This is the best Vegan Alfredo Sauce ever! Easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and ready in 15 minutes or less. No one will know it’s vegan!
This vegan cashew Alfredo sauce is ultra creamy and flavorful with NO cheese, heavy cream or butter!
Cashews form the base of this easy vegan Alfredo sauce. Cashews are such a magical vegan ingredient, creating rich and creamy dairy free delights. A few of my all-time favorite recipes using cashews include Vegan Scalloped Potatoes, The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese and 5 Ingredient Vegan Queso.
If you can’t have cashews or nuts, go make this Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce with NO nuts. It’s equally incredible.
You might also like this Instant Pot Vegan Alfredo made from a combination of cauliflower and cashews.
What you need for the best, easy vegan Alfredo sauce
- Raw cashews – They are the base for the delicious creamy sauce. You can try using slivered almonds or sunflower seeds instead, but it won’t quite be the same.
- Olive oil – For sautéing the onions and garlic.
- Onion – Adds incredible flavor!
- Garlic – Again, for that garlicky classic Alfredo flavor.
- Unsweetened almond milk – May also use water or another unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
- Nutritional yeast – For a cheesy taste. May omit if you don’t like it.
- Lemon juice – To brighten up the flavors a bit.
- Salt, to taste
- A high powered blender for best results – I highly recommend a Vitamix or other powerful blender. A regular blender can possibly be used, but the sauce won’t get as creamy.
How to make vegan alfredo sauce
This is an overview with photos of the process. For the complete, printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom.
If you plan on serving the sauce with pasta, cook the noodles now. Drain when cooked and add back to the pot for mixing with the sauce.
Soak the cashews for 5 minutes in hot water. I simply use my tea kettle to boil water, and pour it over the cashews in a glass measuring cup.
Sauté 1/2 an onion and 6 cloves of garlic in a small pan for 5 minutes.
Add the drained cashews, onion/garlic, almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt to a high powered blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
Add sauce to pasta, mix and warm if needed. That’s it!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make it without cashews? I recommend you try my Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce, which is nut free. You can also try substituting sunflower seeds or raw slivered almonds for varied results.
- What if I don’t have a high powered blender? It’s possible to make the sauce in a regular blender or food processor, just know it won’t be as creamy as the photos. Try soaking the cashews for a half hour at least in hot water to make them extra soft for blending.
- How long will the sauce keep in the refrigerator? Store in a covered container for 4-5 days.
- Can you freeze vegan Alfredo sauce? Yes, it freezes well. Freeze sauce separate from pasta. Pour into freezer friendly containers, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight is possible and rewarm in the microwave or stovetop.
Variations
- “Chicken” Alfredo – I often cook up some vegan chicken or simply Gardein nuggets. Slice and serve with the fettuccine Alfredo.
- Add some heat – I almost always sprinkle a good amount of red chili flakes on my Alfredo pasta. So good!
- Mix in some vegetables – Serve a veggie on the side, or mix them right in! My favorites are steamed or roasted broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cooked kale, green peas or asparagus.
Want more creamy vegan pasta recipes?
- Creamy Vegan Carbonara
- Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
- The Best Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Tuscan Vegan Gnocchi
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine pasta, optional
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk*
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
Cook the pasta, if using
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain, then add it back to the pot and cover until the sauce is done.
Make the sauce
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle). Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until fragrant and the onion is translucent. Remove from heat.
- Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a high powered blender along with onions/garlic, unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt. Blend until very smooth.
Serve
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir. If the noodles are still hot, you may not need to cook it any more. If you want, heat the pasta with the alfredo sauce on low heat until warm. If it becomes too thick, add a bit of water to thin out the sauce. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free pasta.
- Cashew Free: Use raw slivered almonds instead of cashews, or even sunflower seeds. Cashews give the sauce the best buttery and cheesy taste though.
- May use water instead of almond milk. Other plant milks work as well – soy, cashew or coconut. Just make sure the milk you use is both unsweetened and unflavored.
- “Chicken” Alfredo: Cook up some vegan chicken nuggets (my favorite is Gardein brand), slice and serve on top of the pasta!
- To Freeze: The sauce freezes well! Freeze in small freezer-friendly containers. Leave an inch or so of room for expansion. Re-heat in the microwave or stove top until warm.
- If you don’t care for nutritional yeast, it is okay to omit it.
- Alfredo sauce is also wonderful drizzled on baked potatoes, on pizza, spaghetti squash, cooked vegetables and more.
- Calories are for 1/6th of the sauce, and does not include pasta.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published in September of 2019. The recipe is the same, but the writing is updated to provide answer to frequent questions and variations/options.
Loved this, it was so easy. I added some Cajun spice to it at the end.
Hi Jen. A little cajun spice sounds great! I’m glad you loved the Alfredo sauce! Thanks for sharing your great feedback!
BOMB! Nora- idk if it’s because I haven’t had Alfredo in YEARS but, you’ve out done yourself with this one. 11/10. Im telling all my friends.
