Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
This rich, creamy, and totally dreamy cauliflower alfredo sauce recipe is 100% dairy-free. You'll be amazed at how healthy and delicious vegan can be!
This recipe was originally published back in 2016. We've spruced it up with some new photos and more information. It's been one of our favorite healthy hacks for years now. If you haven't tried it yet, we hope that you treat yourself to it tonight!
Cauliflower alfredo sauce
This cauliflower alfredo sauce is EVERYTHING! Seriously, it's a game-changer. Even though we're all on the get-healthy-in-January train right now (all aboard!), this cauliflower alfredo sauce is going to see us through the whole year.
When we ditch the kale smoothies and salads in favor of chocolate cake and peanut butter cookies, this vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce will remain stay strong.
Regular alfredo sauce, with all its cream, butter, and cheese, is pretty darn awesome. For our mouths. Not so much for our bellies. Jeans are feeling a little tighter just thinking about it!
This alfredo sauce is something different. It's made from the highly skilled impersonator, cauliflower. It's cooked with some onions and garlic then blended into a smooth, creamy sauce with some veggie stock.
We've flavored it with a little nutritional yeast ā¦ that weirdly awesome flaky stuff that tastes a little like parmesan cheese.
This sauce has been a lifesaver. Whip up a batch in all of 15 minutes then slather it on everything from spaghetti squash to pumpkin alfredo noodles to casserole. It's a total timesaver/ healthy hack.
How to make vegan alfredo sauce
Making this vegan alfredo sauce is super easy. Here's what you're going to do:
- Saute some onions and garlic.
- Add the cauliflower and some stock to the pot and steam the cauliflower until it's nice and soft.
- Transfer all the good things in the pot to your blender. Now add the remaining ingredients and blend until you've made a deliciously creamy sauce.
Full recipe in the recipe card below.
What does cauliflower alfredo sauce taste like?
Since we're eat-everything-arians, we're pretty picky when it comes to imitations of ‘real' food. That's why this sauce is such a dream; it's the best knockoff alfredo sauce ever.
Does it taste EXACTLY like cream and butter loaded alfredo? No, but it's unbelievably close.
It's super creamy even though there's not a drop of cream in sight. And the flavor is mild with a touch of garlic and a little cheesiness thanks to some nutritional yeast.
What to serve with cauliflower alfredo sauce
Pasta is the obvious choice here. Linguini, fettuccini, or even penne or fusilli all go well with this sauce.
And you can add extras like spinach, steamed broccoli, peppers, peas or any other veggie that you like.
This is also a great ‘base recipe”. You can use it to build a special (and healthy!) dinner. Here are a few ideas:
- Add some roasted garlic.
- Pour it over steamed or roasted broccoli.
- Make some vegan mac and cheese pasta.
- Use it as a dip for nachos.
- Pizza sauce!
How long does cauliflower alfredo last?
Cauliflower alfredo sauce will keep well for at least 5 days in your fridge.
Does this recipe freeze well?
Yes! This vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Troubleshooting cauliflower alfredo sauce
This can happen if too much stock evaporates while cooking the cauliflower. If needed, add a little extra stock or water to the blender.
This can happen if your blender isn't very strong. In this case, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pieces that didn't blend properly.
When making the sauce, start with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, then add more as needed
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Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes:
- Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry
- Cashew Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Curried Vegan Shepherd's Pie with Coconut Sweet Potato Topping
- Chipotle Mushroom Sloppy Joes
- Deliciously Rich Lentil Bolognese
Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Ā½ yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 cups (12 ounces) chopped cauliflower
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, see notes
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- Ā½ teaspoon soy sauce, gluten-free or coco aminos, as needed
- Optional: 1 tablespoon butter, vegan or regular butter both work, use what you have on hand
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower and the vegetable stock or water to the pot, cover with a lid and let the cauliflower steam for 5 minutes, or until it is soft.1 teaspoon olive oil, Ā½ yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 cups (12 ounces) chopped cauliflower, 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- Transfer everything in the pot to a blender (a high-powered blender will make the smoothest sauce, but any blender will work) and blend on high until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients (starting with 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and 1 teaspoon of sea salt) and blend again. Taste and add more nutritional yeast and sea salt, if you'd like. If you are using the optional butter add it now and blend once more.1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1-2 teaspoons sea salt, Ā½ teaspoon soy sauce, Optional: 1 tablespoon butter
- Either use the cauliflower alfredo right away or pour it into a pan to keep warm until you are ready to use it.
