broth.
And THEN we create an irresistibly cheesy flavor with a combination of white miso, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and a few other seasonings.
It ends up being one of those really surprising dishes - you know, greater than the sum of its parts.
In case you're wondering whether you can taste the tahini in the final dish, the answer is nope. You'll never know it's there.
Ingredients
Here are a few notes on the ingredients you'll need. See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
- Cauliflower - you'll need one small/medium head cut into florets.
- Tahini - adds a small amount of fat and richness to the sauce and enhances the sautéed garlic flavor.
- Vegetable broth - adds subtle savory notes and thins the tahini, making it easier to sauté the garlic.
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk - I like plain soy milk best for this sauce. Oat milk or coconut are other good options. Just make sure it's a completely unflavored and unsweetened variety.
- Lemon - don't skip it! A small amount of lemon juice adds tang and rounds out the cheesy flavor of the sauce.
- White miso - or other mellow variety such as chickpea. Not familiar with it? Be sure to check out this post: What is miso?
I use the Miso Masters brand. You can usually find miso near the tofu at the grocery store; sometimes you'll find a shelf-stable variety on the aisle near other Japanese ingredients. - Nutritional yeast - important for overall umami/savory flavors. I highly recommend this non-fortified nutritional yeast by Sari Foods. It's the best tasting nooch I've come across.
- Garlic - for deliciously savory and irresistible vegan alfredo you've gotta have fresh garlic.
- Nutmeg and mustard powder - if you don't have these ingredients it's not a deal breaker; their purpose is to add subtle flavors we expect in rich cream sauces.
- Pasta - any type and shape of pasta you like is great here. I prefer spaghetti or angel hair instead of fettuccine since this sauce is not as over-the-top flavorful as a traditional, heavy alfredo. Small shapes like penne and rotini are also good.
How to Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Whisk together the tahini and broth. Preheat a sauté pan over medium-low. Add the garlic and tahini-broth mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender.
- Rinse out the sauté pan. Add the cauliflower florets and about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fork tender, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the blender.
- Add the other sauce ingredients to the blender, and blend until velvety smooth, stopping as needed. Note: if your blender has a vent/spout in the lid, remove the cap to allow steam to escape.
- Cook pasta in salted water and drain in a colander.
- Pour the sauce into the pot, return the pasta to the pot, and stir to coat.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, lemon zest, and vegan parmesan, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Vegan alfredo is delicious with a bit of homemade vegan parm on top. Sometimes I like to add a few broccoli florets, handfuls of spinach, or green peas for color and extra nutrition.
A side salad dressed with my oil-free Italian vinaigrette is a must!
Not in the mood for pasta? This healthy vegan alfredo sauce is surprisingly versatile and plays well with so many foods. Pair it with:
- roasted root vegetables
- spaghetti squash
- rice and grain bowls
- polenta
- tofu and tempeh
- and potatoes!
Substitutions
- Tahini - if you're not a fan of tahini, cashew or macadamia butter are good substitutes, though not nut-free. Other nut or seed butters will alter the flavor and color, though I suspect sunflower seed butter could work!
- Miso - since this sauce is so low in fat, miso adds a certain oomph and umami quality. If you don't have miso, increase the salt to taste.
- Gluten-free - the sauce is naturally gluten-free, so simply pair it with your favorite GF pasta. Any shape you like is great!
Equipment
You'll need a large/standard blender for the cauliflower alfredo sauce.
You'll also need a large sauté pan or pot to cook the cauliflower and another pot if you plan to cook the pasta at the same time. Alternatively, use the same pot for all of it, cooking the pasta after the cauliflower has been transferred to the blender.
How to Store
The great news is this alfredo sauce tastes even better the next day, so don't worry if you have a lot leftover. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce stays nice and creamy and reheats beautifully.
Pasta doesn't always freeze well, but the cauliflower sauce can be frozen.
Nutrition Notes
Cauliflower is still cool, right? I think so! Recently I shared this fluffy cauliflower and potato mash, and not long before that I revamped this vegan cauliflower gratin recipe. It's just such a versatile veggie.
With 270 calories, 5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber (depending on the pasta you choose), and 13 grams of protein per serving, you can see how this oil-free vegan alfredo compares to traditional recipes made with butter and Parmesan cheese. To say this version is lightyears healthier is an understatement!
Of course, we know that what makes food truly healthy comes down to so much more than just macronutrients, but these numbers are a reminder of the goodness plants provide.
Top Tips
If serving with pasta, be sure to generously salt the cooking water. This adds flavor to the pasta and greatly improves the overall flavor of the dish.
