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When I’m craving something rich, creamy, and cheesy without dairy, I make this dairy-free Alfredo sauce. It’s super quick to put together in just 15 minutes, and it tastes just like the dairy-full version. This sauce is also nut-free, vegan, and gluten-free, so it’s suitable for many different diets. This is my favorite sauce to share with friends and family!
Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe
This non-dairy Alfredo sauce recipe tastes just as good as the dairy-filled version but won’t upset my stomach. It’s rich, creamy, and super flavorful, made with plant-based milk, dairy-free cheese, and nutritional yeast. This is my favorite sauce option to make for guests since it’s also naturally vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. I also love how this sauce comes together effortlessly in one pot, meaning I can have dinner on the table in no time and minimize clean-up afterward!
Ingredients
- Dairy-Free Milk: Your choice here in dairy-free milk is important as the creamy texture and a lot of the flavor is going to come from this main ingredient. The one I used for this recipe is Silk Nextmilk (an oat milk and coconut milk blend with soy protein). Whatever you choose, make sure it’s unsweetened and also labeled as gluten-free.
- Olive Oil: The olive oil is used in place of butter and helps to sauté the minced garlic and create the roux with the gluten-free flour. Dairy-free butter also works.
- Minced Garlic: The garlic packs a lot of flavor into this sauce. You can adjust the quantity in this recipe to suit your taste.
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: This helps to thicken up the sauce and keeps the recipe gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free Parmesan: A key ingredient for getting the flavor similar to traditional Alfredo sauce. If you don’t like dairy-free Parmesan cheese, you can omit that ingredient and substitute it with a ¼ cup nutritional yeast to get that cheesy flavor without dairy. The ¼ cup of nutritional yeast would include the 1 tablespoon already listed in the recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast: Helps give the sauce that cheesy flavor.
- Salt: To help bring all the flavors together.
- Pepper: For just a little extra kick of flavor.
Tips and Suggestions
- The dairy-free milk you chose here is key! You want something that has a creamy texture and something that you enjoy the taste of. I first tried this recipe with soy milk but didn’t find that it made the sauce very creamy. Silk Nextmilk (an oat milk and coconut milk combination) had that creamy texture I was looking for.
- This gluten and dairy-free Alfredo sauce is an easy recipe to make and takes just a few minutes to prepare, but don’t try to speed up the process by raising the stovetop heat above low-medium. Slow and steady is important for this recipe.
- Whisking these ingredients constantly while cooking is important. If you walk away from the saucepan, even just for a few seconds, the mixture could boil over or start to burn. Whisk constantly for the best results and the least amount of mess.
- Always double-check your ingredients for potential allergens! Some dairy-free products may have added gluten-containing ingredients or may be processed in facilities that also process wheat.
Why Did My Sauce Curdle/Split?
If your non-dairy Alfredo sauce appears curdled or split, it is likely that it was too hot when the milk was added. It’s important to keep the heat low and steady to avoid splitting the sauce. I also recommend bringing the dairy-free milk to room temperature before adding it to the sauce to combat thermal shock, which can make the sauce look curdled.
Can I Freeze Alfredo Sauce?
I do not recommend freezing this non-dairy Alfredo sauce. The oil based ingredients and the dairy-free milk ingredients start to separate from each other once frozen.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this sauce over some homemade gluten-free pasta. It’s also great as rich topping poured over steamed vegetables or as a base for a homemade pizza.
Storage Instructions
Store dairy-free Alfredo sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Like most foods, it’s tastiest when eaten fresh. The microwave or stovetop both work for reheating this sauce. If reheating on the stovetop, reheat in a saucepan over low heat just until you see the first few bubbles of a simmer.
More Dairy-Free Sauce Recipes to Try!
- Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce
- Gluten-Free Gravy
- Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
- Gluten-Free Spaghetti Sauce
- Gluten-Free Tomato Sauce
- …Browse All Dairy-Free Recipes!
Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dairy-free milk (unsweetened)
- ½ cup dairy-free Parmesan, I like Follow Your Heart
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, sauté minced garlic with olive oil for one minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add gluten-free all-purpose flour to the saucepan and whisk for about 1 minute until the flour is all absorbed and the mixture starts to form a loose paste.
- Add the dairy-free milk, dairy-free Parmesan, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper into the saucepan over low-medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a light simmer.
- Let the mixture continue to simmer, still whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
- Remove saucepan from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken as it rests. Serve hot.
Notes
- Allow the leftovers to cool to room temperature then store leftovers in a sealed food-safe container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- This Alfredo sauce doesn’t freeze well. The oil based ingredients and the dairy-free milk ingredients start to separate from each other once frozen.
- Like Mama always says, “Check your labels!”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce Step-by-Step
In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, sauté 2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for one minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add 2 tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour to the saucepan and whisk for about 1 minute until the flour is all absorbed and the mixture starts to form a loose paste.
Add 2 cups of dairy-free milk, ½ cup of dairy-free Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper into the saucepan over low-medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a light simmer.
Let the mixture continue to simmer, still whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
Remove saucepan from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken as it rests. Serve hot.
Easy to make tastes great
Easy to prepare with items we had lying around. We enjoyed not having to scour our local grocery for sometimes hard to find items like Vegan Cream Cheese or Sour Cream.
We also have some allergies and we’re glad to find a recipe that didn’t call for the use of Tree Nuts.