Dairy-Free Chicken Alfredo with Cauliflower Sauce
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Dairy-free chicken alfredo is deliciously creamy, just like regular alfredo. This recipe is unique because it’s made with a cauliflower-based sauce. You’ll be amazed at how dreamy and creamy this tastes!
If you’re craving a luxuriously creamy sauce but want something a little lighter, this recipe is for you. The sauce tastes unbelievably rich and silky — you’d never guess it’s packed with veggies.
Pan-seared chicken breasts and a handful of spinach round out the dish, making it feel cozy and satisfying without being heavy.
The secret is my dreamy cauliflower Alfredo sauce. It’s made by blending onions, garlic, steamed cauliflower, and a few simple seasonings into a smooth, velvety sauce that closely mimics classic Alfredo. While it’s not exactly the same as the cream-and-butter version, it comes remarkably close — so close that most people would never know the difference.
Ingredients in this dairy free alfredo sauce recipe
We skip the typical cream and butter completely and create a creamy, dreamy sauce made of veggies.
- Onion and garlic, sautéed in a little oil.
- Steamed cauliflower.
- Chicken or veggie stock.
- Nutritional yeast.
- Lemon juice.
- Sea salt.
- A tiny splash of soy sauce.
What to serve with this pasta
While this pasta is easily a meal in itself, especially since the sauce is made of veggies, it’s sometimes nice to have a side dish. A simple green salad is often what we serve with pasta. Here are a few of our other favorites:
Store and reheat
Store: Transfer leftovers to a sealed container, store them in your fridge, and eat them within 4 days.
Reheat: I like to reheat this on the stove, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave it.
Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo with Cauliflower Sauce
Ingredients
Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 3 cups chopped cauliflower (12 ounces)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see notes)
- ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
Dairy-Free Chicken Alfredo
- 12 ounces uncooked pasta (I like fettuccini or linguini)
- 4 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
- 3 ounces baby spinach
- 2 chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Begin by making the alfredo sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Add the cauliflower and chicken stock and bring the pot to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 cups chopped cauliflower, 1 cup chicken stock
- Transfer everything in the pot to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high until smooth. Taste the sauce and add extra salt and/or nutritional yeast if you'd like. Set aside.1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1-2 teaspoons sea salt, ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the water through a colander then return the cooked pasta to the pot. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and toss so that all the pasta is lightly coated in the oil. Add the spinach to the pot.12 ounces uncooked pasta, 3 ounces baby spinach
- While the water is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned on both sides and cooked through.2 chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- Add the cooked chicken to the pot with the pasta. Pour the alfredo sauce over top and toss so that everything is well coated in the sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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This recipe is so simple to make and my teenage kids love it. I love this version of chicken Alfredo.
So happy to hear that your family loved it!
This recipe was great, simple, easy and delicious. I love that the ingredients for each step are underneath the step, so I don’t have to keep scrolling up and down to see how much of something I need.
I wouldn’t say it tastes cheesy but it’s definitely delicious. My 5 year old who will not touch vegetables apart from raw carrots gave it the thumbs up and the happy dance so I’d consider that a win 👍🏻
This recipe was so good even as leftovers! I didn’t have nutritional yeast so I threw in a couple handfuls of mushrooms with the cauliflower. I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. And I loaded it with parsley.
The best part is that my kids didn’t even notice the sauce was made with cauliflower…and they don’t like cauliflower!
Hi:)
Can you freeze the sauce?
Thx
Yes, this sauce freezes well!
These instructions are easy to follow! And I really want to give a try to prepare this quick and easy meal for my dinner. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Great recipe! The sauce came out nice and creamy. Will definitely make it again.
This looks like a great recipe…do you think coconut aminos would work in place of the soy sauce?
That should work well!
This recipe was very good! I loved the cauliflower sauce and didn’t miss the butter and cream. Thank you!
Looks like a great recipe to try. What does the yeast do in/for the recipe? Is there anything to sub for it if you don’t have it?
The nutritional yeast gives it a cheesy flavor. You could use parmesan cheese instead. 🙂
Thanks, Luna!
This was excellent. It’s not anything like a real alfredo sauce, but a very nice alternative.
Hi! Is the soy sauce required?
No it’s a little amount so you can get away without it. You may just want to add an extra pinch of salt. 🙂