This vegan cauliflower Alfredo sauce is rich and creamy yet entirely dairy-free. Made with real ingredients you can feel good about eating, this decadent cream sauce is perfectly suited for your next pasta night.
This creamy vegan cauliflower Alfredo sauce uses just a handful of essential ingredients to create the perfect dairy-free pasta sauce.
Whether you’re trying to eat healthier or just cut back on the fat, this plant-based Alfredo sauce is every bit as decadent as the dairy stuff, but instead, it’s made with whole ingredients.
The best part about is that you can use it on any of your favorite vegan pasta recipes, such as homemade fettuccine, or just slathered over steamed vegetables.
Discover how to make cauliflower Alfredo sauce with some basic ingredients, plus tons of suggestions on how to serve it!
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Making vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce is easy and requires minimal prep time. The blender does the hard work, so you’ll be done in no time! Here’s how it’s done:
- Cook garlic and onion: In a large pot over medium heat, add oil followed by garlic and onion. Cook until fragrant.
- Steam cauliflower: Add cauliflower and broth, then put the lid on and steam the cauliflower for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Blend the sauce: Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a high-speed blender with your cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Heat the sauce: Transfer the sauce back to your large pot over medium heat and stir until the sauce has reached your desired temperature.
Ingredients
If you love cooking vegan dishes, then this ingredient list should look pretty similar. If not, then a quick trip to the store is all you need to start making this delish alfredo sauce.
So, here’s what you’ll need:
- Oil: Preferably olive oil, but any neutral oil will work. This will be for sautéing the garlic and onions.
- Cauliflower: One medium head cut into small florets with the greens discarded.
- Cashews: Raw, either soaked overnight or boiled for 10 minutes and strained.
- Vegetable broth: Or water for blending.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced garlic. This can be adjusted to taste.
- Onion: Preferably yellow onion but white onion or shallots will work as well.
- Nutritional yeast: For cheesy vegan flavor.
- Lemon juice: For freshness and acidity.
- Dijon mustard: For color and depth of flavor.
- Salt and pepper: Adjusted to taste.
Ingredient Swaps & Suggestions
There are tons of ways to customize this sauce recipe so you can enjoy it a bit differently each time. Here are some suggestions:
- Add fresh herbs like thyme, sage, or rosemary
- Add soy sauce or coconut aminos for added savoriness
- Swap the broth for vegan cream for a thicker sauce (still use water to steam cauliflower)
- Add Italian seasoning, paprika, or chili pepper for added flavor
- Add turmeric for an orange color (good for mac and cheese!)
Serving Ideas
You can serve this vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce with just about anything you want. Here are some suggestions:
- Atop fettuccine
- Use it as your sauce for a white pizza
- Serve atop steamed broccoli
- Make some vegan mac and cheese
- Use it as nacho dip
Leftovers
This recipe makes about 2 cups worth of sauce, so it should be just enough for a small family meal. That said, it’s easy to make a double batch of this recipe with little added prep time.
To store leftovers, transfer cooled alfredo sauce to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze your leftover sauce, store cooled alfredo sauce in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen alfredo sauce again, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.
To reheat your leftover sauce, transfer it to a saucepot set over medium heat. Let this cook, frequently stirring, until fully warmed.
Quick Tips
- If there’s not enough liquid to steam your cauliflower, you can add more. Just make sure not to add more than 1 cup of broth to the blender.
- If the sauce is not blending smoothly, incrementally add tablespoons of broth or nondairy milk until you have a smooth sauce.
- If the sauce turns out too thin, combine ½ tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Mix until combined, then add this to your saucepot as the sauce is heating and let cook for several minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium head of cauliflower chopped into small florets
- ½ cup raw cashews either soaked overnight or boiled for 10 minutes and strained
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ yellow onion sliced thin
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the garlic and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
- Add the cauliflower, followed by the broth. Place the lid on the pot and steam the cauliflower for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a high-speed blender, followed by the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Blend until perfectly smooth, adding more liquid if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Transfer the sauce back to the original pot set over medium heat and frequently stir until the sauce has fully heated.
- Serve alfredo sauce over pasta or as desired.
