This is hands down the best vegan alfredo sauce ever! It’s creamy, cheesy, garlicky and so easy to make. Ready in 30 minutes or less.
When researching this recipe, I had to go back to basics and find out what a traditional pasta alfredo really is.
Is it a cream sauce or a butter and cheese sauce? It seems that traditionally it was a butter and cheese sauce, but it has evolved to become any kind of sauce that is really really creamy and rich.
Whether there is cheese in it or not, butter in it or not, cream in it or not, is not the deciding factor.
Is it a crazy rich super creamy sauce? Then you probably nailed it.
How To Make Vegan Alfredo
For this vegan alfredo recipe we decided to go with a cheesy garlic alfredo sauce made with coconut milk, fresh garlic and vegan butter for a crazily rich, crazily delicious sauce and some added nutritional yeast and dijon mustard for the cheesy flavor.
This is served with fettucine, lots of black pepper and some fresh parsley.
It’s so simple, so quick and seriously delicious.
You can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with this meal. It’s really that quick.
Recipe Tips
Vegan Butter: We chose to go with vegan butter for making the sauce to really get that super rich alfredo thing going on. Olive oil also works just fine though.
Coconut Milk: There is no overpowering coconut flavor in this alfredo, in fact you will hardly know there is anything coconut-y in here at all. However, it is vital that you use canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk. Don’t use a sweetened coconut milk as that will definitely ruin the flavor. If you are allergic to coconut milk, you can substitute a different non-dairy milk such as soy milk or almond milk. However, the result will not be as rich.
Dijon Mustard: I’m a big fan of dijon mustard for adding cheesy flavor to vegan sauces, however, any prepared yellow mustard will also work just fine.
Make It Gluten-Free: You can make this meal gluten-free if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend instead of the regular flour for the sauce along with a gluten-free pasta.
Storage: Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Freezing: If you want to freeze it, then don’t mix the sauce with the pasta. Freeze the sauce separately for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop.
More ‘Comfort Food Style’ Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Vegan Mushroom Pasta
- Vegan Pasta Bake
- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegan Carbonara
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4
- Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This is hands down the best vegan alfredo sauce ever! It’s creamy, cheesy, garlicky and so easy to make. Ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Fettuccine Alfredo:
- 9 oz (~250g) Fettuccine Pasta*
- 3 Tbsp (45g) Vegan Butter
- 3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 14oz (400ml) Can Coconut Milk*
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Vegetable Stock/Broth
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard*
- 1/4 cup (15g) Nutritional Yeast
- Sea Salt (to taste)
For Serving:
- Black Pepper
- Chopped Parsley
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Put the fettuccine on to cook according to package directions, when cooked, drain well and cover. If the pasta starts sticking together, toss with a small amount of olive oil.
- Add the vegan butter to a saucepan along with the crushed garlic and heat until the butter is melted.
- Sift in the flour and fry the flour in the butter briefly. Then add in the coconut milk and vegetable stock and whisk with a hand whisk to remove any lumps.
- Stir continuously until the sauce begins to boil and then continue stirring until it thickens. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so it doesn’t need to be the perfect thickness when you remove it from the heat, but it must have thickened quite a bit from when you started.
- Remove from heat and add in the black pepper, dijon mustard and nutritional yeast and whisk in with your hand whisk. Add sea salt to taste.
- Toss the sauce with the cooked fettuccine and serve with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper and some vegan parmesan cheese (optional).
Notes
*You can use olive oil instead of vegan butter or use your own homemade vegan butter.
*The coconut milk must be canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. Do not use a sweetened version as this will ruin your flavor. As long as you use canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk, the end result does not taste like coconut.
*If you have a coconut allergy or wish to use a different option, you can also make this with other non-dairy options like soy milk or almond milk. In this case use 1 and 2/3 cups non-dairy milk. However, the result will not be as rich.
*Dijon mustard is our favorite for creating cheesy flavor in sauces, but you can also use any prepared yellow mustard.
*Make It Gluten-Free: Switch the all purpose flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour blend along with a gluten free pasta.
*This recipe was first published in September 2017. Updated with extra tips and notes.
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving (of 4)
- Calories: 486
- Sugar: 3.7g
- Sodium: 244mg
- Fat: 24.3g
- Saturated Fat: 16.2g
- Carbohydrates: 55.3g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10.8g
Keywords: vegan alfredo sauce
For me, this had a distinct coconut taste. I added more nutritional yeast, which helped a bit. If I make it again, I would sub out 1/2 the coconut milk for another non-dairy milk.
★★★
Did you use a can of full fat, coconut milk or just coconut milk that’s used for drinking? The can stuff for cooking doesn’t taste like coconut
Canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. 🙂
Loved your fettuccine Alfredo recipe! Scrumptious!!! Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Thanks Trish!
Thanks Alison, a quick and easy recipe when I needed an Alfredo sauce, will be making again😊
★★★★★
Thanks Janelle!
I also didn’t have the coconut flavour, my mustard was stronger and gave it a nice tang, others have asked for the recipe so I gave them your link xx
Perfect! So glad to hear that!
This was really good! I added some roasted cherry tomatoes and Romano cheese on the top when I served it! I think roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts would be a great addition too.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Robin and I agree, those additions would also be great!
Mine did taste like coconut even tho I used the unsweetened. I will try it again with half oatmilk.
★★★★
This recipe is so yummy and quick! It’s become a new staple for my family. I cut the coconut milk in half and used oat milk for the other half for fear of tasting coconut and it was still absolutely amazing and creamy! I have been craving a good Alfredo that doesn’t use cashews for so long. Thanks for this!
★★★★★
So glad to hear it was a success Charlotte! Thanks so much for posting!
When you say heat butter and garlic what settings are you using?
Medium high.
Can you use wheat flour?
I think so! 🙂
Does it taste like coconut? I don’t really like coconut…
Could you use almond milk instead?
Hi Paige, I don’t think it tastes like coconut, but you can definitely use a different plant milk as well. 🙂
Hi Alison, Can I use vegan margarine as I can’t seem to find vegan butter?
Absolutely! 🙂
Simple, delicious & quick! I added a little bit of wine to give it a kick and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I’m now going to feed this to everyone who will let me.
★★★★★
Fantastic! Thanks Kathleen! 🙂
Hi Alison,
This recipe looks amazingly delicious.
We don’t find vegan butter here in Zimbabwe.
Can I use olive or coconut oil instead..?
Hi Alicia, yes olive oil will work great! 🙂