Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe Easy 5-Minute Creamy Sauce for Pasta
A creamy, indulgent dairy-free Alfredo sauce made with soaked cashews and nutritional yeast, ready in just 5 minutes. Perfect for vegans, lactose intolerant individuals, or anyone craving a lighter twist on classic Alfredo.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus soaking time for cashews)
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes (excluding cashew soaking time)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours or overnight
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (can substitute oat or soy milk)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: pinch of nutmeg or crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water for at least 2 hours or overnight. For a quick soak, pour boiling water over cashews and soak for 30 minutes.
- Peel and mince the garlic cloves finely.
- Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a high-speed blender along with almond milk, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more almond milk a tablespoon at a time if the sauce is too thick.
- Pour the blended sauce into a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, stirring gently with a whisk or spoon for 3-5 minutes until warm but not boiling.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if desired.
- Serve immediately over cooked pasta, tossing gently to coat. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Soak cashews properly for the creamiest texture; quick soaking in hot water for 30 minutes works if short on time. Use unsweetened almond milk to avoid altering flavor. Warm sauce gently without boiling to prevent texture changes. Nutritional yeast is key for cheesy flavor. Sauce can be adjusted for thickness by adding more or less almond milk. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of almond milk if thickened. Not recommended to freeze.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1/2 cup sauce
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 1.5
- Protein: 6
Keywords: dairy-free Alfredo sauce, vegan Alfredo sauce, creamy pasta sauce, cashew Alfredo, lactose-free sauce, quick Alfredo sauce, healthy Alfredo