This super easy vegan Alfredo sauce made with a can of coconut milk is dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free.  In less time than it takes to boil your fettuccine, you can whip up this rich and creamy sauce with just 5 ingredients.

A vegan Alfredo sauce over fettuccine noodles with a fork full above the plate.

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Why make coconut Alfredo

Even though vegan fettuccine Alfredo may seem like a difficult or fancy meal, it’s actually one of the easiest meals that you can make. You can go ahead and put this meal into your busy weeknight dinner rotation!

This dairy-free alfredo sauce is made with creamy coconut milk instead of raw cashews so there is no need to soak the nuts or blend the nuts with a high-speed blender. Simply open a can of coconut milk and you’re ready to make this delicious sauce.

The secret to the sauce

The secret to making this sauce the perfect texture is tapioca starch (aka tapioca flour).  The tapioca starch thickens the sauce giving it a stretchy cheese texture that stays consistent even after it starts to cool down.

*You can use corn starch, arrowroot, or potato starch instead of tapioca starch, for a similar effect, but nothing matches the stretchy constancy of the tapioca starch. 

The other types of starch will also thicken and get gloppy once the sauce cools, whereas the tapioca starch will maintain its constancy even after the dish cools down.

I learned the miracles of tapioca starch when perfecting my stretchy vegan grilled cheese recipe.  It is the secret ingredient that makes my cheese recipes stretch.

A close up of noodles with vegan Alfredo sauce on them being swirled with a fork.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Coconut Milk – for the base of your Alfredo sauce.  Use 1 13/5 oz can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream.  The high-fat content in the coconut milk will give you the mouthfeel and satisfaction of real Alfredo sauce. Note – do not use cream of coconut, this is different than coconut cream and contains sugar that will ruin the taste of the sauce.
  • Water – to thin out the sauce a little.
  • Nutritional Yeast – for flavor.  This isn’t absolutely necessary if you don’t have it or can’t eat it, but it gives the sauce a nice savory cheesy flavor.
  • Tapioca Starch – to thicken the sauce and give it a stretchy texture. You can use cornstarch or potato starch instead, but you will not get the same texture.
  • Salt and Black Pepper – for flavor. Red pepper flakes give it a little spice too if want.
  • Garlic Powder – for flavor.  You can also use fresh minced garlic cloves if you would like.
  • Liquid Smoke – for a smoked gouda flavor.  This is completely optional, but I think it’s delicious.  It makes the sauce taste like smoked gouda cheese.
  • Pasta – you can use fettuccine, linguini, or any shaped pasta that you like! See my article about which brands of pasta are vegan.

How to make coconut alfredo

Step 1 – Simply pour a can of full-fat coconut milk into a saucepan and add water, salt, nutritional yeast, garlic, and tapioca starch to the milk and give it all a stir.

Step 2 – After all the ingredients are mixed, turn on the heat to medium-low and heat the sauce while stirring frequently until it starts to boil and thicken.

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps for making coconut Alfredo sauce and mixing it with fettuccine.

Step 3 – Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.

Step 4 – Once your pasta is cooked and rinsed, pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well and serve hot.

Pro Tips

  • If you like the flavor of smoked Gouda, add 2 tbsp of hickory liquid smoke for a smoked Gouda Alfredo you won’t be able to stop eating!
  • Top with sauteed mushrooms for mushroom Alfredo too!
  • Use this sauce to make healthy vegan broccoli alfredo.

If you don’t like coconut

If you use full-fat coconut milk, the sauce has a very mild coconut flavor. I also find that organic coconut has a stronger flavor, so you may want to use a brand that is not organic. If you don’t like coconut, you can easily replace the coconut milk with 1 3/4 cups of plain soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk and 1/4 cup of any neutral-flavored oil.

A pan full of coconut Alfredo sauce being mixed with fettuccine noodles using tongs.

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes, the Alfredo sauce is naturally gluten-free, so you will just need to use gluten-free pasta. I like to use Tinkyada brand fettuccine noodles. As far as gluten-free noodles go, they are surprisingly delicious.  However, this sauce tastes great on any shape of noodles.  Feel free to go ahead and use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

Tip for making perfect gluten-free pasta: If you use gluten-free pasta, make sure to boil it in slightly more water than you would boil wheat pasta.  Drain it in a colander and rinse well until the water runs clear.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: The coconut alfredo will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in a sealed container.

Freeze: This vegan alfredo freezes well and can be stored in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheating: Reheat a serving in the microwave for about 3 minutes, or add it to a pan with about 1 tablespoon of extra water and heat until warm.

A blue plate full of vegan fettuccine Alfredo made with coconut milk.

More easy pasta dishes

Vegan alfredo sauce recipe

A close up of vegan Alfredo sauce made with coconut milk on a fork.
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5 from 65 rating

Coconut Milk Alfredo

Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A rich and creamy vegan Alfredo sauce made with coconut milk that is free of gluten, soy, and dairy.
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Ingredients

  • 1 (13.5 oz )can coconut milk, (full fat)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoon tapioca starch, aka tapioca flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder , or 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (Colgin brand, hickory flavored), (optional for smoked Gouda flavored Alfredo) 1/2 tsp smoked paprika will also work
  • 1 16 oz. fettuccine noodles , or any pasta of choice

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta of choice according to package directions.
  • While the pasta is cooking, pour a can of full-fat coconut milk into a saucepan and add water, salt, nutritional yeast, garlic, and tapioca starch to the milk and give it all a stir.
  • After the ingredients are mixed, turn on the heat to medium-low and heat the sauce while stirring frequently until it starts to boil and thicken.
  • Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.
  • Once the pasta has been cooked, drained and rinsed, pour the Alfredo sauce over it. Mix well and serve hot.

Notes

  • Use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe.
  • You may substitute the coconut milk and water for 1 3/4 cups of plain soy milk and 1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil.
  • For a Smoked Gouda Alfredo, simply add 1-2 tbsp liquid smoke to the sauce. (I use the Colgin brand. Some brands of liquid smoke are stronger than others, so you may want to add a small amount and then taste it.)
  • You may substitute corn starch, potato starch, or arrowroot powder for the tapioca starch, but it will not deliver the same texture.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 317kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 261mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 35IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 2.7mg
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*This recipe was originally published on August 8, 2018.  It was updated on April 24, 2020, to include new images and more detailed information.