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This Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is creamy and delicious, while being deceptively simple! In lieu of the heavy cream, butter and cheese found in traditional Alfredo sauce, this particular version gets its creamy texture from pureed cauliflower— but when you serve it, most people can’t even tell.
This sauce is naturally Vegan and Paleo-friendly, but make sure to choose a pasta that also fits your dietary needs by looking at the label. Zucchini noodles make a great grain-free option!
Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower is the ultimate “chameleon” of vegetables, if you ask me. It can easily transform into Cauliflower Fried Rice, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, or a creamy sauce, like this one. Cauliflower also hides well in a Low-Sugar Smoothie, if you’re trying to use a little less fruit.
Here are some of the nutritional benefits of cauliflower:
- There are 3 grams of fiber in just 1 cup of cauliflower. (That’s 10% of your daily needs!)
- Cauliflower is high in antioxidants and flavonoids, which may help to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. (source)
- 92% of cauliflower is water, and eating water-rich foods have been shown to aid in weight loss.
- Cauliflower is high in choline, which is involved in brain development and a healthy metabolism.
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Making this Cauliflower Alfredo is as easy as steaming fresh or frozen cauliflower until tender, and then blending it until smooth with the rest of the ingredients. The key to this sauce is slightly over-cooking the cauliflower, so that it’s very soft and easily blended.
In situations like this, I’m not concerned with losing a few nutrients by over-cooking, because the true benefit of eating this sauce is that it’s replacing the heavier version.Â
By avoiding the whipping cream, butter and cheese found in traditional Fettuccine Alfredo, you’ll be doing your body a favor every time you choose this sauce, instead! Your taste buds will be pretty happy, too.
This low-fat creamy sauce is dairy-free and nut-free, making it the perfect topping for your favorite pasta or vegetables. I could see it being delicious in a homemade lasagna, or even over a white pizza, too! The options are endless. If you follow food combining principles, this sauce is “neutral” and can be served with any other foods you like for streamlined digestion.
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo (1-Minute Video):
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 12 ounces cauliflower florets (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt , or more to taste
- black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Saute the minced garlic in the oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned.
- Add the 1 cup of water to the saucepan, along with the cauliflower, and bring the water to a boil. (The water will not cover the cauliflower, and that's okay.) Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot to cook until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Always be careful when blending hot liquids-- the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender. Cover the vent in your blender lid with a thin kitchen towel to allow venting.)
- Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot over your favorite pasta.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 64, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 9g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 3g
This sauce is delicious on its own, but it can be extra-tasty with a few add-ins. A few ideas are listed below, but feel free to get creative!
Optional Add-Ins:
- A generous topping of freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, for an authentic-tasting Alfredo sauce. (If you’re not vegan & dairy-free.)
- Sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach.
- Sauteed mushrooms and roasted broccoli.
- Nutritional yeast, for a dairy-free “cheesy” flavor.
As always, if you try something different with this recipe, please leave a comment below letting us know what you tried. We can all benefit from YOUR experience!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite pasta sauce?
Very good! Cant wait to have it again. Made it over butternutsquash “zoodles” awesome!!
I tried this tonight because I needed a topping for soy bean noodles…we loved it! Even my picky kids ages 4, 6 & 7 liked it. I added a little nutritional yeast & almond milk for some more creaminess. A very good vegan addition to our menu! Thanks!
Made this wonderful sauce tonight, and served it over spaghetti… squash! I allow myself a very small amount of dairy in my diet, so I used a combination of butter and olive oil to sauteé the garlic. Since I don’t have a kitchen scale to weight 12 ounces of cauliflower, I just used enough florets to fill a one quart saucepan, and followed the rest of the recipe. Oh yeah… I doubled the garlic (loves me some garlic!). This recipe lends itself to using an immersion blender right in the saucepan, eliminating the need to clean out a blender pitcher or food processor bowl, later.
I was very skeptical about making this. I’m allergic to tomatoes and choose to eat paleo for health reasons. I made this tonight with grilled chicken and zucchini noodles. AMAZING!! The sauce alone is amazing. It’s going to be my pizza sauce, meatball sauce, sausage gravy sauce, ideas are endless this sauce is so versatile. Thank you for this amazing sauce!!
I also used chicken broth in place of water.
I also use chicken stock in lieu of water or half stock, half water
I made this last night and was very pleasantly surprised! I have allergies to milk and missed my usual alfredo sauce so this was perfect! even my husband enjoyed it! very, very good!!! I sautéed onions with the garlic and added some vegan Earth Balance butter. thanks!!!!!!
Hi! Any idea how this would freeze? Thinking about using ice cube trays and using them for single meals for my toddler
Awesome!!! This is one for the books. Husband and I were a little skeptical at first, but this is so delicious and so filling. Healthiest alternative to an alfredo craving
Thanks again
I thought this would be bland and NOT creamy, but I was wrong. It was delicious! Even my kids ate it! I followed the recipe and added a little soy aminos for flavor. I can’t believe how simple this is.
Call this whatever you want, but DON’T call it Alfredo. This is puréed cauliflower tossed with fettuccine noodles…. a far cry from Fettuccine Alfredo. No matter what you do to cauliflower, it still has that funky sulfur taste to it. Although this might taste good to some people, it is what it is and nothing more. I’ve substituted cauliflower for everything from mashed potatoes to grated and sautéed as “cauliflower rice.” Although it’s palatable, it can never be masked as anything other than what it is….cauliflower. That is certainly not a bad thing, but don’t go giving it any airs.