Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This rich, creamy, and totally dreamy cauliflower alfredo sauce recipe is 100% dairy-free. You’ll be amazed at how delicious vegan food can be!
This cauliflower alfredo sauce is EVERYTHING! Seriously, it’s a game-changer. With all its cream, butter, and cheese, regular alfredo sauce is pretty darn awesome, but my jeans are feeling a little tighter just thinking about it!
This Alfredo sauce is 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 bit of nutritional yeast … that weirdly awesome flaky stuff that tastes a little like Parmesan cheese.
This sauce has been a lifesaver. Whip up a batch in 15 minutes, then slather it on everything from spaghetti squash to pumpkin alfredo noodles to casserole.
What does cauliflower alfredo sauce taste like?
Since we’re eat-everything-arians, we’re pretty picky about 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. The flavor is mild, with a touch of garlic and a little cheesiness, thanks to some nutritional yeast.
Troubleshooting cauliflower alfredo sauce
The sauce is too thick. This can occur if too much stock evaporates during cauliflower cooking. If needed, add a little extra stock or water to the blender.
The sauce isn’t smooth. This can happen if your blender isn’t powerful. In this case, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pieces that didn’t blend properly.
The sauce needs more flavor. When making the sauce, start with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, then add more as needed
Ideas for serving cauliflower alfredo sauce
Pasta is the obvious choice here. Linguine, fettuccine, or even penne or fusilli all pair well with this sauce. And you can add extras like spinach, steamed broccoli, peppers, peas or any other veggie that you like. It’s also the base of my dairy-free chicken alfredo recipe.
This is also a great ‘base recipe”. You can use it to build a special 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!
Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ 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
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 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, ½ 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, ½ 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This has become one of my go-to recipes over the last couple years. I make it so often and everyone I’ve made it for loves it! So so good, def recommend!
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. 🙂
Hi! Will frozen riced cauliflower Work? Super excused about this recipe but that’s 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. 🙂
Great, I’ll 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.
That sounds wonderful!
Make this often! Family love how quick it is and so tasteful
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. I’m going to make a batch and have it on everything. I’m recently a WFPB proponent and I’ve tried many sauces that were flat out gross. Not this one ??!
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!
I’m so bummed! My didn’t not look anything like the picture. It had a somewhat grainy texture, not creamy. I used a high powered “Ninja” but for some reason It didn’t come out right 🙁
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 didn’t 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 sodium
I often use coco aminos instead. 🙂