Cauliflower Alfredo

4.97 from 405 votes

Cauliflower Alfredo sauce is a creamy, gluten-free, nut-free homemade Alfredo sauce with less fat & less calories as compared with the original recipe

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If you’re searching for a healthier vegetarian creamy Alfredo sauce, you will love this Cauliflower Alfredo sauce! It’s low in calories as is, but what you serve it with, on the other hand is all up to you! 😉

Final cauliflower alfredo tossed with fettuccine in a large pan
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What is cauliflower Alfredo?

Here’s the gist of the recipe, instead of butter, cream and flour, we’re basically blending cauliflower in a blender to make a creamy puree that truly resembles Alfredo sauce! You’ll still use some of the good stuff in there like garlic, olive oil and milk. But the result is a naturally gluten-free and an Alfredo sauce that you can use in a wide variety of dishes!

Health benefits of cauliflower

By now, you know that cauliflower is truly one magic vegetable than can be substituted in so many creative ways to reduce carbs, whether it’s Cauliflower Rice, Cauliflower Crust Pizza, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes or even Cauliflower Mac and Cheese!

It’s a great swap if you’re looking for more fibrous foods with low calories. In fact, it only has 25 calories per cup, but 3 grams of fiber and with all kinds of nutrients and vitamins! Add to that the fact that cauliflower is like 90% water, and you can see why it can actually help with weight loss.

Ingredients to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Brandless Blender blending vegan alfredo sauce
  • Cauliflower: Use one fresh head of cauliflower or sub for frozen cauliflower if preferred.
  • Aromatics: garlic and shallot
  • Milk: Whole milk will give you the richest flavor, but to keep it vegetarian, any plant based milk will work.
  • Seasonings: red pepper flakes, salt, and white pepper

How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

To start, boil 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into florets. You can use fresh or frozen. You want to cook it until the cauliflower is very tender, at least 8-10 minutes. But don’t worry about over-cooking it, because that will just make for a smoother sauce. Set the cauliflower in a blender and pour 1 cup of the cooking water into the blender too.

Next you’ll lightly sauté minced garlic and add that to the blender. Finally, you can add some milk, some olive oil or just more liquid to get the cauliflower Alfredo to your desired consistency.

The key to the creamy velvety sauce is having a strong and efficient blender that does all the work. It should take 30-60 seconds to get a smooth and creamy sauce. Be patient though if your blender needs more time. Make sure there are no chunks of cauliflower left over and that the sauce is homogenous.

And what you’ll get is a naturally gluten-free, paleo-friendly Alfredo sauce. Now, I love mixing mine with fettuccine to make a healthy fettuccine Alfredo. Straight from the blender to a big pan of pasta – family style!

But you can use the sauce in many other ways that don’t involve pasta at all! It’s rich, creamy, garlicky and really is a great stand-in for the original Alfredo sauce!

Tips for making Cauliflower Alfredo

  • Use frozen cauliflower if you prefer. This recipe works just the same with frozen cauliflower as it does with fresh cauliflower. And that even cuts the prep time.
  • Don’t over-cook the garlic. You want to cook the garlic on medium heat only for a couple minutes until it softens and becomes fragrant. It can become lightly brown in color, but don’t let the color deepen too much since burnt garlic will lend a bitter taste to the cauliflower Alfredo.
  • Replace the milk with non-dairy milk, vegetable broth, olive oil or even more cooking water. The 5-6 cups of cauliflower florets will need about 1 and half cups of liquid. Feel free to add more based on your preference.
  • Add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Just place it in the blender with the other ingredients and it will give it a cheesy flavor vegan recipe when paired with non-dairy milk. You can also use any normal cheese you’d like. I recommend about ¼ cup.
Fettuccine alfredo with Brandless blender in background

Frequently asked questions

How long can you store the cauliflower Alfredo sauce?

If there are any leftover cauliflower sauce, make sure to allow it cool completely, then store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze cauliflower Alfredo?

Yes, you can freeze the cauliflower Alfredo as long as you don’t use any dairy in it. The dairy may separate when frozen with the sauce, which will make it unappealing.

