This is the easiest and creamiest gluten and dairy-free alfredo sauce that you can make and still have dinner on the table in no time.
I've been making alfredo for my family even before my husband and I had kids. It's probably one of his favorite sauces for pasta, especially since he is NOT a fan of spaghetti, haha. Even after I went gluten-free, I still found ways to enjoy this simple classic because who doesn't love a good creamy sauce coating delicious pasta?
Enter our youngest, who doesn't do too well with dairy. She's like me, we can do some, but we definitely know about it if we get too much. It was actually her idea to figure out how to make this beloved family recipe but make it dairy-free so we can enjoy it just a bit more like my husband and her sister.
So I give you what we deemed to be our favorite gluten and dairy-free alfredo sauce because you need it in your life too.
Why You'll Love It
- Vegan, Gluten, and Dairy-free!
- Easy to make!
- Rich and creamy!
- The whole family will approve!
Ingredients
The ingredients in this dairy-free alfredo sauce are super simple, but they make a creamy sauce that will go perfectly over your favorite gluten-free pasta when combined.
Raw Cashews - These delicious nuts get soaked in hot water and then blend into a super creamy sauce. Bonus, these are filled with healthy fats and protein.
Dairy-free Milk - You can use what you like. I tend to stick with coconut or cashew milk, but you can use almond or whatever dairy-free milk you prefer.
Onion - I tend to use a sweet yellow onion for this recipe, but you can use what you like. I find shallot works really well in this recipe too.
Garlic - You can choose to use fresh garlic, or if you want to up the flavor, I highly suggest making some easy roasted garlic to add to this sauce for a little something extra.
Olive Oil - Adds flavor to the onions and garlic and a healthy fat to the overall sauce.
Lemon - Because this sauce has no tang from the dairy and cheese typically in alfredo sauce, the lemon adds that bit of acid to help balance out the flavors.
Salt and Pepper - For more flavor.
Gluten-free Pasta - Use whatever gluten-free pasta or shape that you want.
Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
Don't like Cashews? - While cashews work the best if you don't love them, I have had luck subbing in raw slivered almonds into this sauce. I would just make sure to soak them a bit longer.
Nutritional Yeast - I'm not a fan personally, but if you are, you can add it to this sauce for some extra "cheesy" flavor. If you add it, I would stick with about ¼-1/3 of a cup.
Add Vegetables - I am a huge fan of adding things like sauteed mushrooms, spinach, kale, and even broccoli to alfredo. Feel free to add what you like.
Want more spice? Add in a bit of your favorite Italian seasoning for a bit more flare. You can even add a bit of cajun spice to make turn this into a cajun alfredo.
Let's Get Cooking
- Make the pasta, drain it, and set it aside.
- Soak the cashews for about 15-20 minutes in hot water.
- Saute the onion and garlic with the avocado oil until they start to soften.
- Add the drained cashews and the remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the sauce to the pasta and enjoy!
This sauce is best fresh but it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
While I would say no with traditional alfredo sauce, this one is different. This sauce actually freezes really well. It works best to freeze it by itself before adding it to pasta. When you are ready to use it, just thaw it overnight in the fridge or warm it up on the stove over medium heat.
Add it to some rice for a bowl of creamy rice, over your favorite veggies, or even as a base for the perfect dairy-free alfredo pizza sauce. The possibilities are endless.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Gluten and Dairy-free Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Box Gluten-free Pasta Cooked and drained
- 1 ½ C Raw Cashews
- 1 ½ TBS Olive Oil
- 1 Small Sweet Yellow Onion
- 1-2 C Dairy-free Milk Depending how thin you want your sauce.
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 TBS Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ C Nutritional Yeast optional
- Vegetables optional
- Grilled Chicken or other meat opptional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your gluten-free pasta per the box directions. Drain the water and set the pasta aside.
- Bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil and then pour it over the cashews and let them soak about 20 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
- In a small skillet saute the onions and garlic until they start to soften and then remove them from the heat.
- Transfer the drained cashews and the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste or add your favorite italian seasoning if desired.
- Add the sauce to the cooked pasta, add adddiontal veggies or meat and enjoy.
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