Vegan Alfredo Sauce
The most delicious Vegan Alfredo Sauce – so creamy and rich, made with just a few simple ingredients. Perfect for pasta, zoodles, veggies, and even pizza!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Who doesn’t love the classic fettuccine alfredo? This vegan alfredo sauce recipe has all the components you love! Creamy, peppery, and rich. We also love this Vegan Walnut Bolognese or this Vegan Pad Thai when opting for a vegan meal. Check out all of our Healthy Vegan Recipes for inspiration!
IN THIS POST: Everything you need to make Vegan Alfredo
Ingredients
No fancy ingredients like nutritional yeast are needed! Everything for this vegan fettuccine alfredo is made with common pantry items. And so much easier than cauliflower alfredo sauce.
- raw cashews – these will be soaked
- water – filtered is best!
- flour – we use spelt flour
- sea salt
- garlic powder
- olive oil
- basil – fresh or dried but we love the flavor of fresh – especially in summer!
- pepper
So how do you make vegan fettuccini alfredo without heavy cream? You use the wonder of cashews. Soaking cashews, and then blending them magically transforms the crunchy nut into a silky, creamy non dairy alfredo sauce.
Cashews = vegan cream. Problem solved.
How to make this recipe
First, start by soaking the cashews.
Let them soak in water for about an hour to soften them up before blending.
Next, gather the spelt flour, garlic powder, and salt.
These will both season and thicken the sauce.
Next, place the soaked cashews, filtered water, and the seasonings – except the basil – in the blender and blend it all together until it is the frothy consistency of milk and no chunks remain.
This takes no time at all.
Then, pour it into a saucepan.
Now it’s time to get creamy!
Slowly, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
You want to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of your saucepan.
Cook and stir until it begins to bubble. Remove from the heat. Keep stirring until it thickens to your desired consistency. Stir in the basil and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Serve warm with your noodles of choice. See notes for serving suggestions.
FAQ’S, Tips, + Substitutions
- How do you make something creamy without dairy? Nuts, like cashews in this recipe, have a super creamy texture when soaked and blended. Now you know what vegans use instead of heavy cream.
- Try brown rice fettuccini for gluten-free noodles! After you drain the noodles, toss them in a bowl with vegan butter for an even more decadent dish. It is worth the calories. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheeses.
- Serve this dairy-free sauce with Spaghetti Squash noodles. Stir in some green peas – more vegetable bonus points. This is also a delicious sauce with roasted asparagus.
- Substitute veggie broth instead of water for even more flavor in the vegan alfredo pasta.
More healthy cashew recipes
- Cashew Coffee Creamer – Easy Plant-Based Alternative
- Vanilla Cashew Protein Bars
- Candied Cashews – Vegan, Gluten Free
- Toasted Cashew Coconut Bars – Vegan, Gluten Free, Grain Free
- Homemade Cashew Cookie Larabar
**This recipe was originally posted on June 14, 2013, and updated on July 10, 2020, and again on June 24, 2022, with recipe notes, writing, and new photos.**
If you’ve tried my cashew alfredo sauce, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!
Be sure to follow me on social media! I love pinning to Pinterest, sharing on Facebook, and posting pics to Instagram. See you there. 🙂
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week.
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Honour System
The BEST Vegan Alfredo Sauce – Easy + Creamy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews *soaked in water for 1 hour
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsp spelt flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp dried basil or fresh chopped basil
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- FIRST – Soak your cashews for at least an hour. This will ensure they are soft for blending and will give you a super creamy sauce. Place them in a bowl and cover them with water. Drain and rinse after an hour.
- Add the cashews, the filtered water, the flour, and the seasonings – EXCEPT for the basil and pepper – to a blender. Blend until you reach the consistency of frothy milk and there are no chunks of cashew left.
- Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently as it thickens.
- Once it begins to bubble, remove from heat and stir in the basil and cracked pepper to taste.
- Toss with the cooked noodles of your choice and top with fresh basil if desired.
Video
Notes
- Try brown rice fettuccini for gluten-free noodles! After you drain the noodles, toss them in a bowl with vegan butter for an even more decadent dish. It is worth the calories. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheeses.
- Serve this dairy-free sauce with Spaghetti Squash noodles. Stir in some green peas – more vegetable bonus points. This is also a delicious sauce with roasted asparagus.
- Substitute veggie broth instead of water for even more flavor in the vegan alfredo pasta.
This was easy and delicious it’s the only recipe I will make from now on!
This is no doubt the best vegan alfredo sauce I’ve tried!! So good! Thanks for the recipe!
This Alfredo sauce was so creamy and rich, no one could tell it was plant based! My whole family loved it tossed with pasta!
I love it!! Thanks Anjali. Happy the family enjoyed it.
This is seriously amazing!! My whole family loved it and they really enjoyed!
That is awesome! I love that the family was happy.
My all-time favorite sauce but never made a vegan version. Pinned to try this soon.
What a delicious looking pasta dish. Cashews are sure amazing. Your vegan alfredo sauce looks so creamy and inviting. Will have to try this out for the family.
They will love it Pavani!! Thak you. 🙂
How delicious and how healthy. I love this recipe. I never tried vegan version but now i definitely will. Can’t wait to try this.
It’s too easy not to try! Thank you, Natalie!. 🙂
YUM! Even as a non-vegan this would be amazing – I have lactose issues and never even thought to use nuts to create a deliciously creamy alfredo sauce. I happen to have some fresh basil in my garden too so I am adding this to our menu for the week – I cannot wait to give it a try!
Awesome! Give that fresh basil a big long inhale before chopping. I looooove the aromatherapy from garden-fresh basil. 🙂 Thanks Melissa!
is it a creamy sauce or is it very liquid?
Anna, this is creamy, creamy goodness:)
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO”, NOW SERVED BY THE GRANDCHILDREN, ALFREDO E ISA DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference of your article we have the pleasure to tell you the history of our grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “fettuccine all’Alfredo” in 1908 in restaurant run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi).
Alfredo di Lelio opened the restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome, after leaving the restaurant of his mother Angelina. In this local spread the fame, first to Rome and then in the world, of “fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
In 1943, during the war, Di Lelio sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), which is now managed by his nephews Alfredo and Ines, with the famous “gold cutlery”” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
We must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong to the family tradition of “Il Vero Alfredo” in Rome.
We inform that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Alfredo e Ines Di Lelio
Wow! Thanks so much for the history. You must be very proud to be a part of culinary royalty. I wonder if your grandfather would have liked my version:)
Substitute question…. Will any type of flour work for this recipe? I only have oat flour at the moment, but this looks soooo easy to make and I’ve been missing alfredo 🙂
I’ve only tried it with the spelt flour but, I’m sure any kind would work. I hope you love it:)
The flour here is used as a thickener. I used arrowroot starch/flour as a substitute. And it worked great! You could also use cornstarch.
Oooh, this sounds wonderful! Cashews sound perfect for an alfredo sauce. Yum!
I was so excited! It was a new sauce for me and I was truly impressed with how good it was and how easily it all came together.