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.
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):
Cauliflower Alfredo (Vegan & Nut-free)
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?
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.
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.
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
Hi! Any idea how this would freeze? Thinking about using ice cube trays and using them for single meals for my toddler
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!!!!!!
I also use chicken stock in lieu of water or half stock, half water
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.
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 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!
Very good! Cant wait to have it again. Made it over butternutsquash “zoodles” awesome!!
I made this yesterday and I loved it. I had it over some spaghetti squash and a turkey, onions and tomatoes crumble. The ultimate test was my boyfriend, who enjoys healthy eating, but he had it with whole-wheat pasta…HE ALSO LOVED IT! He had it today for lunch again. I am eating it today as a “soup” with some of the turkey in there. Great recipe. I will surely make it a few times a month.
What the??? This actually tastes and has the texture of alfredo! What can’t cauliflower do?
And I have to say, my vitamix blender was one of the best buys I’ve made. made everything so smooth and creamy!!
This is a wonderful recipe!!
I recently bought a lot of cauliflower (it was 4# for $1 – I went kinda crazy and got 20#.)
This helped me use up the rest of the cauliflower that I didn’t freeze – plus from now on it will be our go to dairy free white sauce.
Thank you for sharing!
I made this sauce tonight, inspired by your Instagram suggestion, and was SO IN LOVE with the way it turned out! Thank you Megan!!! I haven’t been able to eat Alfredo sauce for YEARS because of Acid Reflux and have been missing it… I thought this sauce would be watery and flavorless, and I am so glad I was all wrong. The texture was perfect, I poured a little over steamed asparagus, but I’m looking forward to making this easy and delicious sauce over and over again… 10/10!!! I never knew cauliflower could be so versatile. I’ve also made your cauliflower pizza, so I’m a big fan. Thank you again.
Hi! I tried this recipe, but couldn’t get the mixture past a cauliflo mashed potato-y texture. i tired adding more water but it didnt help, do you have any suggestions?
i made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! it got a solid “a” among young and old. I love the fact it only has a teaspoon of oil, adding very little fat to the dish. i added a pinch of nutmeg as well as a couple TABLESPOON of nutritional yeast flakes, garnished with fresh basil and served over gluten free penne. definitely a keeper.
WOWWWWW! This is delicious! As a new mom I am in need of food that I can prepare fast and is also healthy. My one year old throws any veggies off his plate so this is perfect way to get his veggies in. Do you think this sauce would freeze well?
I have frozen it and it tasted great when I thawed it out. I made double so I could freeze some and save on washing pots!
I’ve made this and could eat it with a spoon! It’s very easy to make and only takes a few minutes.
I’m thinking about adding some chickpea miso (I don’t do soy or nutritional yeast) for a cheesier flavor. How much should I add? 1/4 cup maybe?
So this will help you lose weight
I absolutely loved this! I served it only over a mountain of steamed veggies and it was so Delicious! I cant wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!
I am all for new recipes with cauliflower and personally make Cauliflower rice, cauliflower hummus and Cauliflower pizza crust. I take issue with the idea that butter, heavy cream and parmesan cheese are unhealthy. That is old thinking that has been debunked by current science and even the government has remcinded their guide lines on eating these products and claim their is no evidence that they cause harm. The carbs in the pasta you put the sauce on is the real health risk.
I agree. Just wish with my son’s diagnosis we could still eat them!!
Hi, I like your blog! I just wanted let you know that you misleading people by telling that this diet is optional for candida. People on diet can eat pasta.
My son is on a milk elimination diet for EOE. I’ve been trying to find easy things that and 11 year old who’s been eating “regular” food would like. This is amazing. And mind you, I was super skeptical. I don’t just want a substitute! I want stuff that tastes good enough to want it as well or instead. I did add onions, almond milk to thin it a bit, mushrooms, a bit of mustard and nutritional yeast. I was shocked!! Thanks!!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Delicious! I added the recommended nooch (1 tbsp) and 1/4 cup of pine nuts before blending. Will be enjoyed again in my home for sure!
I used cauliflower rice as that’s what I had on hand, and adjusted the water content. Just as tasty. I also don’t eat dairy so used my vegan Parmesan – nutritional yeast, cashews and a little salt – for those who don’t have nut allergies. Worked a treat!
how much nutritional yeast would you suggest could be added to this recipe? I cannot wait to try this! 😀
Just tried out this recipe, and it was amazing! I skipped the oil/butter and added the suggested nutritional yeast for a more cheesy flavor. It was delicious and surprisingly filling!