Hi Jenna. How awesome you love the Alfredo sauce! Thanks for sharing your fantastic feedback! I hope your friends love it as well! Happy cooking!
I’ve been making this recipe for two years. I live with my granddaughters and the five year old regularly requests “nana’s cheesy noodles please” for dinner. Thank you for a delicious and easy to make sauce!
Awww, that is wonderful! I am so glad the sauce and noodles are a hit with your granddaughters! Thank you for sharing your fun and wonderful feedback!
Thank you for the very clear and well laid out recipes and all the additional helpful information. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal last night. I look forward to making it again with broccoli and tofu. This sauce has opened up a whole new vegan eating world for us.
Hi Marion. I appreciate you letting me know the recipes are well laid out and helpful! That is a goal of mine, so it’s great to know! I’m so glad you loved the sauce! It will be so good with broccoli and tofu! Thanks for your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
Great recipe!!
Thanks for sharing, Hannah! I’m glad you love the sauce!
I have never had a fail with any of Nora’s recipes. I add some Italian seasoning, chili flakes, and vegan Parmesan to this blend. The Silk Next Milk (plant based – the “whole milk” version) helps make it extra creamy.
This was surprisingly delicious. It seemed too simple to taste this good. This is an easy meal to make at the last minute after a long day. It takes as long as it takes to cook the pasta. I happened to have freshly picked tomatoes, peppers, chives, and basil from my garden so I chopped them up and threw them into the warm sauce. I’m sure any vegetable would be great in this sauce. This is a new go-to for me.
I’m only giving 4 stars for slight lack of flavor in the sauce. I’ve fixed this on my own by adding 1/2 to 1 cup of pan fried mushrooms blended into the sauce. What a game changer. This is by far my favorite recipe and when anyone asks me what my favorite meal to cook is, I tell them this recipe and send them the link.
This is my absolute favorite pasta recipe/recipe in general. It’s so easy to make! Love all of your recipes. Thank you <3
We made this again tonight! Love it. It’s a family favourite. Thank you!
Thank for your feedback! I’m happy you are loving the Alfredo sauce!
I love this vegan alfredo sauce and have made it a few times already! I’m wondering if it would freeze ok. I’m thinking of making a larger batch and freezing a portion of it.
Hi Amanda. I’m glad you love the Alfredo sauce! The sauce freezes well! Freeze in small freezer-friendly containers. Leave an inch or so of room for expansion. Re-heat in the microwave or stove top until warm. Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Omg, this sauce is amazing, even hubby likes it. Think I’m going to make and freeze it, then put over everything – my new gravy ?. Thank you so much Nora
You are welcome! I’m glad you love the sauce! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback and review!
This sauce is amazing
Son in law is vegan and absolutely loves it. Comes together easily and the flavor is fabulous even for non vegan . This is my second time making this. Tried others..this is the best!
Hi Julie. Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We really love this sauce at our house as well! Wishing you happy cooking!
This is incredible, and all of your other recipes I’ve tried as well. Thank you!
You are welcome, Karen! Thank you for using my recipes, and for taking time to share your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
Thank you! Loved it! Cannot wait to try more of your recipes.
You are welcome! I’m so glad you loved the sauce! Enjoy your journey through my recipes! Reach out with any questions, and happy cooking!
This is our all time favorite creamy vegan sauce! It doesn’t separate, it reheats really well, and it’s all simple ingredients we always have on hand. It comes together so quickly and is great for nights we want something quick and easy. Thank you Nora!
Hi Andrew. You are welcome! What wonderful things to hear about my Alfredo sauce recipe! I love everything about this sauce as well, especially how easy and delicious it is! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
I love this recipe. I didn’t use raw cashews and it still turned out. I only had the salted roasted cashews. Next time I will make it with the raw cashews. I also used broccoli and morning star chicken. Thanks again!
You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing your fantastic feedback!
hi
i like this
My my my.. lovely! Tonight was my second time using this recipe. Like Nora states it makes about 4 cups of sauce. I halved the recipe and still have about 1.75/1.5 cup to store after 2 servings. I topped off my pasta with red pepper chili flakes for a kick.
Thanks Nora, you’re my go to.
This was absolutely delicious!
Can you sub the cashew if you can’t eat nuts?
Yes, you can use sunflower seeds instead.
Can I still make the sauce without plant based milk? I’m short on money.
You can just sub water, it will work pretty well!
Great Alfredo sauce. I added some leftover roasted Butternut Squash to the blender after blending the cashews and plant milk. Delicious! Thanks, Nora, for such delicious recipes.
Thank you for using my recipes, Ann! I’m so glad you love the Alfredo sauce! Thank you for sharing your review and feedback!
I have never commented on anything before, but this alfredo sauce is great, with veggies and so easy to make. This is a keeper. Thank you, Nora
You are welcome! Thank you for taking your time to share your wonderful review and comments! Happy cooking!
Can you use roasted or salted cashews?
I wouldn’t; the sauce won’t taste the same as using raw cashews, which are more buttery and neutral in taste.