Taste for seasoning after combining the sauce and pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
More healthy vegan pasta recipes:
📖 Recipe
Vegan Alfredo Sauce Without Cashews
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 small/medium head cauliflower, cored and cut into equal-size florets - Approx. 6 to 7 inches in diameter.
- 1 pound dry pasta of choice
Other sauce ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups plain, unsweetened soy milk or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground mustard powder, optional
- tiny pinch of ground nutmeg or just a few passes of whole nutmeg over a microplane, optional
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the tahini and broth. Preheat a sauté pan over medium-low. Add the garlic and tahini-broth mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender.
- Rinse out the sauté pan. Add the cauliflower florets and about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fork tender, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower to the blender.
- Add the other sauce ingredients to the blender (1 ¼ cups milk, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 2 tsp miso, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp onion powder, ⅛ tsp mustard powder, tiny pinch of nutmeg, black pepper, to taste). Blend until velvety smooth, stopping as needed. Note: if your blender has a vent/spout in the lid, remove the cap to allow steam to escape.
- Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions then drain in a colander. Pour the alfredo sauce into the pot, return the pasta to the pot, and stir to coat. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, lemon zest, and vegan parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Tahini - if you don't have any or don't care for tahini, cashew or macadamia butter are good substitutes, though not nut-free. Other nut or seed butters will alter the flavor and color, though I suspect sunbutter could work!
- Miso - since this sauce is so low in fat, miso does help to add a certain oomph and umami quality. If you don't have miso, increase salt to taste
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
This recipe was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated with new photos and improved instructions. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Maureen Uldall-Ekman
I signed up for your 5 days of sauces emails. Yesterday was day 4 and as soon as I saw your recipe for Vegan Alfredo Sauce Without Cashews, I was sold. So I tried it last night for dinner. It was delicious. So easy and perfectly low fat, but still creamy. Thank you so much. You are amazing.
Susan Marshall
Will this recipe work with red miso? That's what I have on hand now. Or should I leave it out if I don't have white?
Lori
Hi Susan,
Sure, it's worth a try. Since red miso has a stronger flavor I would use less. You could start with a teaspoon then taste and adjust.
Kristi
Do you think this would work with riced cailiflower? I don't have a head of cauliflower but I do have a large bag of frozen riced cailiflower.
Elizabeth Shipley
Could you use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh?
Lori
Hi Elizabeth,
Yes, I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard from several readers who said frozen works well!
Jill
Made this last night with some whole wheat pasta - sooooo delish! I have a lot of sauce left over so I’m going to try it over veggies today. I kind of just want to eat it with a spoon 😂
Kristine
Can you use riced cauli in place of the head of cauliflower?
Lori
Hi Kristine,
I'm not really sure how much that might affect the flavor. But I do think I recall someone on social media saying they made that swap and it worked well. It's worth a try!
Avi
I was wondering why the sauce has miso and salt instead of more miso and no salt. Also, have you ever tried cooking pasta in water and miso instead of in salted water? (I haven’t.)
Lori
Hi Avi,
Since miso has a distinct flavor I didn't want to use *too* much. So that's why I used both miso and salt. If you avoid salt feel free to experiment! I'm sure it will still be delicious.
Lynn L
Just had this amazing recipe for dinner over pasta! This is the first time I ever made a cauliflower cheese sauce and I love it. I'm so happy that it's freezable so I have on hand for veggies too. Thank you 👍
Stef
Can you tell me which Miso you use and where to buy this?
Lori
Hi Stef,
Yes, of course. I usually buy the Miso Masters brand. For this recipe I used their mellow white variety. It's a refrigerated product and usually found near tofu, in coolers near the produce section. Health food stores and chains like Whole Foods should always have miso in some form. Even well-stocked large "regular" stores usually carry it, too.
If they don't have the refrigerated variety check the aisle where other Japanese ingredients are located. Eden Foods makes a shelf-stable miso.
Gail
I just made this sauce for lunch and poured it over some shirataki penne noodles. Oh my! It is SOOO tasty and decadent! And it made so much that the left over sauce filled a whole litre jar! I'm looking forward to trying it on some broccoli, potatoes and whatever else I can think of. Delicious! Thank you!
Yesim
We have just had it and it is very tasty! Like the previous comment, we have leftover sauce, yay!
Thank you!
Angela
This sauce is amazing. It tastes so indulgent yet is so healthy. I tried it with pasta and broccoli last week and it was absolutely delicious. The recipe gives a generous amount and I plan to use the rest of it with gnocchi. Thanks so much for sharing.