This homemade Easy Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce recipe is vegan, nut-free, & made with only 7 simple ingredients. You'll never guess the secret healthy ingredient!
I really have no business making an alfredo sauce recipe. I haven't had a forkful of creamy fettuccine probably since I was 12 years old. That's a solid decade and a half between us.
So why am I writing about alfredo? I thought you'd never ask.
I'm not too big on creamy. I'll pass on a broccoli cheddar, take a marinara over any and all sauces, and opt for alternative milks simply because I don't like the taste of dairy milk. But here I am. Just a girl, standing in front of alfredo, asking it to not be creamy.
What makes this dairy free alfredo sauce recipe healthy and delicious:
- potatoes
- water
- non-dairy milk
- lemon juice
- garlic
- salt
- pepper
- nutritional yeast
How to make this alfredo sauce
In a microwave-safe bowl, add 2 medium white potatoes that have been peeled and cubed with ¼ cup water. Heat them on high for 8 minutes in the microwave, or until fork tender, being careful when removing bowl from microwave. Drain off water, and add potatoes to a blender.
Add ½ cup non-dairy milk, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the blender, and blend on high until smooth. Heat when ready to serve, and use additional non-dairy milk if sauce gets too thick.
Pro Tips:
- Add directly to pan of pasta when cooking to heat it up at the same time.
- Add additional non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) to sauce if it starts to get too thick.
- For more of cheesy flavor, add 1 teaspoon more of nutritional yeast.
FAQs
How long does this alfredo sauce last?
If stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container, this sauce should last at least 5 days.
Can you freeze this alfredo sauce?
Since it is made with potatoes, I don't recommend freezing since this will alter the texture of the sauce when thawed. Luckily it takes almost time to make!
What if I don't have nutritional yeast?
Unfortunately, that's what gives this sauce it's alfredo feel, so leaving it out would alter the flavor. If you have a favorite vegan or dairy-free parmesan cheese, adding that in place of the nutritional yeast would be your best bet.
Money-Saving Tips for this Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce:
- Buy whole potatoes. Not the pre-mashed stuff. Not only are they cheaper, but you also control what goes in them.
- Use the bulk section. If I can find nutritional yeast in the middle of nowhere California in the bulk section of my grocery store, you can too. Plus, it's much cheaper than the canister option.
- Buy refrigerated. I find the refrigerated almond milks to be more affordable, and tend to have fewer ingredients than the shelf-stable versions.
more pasta-inspired recipes:
Dairy-Free Penne Vodka
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Balsamic Pasta Salad with Tofu
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating & review to let me know how it turned out!
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Easy Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 2 cups 1x
Description
This homemade Easy Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce recipe is vegan, nut-free, & made with only 7 simple ingredients. You'll never guess the secret healthy ingredient!
Ingredients
- 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 /2 cups dairy-free milk alternative (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add potatoes and ¼ cup of water. Heat on high for 8 minutes, or until a fork tender. Drain off water.
- Add potatoes and remaining ingredients to a blender.
- Blend on high for 1 minute, or until smooth.
- Add to pasta, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If sauce is too thick or gummy, add a couple tablespoons of warm dairy-free milk, or pasta water if applicable.
- This sauce is pretty garlicky. If you're not a big garlic fan, omit or use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- Using a creamy potato like a white or yukon gold helps prevent the sauce from becoming too gummy.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: sauce
- Method: blend
- Cuisine: vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 35
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 305
- Fat: 0.2
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: sauce, pasta, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, alfredo, potato
Make it a great day!
What's your favorite pasta sauce?
Do you have a favorite pasta shape?
Becca | Rabbit Food Runner
So clever to use potatoes. And thanks for the tips - I didn't think to check the difference in ingredients for shelf vs refrigerated almond milks.
Abbey Sharp
So creamy! Can't believe it's dairy free. Will have to try this out!
Deborah Brooks
how creative to use potatoes to get a creaminess!
Amy Gorin
Potatoes! No way! That is such a clever idea. Thanks for sharing.
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Oh wow! What a smart idea to use potatoes! I can't wait to try this!
Angela
This looks so delicious! I love the idea of making a dairy free sauce, can't wait to try it!
Sarah
Great video! I also love using nutritional yeast to achieve a cheesy flavour in vegan dishes.
Kara Lydon
Yum! Any recipe with pasta is a good recipe!
Kate
Yep! Definitely going to save and use this 🙂
★★★★★
Stacey Mattinson
Will have to try these! Have definitely used cauliflower but potatoes are a first. Thanks for the idea! Saving for later.
Alanna
OK I am totally diffing the potato! Brilliant!
Eve | Good and Evo
This is perfect for my hubby! He's lactose intolerant so pasta with dairy is off limits at home. I'm definitely going to give this a try. Hopefully he likes it.
Emily Cooper
So happy to hear that Eve! Hope you both enjoy!
Amber
I love that there is an alternative to a dairy based alfredo! Thanks for sharing; I am DF and NF.... can I use an unsweetened coconut milk to achieve the same thing? Thanks!
Kaycee Millman
This looks awesome! Any idea on if we can freeze it for future use?
Emily Cooper
Hi Kaycee! I've never tried freezing it before, so not sure if the consistency would be the same. I will have to try this out!
Bonnie
This is hand down the best Alfredo recipe!
Very creamy and satisfying. I used miso instead of salt.
Thank you- this is my go to recipe.
Emily Cooper
Aww yay I'm so glad to hear it Bonnie! Thanks for sharing!
JoAnn
I couldn't get past the potato flavor, personally. As the sauce cooled it got more of a mashed potato consistency (I'm admittedly a slow eater). I'm wondering if adding more lemon might help with this? Maybe I need a better blender? I'm not opposed to this idea though because this is way cheaper than using cashews. I wonder if I might need to tweak the other seasonings for my own taste, or try miso as one other commenter suggested. Using potatoes is a great non-dairy solution and a much cheaper alternative to using cashews!
★★★
Emily Cooper
Thanks for your comment JoAnn! I did use a high powered blender, which may have helped the consistency. You can try to thin it out a little when making to avoid this as it cools. Increasing the seasoning may help to adjust to your taste, as I think the lemon may overpower the 'alfredo' kind of taste. Unless you're a big fan of lemon that is! I will make a note to experiment with some of your suggestions, but please let me know if you have any luck with your ideas!