Dairy Free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (Vegan)

This Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is a delicious,  low cal and dairy-free spin on a classic Italian pasta sauce that also happens to be vegan and 100% nut-free! Made in just 25 minutes! 

Oh, February - What is the connection between this month, our brains and bodies, absolutely insisting that we eat a giant casserole dish of cheesy pasta for dinner every night? I imagine many of you will probably be stuck somewhere in the cold and I feel like this time of year, it is always especially hard to stick to a healthy clean diet because all you crave all day are rich comfort foods and hot chocolate.

This is exactly why I like to make healthy light versions of comfort food classics that still taste rich and delicious and just hit the spot!

One of the indisputable classics is this Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.  If I hadn’t made it myself, I never would’ve believed it had zero butter and cream in it whatsoever. I would have sworn it was packed with all the goodies.

Have you ever made a recipe that made you squeal with delight because it was so good AND it’s low in calories and fat? Meaning you can have as much of it as you REALLY want?  Nope, it does not happen often, so when it does, it's a pretty big and exciting thing and those I tend to share with you asap.

Let's get to the nitty-gritty of this recipe!

There are a couple of ways to make dairy-free Alfredo Sauce:

A couple of days ago, I shared another version of Vegan Alfredo Sauce with you, which uses cashew nuts as a base. I find both recipes equally delicious but tastes differ and you might want to try both to figure out which one will be yours!

Here's the low down on dairy-free alfredo - Cashew vs. cauliflower alfredo:

Cashew Alfredo Sauce:

• It comes closest to dairy-based alfredo, both in terms of texture, taste, and color.
• Is super quick to make (10 minutes vs 25 minutes).
• There is no cooking involved if the cashews are soaked beforehand.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce:

• Lower in calories than the nut-based version.
• It's nut-free in case you suffer from intolerance or allergies.
• You have the bonus of added “sneaky” veggies.
• It's a lot more budget-friendly - we all know those nuts get expensive if you don't buy bulk.

Ingredients needed for making Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce:

Simple, simple! You need only a handful of ingredients.

• Cauliflower
• Garlic
• Nutritional Yeast
• Vegetable Stock
• Salt, pepper, and nutmeg as seasonings

How to make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce in less than 3o minutes:

Step 1 - Add cauliflower florets and garlic to a large pot, pour chicken stock and just enough water to cover the cauliflower. Bring to a boil then cook for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.

Step 2 -Discard garlic (or save for another use) and transfer cauliflower to the bowl of your food processor using a slotted spoon (don’t throw away the cooking liquid). Add nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, nutmeg and ½ cup of cooking liquid.

Step 3 - Process until very smooth and gradually add more cooking liquid until you reach a sauce consistency (I used 1 cup total). Use the sauce straight away, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it (see below).

Can I freeze Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce?

Yes, you can. Let it cool, add to a Ziplock bag, seal it and flatten the sauce with your hand, leaving the air out. Lay flat in the freezer until frozen so it’s easy to stack. Thaw in the fridge as needed.

What’s nutritional yeast?

Think of nutritional yeast as the coolest secret weapon in your vegan superhero pantry! It is the ingredient that gives this alfredo sauce that wonderfully cheesy flavor (without having to add any cheese).

The yeast is 100% deactivated so no need to worry about bubbly alfredo sauce that doubles in size and starts to ferment with time. They look like small little flakes, maybe a bit larger sea salt flakes.

Nutritional yeast provides a nutty, cheese-like flavor and is therefore used to add some umami to vegan sauces, stews soups, dips, and cheeses. Apart from its ability to turn an otherwise bland sauce into a total cheese-fest, it is also a significant source of B Vitamins.

Ways to use this delicious dairy-free cheese sauce:

Toss it with some Chicken Fettucine

Use it instead of tomato sauce for these Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls. 

Why not mix it with zoodles or drizzle it on top of some roasted cauliflower?  It would probably be killer mixed with some rice too - like an Alfredo meets Risotto kinda thing?

Tips for making Dairy-free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce:

• You can also use a blender, but if you do, you might need to process the cauliflower in two batches, depending on the size of the jar. If needed, blend half of the cauliflower before adding the other half.
• Boiling the garlic with the cauliflower will infuse the cooking liquid with a garlic flavor without it being too pungent and bitter.
• For a dairy-free alfredo sauce using cashew, see this recipe.
• Feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat, or use white instead of black pepper. Italian herbs would also go well here.

5 from 5 votes

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Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

This Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is a delicious,  low cal and dairy-free spin on a classic Italian pasta sauce that also happens to be vegan and 100% nut-free! Made in just 25 minutes! 

Course Condiment, side

Cuisine American, Italian, Vegan

Keyword alfredo sauce dairy-free, alfredo sauce with cauliflower, cauliflower alfredo sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Calories 186 kcal

Author Marie

Ingredients

• 4 cups  cauliflower florets about one small cauliflower or half a medium one
• 3  cups  vegetable stock
• 2 large garlic cloves peeled
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• ½  tsp  black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Add cauliflower florets and garlic to a large pot, pour chicken stock and just enough water to cover the cauliflower. Bring to a boil then cook for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.
2. Discard garlic (or save for another use) and transfer cauliflower to the bowl of your food processor using a slotted spoon (don’t throw away the cooking liquid). Add nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, nutmeg and ½ cup of cooking liquid. Process until very smooth and gradually add more cooking liquid until you reach a sauce consistency (I used 1 cup total).
3. Use straight away, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it (see details below).

Recipe Notes

• You can also use a blender, but if you do, you might need to process the cauliflower in two batches, depending on the size of the jar.
• If needed, blend half of the cauliflower before adding the other half.
• Boiling the garlic with the cauliflower will infuse the cooking liquid with a garlic flavor without it being too pungent and bitter.
• For a dairy-free alfredo sauce using cashew, see this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 186 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Sodium 2143mg93%

Potassium 1634mg47%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 755IU15%

Vitamin C 229mg278%

Calcium 115mg12%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More delicious cauliflower recipes from the blog:

• Skinny Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup
• Cauliflower & Broccoli Tabbouleh 
• Detox Bowl with Roasted Cauliflower
• Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani