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.
Alfredo pasta was dinner!! This sauce was my first recipe with my new blender and it was amazing!!! I used a little extra lemon in the recipe and cracked pepper and chili flakes on top the pasta.
Thank you! Love it!
I know you say not to sun out any ingredients but I have a massive pregnancy craving for this sauce but a huge huge aversion to garlic and onion at the moment.
Can you smell and taste the garlic and onion as it will for sure make me vomit, can I not put them in the dish if they are a strong flavour and smell?
Thank you
I’d make this one instead, because if you leave out the onion and garlic, it’s going to be crazy bland. https://thevegan8.com/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/
I made this last night and it’s SO good! I boiled my cashews for 20 minutes to quickly soften them, a great hack for when you don’t have time (or pre planned) for an overnight soak. I loved the flavor of the cooked down onion and garlic. This sauce could be an amazing vegan fondue with the addition of some fresh garlic in the blender, nutmeg, and kirsch/brandy/wine. I think I’ll try that over the coming holidays. Thanks for a lovely, versatile recipe!
I never leave comments, but this is hands down the best cashew alfredo recipe. No wonder people are stealing it and calling it their own. 🙂 So good.
The name best vegan Alfredo sauce is so true! I love making this on a regular basis. It’s creamy, garlicky and delicious!
Amazing Kate! Thank you!
I have been making this several times a month for years as it’s my family’s number one favourite meal. I feed it to non-vegan friends and family and they love it and several have since asked for the recipe. As well, I always send it to new vegans who are asking for ideas and replacements.
This made me so happy to hear Kaeli, thank you so much for sharing!
I’m pescatarian, not vegan, but dairy upsets my stomach so badly and gives me the worst gas. I have completely cut it out, which really stinks because, let’s be honest, pizza, ice cream, and Alfredo are some of the best foods. I am in utter bliss right now, just making this recipe for the first time. I added some sauteed shrimp and broccoli, and OMG. Thank you so much for this. I will be sure to add cashews to my grocery list every time from now on.
This recipe is outstanding. We are incorporating more vegan and low glycemic meals into our menu and this one is at the top of many recipes tried. It is wonderful tossed with whole grain pasta and steamed broccoli.
That is amazing to hear!!
I followed the directions exactly and this turned out great! Thank you.
I made this recipe tonight for dinner. I am very new to vegan eating and like exploring new options. This recipe was surprisingly very good. I made it EXACTLY as the recipe states and it was easy. Brandi, I really like the way you explain your recipes in a very specific way so there’s really no guess work, especially if you want the dish to be as described and tasty! I just subscribed to this website because I am really impressed with the outcome of the alfredo sauce and the other detailed recipes! Thank you.
It was my first attempt on a vegan recipe EVER… 👌 I definitely chose well as it was a total success. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Love hearing this Ewa!
Mmm…this sauce was so good my family ate all my pasta, and they’re not vegan. So I ate the leftover sauce as a soup…delicious!
That is awesome, thank you for the feedback!
I haven’t tried your recipe, but would like to, and then add spinach until it is a pretty green, and serve it over pasta.
Hi Brandi!
My wife and I love alfredo sauce, but aged cheeses turned out to be migraine triggers for my wife. I was looking for a cheeseless alfredo and found your recipe. It is fantastic! My wife likes it better then regular alfredo. Thanks so much for posting this. Have a great day!
So so happy it was a hit Dan!!
So so good! Very creamy and delicious! And so much healthier 🙂
I loved this recipe! I went pretty heavy on the lemon juice and it tasted delicious. Paired with fettuccine, roasted broccoli, and pan seared tofu for a great meal. Thanks!
Just getting started on going vegan. Made this with a wild mushroom linguini and everyone agreed it was absolutely delicious. Not as heavy as normal Alfredo, which actually made it even better. It was so good I made a double batch the next day for future uses.
Awesome Greg!!
Had to make the switch to dairy free as I am breastfeeding my son who has a protein allergy. Love this recipe so much it has given me the strength to keep going 😂 it’s honestly just that amazing.
Just wondering if there has been any luck with freezing it in portions?
That is so wonderful to hear!! Yes, freezing works!
Amazing news! Thank you so much 😊
I have 3 kids with milk allergies. This is genius! We are also vegan-curious so I’m really excited that I pulled this off. Everyone loves it. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear this!
Have anyone tried this with Bobs red Mills nutritional yeast?
You want to make sure to use a non-fortified one. If his is fortified, I wouldn’t use it.
This is brilliant! To save time I cooked the onions, gzrlic and cashews with the broth in my Instapot, then stained them and proceeded as directed. The remaining liquid was delicious as a sipping broth and the recipe still was perfect and perfectly delicious. Muchas gracias!
This is an amazing recipe! Great job! I’ve made it many times and it’s amazing every time. I even had a friend that couldn’t believe it was vegan. I make my homemade garlic pasta, your delicious sauce and scallops (for my non vegan friends) and honestly this dish never gets old.