Notes
It was overly oniony but I think the mistake I made was using half of a sweet onion and they’re bigger than regular ones. In Italy it is customary to add rosemary to cauliflower sauce, so at the end I added a couple of sprigs to the sauce in a saucepan and let it infuse. It adds great depth.
Great idea about the rosemary!
Delicious!! I made this when I didnāt have any cashews for the normal sauce I make and this is now my new favourite! Such a creamy cheesy taste and is perfect for a vegan Mac and cheese pasta ? Ā
That’s wonderful to hear!
This is delicious! I love having it with zucchini noodles.
I’m really happy that you love the recipe!
The best so yummy
I’m so happy to hear that the recipe as a hit!
We loved this recipe! I only had frozen riced cauliflower so I microwaved a bag and then let it simmer with the broth, onion, and garlic for 2 or 3 minutes before adding to the blender. 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast was perfect for us. Three year old approves!
So great to know that it can be made with frozen cauliflower!
Can I ask why you need nutritional yeast?
It gives it a more cheesy flavor without actually adding cheese. š
Hi! Will frozen riced cauliflower Work? Super excused about this recipe but thatās all I have right now!
It will definitely work, But frozen cauliflower tends to have a stronger cauliflower taste so just expect that the sauce will taste stronger. š
Great, Iāll try it and report back. Thanks so much!
Hello Kristen, this is really a dreamy vegan cauliflower and everyone loved at home even my husband who is not much keen on my vegan recipes. I did not have the nutritional yeast but I used vegan parmesan instead, the texture was not like in the picture but the taste was amazing. Thank you for this new recipe that gave us some excitement.
That is so wonderful to hear, Camille!
so i made this sauce and then made a simple casserole by combining cauliflower florets, fresh green peas, sliced mushrooms, and cooked brown rice in a casserole dish and then pouring the sauce over the top. i sprinkled with italian herbs and a little cashew “parmesan” cheese. baked covered at 400F for 30 mins and then uncovered for another 10 minutes or until thick, bubbly, and browned. SOOO good.Ā
That sounds wonderful!
Make this often! Family love how quick it is and so tastefulĀ
So happy to hear that you and your family enjoy the recipe, Nancy!
This is THE BEST vegan Alfredo sauce recipe out there, hands down. A friend shared some with me, and I ended up dreaming about it that night. She told me she’d pinned this recipe to her Pinterest, so you’d better believe I looked it up. Thank you for sharing!
That’s so great to hear! Please tell your friend that I said thank you for pinning the recipe and telling you about it!
OH MY GOD. I am love alfredo, I mean, I have issues. Since going seagan (no land animal products, but I eat seafood and fish) a month ago, there are a few things I’ve tried to replicate that…er….didn’t really work out, to put it nicely. This sauce is *NOT* one of those things! I love alfredo sauce. I hate cauliflower. Yet, somehow, I LOVE this sauce. In fact, it’s probably my favorite alfredo sauces I’ve ever had. EVER.
The only change I made was that I added white miso instead of soy sauce. I used better than bullion veggie “chicken” broth, and I used homemade vegan parmesean instead of nutritional yeast. I made a spicy cajun alfredo. AAAHHH I love you for posting this. I also made mashed potatoes and used this in them. Who needs cream and butter?!!?
I love it! That seriously makes me so happy to hear!
OMG is this stuff good. Iām going to make a batch and have it on everything. Iām recently a WFPB proponent and Iāve tried many sauces that were flat out gross. Not this one ??!Ā
Love it! That’s so wonderful to hear!
do i pour the whole pot into the blender or just scoop out the cauliflower? instructions were unclear. thanks!
The whole pot!