Two bowls of fettuccine alfredo and forks

This lighter Alfredo sauce is a delicious replacement for traditional homemade Alfredo sauce. Use it with pasta, chicken, vegetables or even pizza to add a rich creamy sauce!

More pasta recipes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Cauliflower Alfredo recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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Cauliflower Alfredo

Cauliflower Alfredo sauce is a creamy, gluten-free, nut-free homemade Alfredo sauce with less fat & less calories as compared with the original recipe
5 from 405 votes
Servings 6 servings
Course Entree
Calories 190
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 pound cooked fettuccine

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic with crushed red pepper until the garlic is soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked cauliflower to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
  • Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a blender along with the reserved cooking liquid and milk. Cover the vent in your blender lid with a thin kitchen towel to allow venting and puree until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.
  • Toss the alfredo sauce with cooked fettucine and serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe has been updated from a vegan recipe using plant milk to using regular milk or milk of choice, plus added seasoning and shallot. Simply swap for plant milk to match the previous recipe.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 4-5 days in the fridge. 
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • To make it gluten-free, you can use any gluten-free pasta of your choice.
  • To make the sauce more creamy, you can use more milk and olive oil instead of the cauliflower cooking water.
 
Original vegan recipe
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
  • Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Reserve 1 cup of the boiling water.
  • Heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the minced garlic until soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked cauliflower to a blender. Add the sautéed garlic, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk, salt and pepper. Cover the vent in your blender lid with a thin kitchen towel to allow venting and puree until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.
  • Serve with cooked fettuccine

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 430mg, Potassium: 374mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 74IU, Vitamin C: 47mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Entree

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. It was good! A bit spicy for my taste and a toddler, so I would reduce the red pepper and white pepper if I make it again, but great weeknight meal! And being able to throw the remaining (dairy free) sauce in the freezer to throw on some pasta for another day? Winner!

  2. My husband and I are on the Daniel fast so this recipe was the perfect switch up to our recent meals. I found it to be a bit bland as well. I did add nutritional yeast and I salted the water I cooked the cauliflower in. Both of my kids raved, one even took seconds. We will definitely be making it again, I will probably add more nutritional yeast and salt/pepper to taste. The consistency was perfect! Thanks so much(:

    1. So sorry to hear this didn’t come out as expected. Would love to know a little more about what went wrong in your opinion so I can try to help.

  3. Wow, this is really delicious! After I had a first bite, I kept rechecking the ingredients to see what is ‘fattening’ to make it taste so good, but it truly is a very healthy dish. I used 3/4 cup homemade chicken stock instead of the plant based milk, as suggested as an option in the recipe. So nice to get the same taste for so many fewer calories!

  4. I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks , I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?

    1. This is irredeemably bad.
      I can’t believe I’ve just wasted a whole cauliflower and the really good fettuccine on this inedible mess 🙁

      1. Oh no! I am so sorry it didn’t turn out well for you. It has been quite some time since I have tested this recipe. I will see what is going on. Thank you for your feedback.

        1. I think it’s just really bland. The base flavors are there, but it needs some oomph to make it more palatable

          1. So sorry to hear this didn’t come out as expected. You can add about 1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast to give it a ‘cheesy’ flavor. Also, feel free to season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic so it better suits your taste.

  5. How about roasting the cauliflower? Or steaming it in the cup of water added to the sauce? It may take a bit longer however I’m concerned that boiling it loses nutrients.
    I haven’t made this sauce yet but am looking forward to it.

  6. I love the idea about this recipe but it seriously lacks flavor I put in so much garlic and still it tasted so bland. I’ll continue to try to refine and make it taste better. It was just so incredibly bland and I even doubled the amount of garlic that I put in and even roasted it to bring out more taste.

    1. I’m sorry to hear that’s how it turned out! I recommend replacing some of the non-dairy milk with vegetable broth and adding nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, so it’s not too bland.

  7. This recipe was delicious. I added a few more spices to fit my liking, but this is a great base recipe for alfredo sauce. I would recommend 10 out 10!

  8. So simple, yet decadent. Not sure why I haven’t tried this before! A total do-over and thumbs up. This recipe can be tweaked many ways as well. Add some lemon juice, scallops, prawns and wow!

