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    Home » Recipes » Sauces and Dips

    The Best Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce with Cashews

    Modified: Apr 19, 2024 • Published: Jan 17, 2020 by Dr. Erin Carter • This post may contain affiliate links • 6 Comments

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    This is the best dairy free Alfredo sauce recipe! It is so rich and creamy and it's made with cashews, coconut milk and nutritional yeast. This Alfredo sauce is milk free, butter free, vegan and paleo. It's so easy to make and is perfect for pasta, chicken or fish dishes.

    Dairy free Alfredo sauce being poured onto cooked pasta garnished with fresh parsley.
    Table of Contents
    • Why you will love this recipe:
    • Key ingredients and substitutions: 
    • How to make this recipe:
    • Chef's tips:
    • How to serve:
    • How to store:
    • Frequently asked questions:
    • Other recipes you will love:
    • Recipe

    Why you will love this recipe:

    • It's so quick and easy to make and is ready in just a few minutes! You just throw everything in your Vitamix or other high speed blender and blend all the ingredients together.
    • This vegan Alfredo sauce tastes incredible! So rich and creamy you would never guess that it's dairy free.
    • It's not only dairy free but is also lactose free, butter free, milk free, paleo, vegan and Whole30 compliant.
    • It makes great leftovers and freezes really well.
    • This Alfredo sauce is made with cashews and coconut milk which give it a rich, creamy texture.
    • You can use this sauce for so many recipes including pasta dishes, chicken dishes or the base of a delicious casserole.

    If you prefer a creamy pasta sauce with no nuts you will love this vegan cheese sauce.

    Key ingredients and substitutions: 

    • Raw cashews - cashews are a great dairy free replacement for cream or milk in recipes. When blended, the raw cashews turn so rich and creamy and give this no dairy Alfredo sauce the most incredible texture. Be sure to use raw cashews rather than roasted cashews.
    • Coconut milk - coconut milk blends perfectly with the cashews to give this sauce that rich, creamy flavour that Alfredo Sauce is known for. I recommend using full fat coconut milk. If you can't have coconut milk you could use unsweetened cashew milk, almond milk or oat milk instead. 
    • Nutritional yeast - nutritional yeast is used instead of cheese, to give this Alfredo sauce a cheesy flavour, without any dairy. 
    • Lemon juice - to help balance out the flavours in this non dairy Alfredo sauce recipe. 
    • Italian seasoning - to add the perfect amount of flavour to this delicious creamy sauce. 
    A bowl of dairy free Alfredo sauce on pasta

    How to make this recipe:

    Step one:

    First, place all the ingredients into your Vitamix or other high speed blender.

    Step two:

    Then blend the ingredients well until they are smooth.

    Step by step directions for making vegan Alfredo sauce in a blender.

    Chef's tips:

    • This sauce freezes really well so feel free to make a double batch and save half for later.
    • This recipe is adaptable. If you don't tolerate white onion, use green onions instead. If you don't tolerate garlic use garlic infused olive oil instead.

    How to serve:

    You can use this healthy Alfredo sauce in so many ways. Here are some of my favourites:

    • It's the perfect sauce for topping pasta dishes.
    • Use it to make dairy free chicken Alfredo! 
    • This sauce is perfect on chicken and fish dishes.
    • Use this sauce to top vegetable dishes or as a base for casseroles.

    How to store:

    Store any leftover sauce in the fridge in an airtight jar or container for up to 7 days. 

    A jar of dairy free Alfredo sauce with a spoon in it.

    Frequently asked questions:

    What can you substitute for milk in Alfredo sauce?

    Instead of milk, raw cashews and coconut milk blend perfectly together and are the best substitute for milk in Alfredo sauce. 

    Does Alfredo sauce have dairy?

    Normally yes. Most Alfredo recipes call for cream and butter, milk and cheese but you can make your own dairy free Alfredo Sauce, or buy a pre-made dairy free version at the store. 

    How do you make something creamy without dairy?

    Cashews and coconut milk are great ways to get the same creamy texture of dairy without actually using dairy.

    Can you make Alfredo sauce without cheese?

    Yes! Instead of cheese you can use nutritional yeast which gives a cheese-like flavour, without the dairy.

    Is Bertolli Alfredo sauce dairy free? 

    No, Bertolli Alfredo sauce is not dairy free as it is made with dairy cream. This means it is not lactose free or vegan either. 

    Other recipes you will love:

    • Dairy Free Potato Soup
    • Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
    • Carrot Dip with Chilis
    • Vegan Sour Cream
    • Cauliflower Fried Rice
    • No Mayo Asian Coleslaw
    • Vegan Mac and Cheese
    • Dairy Free Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

    Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

    Recipe

    A bowl of pasta with Alfredo sauce being poured on it.

    Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce

    This dairy free Alfredo sauce is out of this world good! So creamy and delicous you would never guess it's vegan, Whole30 and paleo compliant. Perfect for pasta, chicken or fish dishes!
    4.74 from 19 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
    Blend time: 2 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 315kcal
    Author: Dr. Erin Carter

    Equipment

    • Vitamix blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw cashews
    • 1 cup full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup chopped white onion (you can substitute with green onion)
    • 1 clove garlic minced (or use 1 teaspoon garilc infused olive oil if sensitive to garlic)
    • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to your high speed blender.
    • Blend until smooth.
    • Serve and enjoy!
    • Note: You will want to heat the sauce before serving over pasta or other dishes.

    Notes

    1. This sauce freezes really well so feel free to make a double batch and save half for later.
    2. Use this sauce for pasta, chicken or fish dishes. 
    3. Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used and serving size. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @pureandsimpleno or tag #pureandsimpleno!

    DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy Consaul

      January 15, 2021 at 5:31 am

      hi when you say coconut milk do you mean the canned kind? If so does it taste like coconut thank you love your site

      Reply
      • Erin Carter

        January 17, 2021 at 5:04 pm

        Hey! So either canned coconut milk or coconut milk in the carton will work. Just make sure it's full fat.
        And I personally don't think it tastes like coconut but it might depend on how sensitive your taste buds are?
        Thanks so much for following!

        Reply
    2. Sandra

      November 27, 2020 at 4:22 am

      This is my favorite recipe! So creamy and delicious. I added more Italian spice which I love . Thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Erin Carter

        December 06, 2020 at 2:48 pm

        Oh I am so glad you like it!!! Thanks so much for your support.

        Reply
    3. Kristie

      January 20, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      So yummy!! 🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Erin Carter

        January 20, 2020 at 9:20 pm

        yay so glad you love it!

        Reply

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