I used to not be a really big fan of cauliflower, but this recipe for Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is so good, you'll never know it has cauliflower in it.
A recipe that only has 5 ingredient and can be made in a few easy steps is always a winner with me.
But I wasn't a believer until I actually tried it myself.
The first thing I thought after tasting it was "wow", this really does taste like a healthy alfredo sauce!
And not only is it simple to make by basically just putting everything into a Vitamix and you're ready to go, but it's healthy, dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan too.
Look what you're not missing by eating a traditional version of alfredo sauce with homemade and store-bought versions containing ingredients like these:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Homemade Alfredo Sauce:
Typical Ingredients: Butter, Cream Cheese, Heavy Cream, Parmesan Cheese
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce:
Ingredients: Water, Soybean Oil, Cream, Parmesan Cheese (Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Modified Corn Starch, Enzyme Modified Egg Yolk, Whey, Salt, Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Xantham Gum, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Garlic Powder, Spice, Natural Flavor.
It contains several GMO ingredients (soybean oil, modified corn starch) as well as non-organic dairy (cream, part-skim milk, cheese cultures, egg yolk, whey, romano cheese).
This healthier version is made with real, clean food ingredients and is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, , lectin-free, nut-free, soy-free, alkaline and paleo-friendly.
Want more healthy recipes? Check out Vegetable Rigatoni with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce, Vegan Cauliflower "Potato" Salad, Spaghetti Squash with Basil and Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce or my Clean Eating Cookbook with over 140 healthy, clean eating recipes just like this one that you will love!
5 Fast Facts About Cauliflower:*
- 1 cup contains 9.1% DV of potassium
- 1 cup contains 85.9% of vitamin C
- 1 cup contains 8.5% DV of fiber
- excellent anti-oxidant
- contains anti-inflammatory benefits
5 Fast Facts About Almonds (Almond Milk):*
- helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure
- energy booster
- loaded with calcium and fiber
- ¼ cup contains 8 grams of vegan protein
- high in anti-oxidants
5 Fast Facts About Garlic:*
- regulates blood sugar levels
- lowers high blood pressure
- contains anti-bacterial and analgesic properties
- anti-viral
- helps to lower cholesterol levels
5 Fast Facts About Nutritional Yeast:*
- vegan source of vitamin B12
- contains 18 amino acids and is a complete protein
- boosts immune system
- excellent anti-oxidant
- contains 15 minerals
5 Fast Fact About Himalayan Pink Salt:*
- contains 84 minerals
- unrefined, unprocessed, raw
- promotes stable pH balance in cells
- controls water levels in the body
- aids digestion and facilitates better nutrient absorption
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Tip #1: I've used this sauce with traditional pasta in my Vegetable Rigatoni with Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce recipe, as well as part of a recipe using gluten-free spaghetti squash in my Spaghetti Squash with Basil and Cream Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce recipe.
Tip #2: The recipe calls for "5 cloves of crushed garlic". I don't find that it tastes overly garlic-y but if you don't like a lot of garlic, just start with 2 cloves and keep tasting and adding another clove until you get it to the flavor you like. Everyone is different...5 might be just right for some and 5 might be too much for another.
If you reduce the amount of garlic, you may need to adjust the amount of Himalayan salt/pepper and possibly add another type of seasoning to give it some extra flavor.
Gluten-Free Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- Vitamix or high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic cauliflower florets
For the garlic mixture:
- 5 cloves organic garlic freshly crushed
- 1 tablespoon organic extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- ½ teaspoon organic ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 cups homemade almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
- ½ cup organic vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions
Prepare the cauliflower:
- Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized floret pieces and add to a medium-sized saucepan of filtered/purified water. Boil on high heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Drain. Set aside.
Prepare the garlic mixture:
- Add the extra-virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper to a non-toxic skillet and lightly sauté' on low-medium heat until it's all blended together with a thick paste-type texture. You should have approximately 1 tablespoon. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce:
- Add the remaining ingredients (almond milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast) to a Vitamix, or high-speed blender, along with the drained cauliflower and garlic mixture. Blend on high speed until it is creamy and smooth. Adjust seasonings to your preference.
- To warm, transfer the sauce to a sauce pan and warm on the stove top on low-medium heat or use the "soup" setting on your Vitamix, or high-speed blender.
Recipe Notes
The recipe adaptations and photographs for "Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.
Recipe Roundups: Food Bloggers are always welcome to use a photo and a link back to my original post to share on recipe roundups without requesting permission.Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
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Shivonne says
I literally, just made this. It is delicious! So far, this is my FAVORITE pasta alternative! Thank you so much!
Karielyn says
Hi there Shivonne! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for trying it out and for taking the time to let me know you liked it...I really appreciate it 🙂
S says
The HI, I was wondering if you have ever tried freezing jars of this to use later? Thanks!
Karielyn says
Hi there Sidney! I haven't tried freezing the sauce, but don't see why it wouldn't work. And you made an excellent point in suggesting to use glass jars instead of plastic containers...mason jars would be perfect!
If you try it out, make sure you come back to let us know how it did 🙂
Shae says
Can Rice Milk be used to replace the Almond Milk? I'm not a big fan of Soy Milk and I can't use Almond Milk due to allergies.
Karielyn says
Hi there Shae! I've never used rice milk in this recipe, but if I were out of almond milk and had some on hand I would definitely try it...especially since it has a neutral flavor.
I think rice milk, or any other non-dairy milk would work fine.
