• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Damn Tasty Vegan
  • Vegan Spring Recipes
  • Recipe index
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Spring Recipes
  • Recipe index
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
  • Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Spring Recipes
    • Recipe index
    • Lifestyle
    • About
    • Contact
  • Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » All recipes

    Dairy free Alfredo sauce

    Published: Nov 1, 2019 · Modified: Oct 29, 2022 by Maria · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy vegan Alfredo sauce

    Creamy dairy free Alfredo sauce. This vegan alfredo sauce is decadent and delicious with a cashew cream base and delicious cheesy flavor. Top with plant based chicken and a sprinkle of black pepper.

    Dairy free fettuccini alfredo in a bowl with vegan chicken

    Anything you can do, I can do vegan! This recipe definitely proves that point.

    This creamy sauce is just as tasty as a the "real thing". The perfect dish to impress your friends at a dinner party.

    It’s also great for a romantic night in. Make a big side salad and you’ve got a delicious meal.

    To make this decadent vegan pasta sauce taste even better, top this dish with some vegan parmesan cheese and my favorite vegan chicken tenders.

    dairy free alfredo sauce on fettuccini noodles with vegan chicken

    This recipe is

    • Dairy free
    • a great comfort food
    • Easy
    • Vegan & vegetarian
    • Great for date nights

    Ingredients

    • Raw cashews - This is the heavy cream base of our dairy free Alfredo sauce. Raw cashews, when soaked in hot water and then blended in a high-speed blender it creates an amazing healthy alfredo sauce with an amazing creamy consistency that's a great substitute for heavy cream.
    • Nutritional yeast - These golden yellow flakes provide a cheesy, umami and nutty flavor to the alfredo pasta. It's also high in B12.
    • Unsweetened oat milk - Or your favorite non-dairy milk like almond milk, coconut milk or soy milk. Make sure it's unsweetened. I find oat milk is the only plant milk that doesn't leave an after taste. You can also just use water.
    • Garlic powder - You can also sauté some chopped, fresh garlic in a large sauté pan before adding the cream sauce.
    • Onion powder
    • Lemon juice
    • Salt & pepper - white pepper also tastes great in this. A little goes a long way.
    • Vegan chicken - I love the Gardein breaded chick'n strips in this.
    • Vegan butter or olive oil
    • Fettuccine noodles - Most dry and boxed pastas at the grocery store are accidentally vegan. Just read the ingredients.

    Recipe tips

    If you’d like a healthier alfredo sauce add some more nutrients by throwing in some peas or chopped kale. I love adding greens to creamy pasta dishes. Top with fresh parsley for an added pop of flavor.

    The longer you heat the white sauce, the more it thickens up.

    To add some brightness and pop of flavor, add some lemon zest to the sauce.

    Hand holding a fork with dairy free alfredo fettuccine pasta.

    To reheat and store

    This pasta will last you about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

    To reheat: If you’re wanting to heat this up the next day for leftovers, just add a splash or two of water and add a little salt. Heat on the stove on medium heat, or in a microwave.

    To make this without cashews

    If you’re allergic to cashews you can make this creamy pasta sauce by substituting with one of the following:

    • ½ cup of raw sunflower seeds or
    • 1 cup of white beans like great northern beans or
    • 1 cup of silken tofu
    • 1 cup of shredded vegan parmesan cheese like follow your heart brand
    • 1 cup of vegan cream cheese

    To make this gluten free

    To make this recipe gluten-free, just make it without the chicken tenders and useIf you would like a gluten-free version, and use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

    More vegan recipes to try:

    • Smoked gouda mac & cheese
    • Best vegan stovetop mac and cheese
    • Vegan Stroganoff
    • Vegan chicken noodle soup
    • Homemade vegan pasta noodles
    • Dairy free lasagna
    • Vegan heavy cream

    Loved the recipe? Pin the image below and leave a star rating in the recipe card.

