Vegan Alfredo Sauce
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Let’s make Vegan Alfredo Sauce and VEGANIZE the classic sauce without sacrificing any of the CHEESY, SAVORY FLAVOR!
Quick NOTE: I have a newer Vegan Alfredo Recipe if you want to check that out too!
I don’t know why, but for some unexplained reason, I didn’t eat a ton of Alfredo sauce before going vegan. I think I only went to Olive Garden once, and I think I ordered it there?
And I don’t remember ordering it anywhere else, and my parents never made it. Either way, I don’t remember eating it very often, and I don’t know why because this VEGAN ALFREDO is my new favorite sauce!
I made a big batch of it for testing out the recipe, and then filming the video (linked below). Now I’ve been subsisting on it all week. Obviously, it’s great on pasta, but I’ve also had it on top of green beans, as well as some vegan meatballs and it’s fantastic! Like most good cheese sauces, I can eat it with a spoon with no shame!
Luckily I’ve had enough fettuccine and macaroni to use as a vessel for this sauce. I am not even close to being burnt out on it yet!
Now, this is not an authentic recipe, even besides the fact that it’s vegan. From my research, traditional alfredo is made with just butter, parmesan and pasta water. I decided to make what I was more familiar with. Since there’s no readily available vegan heavy cream, I went with a simple roux and milk sauce to make a bechamel base.
Homemade vs. Storebought
I wanted to provide a recipe for folks who have access to store bought vegan parmesan, as well as folks who didn’t. There are two recipes listed below. One is a vegan version of the Americanized “traditional” Alfredo, and the other is made with cashews and hopefully more accessible ingredients.
Both are incredibly easy. Though the cashew based is easier, it does require a high speed blender to get a good consistency. You could perhaps strain it through a nut or milk bag, and it should still be pretty good too!
For the bechamel based sauce, if you want a super smooth texture and aren’t getting it, you can use an immersion or hand blender.
I also served this up with some Spicy Chick’n Nuggets, because if I’m doing Chick’n Alfredo, I’m doing it with some Spicy Nuggets!
handy dandy video here!
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If you made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a rating & review! It really helps out the blog and it makes my day, thank you!
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
Bechamel Sauce Method
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 4 Tbsp Flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups plant-milk (unsweetened) + more if sauce is too thick (I added another cup after adding in my parmesan cheese)
- 1 cup (about 2 oz) of grated vegan parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp vinegar (or lemon juice)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Cashew Sauce Method
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter (melted)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups plant-milk (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp vinegar (or lemon juice)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Bechamel Sauce Method
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and stir, cooking for 1 minute.
- Add flour a tablespoon at a time and whisk in between each tablespoon. Once all flour has been added, whisk thoroughly and cook for 1 minute.
- Add plant milk 1/2 cup at a time and whisk in between each 1/2 cup.
- Add nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and vinegar.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning. Bring to a low boil.
- Add vegan parmesan and stir until melted.
- If your sauce is too thick, add some more plant milk (in about 1/4 cup increments) until you get the desired consistency.
- Final taste and adjust seasoning, then plate up with pasta, vegetables, whatever you want!
- ENJOY!
Cashew Sauce Method
- In a bowl, cover the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Add everything else to a high speed blender.
- After the cashews have taken a hot bath and softened up, add them to the blender.
- Blend everything up until nice and smoooooth!
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Heat up in a saucepan.
- Serve with pasta, veggies, whatever you want!
- ENJOY!
Notes
- The Cheese can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days but is best served right away. Have fun!
- The Alfredo Sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days but is best served right away. Have fun!
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I made this last night and it was a big hit for my family which can be a tough crowd to cook for, everyone loved it! I made the butter and flour version.
Oh nice! Glad to hear that!!
Love the bechamel version! I added a little vegan creamer to help make the sauce a little more rich. Seriously some of the best alfredo I’ve ever had.
Excellent, good idea! This is an older recipe that I’ve been meaning to revisit so I’ll see about that.
Love the bechamel version! I added vegan creamer to add some richness and additional creamy texture to the sauce. This is some of the best alfredo I’ve had!
I want to stay as faithful to the recipe as possible before changing things out. What type of plant milk did you use for this recipe?
Hi, I almost always use Ripple unsweetened milk. I’ve found it has the best texture and taste, especially in savory stuff. I think soy milk, even when it’s unsweetened, is still too sweet. Hope that helps!
I made this Alfredo with cashews and it was a huge hit, my granddaughter had three helpings. Easy and delicious everyone liked it.
Excellent, thank you and glad y’all liked it!