I have made this recipe twice now. I really like it, and enjoy eating it since I know it’s cauliflower and not cream! I cooked it a bit longer, until cauliflower was very soft, blended it with my hand blender, added more hot water and it turned out really creamy. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re so welcome!!
This tasted like french onion soup to me. Followed instructions but nothing I added covered up that flavor. UGH.
Strange? Definitely never noticed that before!
Iām so bummed! My didnāt not look anything like the picture. It had a somewhat grainy texture, not creamy. I used a high powered āNinjaā but for some reason It didnāt come out right šĀ
I have never used a Ninja before but I am surprised that it wouldn’t make it creamy. Perhaps it needed a little more liquid to make it blend better.
Made this tonight for supper and it was a hit! Absolutely delicious. Only think I was lacking was the lemon but we didnāt miss it! Will definitely be making again.
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
Do we have to use soy sauce? It adds too much sodiumĀ
I often use coco aminos instead. š
This was really good. I had a gigantic head of cauliflower, so I made a triple batch with plenty to freeze for later. Mine turned out a little thin, so I might boil it down, or eat some as soup! ?
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
You can freeze it???? How is it when I thaw it?????
I have made this over and over (made it last night, as a matter of fact) and it is the ONLY vegan sauce I have made that actually tastes like alfredo sauce. I leave out the nutritional yeast because I don’t care for it, and it is still outstanding! I don’t even bother trying anymore creamy sauce type vegan recipes because I know they cannot top this. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
I love it! That makes me so happy to hear!
This was so amazing, I don’t stomach onion or garlic, so I used ginger instead ?? Thankyou!
What a good idea for a substitute!
This is delicious and meets my husbandās paleo and my vegetarian needs. I added a bit of almond milk and some garlic powder in the last stages of blending in the vitamix. Thank you!
Isn’t it great to have recipes that fit everyone’s needs? So happy to hear that this one works for both of you!
So I turned this recipe into a soup and it was great! All I did was leave out the lemon, add more nutritional yeast, and garnish with black pepper, nutritional yeast, and parsley! Honestly, the best soup I’ve ever made! Thank you! ?
What a great idea!
This recipe was no doubt delicious, but for some reason the consistency was more like mashed cauliflower instead of sauce. I think I may have used too much cauliflower or maybe it’s because our food processor is a standing one rather than an “upside down” one, like a nutri-bullet.
That can happen if your cauliflower is on the bigger side. To make it more sauce-like, simply add some extra water or broth next time. š
Super yummy and kid approved – thanks!
Hooray!!
Haven’t made it yet but looking at the nutrition information, is most of the sodium from the stock?
It’s from the 2 teaspoons of salt and some from the stock. š
Loved this! It was so hard to not eat the whole lot out of the Vitamix!Ā
Haha I feel the same way when I make this!
Thanks for this recipe, I am trying to avoid nuts and this is just the ideal recipe I like to make my Alfredo sauce. I will be having this Alfredo sauce for my dinner.
I hope you love it as much as I do!
I made this last night and it was a hit! The sauce is wickedly delicious and so easy to throw together. My kids devoured it and my meat-eating boyfriend loved to, too. I added cashews after reading one of the comments, but will try without next time. Thanks for this recipe:)Ā
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for coming back to let us know!!
I haven’t tried it yet but am excited to especially with all of the positive comments. I am not vegan but am trying to cut meat and dairy out of my diet. My question is can I put the sauce in the fridge for the next day will it still be creamy?
While I find it is best the first day, it will still be nice and creamy the next day. What you may find is it may taste more cauliflower-y. š
Delicious and so easy!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for stopping by to comment!
Love it, added some cashews and it tasted wonderfully rich and creamy, delicious!! Thank you!!
Good call on the cashews!
I used this recipe to mix with tomato sauce for a creamy tomato sauce like I used to eat as a vegetarian! This sauce was absolutely perfect for me except it took a solid 30 minutes to get the lid off my NutriBullet after I blended the hot ingredients ? thatās beside the point but even my non veg boyfriend loved this sauce. also wanted to mention that this recipe makes A LOT
That must have been a frustrating 30 mins! So happy to hear you liked the recipe once you got the lid off your blender!
