Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce without cashews, coconut milk, or oil! This garlic-infused cauliflower sauce is impossibly creamy and tastes so much more decadent than it actually is. Low in fat, made with healthy, whole-food ingredients, and ready in 30 minutes.
Serve this cauliflower alfredo sauce on more than just pasta! Whip up a batch anytime to pair with roasted veggies, potatoes, and grain bowls.
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!
Why You'll Love It
Is cauliflower still cool? I think so!
Just last week I shared this fluffy cauliflower and potato mash, and not long before that I revamped this older vegan cauliflower gratin recipe.
From cauliflower rice to pizza crust, this healthy cruciferous veggie has proven its versatility and ability to either blend in or add something delicious to almost any dish.
Now, hold onto your hat for this next bit of info...
The only added fat in this vegan alfredo sauce is 2 tablespoons of tahini. Whaaaaaat? I know!
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. Now, let's start cooking!
What You'll Need
- Cauliflower - you'll need one small/medium head cut into florets.
- Tahini - adds a small amount of fat and richness to the sauce and improves 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.
- 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.
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 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 fettuccine 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 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 sunflower seed butter 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 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.
Storage
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.
Final Notes
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.
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 compares to traditional fettuccine alfredo made with butter and Parmesan. 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. I hope you enjoy!
More oil-free vegan pasta recipes:
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Oil-Free Vegan Alfredo Sauce (No 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
- 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.
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.