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.
If you love quick and easy pasta recipes then also check out our vegan vodka pasta and our hummus pasta. You’ll also love our vegan spaghetti sauce.
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.
Ingredient Notes
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.
Recipe Tips
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
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
For the Fettuccine Alfredo:
- 8 ounces Fettuccine Pasta (226g) Dry Weight
- 3 Tbsp Vegan Butter (45g)
- 3 Cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 14 ounce Can Coconut Milk (400ml) Full Fat, Unsweetened
- ⅓ cup Vegetable Stock/Broth (80ml)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast (15g)
- 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).
Video
Notes
- Coconut milk: 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 ⅔ cups (400ml) non-dairy milk. However, the result will likely 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 and use a gluten free pasta.
- Nutritional information includes pasta.
- This recipe was first published in September 2017. Updated with extra tips and notes.
Is the 486 calories per serving inclusive of the pasta itself?
Yes it includes everything. But you should always do your own calorie calculations if that is important to you.
Love this recipe! I eat this with mushrooms and add some cayenne pepper to the sauce.
Awesome Raiana! Thanks for sharing!
What would you suggest if I do not currently have nutritional yeast? I ran out and have not had a chance to purchase more.
You can leave it out!
I made this for Thanksgiving 2020. Wow! It was fantastic. Tasty and just delicious!
Awesome! Thanks so much Candice!
You are a GENIUS, this vegan alfredo recipe is out of this world. It has the perfect creaminess and is unbelievably delicious. I haven’t had red lobster in years, but this alfredo reminds me of the alfredo I used to order from there. This is definitely one of the best meals I’ve made so far and I’ll likely make it many more times. I’ve already made it more than once. Love it <3
Thank you so much Meg! So happy you love the recipe, thanks for the amazing review. 🙂
Delicious! The nutritional yeast gives it a bit of a different flavour but good. I used gf flour and no issues with that. Great texture.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Laura!
Can I freeze this sauce please ? ????
Hi, I am wanting to make this! It says to use unsweetend coconut milk. My tin doesn’t state either way. Should it say? It’s aldi canned coconut milk, can anyone tell me if this is unsweetened or not please? ???? don’t wanna ruin flavour! Thank you.
Hi Jennifer, I think that should be fine!
Hey , worked perfectly tastes lovely! Thank you for this recipe . Can I frezze it ?
Hi Jennifer, yes you can freeze it!
We make this all the time and love it. Even my meat eating husband loves it. I usually use soy milk instead of the coconut milk and broth and find it just as good.
So happy to hear that Carrie! Thanks for the great review.
I loved this recipe! I added mushrooms to the sauce and they were fabulous!
My meat eating hubby had his sauce mixed with meat and loved his version of the recipe too.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much Heather!
Another go to and favourite of ours especially with the kids! Very quick and easy to make. Your recipes make being vegan easy! Thank you!
So happy to hear that Dawn, thanks a million!
This alfredo sauce is absolutely amazing. I do not follow a vegan diet, but do prefer healthier options. I was literally blown away!! We paired it with broccoli, noodles and Beyond plant based Italian sausage, sooo good. I’ve made this about 4 times and it’s on the menu again tonight. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
So glad you enjoyed it Christina! The pairings sound delicious too! Thanks for sharing.
I found this to be a fantastic base recipe. I did add extra boulion as well as some salt to the sauce. I was worried about a coconut taste, but that was not an issue at the end. I paired it with some pan fried tofu marinated in an Italian sauce. For veggies I did roasted brocolii and sauce. I loved the cheesiness from the nutritional yeast and the Vegan butter really locks down the Alfredo flavor.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing Brittany!
This is an easy recipe that is simply delicious! My daughter and I are dairy free people and this is hands down the best vegan “cheese” sauce!! Thank you! I can’t wait to try it over a baked potato!
Fantastic! Thanks so much Carla!
This was absolutely delicious. I became a vegan a month ago, and my daughter expressed an interest as well. I was looking for a recipe that she would enjoy, and this didn’t disappoint. I served it over zoodles because my neightbor gave me a boatload of zuchnini. Can’t wait to try with pasta. I also poured a little of the sauce of my broccoli. Yum. The ultimate comfort food. Thank you so much for sharing!
Awesome! Thanks so much Janet!