  9. Soo delicious! My dad is a cauliflower hater (sad) and I made this for him and he couldn’t even tell! In the sauce I added some nutritional yeast for an extra “cheese” flavor too, and it was awesome! Thank you Yumna for all of your wonderful recipients ☺️

  10. Made it tonight! Definitely was a bit more on the bland side so just added more salt and herbs and served with shrimp and almond flour pasta. Super easy to follow recipe, my family didn’t even know the sauce was all vegetables!

  11. I originally wanted to try it because I am trying to include more vegan meals in my diet. I don’t personally like the regular Alfredo sauce but this was so good and my non vegetarian boyfriend loved it too. I’ve made this multiple times and I would always end up with extra sauce and wanted to know if you have any recommended vegetarian recipes that I could use this sauce for? I would loved to use the sauce for something other than pasta!

    1. Hi Cheryl – yay so glad you liked it! You can use the sauce on pizza, add to roasted vegetables, roasted spaghetti squash or even a caesar salad. Hope that helps!

  12. As a big Alfredo sauce lover I was skeptical of this tasting anything remotely close to it, but I was completely wrong! This recipe is so good and tasty! I used unsweetened almond milk like she recommended to make it creamier and just taste tested if I needed more garlic, salt or pepper.

    I also added chicken and asparagus to it with penne instead and it was awesome. Highly recommend!

  13. My husband gave it an 8/10. I used 2% milk and parmesan cheese. I think it would have come out better if I had a better blender. I purred the cauliflower in my food processor first, then transferred to my small, sad blender to mix in everything else. I think I needed to thin it more but my tiny blender was full. Thanks for the base recipe! This really helped me enjoy a “cheesy” dinner while sticking to my WW points and still being able to drink a couple glasses of wine.

    1. Hahah I’ll take the 8/10! I think it truly is a great base that you can build on by adding a little cheese like you did and still staying within a reasonable number of calories and fat. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂

  14. I made this for lunch today for the second time, and while it’s good, it definitely needs some tweaks, as the original recipe is quite bland. I added nutmeg, crushed red pepper, paprika, a bit of italian seasoning, and some nutritional yeast to it; it tasted much better! I also recommend serving it with a bit of salt and fresh basil. Overall though, the texture and creaminess was on point; it just needs additional seasoning!

    1. Hi Naura- thanks so much for the feedback…totally agree that the base could use some seasoning and nutritional yeast to take it up a notch. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  15. I LOVE following your recipes. They are so good and easy to follow. I made this one last week and OMG to die for. And I just added shrimp to it at the end. I’m so glad I found your page.

    1. Yay, so glad to hear that you tried the alfredo and loved it. It’s so yummy with shrimp. Thank you so much!!

  16. This turned out fantastic! Sooo creamy and delicious and really easy to make. I added a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast for some extra flavor and it was perfect!

  17. I loved it! I’m not vegan yet, still eat seafood, so I payed mine with seared tuna steaks and avocado. i added broccoli to my “Alfredo” and used brown rice quinoa noodles. Delicious!!

    1. Oh I love that how you served it and the fact that you still enjoyed it even though you’re not vegan. That’s how I am – it’s just a great way to eat more veggies!

  18. I just made this cauliflower Alfredo for dinner and it was delicious! I didn’t have fettuccine but it was just as good with elbows! Thanks for the recipe 💛

  19. I made the Cauliflower Alfredo with my mom yesterday, it looked so good and I just needed to try it since i’ve been switching to more healthier options lately…. and i loved it! The flavor was subtle so the cauliflower was not overpowering & the texture of alfredo sauce was there! We added a little bit of lemon juice for some freshness 😊 fun way to eat cauliflower! Thank you so much ❤ Try it!!!

  20. Delicious! I added nutritional yeast in the sauce as you listed the option, used Chickpea pasta and mixed in broccoli. I will be making again for sure!

  21. Amazing. Loved the texture of the sauce and its taste is just amazing. I added garlic butter shrimp and used gluten-free pasta.

    I think this sauce is done differently compared to others who simply mash the cauliflower in the pan. This uses a blender, and the extra step here is well worth it—gives you that velvety creamy texture and taste.

