This low-ingredient Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce is creamy, rich, and game-changing. The best part is that you don’t get that weighed-down feeling you might remember from a traditional dairy-based Alfredo.
I can’t help myself. Every time I think about Alfredo, I think about The Olive Garden. Then I think about The Olive Garden commercial sketch from Mad TV, “There’s nothing we love more than going out for a real authentic Italian meal, but when I get a coupon, we go to The Olive Garden.” Then I start to think about SNL’s Goth Talk episode with Rob Lowe. Good Stuff.
This Alfredo blows my mind, you should make it
I can say with complete certainty that I am not the only person who has stood in the kitchen eating spoonfuls of just this sauce. It’s great to have friends in this world, especially ones who will share info like this with you. This sauce is easily one of my favorite things.
Serve This Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce with:
- 5 Minute Garlic Hemp Seed Parm a.k.a. Garlic Shake sprinkled on top over Banza Gluten-Free Chickpea Pasta.
- Roasted Red Peppers or other roasted veggies
- Tater tots
- Beyond Meat Vegan Hot Italian Sausages
- Green Cashew-Fu Ricotta stuffed pasta shells, just add extra broth to thin Alfredo before baking for a decadent pasta dish.
This recipe is low on ingredients
- Onions
- No-Chicken Low Sodium Veggie Broth
- Garlic
- Cashews
- Lemon Juice
- This Unfortified Nutritional Yeast and this one are recommended, both are Gluten-free
- Onion Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Earth Balance (optional)
Ingredient Notes
Low Sodium No-Chicken Broth
Another ingredient that makes this Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce fabulous is the No-Chicken Low Sodium Veggie Broth. I typically prefer using No-Chicken broths and bases to regular veggie broths bases because of the flavor. This recipe is no exception. If you can find the No-Chicken Low Sodium kind I recommend it. If you can find No-Chicken, but it’s not Low Sodium, that works too; you may want to skip the salt and possibly sub out a little of it with water.
Cashews
Raw cashews aren’t actually raw. Referred to as raw cashews when they are unroasted and unsalted, actual raw cashews are not suitable for human consumption. Cashews are steamed to remove an outer toxin, here’s a more elegant explanation. This recipe uses unsalted, unroasted “raw” cashews. Oh, and cashews are seeds, not nuts. I tend to think of cashews as nuts, though; to me, Pluto is still a regular planet.
Nooch
I always use and recommend this Unfortified Nutritional Yeast (and this one) both are Gluten-free. The fortified stuff can taste synthetic or vitamin-y. I take this B12 supplement instead of getting it through nooch. Both vegans and non-vegans may have difficulty getting enough B12.
Earth Balance
You can make this recipe oil-free by omitting the Earth Balance or oil.
Getting the onions to caramelize and brown a little in the pan gives this recipe an excellent depth of flavor. I do this in a non-stick pan with a bit of Earth Balance, but it can be done in a non-stick pan with a little No-Chicken Veggie broth. I use Earth Balance because it requires less patience from me. Not a lot less patience, but enough that I find it easier and quicker.
Let’s Make Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Chop the onions, prep the cashews
Chop and slice up your onions. They don’t have to look pretty; try to keep them around or under ¼ inch thick. Also, if you haven’t soaked your cashews, put them in a pot with enough water to cover them, bring them to a boil and then turn the heat off and let them sit in hot water while you sauté your onions and load the blender.
Sauté the onions
Put the tablespoon of Earth Balance in big sauté pan and get it to sizzle. Then sauté the onions at medium to medium-high heat. You want the onions to brown a little.
Once onions are browning, add garlic to the pan. Once the garlic looks amber in color, pour 1 cup of broth into the pan and turn the heat up a little. Let the onions simmer, get very soft and soak up most of the broth.
While the onions are simmering in the broth put 1 & 3/4 cup of the broth, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and onion powder in the blender.
Drain the cashews with a strainer and add the cashews to the blender. Let the onion-garlic-broth mixture cool slightly and transfer it to the blender.
Blend until creamy. Add broth if you think the sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired (see notes below). Serve, store or freeze (see notes below). Enjoy!
If you need or want Gluten-Free Pasta I recommend Banza Chickpea Pasta.
Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- high speed blender
- large non-stick pan
- cutting board
- knife
- food scale (recommended)
Ingredients
- 450 grams yellow onion about 2 medium onions sliced fairly thin or chopped, it doesn't have to be pretty it's going into the blender
- 1 TBSP Earth Balance optional or oil of choice, or omit and cook onions in a little broth in a non-stick pan
- 1 cup "raw" cashews un-roasted, unsalted soaked overnight or boiled while you make the onions, then drained. Be sure to measure your cashews before soaking or boiling.
- 3 – 4 cups low sodium no-chicken broth I use Imagine brand. Divided: 1 cup to cook onions; 1 & 3/4 cups goes in the blender. You may need more to thin the sauce, depending on your preference.
- 3/4 – 1 cup unfortified nutritional yeast I recommend unfortified because the fortified stuff can taste synthetic and vitamin-y. The kind I use & link to is listed as Gluten-Free.
- 1/4 cup lemon juice about one lemon's worth
- 2 TBSPs minced garlic about 8 minced cloves of garlic I use minced garlic from a jar
- 1 teaspoon salt fine
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Chop and slice up your onions. They don't have to look pretty; try to keep them around or under ¼ inch thick. Also, if you haven't soaked your cashews, put them in a pot with enough water to cover them, bring them to a boil and then turn the heat off and let them sit in hot water while you sauté your onions and load the blender.
- Put the tablespoon of Earth Balance in big sauté pan and get it to sizzle. Then sauté the onions at medium to medium-high heat. You want the onions to brown a little.
- Once onions are browning, add garlic to the pan. Once the garlic looks amber in color, pour 1 cup of broth into the pan and turn the heat up a little. Let the onions simmer, get very soft and soak up most of the broth.
- While the onions are simmering in the broth put 1 & 3/4 cup of the broth, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and onion powder in the blender. Drain the cashews with a strainer and add the cashews to the blender. Let the onion-garlic-broth mixture cool slightly and transfer it to the blender.
- Blend until creamy. Add broth if you think the sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired (see notes below). Serve, store or freeze (see notes below). Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from The Vegan 8 by Brandi Doming.
For your shopping convenience, this post contains affiliate links.
If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy the cheese sauce version.
Did you make this creamy, opulent Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce?
What did you eat with it? Any variations? Tell me more in the comments section below.
I could put this alfredo on styrofoam peanuts and eat them happily! This recipe makes a giant jar and then I just roam around my kitchen, looking for things to put it on.
Thank you, Melissa! I do this too. We had some kale that was on the edge and I sautéed it up just so I could put Alfredo on it!