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30 30 Minutes or Less VG Vegetarian

Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower

4.18
/5
20 minutes mins
36 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/04/2015Updated: 06/15/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Trade out your beloved calorie-laden alfredo sauce for this skinny alfredo sauce made with cauliflower. You'll barely be able to tell the difference! Get the healthy recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Trade out your beloved calorie-laden Alfredo sauce for this skinny Alfredo sauce made with cauliflower. You’ll barely be able to tell the difference! 

Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower - get the recipe on RachelCooks.com

Alfredo. Along with anything marsala, Alfredo is another one of my husband’s favorites. Fettuccine, chicken, shrimp, these are all minor details.

It’s all about the CREAM, BUTTER AND PARMESAN.

Of course, Ben is super health-conscious. It’s a little annoying sometimes. I mean, dude, put some mayo on your sandwich. Some sour cream on your taco. Some ranch on your salad. Some freakin’ brownie in your mouth. Life gets better with these things.

He’s got the self-control I wish I had. He could make a package of Oreos last months (I KNOW!).

My point is, he loves the Alfredo, but he doesn’t often order it at restaurants because you know, 29,050,329,023 calories per serving.

Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower - get the recipe on RachelCooks.com

So what do I do? Make a skinny Alfredo sauce. Made with cauliflower and blended until it is super smooth (that’s an important step!), it’s almost a perfect mimic of the Alfredo we all know and love.

It still has some goodies in it — starting with the garlic sautéed in butter and olive oil (gotta have a little of the good stuff here!). The pureed cauliflower is blended together with milk, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg to compliment all that creamy goodness.

The result? A sauce that looks, smells, and tastes like Alfredo sauce. Except without the 248,395,289,253 calories.

Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower - get the recipe on RachelCooks.com

Used in this recipe:

  • large skillet
  • large pot
  • blender (I have this one)

Healthier pastas and sauces:

Looking for more pasta and sauces that won’t set you back millions of calories? Try:

 

  • Vegan Bolognese
  • Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli and White Bean Pesto
  • Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
  • Rainbow Chard, Turkey, and Gruyere Skinny Mac and Cheese
  • Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles from Just a Taste

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower - get the recipe on RachelCooks.com
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower

4.18 from 23 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
3 + cups
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Trade out your beloved calorie-laden alfredo sauce for this skinny alfredo sauce made with cauliflower. You’ll barely be able to tell the difference!

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 small heads of cauliflower (about 7-8 cups cauliflower florets)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
  • 1 ½ cups skim milk (more to achieve desired consistency)
  • pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • fresh parsley for serving
  • cooked pasta for serving

Instructions

  • Sauté the minced garlic with the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Be careful not to brown the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender when you stick a fork in it (about 8-10 minutes). Drain.
  • Transfer the cauliflower to the blender. Add milk, sautéed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and milk. Blend or puree for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is silky and smooth. Stir in Parmesan cheese. You can add more milk if it seems too thick. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and serve immediately topped with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

  • Serving size: 1/2 cup.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/2 cup, Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 442mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
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Verdict: I love this skinny Alfredo sauce. It happens in my kitchen frequently.
Husband’s take: Truthfully, the 4 garlic clove version of this sauce was a bit too garlicky for him (he’s not a huge fan of garlic). If you have garlic haters in your house, consider reducing the amount of garlic. My neighbor and her family loved this sauce though and had no problem finishing it off for us.
Changes I would make: Less garlic for my hubby but other than that, none.
Difficulty: Easy.
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  1. Evan says

    March 18, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    Sounds like you added Cauliflower to simple Alfredo Sauce….. Is the skinny part just using Skim Milk instead of cream? I am not knocking it, it sounds delicious!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 23, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      Yes, it uses far less heavy cream thanks to the creaminess of the cauliflower, as well as the skim milk to thin it down. Plus you get the added bonus of some hidden veggies. I hope you like it. :)

      Reply
  2. Tally Wegiel says

    October 19, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Tastes nothing like alfredo sauce not to say that it was bad. It just wasnt great. Almost overflowed my blender. Maybe would have been a better idea to make it in a food processor. I also used almond milk and earth ballance dairy free butter. Had to add a little more milk and butter.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 20, 2019 at 1:41 pm

      Thanks for the feedback! Your adaptations probably altered the taste as well, since alfredo sauce is made with real dairy products. Did you put the cheese in?

