30-Minute Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Cashews
Jul 20, 2022 (Last updated May 8, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani
This recipe for cauliflower alfredo sauce uses cauliflower and cashews in replace of heavy cream to make an ultra creamy, rich and velvety-smooth Alfredo sauce that’s completely! The recipe is plant-forward, dairy-free and made with wholesome real-food ingredients and a great way to sneak in veggies!
As a mom of two young boys, I’m all about quick recipes made with simple ingredients that I can feel good about feeding to our family. This recipe is a great way to sneak in some vegetables for my kids, who tend to be picky eaters.
But most importantly, this recipe is FULL of flavour and is a delightful dish. Many of the cauliflower alfredo recipes I found online were bland and lacking in taste. This recipe packs a punch with umami ingredients like nutritional yeast and miso for a rich and vibrant sauce that your whole family will adore.
The Ingredients:
- Cauliflower: Chopped into florets and then lightly roasted to soften. Cauliflower lends a natural creaminess to our alfredo as well as thickening the sauce. I like to roast the cauliflower because it helps to enhance the flavour profile for a more umami-tasting cream sauce. I recipe tested this using frozen cauliflower but I personally found it to be bland and lacking in taste.
- Cashews: Raw cashews are used in this recipe to enhance the creaminess, used as an alternative to heavy cream. Raw cashews are super soft and creamy, and work really well for making cream sauces in vegan recipes. Adding nuts is also a great option to make this recipe stick with you, while stick keeping the recipe vegan and dairy-free. If you don’t like cashews, I also recipe tested this with pine nuts and it was nice, but definitely altered the flavour to a more nutty cream sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast: Adds cheesiness to the dish without the use of real cheese. We love using nutritional yeast to up the cheesiness and umami flavours of otherwise bland dishes. This is a must in my opinion!
- Miso: Another way to up the flavour profile of this vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce with more umami! I prefer the white shiro miso because it’s more delicate and sweet in its profile. I also recipe tested this with red miso and it worked just fine!
How to Make Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
It’s so easy to make this cauliflower alfredo sauce! You definitely don’t need to be a master chef; here’s what you’ll do:
How long does this recipe keep?
This Alfredo sauce will keep for up to one week. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
The entire dish (Alfredo sauce tossed in noodles), can also be stored in the fridge for one week. But my preference is to make the sauce in advance and then cook the noodles when you’re ready to eat.
That’s because leftover pasta becomes soft and breakable – so if you like your pasta al dente (as I do) then it’s best to cook the pasta noodles when you’re ready enjoy the Alfredo sauce.
Can you freeze cauliflower Alfredo sauce?
Absolutely! In fact, I’ve got a batch in the freezer right now. 🙂 This Alfredo sauce will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store in an air-tight container.
So there we have it! A delicious recipe for vegan cauliflower Alfredo sauce that’s full of flavour, velvety-smooth and a much healthier alternative to traditional Alfredo sauce using cauliflower and cashews instead of heavy cream.
I really think you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do. If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have.
30-Minute Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Cashews
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 small cauliflower head chopped into florets
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- pinch fine sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
serve with:
- 500 g fettuccini noodles (opt in for gluten-free if preferred)
- handful fresh parsley finely chopped, (optional for topping)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak the cashews in boiling water and set aside.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C. In a large mixing bowl add the cauliflower and drizzle with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and mix to combine.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pour the cauliflower onto the tray spreading out to make an even layer. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges and well cooked (a fork should easily be able to glide through the biggest pieces). Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, bring 1 tbsp olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened (about 5 mins).
- Add the softened garlic and onion medley to a blender, along with the cooked cauliflower. Strain the cashews and add to the blender along with the water, nutritional yeast, paprika, miso paste and sea salt. Blend together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. (Optional to add splashes more water if texture is too thick, but I found 1 3/4 cups to be perfect!).
- For serving: Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta noodles of choice. Cook as directed on package, until al-dente – approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Strain and add back to the pot.
- Pour the Alfredo sauce overtop and mix together to combine. Finish by sprinkling with chopped parsley and ground black pepper.
Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
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What can I serve with it to make a nice filling meal? Thank you, Jean
Hi Jean! I find this cauliflower alfredo to be filling enough as a standalone meal, but feel free to add side dishes if you like! I’d recommend my Vegan Caesar Salad recipe – it would be a delicious side. 🙂
Perfection! We loved it! Thanks for this recipe Hannah!
So glad you enjoyed it Krystal! Thanks!