Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Published: Jan 7, 2020 · Modified: Oct 22, 2022 by Anna 87 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce recipe turns cauliflower into a creamy and delicious sauce with the addition of roasted garlic and Parmesan! Skip the cheese for a vegan option.

Overhead shot of cauliflower Alfredo sauce in saucepan.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients needed:
How to make cauliflower Alfredo sauce?
Helpful Tips!
Roasted garlic flavor
Healthy and cheaper than store-bought sauce
Recipe FAQs:
More healthy recipes:
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Why This Recipe Works

This sauce is a combination of two veggies I absolutely love: cauliflower and garlic. I grew up eating a lot of cauliflower. My Mom had a collection of recipes using this veggie and made them a lot. The smell of sauteed garlic is my childhood memory since my grandmother used it in almost every dish. I always have a jar of minced garlic in my fridge and now, roasted garlic cloves too. This healthy cauliflower pasta sauce is nut-free, gluten-free and if you skip the cheese, it is dairy-free.

Ingredients needed:

cauliflower: medium size head, you will use it all;
garlic: roasted, blended; adds delicious flavor;
water from cooking: reserve it after cooking cauliflower; it will help achieve the desired consistency of the sauce without adding dairy;
Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast: to add flavor.

How to make cauliflower Alfredo sauce?

Start by cutting the cauliflower into florets. Place in a large pot and fill with water or broth or an equal mix of both. Cook the cauliflower until tender. In the meantime, roast garlic.
Remove cauliflower from the water and place it on a large baking sheet. Let cool slightly before blending.
Place cauliflower, roasted garlic cloves, half of a cup of the cooking water or broth, and cheese in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add more liquid if your sauce is too thick to your liking. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
Use the sauce right away or pour it into a jar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Side shot of cauliflower Alfredo sauce in a jar, without lid.

Helpful Tips!

cauliflower: make sure not to undercook the cauliflower or your sauce won't be smooth. Test a piece with a fork. You should be able to easily smash it.
garlic: roasting it makes it sweeter and deepens the flavor. Raw garlic will be too strong. I don't recommend garlic powder or salt.
cheese: classic Alfredo is always made with Parmesan but you can skip it and use nutritional yeast for the same flavor and a dairy-free version.

Roasted garlic flavor

I love cauliflower. When I don't turn it into rice or roast the whole head or bake breaded florets - I cook it and blend it into a perfectly creamy sauce. Recently, I was planning on making it for our pasta and the roasted garlic for my focaccia. Then a light bulb went off in my head and a few cloves found their way into the blender with the cauliflower. Best decision ever. I add Parmesan cheese to my sauce because there is no Alfredo without it, but feel free to skip it for a vegan option.

Healthy and cheaper than store-bought sauce

This recipe makes 3 cups of sauce, but if you are lucky like me and get a large cauliflower head at Aldi's for $1.40 - you will end up with 7 cups f florets and make two jars of the sauce! Big score and so much cheaper than a store-bought sauce! Not to mention healthy. If you skip the Parmesan (use nutritional yeast to get the same flavor) is dairy-free and nut-free since there are no cashews needed.

Recipe FAQs:

How to store this sauce?

I recommend storing the sauce in a jar with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze this sauce?

You can pour the sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Then pop them all into a freezer bag. The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Can I use jarred minced garlic instead of cloves?

Yes! If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, use 6 to 7 teaspoons of minced garlic. You can heat up olive oil in a skillet and sautee until it's golden. Remove, cool, and use to make the sauce.

More healthy recipes:

If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!