This easy, 25-minute cauliflower alfredo sauce is creamy without the need for cream or dairy! Perfect with vegan pasta, veggies, & pizza!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Have you tried air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings or cauliflower pizza and loved it? If so, you'll love this creamy, garlicky, yet 100% vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce with far less fat, carbs, and calories.
Plus, it comes together in just 25 minutes with simple ingredients, one pot, and a blender. Enjoy this lighter alternative for cauliflower fettuccine alfredo, over roasted veggies, in a vegan white lasagna, and more.
Love creamy pasta dishes? Try my vegan carbonara, creamy gochujang pasta, or even creamy vegan gnocchi soup.
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower: I used fresh cauliflower, though frozen also works.
- Lemon juice: Fresh is best, though bottled works. Add lemon zest for more flavor. Apple cider vinegar also works.
Recipe Variations
- White miso: A small amount boosts umami depth in this alfredo with cauliflower.
- Fresh herbs: Like parsley, basil, thyme, etc.
- Spices: Chili powder, cayenne, or chili flakes for spice, smoked paprika, etc.
- Onion: Add onion powder or caramelized onion for sweetness.
- Flavored oil: A little chili oil, garlic oil, or truffle oil for flavor.
- Vegan butter/olive oil: Add 1-2 tablespoon before blending.
- Vegetables: Sauteed spinach, kale, mushrooms, shredded broccoli, or peas.
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Step 1: First, chop the cauliflower into small florets. Then, bring the vegetable broth, cauliflower, and garlic clove to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for 10-12 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender.
Step 2: Carefully transfer it to a high-speed blender and add the plant milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
Step 3: Blend until smooth and creamy. Then, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve immediately over pasta (like spaghetti or fettuccine), or return it to the pot and re-warm before serving. Enjoy!
If the cauliflower alfredo is too thick, add more broth or plant milk and blend again.
FAQs
Yes. However, I still recommend simmering it in the broth after until very tender, for smooth blending.
You could simmer it longer, add more cauliflower, or even add a small amount of cornstarch (in a slurry, to avoid lumps).
The cauliflower might be undercooked, or the blender underpowered. If needed, strain the sauce.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Don't undercook the cauliflower: It must be SOFT to blend smoothly.
- Use a high-speed blender: For a smooth, creamy sauce. If it's a little grainy, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Taste and adjust: Adjust any of the seasonings, plus add more liquid if preferred for a thinner sauce.
- For extra creaminess: A little vegan butter or oil.
- When serving with pasta: If it's a little thick, add some pasta water. The added starch helps it cling to the pasta.
How To Use Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce?
- With pasta: Like cauliflower fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti. Use gluten-free pasta if needed. You can also use it in a vegan white lasagna, with vegan meatballs, or over spaghetti squash or low-carb zucchini noodles.
- Over vegetables: Like steamed, grilled, or roasted broccoli, pumpkin, butternut squash, air fryer asparagus, roasted potatoes, or stuffed baked potatoes.
- Over vegan pizza: Or a flatbread, instead of traditional tomato sauce.
- As a sauce: In grain bowls, wraps/butternut squash bean burritos, tacos, savory crepes, for fries, and more.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: In an airtight container for 4-5 days. It will thicken when chilled.
Freeze: For up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container, bag, or an XL ice cube tray (then a Ziplock/Stasher once solid). Then, thaw it overnight in the fridge and re-blend briefly for the best texture.
Thaw & Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat from frozen in a microwave (in 30-second increments - stir between) or on the stove over low heat. Add more water, broth, or plant milk if needed.
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Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- ¾ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the cauliflower, garlic cloves, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender.
- Carefully transfer the cauliflower, garlic, and broth to a high-speed blender.
- Add the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Blend until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately over pasta, or return to the pot and gently warm before serving.
Notes
- Don't undercook the cauliflower: It must be SOFT to blend smoothly.
- Use a high-speed blender: For a smooth, creamy sauce. If it's a little grainy, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Taste and adjust: Adjust any of the seasonings, plus add more liquid if preferred for a thinner sauce.
- For extra creaminess: A little vegan butter or oil.
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