Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe + 4 Ways To Use It

Heather Dessinger

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dairy free alfredo sauce

If an alien shapeshifter tried to impersonate my husband, you know how I would know? Fettuccine alfredo. Other people like alfredo, but my husband loves it. So if the shapeshifter sat down with my family and didn’t immediately dive for the bowl creamy goodness, I’d 1000% know something was up. 

Making alfredo has been tricky recently, because I’m temporarily dairy-free as part of my healing journey. Fortunately, this rich, creamy, and garlicky dairy-free alfredo sauce is such a hit that my littlest literally kissed me the first time he tasted it. (I had to wipe the sauce off my cheek!)

While traditional alfredo sauce gets its flavor and texture from heavy cream and parmesan cheese, this sauce gets its “cheesy” creaminess from caramelized garlic, nutritional yeast, velvety whipped cashews, and a handful of other ingredients. I know, it sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it does . . . . even my husband approves. 

4 Ways To Use Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce

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3.91 from 22 votes

Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe

This rich, creamy, perfectly garlicky dairy-free alfredo sauce is easy to make and so delicious. Makes approximately 1 cup.
Prep Time 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 181kcal
Author Heather Dessinger

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place cashews in a heat-resistant bowl. Bring three cups of water to a boil and pour them into the bowl with the cashews. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
  • Add olive oil to a skillet and saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until they are lightly caramelized. Place them in the blender along with the nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
  • When the cashews have soaked for 15 minutes, drain the water from the bowl and add the cashews and chicken broth to a high-speed blender. Puree until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
  • Serve over fettuccine noodles and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. 

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use coconut milk or almond milk instead of water/chicken broth?

I tested this recipe with a variety of non-dairy milk options, including coconut, unsweetened almond and homemade unsweetened oat milk. The coconut milk version was too sweet, but the other two worked well. 

Do I need a high-speed blender to make this? 

I find they really help get this sauce super smooth, but if you have a lot of patience and can spend some extra time pureeing a regular blender will probably work, too. 

dairy free alfredo sauce recipe

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About HEATHER

Heather is a holistic health educator, herbalist, DIYer, Lyme and mold warrior. Since founding Mommypotamus.com in 2009, Heather has been taking complicated health research and making it easy to understand. She shares tested natural recipes and herbal remedies with millions of naturally minded mamas around the world. 

3.91 from 22 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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11 thoughts on “Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe + 4 Ways To Use It”

  1. 5 stars
    I have made this sauce! I’m surprised and extremely happy at what cashews and nutritional yeast can do for a dairy free person. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. My kids love Alfredo! We’re in middle of kitchen remodel but can’t wait to try this! Love your idea to coax sweetness and flavor from caramelized alliums and finishing it off in the Vitamix! Genius and easy! Thank you!

    Reply
    • I made a Mac and cheese recipe that used tahini in it instead. That is made from sesame seeds. Or maybe you could try pepitas, it probably would not be as creamy though. I wouldn’t know the amounts to use.

      Reply
    • I’m not sure how to answer that. I don’t love nutritional yeast on its own but I like the “cheesy” flavor it adds to this recipe. I think it would be kind of bland without it, so if you don’t like nutritional yeast in any form this might not be the best recipe to try.

      Reply