      Reply
  3. pat says

    April 19, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    I had around 1 cup of cauliflower cut up from a recipe a few days ago. So i steamed it (if i’m not going to use it for soup stock soon, i’ll drink the little water that’s left after steaming). While that steamed, i sauteed a small clove of garlic in a little olive oil with some raw cashew pieces and a little salt. And cut up some snow peas. Dumped the steamed cauliflower with the garlic and cashew pieces, a smallish pour of soy milk and pinch of nutmeg into my blender. While that “blended” i boiled up some edamane and mung bean fettuccine (“Explore Cuisine” – tastes better than it sounds and it packs 24 grams protein in a serving and only 20 g of carbs!) while steaming the snow peas in the pan i steamed the cauliflower. In minutes it was all done so i mixed the peapods with the sauce and plopped it onto servings of pasta. Delicious! I didn’t miss the cheese. So it was also vegan and nutritious!

    Thank you Rachel!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      April 22, 2019 at 11:21 am

      I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! My kids have nut allergies so cashews aren’t an option for my family, but I bet that was so creamy and delicious!

      Reply
  4. katie says

    March 4, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    Im planning on making this this week but it seems that this recipe yields way more than needed. Any idea on how long this stays good in the fridge? Or can it be easily frozen and defrosted without losing any qualities? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 6, 2019 at 10:13 am

      I haven’t tried freezing it, but I think that would probably work great! There is a possibility that it might separate slightly when it thaws. I’m sure you could also halve the recipe. And it should keep for at least a few days in the fridge. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  5. Terri Simonds says

    December 25, 2018 at 11:53 am

    What is a serving size? I want to try this and counting calories.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 28, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      Serving size is 1/2 cup.

      Reply
  6. Elizabeth Priddle says

    August 20, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    Just made this for dinner.  Absolutely delicious.  Tastes just like regular Alfredo sauce, very rich and creamy.  Delicious!  Everyone in the family loved it.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      August 21, 2018 at 9:14 pm

      Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you all liked this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  7. Justin says

    June 19, 2018 at 11:48 am

    Just a little FYI. Not that anyone would forget to add it, but you do not have the Grated Parm(the cheese that makes this alfredo!!) listed in your cooking instructions. See step 3.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      June 19, 2018 at 11:58 am

      Sure enough! Thank you so much for letting me know….forgetting the cheese would be a tragedy! :)

      Reply
  8. Katelyn Mack says

    May 29, 2018 at 9:24 pm

    Do you think you could substitute almond milk in for the skim milk? Has anyone tried this?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 29, 2018 at 9:30 pm

      I think that would absolutely work! Unsweetened and unflavored, of course. ;)

      Reply
  9. Michelle says

    December 1, 2015 at 2:29 am

    I”d like to ask if it’s possible to sub out the milk and butter and insert vegan options such as coconut milk, or nut mylks and vegan butter and vegan cheese to make this a vegan option?

    I’m not vegan by choice, but I have a dairy allergy.

    I also know that when it comes to recipes, it’s all about the chemistry of the ingredients. From a chemical structure standpoint, is it possible to achieve this creamy alfredo-sauce without all of the dairy?

    PS. I gave up dairy almost 2 years ago, so if this works, I’d be happy to put this on my health and wellness blog. Just saying!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 1, 2015 at 8:55 pm

      I’ve never tried it with a dairy milk alternative but I think it would work! Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  10. Laura Dembowski says

    May 2, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    I make a sauce like this all the time and just can’t get enough. I add Shirataki noodles to save more calories. It’s the bomb, even without cheese.

    Reply
  11. Andrea says

    March 5, 2015 at 9:27 am

    OH MY GOD! I made this last night. It was beyond incredible! My husband and I both loved it! I swear if you didn’t tell anyone they’d never know it was cauliflower in there. And it wasn’t 29,050,329,023 calories! Thank you!!! It was so easy to make too!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 5, 2015 at 12:16 pm

      This comment totally made my day — thank you!!! So glad you guys liked it.

      Reply
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