The BEST Keto Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe – Perfect for Any low carb/keto pasta recipe. It’s a no cashews
This was my first attempt at vegan Alfredo sauce and I have to say that it turned out to be delicious.
There are no cashews in this vegan Alfredo sauce and definitely no dairy in it either. It’s also made with roasted cauliflower crumbles and almond milk.
All the ingredients in this sauce are going to be in your kitchen and pantry right now.
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Tips for making vegan Alfredo sauce
- For faster cooking, use cauliflower crumbles because they have already been chopped up. They will cook faster stove-top and save you at least 15 minutes of chopping and cooking time. That totally makes it worth your time, right?
- It’s so easy to refrigerate or freeze this sauce. This way, you can enjoy the sauce for months.
- This sauce can be used in penne pastas, meatball casseroles or Vegan meatloaf recipes. It’s a very versatile sauce.
- I also like to call this the flax seed sauce because I use ground flax seeds in it. They add a creamy texture to the sauce and make it taste a little nutty.
- You can use extra garlic if you want. I always add more than what I put in the recipe below and it tastes delicious!
- There are no cashews or whole almonds in my recipe. You are welcome to use them, if you like. Make sure you soak them overnight. It will soften them.
Vegan, gluten-free, keto and low carb Alfredo sauce
This recipe, inadvertently, turned out to be Gluten free and low carb. That surprised me and delighted me at the same time. I love when recipes turn out to be healthy.
All the ingredients are natural and I used no sugars (that means real sugar, artificial sugars or sugar alcohols). Who would have thunk that Alfredo sauce can taste delicious without any sweeteners!
I have heard from old Italian ladies that sugar is not needed in pasta sauces. So, they inspired me to make this completely sugar-free Alfredo sauce.
I made this recipe back in 2015 when I had no idea what keto was! Yet, I inadvertently created a keto friendly recipe!
You have no idea how happy this makes me because I love accidentally keto recipes, lol. It also happens to be vegan!
Vegan keto is a very difficult combination and so, this recipes are always in high demand. I like to put it in low carb/keto pasta recipes. Soon, I am putting it in a casserole recipe too.
Nutritional yeast is a vegan’s best friend!
In this recipe, I make use of raw nutritional yeast for the first time on this blog. If you don’t use it in your vegan diet, now is a good time to start.
It is so good for vegans because it is a significant source of B-Complex vitamins. I try to put it in one meal a day and most of the time you can’t tell that its in there.
This Creme Fraiche is my favorite way to use nutritional yeast. I find it to be a substitute for heavy cream or whipping cream.
For this recipe I used raw nutritional yeast.
Here are some other recipes I have used it in: Stuffed poblano, Vegan mac and cheese, French toast bread pudding, sweet potato hasselbacks and acorn squash soup.
Ask me questions
Raw nutritional yeast is all natural. It’s what remains after the brewing process and is packed with almost all B vitamins.
Fortified, on the other hand, is raw nutritional yeast with other vitamins added to it. Particularly, vitamin B12 is added to it because raw doesn’t contain B12.
Cauliflower crumbles are found in the fresh vegetables aisle at any grocery store or big box stores.
I don’t think I will ever chop to cut cauliflower again. Don’t you just love it when companies make your life easier?
Yes, ground flax seeds make all the difference in this sauce. Even though I only use a tiny bit of it, it adds so much texture and flavor to this sauce. Flax seed flour is better than using corn starch to thicken the sauce. It keeps this sauce gluten-free
Yes, it is easy to sweeten vegan Alfredo sauce. You can use stevia drops (about 2-3). This will keep it Keto and low-carb.
Also, you can sweeten it with Agave or maple syrup. That will mean it won’t be Keto or low-carb.
Ideally, you want to make it without any sugars.
Yes, you can freeze homemade Alfredo sauce. Put it in ice cube trays (make sure the ice tray has a lid) or you can put it in Zip-lock bags (lay them flat in the refrigerator).
To refrigerate this Alfredo sauce, put it in glass mason jars. Refrigerate it and use it within 2 weeks.
Yes, you can absolutely use almond milk in it. It adds a nutty flavor and makes the sauce a little softer.
If you want even more cauliflower recipes, check out my collection of the easiest cauliflower recipes.
Recipe for vegan Alfredo sauce
1) On medium heat, put 3 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
2) Add 2 cloves of garlic. I like to cut each clove into 4 pieces
3) Add 1 cup of almond milk and heat on medium heat for 4 minutes
4) Add 1 cup of crumbled cauliflower and stir well. Let it heat until the cauliflower is softened. On medium heat, it should take about 15 minutes
5) Add 1/2 tsp of salt. This is optional
6) Add 1/8 tsp of whole peppercorns and stir well
7) Add 2 tsp of crushed pistachios.
