Gluten Free Dairy Free Sauce Recipes

I think creamy pastas might be one of the first things you miss when you switch to a dairy free diet. Personally, the only thing I miss more is cheese itself.

For a while, we were making lactose free Alfredo sauce – which is really just a creamy, garlic sauce – using lactose-free milk. When we went fully dairy free, I just tried not to think about it, but, eventually, I found myself craving creamy, garlicky pasta.

I made a few different versions with store-bought vegan cream cheese. They were definitely good, but since I try really hard not to rely solely on those kinds of products, I didn’t want to make it very often.

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta (gluten Free, Dairy Free)

It wasn’t until I started experimenting with cashew cream and my dairy free queso, that I realized the creamy base I was developing would work equally well as a pasta sauce. And, now I have a million different creamy pasta recipe ideas floating around in my head.

Traditional Alfredo sauce is made with heavy cream and heaps of parmesan cheese. Obviously, that’s not good for anyone who wants to avoid dairy, but the flavors are hard to beat.

Luckily, with a few simple ingredient swaps, you can make Alfredo sauce without any milk products. It just takes a little know-how and the perfect combination of substitutes.

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For this recipe, I’ve used my favorite combination of dairy free milks: cashew cream and canned coconut milk. Normally I find the coconut milk to sweet, and the cashew cream a little nutty, but paired together, they mask each others non-dairy flavor.

They also make the creamiest base for dairy free Alfredo. With just a little garlic and some nutritional yeast, you won’t believe there isn’t cheese (or dairy cream) in this Alfredo sauce.

If you don’t already have some in your fridge, you’ll need to make cashew cream. Boil 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in water. Drain.

Creamy Gluten And Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce

Blend in a food processor or high-speed blender with 1 cup nut milk until smooth, scraping sides as needed. You can make this up to 10 days in advance, and we almost always keep some in our fridge, so I haven’t included this prep time in the recipe calculations.

Make an olive oil roux. I use a non-stick skillet, but you could use a saucepan or a stainless skillet, just be sure to use a silicone whisk on your non-stick. Heat your skillet to medium, and add olive oil.

Once it’s hot, add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds – it should smell amazing at this point. Add your flour and whisk until all of the olive oil in your pan has been absorbed by the flour.

Gluten Free Orange Chicken {dairy Free}

Whisk in your liquids, one at a time. I start with the thinnest liquid and work my way up to the thickest. You don’t have to, but I find that it lets me whisk a little less.

You can add the nutritional yeast and salt & pepper when you add the cashew cream. Keep whisking until everything is nice and smooth. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg if that’s a flavor you like in Alfredo sauce. It’s totally up to you, but we normally leave it out.

Let it simmer.At this point you could use it, but I like to let it simmer for a little while longer, especially if I am using almond or cashew milk instead of the cashew cream.

Gluten And Dairy Free Noodles In Tomato Sauce

I can’t eat cashews. What can I use instead? You can simply swap the cashews for almonds and make almond cream. Or, you can substitute this almond cooking milk. Or you can try making this cauliflower alfredo sauce, instead!

Change things up: Try making it a lemon pepper pasta. Just add in some lemon zest with the garlic and season the sauce with some fresh cracked black pepper. Or mixing some sun-dried tomatoes and spinach fora.

To make cashew cream: Boil 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in water. Drain. Blend in a food processor or blender with 3/4 – 1 cup nut milk or water until smooth, scraping sides as needed.

Nightshade Free Marinara Sauce (gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free)

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I will never recommend a product I don’t use or trust.Creamy and rich, this Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce will blow you away. While most non-dairy alfredo recipes rely heavily on cashews, this recipe is nut free. Plus you don’t need an expensive blender; the sauce is made in one pan in 10 minutes!

There’s a new dairy free alfredo sauce in town, and it couldn’t be easier to make. This one tastes scarily like the real thing!

Even though it’s vegan, it’s quite rich and nothing like the cauliflower versions you’ve probably tried. I’m sorry, but blended cauliflower and garlic just doesn’t equal creamy alfredo! Not in my book.

Best Dairy Free Pasta Recipes

If you are looking for something a little healthier and you have a high powered blender, try my Vegan Alfredo Sauce, made with raw cashews. It’s super good!

I created this recipe because I know there are plenty of folks who either have a cashew/nut allergy OR they don’t have a high powered fancy blender.

This is the best dairy free alfredo sauce around, and you can make it on the stovetop in 15 minutes (or less). It’s that simple! Gluten free if you use gluten free pasta.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Dinner Recipes

All there is to this sauce is melting some vegan butter in a pan, adding a handful of ingredients (unsweetened plant milk, vegan cream cheese, garlic, spices and a bit of vegan parmesan cheese).

You can add a little lemon zest for extra tastiness! Serve over fettuccine pasta, or anywhere else you like, such as pizza, spaghetti squash or even baked potatoes.

Especially for the vegan cream cheese and vegan parmesan cheese. I believe Follow Your Heart vegan parmesan is nut free, as well as Tofutti cream cheese.

Homemade Gluten Free Dairy Free Barbecue Sauce

Creamy and rich, this Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce will blow you away. While most non-dairy alfredo recipes rely heavily on cashews, this recipe is nut free. Plus you don't need an expensive blender; the sauce is made in one pan in 10 minutes!

Serving: 1 of 6 servings | Calories: 256 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 23 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 509 mg | Potassium: 119 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 893 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 134 mg | Iron: 1 mg

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Paleo Vegan Vanilla Sauce

Posted In: 30 Minute Recipes, Cuisine, Dinner, Gluten Free, Italian-Inspired, Main Dish, Meal Type, Method, Nut Free, Pasta, Special Dietary Needs, Vegan IngredientsHere are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.

Raw cashews - For the base of this creamy sauce, cashews are soaked in hot water before being added to the other ingredients. This allows the cashews to soften, creating a smooth cashew cream.

Unsweetened almond milk - Almond milk adds a rich flavor. No butter or cream is needed! Soy milk, cashew milk, or oat milk (the unsweetened variety) are good substitutes.

Go To Homemade Gluten Free Sauces

Olive oil - Adds some healthy fat and richness to the other ingredients. Avocado oil or even melted vegan butter can put substituted.

Nutritional yeast - A couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast gives this dairy-free sauce its cheesy flavor. You can certainly make this recipe without it, but it will alter the sauce's flavor a bit.

Step 1: Place your raw cashews in a high-speed blender. Cover with boiling water. Allow them to sit for 5-10 minutes. Drain and return the cashews to the blender.

The Yummiest Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Dairy Free & Gluten Free

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend on high, until the mixture is smooth. Add an extra sprinkle of black pepper if desired.

Add your favorite gluten-free pasta or spaghetti squash noodles to a large pot and fold in some extra veggies or sauteed mushrooms for a vegan fettuccine alfredo.

Use it as a dipping sauce with crackers, breadsticks, flatbread, or vegetables. Put it in a casserole bake or with spaghetti squash.

Best Gluten Free Sauces For Your Pantry (2024 Update)

Nut milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk are great replacements for heavy cream. This Alfredo sauce recipe uses unsweetened almond milk and cashew cream.

Want to add more creamy goodness to add to your repertoire? Check out my vegan roasted red pepper sauce and this helpful list of dairy-free sauces!

Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!

Creamy Vegan Vodka Pasta (gluten Free!)

Serving: 0.25 cup | Calories: 368 kcal | Carbohydrates: 20 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 29 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g