Can you use cauliflower rice or does it beed to be florets?
Sure, I think that would work, too!
In response to S.R.’s post awhile back of still tasting the sulphur flavor that comes with cooked cauliflower- and anothers question of other vegetables to use, I might have a solution for both in a recipe I tried from a different website. As for cauliflower flavor use cooking process described next. Use Zucchini. Make sure to peel all green off and if older zuke de-seed before chunking and cooking in water- boil twice and throw away water away both times to make flavor milder. When blending/pureeing flavor any liquid used in recipe or thinning to thickness desired- ie… milk or a safe bouillon in water or noodle cooking water, nutritional yeast perhaps even a mild white miso or parmesan if allowed
Does this freeze well?
I haven’t tried it, but most sauces do freeze well! I like to freeze in ice cube trays for easier reheating later.
Has anyone tried to freeze this sauce?
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
Sure, I don’t see why not!
DELICIOUS! added extra garlic and nutritional yeast, and sauteed freah minced onion and 1 tbsp avacodo oil…soooo good!!!
Just made this and it was amazing! I cooked the cauliflower in chicken broth and added a pinch of nutmeg and some lemon. Topped it with some cilantro and sundried tomatoes. Thanks so much for providing us with comfort food that is guilt-free and dairy free :))
p.s. your date energy balls are also a favorite dessert of mine!
Oh my goodness. This was amazing!!! I made it tonight for my husband who loves alfredo and he was just as crazy about it as I was. I mixed it with chickpea pasta and steamed broccoli, topped it with mozzarella and broiled it for a bit. So so so yummy!
This was amazing! I took it down a notch and made it even easier and put garlic in a bowl of water and microwaved it! Then added the cauliflower for about 6-8 minutes. I didn’t even add the nutritional yeast and it was fantastic!!! (added salt and pepper and that was it!) Yum!
Can someone tell me if there are tiny “pieces” of cauliflower in their finished product? This didn’t get as creamy as I’d hoped and I didn’t know if it was the way the recipe was or did I not cook the cauliflower enough? Def was not of the consistency to fool anyone that it was actual Alfredo. Ended up using it to make mashed potatoes with instant flakes, flavor was yummy.
No, there definitely shouldn’t be any pieces of cauliflower in there! Sounds like you need to cook it longer so that it’s mushy-soft, and blend it until silky smooth.
Made this and ate over zucchini spirals sauteed in garlic and onion with turkey sage meatballs on top!. DELICIOUS! Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you for making this nut free !! Im always aiming to eat healthy and mostly plant based. My husband has nut allergies so i greatly appreciate nut free recipes.
I made the Cauliflower Alfredo tonight for dinner. I’m a vegan, occasionally eat seafood. My husband is a dairy meat lover. He absolutely loved dinner tonight. I did add shrimp, sundries tomatoes, fresh spinach and nutritional yeast
I just love Cauliflower and all dishes containing it. I also like how you described in great detail how to prepare this delicious sauce.
Im pretty sure you are a genius… thx for the inspiration!
This was great! I adapted it a bit and added sautéed onions & garlic, lactose free milk, paprika, onion & garlic powder to the steamed cauliflower, and then blended it all up for a creamy sauce. I cooked it a bit longer in a skillet and it turned put so delicious.
This was really good and very easy to make! I’m out of nooch but I’m sure it would taste even better with that added. I made vegan pasta from scratch and added some frozen kale and basil from my garden, as well as a bit of paprika for a little spice.
I was a skeptic about this I have to say!! How can cauliflower reeaaaallly be a smooth sauce? I was shocked. This was such a tasty recipe. Now it doesnt taste thick and gluttonous like alfredo sauce does, and that’s what I liked about it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you! This was even better than I’d hoped 🙂
This is sooooo good!
Wow! Wasn’t expecting much at all but this is an awesome base recipe for all kinds of sinful foods!! I even messed it up a little (running around after a 2 yr old) and it was really good. I’m thinking about experimenting with carbonara sauce and moussaka using this.
Thanks! I enjoyed this quite a bit. Added some fresh basil into the blender with the sauce. Made it a little green so I guess just sprinkling it over top would have been better. I also added a bunch of other veggies on the side and smothered them in the sauce along with quinoa noodles. Pretty tasty! Even my carnivore husband said he liked it though he added a fair bit of parm. Anyway, thanks again!
This was great! I doubled the recipe for about 12 oz of pasta and added peas. My alfredo-loving husband said he didn’t think he’d like it, but admitted that it tasted good! My 14-month old loved it!!