Thanks for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Tara says
This vegan alfredo alternative is lovely. I initially halved the recipe, but ended up only halving the cauliflower in order to reach a smoother consistency (I don't have a vitamix, which could have led to the thickness). Next time I will try roasting the garlic, to cut the bite and add a little more depth. I think a little vegetable broth/bouillon and some vegan butter would be nice additions, too. Great recipe!
Karielyn says
Hi there Tara! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and I love the alterations you made (and other ideas!), especially the roasted garlic. Oh my, that would definitely take it over the top! I will also try that the next time I make it.
Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you liked it...I really appreciate it 🙂
Taylor says
This looks really delicious! I almost always use nuts or soy to make sauces creamier but using cauliflower is a wonderful idea! It's also lower in fat and I didn't realize it was so high in Vitamin C! And I'm not gonna lie...any excuse to use my vitamix gets me happy!
Karielyn says
Hi there Taylor! I do the same thing...nuts are usually my go-to for the creamy factor but you are so right about the cauliflower! And, it's much cheaper than buying nuts too!
Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it 🙂
Kirbie says
Ummm this is AMAZING. It tastes so freaking good! I'm so sad that I spilled some salt in it, though, and now I have to go buy more cauliflower to make another batch. But it's so worth it! And I love garlic. Alfredo sauce is yummy but it upsets my husbands ulcers and I feel guilty whenever I eat it because it normally involves tons of cheese and heavy cream. I love this. Thank you thank you thank you!
Karielyn says
Hi there Kirbie! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! I'm just like you...traditional alfredo sauce is not good for you and always made me feel guilty afterwards plus, it's full of dairy as you mentioned.
This is definitely a recipe that you can feel good about eating because it's made with clean ingredients that are good for your body.
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you liked it...I really appreciate it 😉
Jennifer says
Hi Karielyn,
This looks like a super healthy alternative to classic alfredo sauce. I'm living in China right now and getting nutritional yeast is a bit difficult. Is the yeast a key ingredient in this recipe or can it be replaced/omitted?
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Karielyn says
Hi there Jennifer! Well, a big HELLO to you all the way over there in China! Yes, you can omit the nutritional yeast...it's there to give it a little "cheesy" flavor, as would Parmesan cheese in traditional alfredo sauce.
You may want to taste it though, prior to serving, to see if you need to add a little extra seasoning to it to compensate for not having the flavoring from the nutritional yeast.
Also, if you didn't need it to be vegan, you could just use regular Parmesan cheese.
Hope that helps and that you enjoy the recipe if you try it out 😉
Betty says
I made this tonight and served it over whole wheat penne. Unfortunately, even after adding parmesan for flavor, it didn't turn out well (adults and 8 year old child agreed). It was too garlic-y and the texture was off for a pasta sauce. Perhaps it was just the pasta I paired it with?
I'm sorry to leave a "bad" review, this one just didn't agree with us.
Karielyn says
Hi Betty! Thanks for your feedback...I don't see it as a bad review, but just honest feedback, which I appreciate. Everyone has different tastes and likes and not every recipe will work for every one.
I personally didn't find it too garlic-y, but someone else mentioned it was, then another person mentioned it wasn't. So I'm going to make a note in the posting about the garlic and a suggestion to reduce the amount of garlic if you don't like a lot. Some people do and some people don't 🙂
I probably wouldn't have paired it with whole wheat pasta, just because it does have a "heavier" taste, but maybe if you were to try it again you could try it with a different pasta and reduce the amount of garlic cloves.
Another thing I thought of that could possibly be making a difference is that I "crush" my garlic with a hand-held garlic crusher instead of dicing or mincing it with a knife. Maybe that makes a difference in the strength of the garlic taste?
Sorry it didn't get a thumbs up with the family, I know how that feels 🙂
Chelsea says
Yeah tried this and it was just incredibly bland.
Karielyn says
Hi there Chelsea! Actually, Betty commented that she found it too "garlic-y" which would be the opposite of "incredibly bland" and much easier to fix by just adjusting the seasonings to your liking....sorry you didn't like it though 🙁
Ashley H says
Yes unfortunately all peppers are bad BUT! I managed to whip this up tonight and after I little research tried organic onion seeds from Whole Foods and it came out DELICIOUS! My one year old has never ate something so quickly! I threw some golden flax pasta, organic peas and low sodium tuna in the sauce for tuna "casserole" and the entire family raved over it. It is now a staple, thanks so much!
Karielyn says
Hi Ashley! I am so happy to hear that you found a way to make it work.
I'll have to check into onion seeds...I've never used them before but they sound good.
And, I love your idea of adding some veggies into the pasta too!
Thanks a lot for letting me know how it came out and I'm glad it was a hit 😉
Ashley H says
I love this for my one year old who has a list of food allergies and for me as his milk maker! Unfortunately though peppers are on our list of no-nos and I don't want it to be bland..anything I could use in place of it?
Karielyn says
Hi Ashley! First of all, yay for breastfeeding! 🙂
Second, are all peppers on the no-no list? I'm thinking of cayenne, black pepper, chipolte or chili pepper but...if you can't use any type of peppers, what I would suggest it to make it first without the peppers.
Then taste it and see if it will do without the peppers. If you think it still needs a little something added for taste, add some extra nutritional yeast, your favorite spice or your usual pepper-alternative.
I think the pepper in the recipe is just to give it a little extra flavor and it's such a small amount, but you may find that you like the sauce without or anything else to to replace it.
I hope you're able to enjoy it because it's really good. Let me know if you try something that works 🙂