Best vegan Alfredo sauce is perfect for meal prep. Pair this delicious creamy sauce with pasta, roasted and steamed veggies, and Buddha bowls throughout the week. Budget-friendly and kid-approved.
Make this incredible tasting vegan Alfredo sauce and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. It's so versatile, you'll be eating it with everything! It's packed with flavor, and has the perfect consistency.
This recipe was inspired by my Creamy Garlic Sauce, as well as this Creamy Dairy-Free, Nut-Free Lemon Pasta.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Miso adds a cheesy umami flavor to this vegan Alfredo sauce. White miso is a fermented paste made from inoculating soybeans with a mold called koji, which is cultivated from rice, barley, or soybeans. It's rich in umami, salty, and earthy in flavor. Use it to make salad dressings, glazes, sauces, dips, as well as in stews, and soups. It's very versatile and lasts for quite some time in the refrigerator.
- Cashews are a good source of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, including magnesium, copper, and zinc. They are often used in vegan cuisine to create creamy sauces because they have a high fat content and a mild flavor that blends well with other ingredients. If you do not own a high-speed blender, soak them before blending for a creamier texture. They are a popular alternative for people with lactose intolerance.
- Shallots and garlic are cooked down until tender and then blended with the sauce ingredients, adding a delicious flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
🌿 Substitutions
- Cashews - instead of cashews, use silken tofu for nut-free
- Miso - use 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast to replace the miso
- Shallots - use white onion instead as desired
See this Pasta with Asparagus recipe on my site made with Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce. For more creamy sauce recipes, visit my Vegan Condiments page.
📖 Instructions
Step 1. Add the shallots and vegetable broth to a large skillet. Gently boil over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the shallots are tender, stirring occasionally.
Step 2. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes more, or until all the broth is absorbed.
Step 3. Transfer the cooked shallots and garlic, cashews, miso, lemon juice, and one-half cup broth. Blend until smooth, adding more broth as needed. Adjust lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Step 4. Serve Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce with a pasta of your choice or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
💡 Expert Tips
- Cooking aromatics: Reduce the heat if the shallots and garlic start to burn, adding more broth as needed.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days to use throughout the week.
- Reheating: Reheat in a microwave, or saucepan. Or add the desired amount to cooked pasta to an oven-safe dish, top with some vegan cheese shreds, and reheat in the oven.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Miso is packed with the flavor sensation known as umami—the thick paste is deeply savory, with a toasty, salty-sweet richness. This umami flavor forms the base of a lot of everyday vegan cooking. Use it in soups, stews, salad dressings, sauces, and more. It acts as a cheese substitute in this dairy-free Alfredo sauce recipe.
Cashews are the perfect vegan substitute for the cream found in traditional Alfredo sauce. Blended cashews add a creamy texture to this dairy-free recipe. You can also use non-dairy milk with cornstarch, or a mixture of blended cashews and coconut milk to replace the cream.
Silken tofu + plant-based milk. To substitute silken tofu as a vegan alternative for heavy cream, simply blend equal parts of silken tofu with your favorite plant-based milk. Thicker nondairy milks such as soy milk, cashew milk, and oat milk are great choices.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped shallots small dice (about 2 large shallots) or 1 ½ cups chopped white onion
- 1 to 2 cups vegetable broth (preferably low-sodium)
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- ½ packed cup cashews (see notes)*
- 2 tablespoons white miso (mellow miso)
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook aromatics: Add the shallots and 1 cup vegetable broth to a large skillet. Gently boil over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, or until the shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. (Reduce the heat if the shallots start to burn, adding more broth as needed.) Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes more, or until all the broth is absorbed.
- Blend: Transfer the cooked shallots and onions, cashews, miso, lemon juice, and one-half cup broth. Blend until smooth, adding more broth as needed. Adjust lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- For serving: Serve with cooked pasta of your choice or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
- *If you do not own a high-speed bender, soak the cashews in boiled water for at least 15 minutes or overnight, and drain.
- For nut-free, use silken tofu instead of cashews. Start with 12 ounces and add more as needed.
- If you do not have miso, use 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast instead.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days to use throughout the week.
- Reheating: Reheat in a microwave, or saucepan. Or add the desired amount to cooked pasta, with some vegan cheese shreds on top, and reheat in the oven.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
JLW says
Amazing sauce…I don’t know if it necessarily tastes like alfredo sauce but, it is definitely freaking delicious!!!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thanks for giving it a try! Glad it worked out!
Primla Goddard says
A tasty and extremely delicious vegan Alfredo sauce! Can refrigerate for up to four days which is so helpful. The cashews make it so creamy!
Nisha Melvani says
I hope you love it! Thank you.