    Puts regular Alfredo recipes to shame!

    1. Yes, I definitely agree that the blender helps to give it that creamy velvety texture. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!

  22. I was planning on doing this recipe tonight. Is Unsweetened Almond Milk okay for the non-dairy milk?

  23. This was really good, it did not taste like cauliflower at all! I took a previous suggestion and added charred shrimp and parmesan, very filling!

  24. This is just downright bad. I wanted to love this but it was just a flop. I even added a bit of butter and Parmesan and it still was bad. The texture was gritty, it wasn’t flavorful, and left a horrible aftertaste.

    1. There must be a problem with your blender then. What kind of blender did you use? It comes out so smooth and creamy everytime I make it. You can see it in the video and images.

    2. Made this cauliflower Alfredo with spaghetti and shrimp (pan fried and seasoned with paprika, turmeric and parsley) 🤤😋 soo good! The sauce is amazing 🙏🏻❤️ Licked the plate clean haha. Thank you!!

  25. I saw you make this on TikTok and purchased the ingredients the next day, I had to try this out… it was SO GOOD. I substituted with 1/2 cup of whole milk, paired the sauce with with red lentil spaghetti and asparagus, amazing. Thank you so much!!!

  26. Tried this recipe out tonight and absolutely loved how it turned out! Was super easy to do, especially for someone who’s just been learning to cook these last few months. Such a creative way to use cauliflower and enjoy a decadent sauce with healthier ingredients. One quick note – I found the sauce to be a little bland after blending, so I added in a bit more salt, pepper, and olive oil. Next time I plan to blend in some grated Parmesan, which I think will enhance the flavor. Thanks, Yumna! ?

  27. OMGosh, Thank You for the Amazing Recipe! I Love Fettuccine Alfredo and it loves me waaayyy too much! I actually got this recipe for my son, but you made this dish so Amazing, I tried it and was SOLD! I didn’t add any cheese and followed your directions but added 1/2 c 1%milk and a little veggie liquor, a shake of Zataran’s Creole, all of your goodies and it was amazing! I am not fond of cauliflower, but I Am In Love now!
    Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!

    1. YAY! Thank YOU so much for the sweet review!! So happy to hear you and your son loved it!! I really appreciate you taking time to leave the feedback!!

    2. Today we made it again with shrimp and it was another hit! I am checking out all of your recipes and can’t wait to see what you have for us. Again, Thank You!

  28. Just made this cauliflower Alfredo. I’ve been wanting Alfredo for sometime now, but didn’t want all the fat that the original has. This was amazing. The husband even liked it. 🙂

  29. Just made your cauliflower Alfredo sauce!
    Honestly I was amazed by the consistency of it, it feels and tastes so much like regular Alfredo sauce! I added shrimps to it and it turned out delicious ?

  30. Love this recipe so much! I make it about once a week and I even use the sauce on other foods other than pasta.

  31. I never imagined cauliflower would taste this good! It gives a creamy taste without knowing that u just had cauliflower! This Alfredo recipe made me fall in love in cauliflower… amayzingggg

  32. Hi, I am actually posting the dish I made with your delicious cauliflower alfredo sauce. It wasn’t totally
    vegan because I added mascarpone cheese. I am always looking for clean fresh recipes and this one will forever be in my book. It’s not time consuming. It’s non gmo. It’s all fresh ingredients and I just loved it. My daughter also loved it. I will be saving lots of your recipes. I love organic clean eating
    and I make 98% of all my meals at home. I am not totally vegan but I eat lots of vegan meals (no red meat. On occasion turkey). Thank you for posting your great creations.

    1. Oh wow, I love that you used the sauce and created something unique with it. So happy to have you creating these healthy recipes and enjoying them. I’m like you…not vegan but very plant-forward as they say, hehe. Thanks so much for sharing!!

    1. Hi there, I don’t believe that’s the same blender. Third-party platforms, like Amazon, do not have Brandless’ same crazy standard of testing. They really their due diligence to provide a great product at an amazing value for the quality you’re getting, especially when compared to well-known brands, like the Vitamix.