This 15-minute vegan Cashew Alfredo Sauce recipe is just as rich, creamy, and utterly delicious as the original! It's made with no dairy or egg, but captures the essence and flavor of this classic sauce. (Vegan, gluten-free, refined oil-free.)
This easy vegan alfredo sauce doesn't skip a beat from the classic version! It's a dairy-free and egg-free alternative that's just as rich, creamy, and utterly delicious as the original.
Best of all, it's super quick and easy to prepare in just 15 minutes. We'll simply gather a few ingredients and blend them to silky smooth deliciousness. Then gently heat it on the stove. That's it!
The result is a luscious, creamy sauce that's ready to dazzle your pasta, pizza, potatoes, and more. It's also fantastic as a dipping sauce!
Ingredients for Cashew Alfredo Sauce
For this recipe, you'll blend in a high speed blender then warm on the stovetop:
- Raw cashews: This is the magical ingredient that creates a rich, creamy texture. I use raw unsalted cashews, then soak them to soften which creates a creamier consistency when blending. You can either soak the cashew nuts for several hours before blending, or use my "quick soaking" method with hot water which only takes about 10-15 minutes. (See the recipe below for guidance.)
- Vegetable broth: Use low-sodium if desired.
- Nutritional yeast: Traditional alfredo sauce typically includes Romano and Parmesan cheese (plus heavy cream and butter), so we swap that out for dairy-free nutritional yeast which has a cheesy flavor.
- Onion powder: This adds lots of savory flavor to the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Or you can use arrowroot powder instead. Either one works great. This helps thicken the sauce.
- White miso: This adds bold, salty, umami depth of flavor. I highly recommend including it, but if you don't have it, then you'll need to add salt to taste.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dijon mustard: I use two teaspoons, but you can adjust the amount as desired.
- Garlic powder
Customizing
Flavors: Add black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, chives, dried rosemary, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, roasted red pepper, basil, mushrooms, or any other spices or herbs that sound good. Or you can give it a kick with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Garlic: Switch up the garlic powder for fresh garlic cloves or even roasted garlic for a deeper flavor.
Thickness: This is a medium-thick sauce, so adjust as you see fit. For a thicker sauce, slightly decrease the broth or increase the cornstarch (or both). For a thinner sauce, use less cornstarch or omit it completely.
Pesto variation: A swirl of Vegan Walnut Pesto could also be added for fresh, herbaceous flavor.
Serving
Pasta sauce: Create a classic fettuccine alfredo by tossing some of this warm sauce with cooked, drained fettuccine noodles. Or toss it with any other pasta shape like penne, fusilli, vegan tortellini, linguine, zucchini noodles, etc. You can also use it in baked pasta dishes. It's an easy, satisfying dinner paired with steamed broccoli, green beans, or roasted vegetables.
Pizza, potatoes, and beyond: Spoon it on your homemade pizzas, baked potatoes (or gnocchi), white lasagna, stuffed shells, casseroles, roasted vegetables, or whatever else sounds good. You can even use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks, garlic bread, baked tofu, veggies, etc. I'd love to hear how you use it!
Storing
Allow the sauce to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find it keeps for about 4-5 days. I haven't tried storing this in the freezer, so can't say for sure how well the texture would hold up after thawing.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan sauce & seasoning recipes or cashew recipes.
Cashew Alfredo Sauce (Vegan!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked*)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp. onion powder
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 1 Tbsp. white miso
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend for about 30 seconds or until completely smooth.
- Then pour the sauce into a small saucepan on the stove. Heat over medium (whisking often to prevent clumping and sticking to the pan) for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is just warmed through and slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat. Add salt and black pepper to taste if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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