8) Add 1/4 cup of almond milk and stir well. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes
9) Put the combination into a blender and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds
10) Add 1/4 cup of almond milk (optional), 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast, sugar, flax seed meal, 1/4 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Blend again until the consistency is smooth.
11) Remove from blender and serve with your favorite vegan or vegetarian pasta recipe. I am sure that meat eaters will love this Vegan Alfredo sauce too.
Are you on “Team red pasta sauce” or “Team white pasta sauce”
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cup almond milk (Split into 1 cup, 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
- 1 cup cauliflower crumbled or cut into pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp whole peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp flax seed meal
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp pistachios crushed ground
- 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Heat olive oil on medium heat in a strong-bottom pan
- Add the garlic
- Add and heat on medium heat for 4 minutes
- Add crumbled cauliflower and stir well.
- Let it heat until the cauliflower is softened (about 15min on medium heat)
- Add salt, peppercorns and pistachios then mix well
- Add 1/4 cup of almond milk and stir well.
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes
- Put into a blender and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds
- Add 1/4 cup of almond milk (optional), sugar, flax seed meal, nutritional yeast and lemon juice.
- Blend again until the consistency is smooth.
- Remove from blender and use it in your pasta recipe
Notes
- For faster cooking, use cauliflower crumbles because they have already been chopped up. They will cook faster stove-top and save you at least 15 minutes of chopping and cooking time. That totally makes it worth your time, right?
- It’s so easy to refrigerate or freeze this sauce. This way, you can enjoy the sauce for months.
- This sauce can be used in pastas, casseroles and even meatloaf. It’s very versatile.
- I also like to call this the flax seed sauce because I use ground flax seeds in it. They add a creamy texture to the sauce and make it taste a little nutty.
- You can use extra garlic if you want. I always add more than what I put in the recipe below and it tastes delicious!
- There are no cashews or whole almonds in my recipe. You are welcome to use them, if you like. Make sure you soak them overnight. It will soften them.
Annie says
How do you think this would turn out if I left out the sugar? I really love your recipes and this looks amazing, but I need to leave the sugar out if I make it. I do have stevia I could also try in place of it but not sure how that would be. Any suggestions would be so appreciated! Thank you, I love your website and recipes!!!
Healing Tomato says
Hello Annie, You could definitely remove the sugar. Try stevia with it or just omit the sugar altogether. It will taste just as good. Thank you for letting me know. I will work on making more sugar free recipes this year.
Megan @ Megunprocessed says
This is my kind of meal right here! So good!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Megan
Allison Miller says
Creamy and delicious! I need a big bowl of this in my life!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Allison
Kristen Chidsey says
I have learned so much from this post–THANK YOU
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Kristen Chidsey
Jenn Peters says
Love a good alfredo sauce!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Jenn
Dogvills says
That looks creamy and delicious. I am not Vegan, but I would love to try the recipe.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Dogvills. I am so happy to hear from non-vegans. This recipe will definitely put a smile on your face
Rosey says
I like that it uses cauliflower. It sounds good to me.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Rosey
Amy Jones says
This looks incredible! I’m a fan of the alfredo sauce and this one looks delicious i’ll try this at home
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Amy
michelle says
that is great that the recipe is not only vegan friendly but lo carb!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Michelle
Tamason Gamble says
This looks great I am always looking for tasty meatfree alternative.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Tamason
Julie @ Texan New Yorker says
when I saw the title of the recipe I was so curious as to how to pull that off, but I never would’ve guessed cauliflower!! Genius!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Julie. Cauliflower came by perfectly in this recipe.
Lexie Lane says
So creamy and looks so delicious. I will save this!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Lexie
Colette S says
That looks delicious.
I have not had that bbefore.
I love Alfredo Sauce and would definitely want to taste this vegan sauce
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Colette. Let me know how it turns out
nicole escat says
I haven’t try this pasta. I love the looks of creamy of it
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Nicole
rika says
Great recipe and looks so much healthier. Thanks
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Rika
April Grant says
I never about alfredo sauce before but it looks creamy and delicious
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, April
Edwin Lao says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I will definitely try this, great for valentines day.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Edwin
Liz Mays says
I’m totally intrigued with the cauliflower crumbles in there. I’d absolutely try this!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Liz. The Cauliflower crumbles are proving to be very useful
Claudette Esterine says
That sounds like a great sauce but I am not a vegan and prefer the regular version.
Healing Tomato says
Thank you, Claudette. I understand completely. It is an acquired taste, if you are not used to vegan sauce. But, you will like it over time. I hope you try it in the future.