This vegan alfredo sauce is simply the best. It’s made in only 3 minutes in a blender and is ultra-rich, creamy, cheesy, and nutty, too. This recipe is “Is this really vegan?” material!
This unbelievably creamy, rich alfredo sauce tastes so much like the real deal, but with no dairy or other animal byproducts. It’s so quick and easy to make, too, making it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. With a few secret ingredients that make this alfredo sauce the absolute best, you may never go back to the traditional kind!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
Cashews – Cashews make this sauce ultra creamy and buttery, making the sauce nice and thick, but not too thick.
Nutritional yeast – Adds a nice cheesy flavor.
Tahini – Made from toasted ground hulled sesame, tahini adds a lovely nutty flavor that mimics parmesan cheese.
How To Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce
The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!
Soak the raw cashews in hot water. I pour hot water over mine and let them sit for 30-60 minutes while I do other things. (This is optional but helps positively ensure a smooth sauce.
Drain the cashews and add to a high-speed blender along with other ingredients, and blend on high speed. (See the top tips if you don’t have a high-speed blender!)
Toss with the hot, cooked pasta and serve!
Top Tips For Making Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you MUST soak your cashews in hot water for several hours. Otherwise your sauce will not get the right consistency!
- Reserve a little of your pasta water and add it to your alfredo a tablespoon at a time to help thin the sauce and help it cling to the noodles.
More Delicious Vegan Recipes
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The Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 3/4-1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 – 1 ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon tahini
- 3/4 pound fettuccine or other pasta cooked in salted water according to package instructions and drained
- parsley for garnish freshly chopped, for garnish, optional
Wine pairings
- 2018 Middle Jane Pinot Noir
- 2018 Che Fico Pinot Grigio
Instructions
- Soak raw cashews in hot water for 30-60 minutes while I do other things. (See notes.)
- Drain the cashews and add to high-speed blender along with other water or almond milk, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, tahini, and dried basil, and blend on high speed about 90 seconds until smooth. Toss with the hot, cooked pasta and serve immediately.
Notes
- Soaking cashews: Optional if using a high-speed blender, but recommended. If not using high-speed blender, cashews MUST be soaked in hot water for several hours.
- Sauce note: Reserve a little of your pasta water and add it to your alfredo a tablespoon at a time to help thin the sauce and help it cling to the noodles.
I recommend buying wine from Scout and Cellar, especially for lower carb or sugar and the health conscious. There’s no added sugar to these wines, and they’re all much lower in carbs, calories, and sugar. For me, there’s no headache or fogginess the next day!
There are so many types of wine that go well with the buttery flavor of alfredo sauce, but here are a few of my faves:
– Pinot Noir, like 2018 Middle Jane Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
– Pinot Grigio, like 2019 Che Fico Pinot Grigio from DOC delle Venezie, Italy
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10 years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of two who lives in Memphis, TN.
Andrea says
Nice. Are the nutritional facts just based on the Alfredo sauce or the whole meal? Also how much is 1 serving?
Thanks! Looks delish.
Amelia Camurati says
The nutritional facts are based on one serving. The average serving size is about 2 cups including the pasta.
Liri says
Tahini is not in the instructions. My guess is it goes in the blender with everything else? This may be dinner tonight😉
Amelia Camurati says
It’s in the second step! Add it with the milk and most everything else.