    📖 Recipe

    Dairy free alfredo sauce on fettuccini pasta in a bowl with vegan chicken

    Dairy free alfredo sauce

    This delicious dairy free alfredo sauce goes amazingly well in a vegan chicken fettuccini Alfredo.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 410kcal
    Author: Maria
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary or Metric
    • 8 oz fettuccini pasta (half of a 1lb package)
    • ½ cup raw cashews (soaked in boiled water for 10 minutes)
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or white vinegar)
    • 1½ cups unsweetened oat milk (or water)
    • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 2 tablespoons vegan butter (or olive oil)

    Instructions

    • Soak your cashews for 10 minutes in boiled water then drain.
    • Boil your pasta water and cook pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, but keep ¼ cup of the pasta water for later. Add some olive oil on the pasta it so it doesn't stick after draining.
      8 oz fettuccini pasta
    • While your pasta is cooking, add cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice and oat milk to a blender. Blend on high until smooth - at least 2 minutes
      ½ cup raw cashews, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1½ cups unsweetened oat milk
    • In a large enough pan to hold the pasta, heat vegan butter on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
      2 tablespoons vegan butter, 3 cloves garlic
    • Turn heat to low. Add the blended sauce from the blender to the pan with the garlic and butter. Heat on low for one minute, gently stirring the sauce until it thickens. Add the fettuccini to the cheese sauce pan. Slowly add in the reserved pasta water and stir until it thickens to your desired consistency.
    • If sauce gets too thick, add a more pasta cooking water.
    • If sauce is too thin, keep it on low heat until it thickens - but be warned, the cashews will make this thicken quite a bit on heat.
    • Top with the Gardein vegan chicken tenders, or chop them up and fold them in with the pasta if you'd like them a little coated.

    Notes

    To make this gluten free, use GF pasta and make without the Gardein tenders
    This alfredo is also good with peas, steamed broccoli or steamed kale. Just add them to the pasta water 2 minutes before the pasta is done cooking and drain them with the pasta. This makes it so you don't have to dirty up another pan.
    If you're allergic to cashews, substitute for 1 cup of shredded vegan parmesan cheese or 1 cup of silken tofu or 1 cup of white beans. 
    To re-heat this the next day, add some water to thin out the sauce as it will be thick.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @DamnTastyVegan or tag #DamnTastyVegan!

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Vegan cashew Alfredo sauce

    More Vegan Recipes

    • Easy Overnight Oats with Coconut Milk
    • Tofu bolognese sauce with pasta on a white plate.
      Easy Vegan Tofu Bolognese Pasta Sauce
    • Baked Tofu ground beef crumbles in a white ceramic dish.
      Easy Tofu Ground Beef Crumbles
    • Air fryer tempeh cubes on top of a salad with a tahini dressing.
      Crispy Marinated Air Fryer Tempeh

    About Maria

    Maria is the creator of the blog and YouTube channel Damn Tasty Vegan. She has been a vegetarian since 2005 and vegan since 2015. She loves showing new vegans how easy and delicious living a vegan lifestyle can be. She is passionate about animal welfare and strives to help change the way animals are viewed and treated, by helping people transition to a vegan lifestyle.

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Woman with sunglasses sipping a green juice with a straw.

    Hi, I'm Maria Rose! I'm a professional singer by night, and recipe developer by day. I run this blog and am also the creator of the One Month (30 minute) Meal Plan. I love helping people learn how to cook easy and delicious plant based meals.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fresh Spring Recipes

    • Israeli couscous salad in a serving dish.
      Israeli couscous salad (pearl couscous)
    • Overhead view of large mixing bowl filled with rainbow salad.
      Crunchy rainbow salad
    • Roasted asparagus on a plate
      Easy air fryer asparagus
    • Orzo with cashew cream and roasted vegetables in a bowl.
      Creamy vegan orzo with chickpeas and roasted vegetables
    • Couscous stuffed peppers topped with melted vegan cheese in a casserole dish.
      Vegan Chickpea and Couscous Stuffed Peppers
    • Instant pot sweet potato curry in a bowl over quinoa.
      Easy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Kale

    Popular Posts

    • Sticky glazed maple miso tofu in a pink bowl on top of rice.
      Sticky Glazed Maple Miso Tofu
    • Vegan Jackfruit Nachos
      Easy jackfruit nachos
    • Piece of bread dipped in vegan fondue
      Easiest vegan fondue (dairy free cheese fondue)
    • Crispy tofu cubes in a glass bowl.
      How To Make Crispy Tofu (Baked & Pan Fried)
    • Baked potato without foil on a plate topped with butter.
      Perfect baked potato (without foil)
    • Close up of banana protein pancakes with bananas and strawberries on top.
      Banana Protein Pancakes without Eggs

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Information

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Get your free Vegan High Protein Grocery List Download!

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Damn Tasty Vegan on the Foodie Pro Theme

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.