Uhhh, this didn’t make it to the alfredo part. It was so crazy-good, it was lapped up as creamy, delicious cauliflower soup. Try this recipe, people. I made it exactly as written and tonight will be my third time to make it. One of these days, I’ll use as alfredo sauce.
Hahaha I love it!!
This recipe did not work. I was so disappointed in the result! I followed the recipe exactly and it looked nothing like the pictures! It was not creamy or dreamy. It was nothing like the texture thatās in the pictures.Ā
I’m sorry to hear that. If you let me how the texture turned out for you I can help you to troubleshoot. š
Hi š
Thanks for the recipe!
Is there any other alternative for the nutritional yeast?
Something that is low of protein? Butter maybe?
Thanks!
If you eat butter, do you eat cheese, too? That would definitely work. I don’t know of a vegan replacement for nutritional yeast. Maybe a vegan cheese? Although I’m not familiar with how they melt and if they would melt into the sauce or not.
maybe try some Miso paste or a yeast spread like Marmite (NZ)
Good ideas!
Do you think this will freeze well? Itās amazing but I have a ton of it!
I find that cauliflower takes on an extra strong flavor if it’s frozen. So while technically you can freeze this, the cauliflower taste might end up being too strong. š
Can the sauce be frozen?
I haven’t tried it but I know that cauliflower can get pretty strong tasting when it’s frozen.
What’s the nutritional yeast for? Can I omit it?
Making it for my 10m old baby so not sure if I can add yeast to her cooking? Thanks!
The nutritional yeast is what gives it a cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast and is high in B vitamins, protein, and minerals. Totally safe for little ones! My daughter loves it sprinkled on top of rice. š
Kristen, thanks for sharing this delicious recipe! We love it! I had a whole bag of fresh spinach to use up so I threw several handfuls in as I was blending the sauce. It turned very green but was very delicious and hidden veggies are always a plus when you have a picky toddler! Thanks again š
What a great idea to turn it into a green sauce!!
Omg thank you yessss we just had to go dairy free for health reasons and me and my kids have been cravinggg Alfredo! So excited for this recipe ?
You’re so welcome!
Wow. This was to die for. I added Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes tripled the garlic hehe and OH MY GOD. thank you. I love this.
I’m so happy you liked it!!
Absolutely delicious!!! I used as a white sauce om a sprouted whole grain pizza crust and topped with sauteed spinach and vegan parm! Love Love Love! Will make again and again. Thank you!
I think I saw your post on Instagram! I’m so happy it was such a hit!
This recipe made me really happy! I just got a spiralizer and was looking for a vegan alfredo sauce recipe…was gonna use cashews until I found this one and ~ EUREKA!
I slurped, and slurped and slurped my zoodles with this…super satisfying.
I used lactic acid instead of because I have a lot of it…also going to experiment with using miso instead of veggie broth…I used Better Than Boullion veggie base but it has a bit too much depth…it was still great, though š
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
Yummy! This is so delicious – thank you for such an amazing recipe
You are so welcome!
Hi I tried this and itās really yummy!! However I think I might have done something wrong because the sauce came out more of a tan/greyish color rather than more cream/white like in your pictures. Do you know what this could be?? Thanks!!
That can happen if the onion and garlic get a little too brown or if your vegetable stock is darker in color. I’m happy to hear you liked the taste of it!
I’ve been trying to find a good replacement alfredo sauce for ages. I first started with cashew but that was just a lot of calories and was really heavy on my stomach. But this was great! I actually added some Italian seasoning as well and didn’t put in nutritional yeast and it tastes the same!
So happy to hear you like the recipe!
Hello, the cauliflower has to be really tiny like rice? Or works just with small pieces when you put it in to the pan?
Just small pieces. š
When you say to add cauliflower to blender, does that mean the contents of the pot or just the cauliflower?
The contents of the pot! You’ll need the liquid in order for the sauce to blend properly. š
I have recently committed to eating a ton of veggies and this sauce was surprisingly delicious! I ended up steaming mine longer because I don’t have a fancy blender and I wanted it to be really smooth.
How long would you say this keeps?
Congrats on your commitment! I’ve kept it for several days in the fridge. š