This creamy vegan pumpkin alfredo is decadent, indulgent, filled with plant-based nutrients and is the perfect dinner to make this fall and winter season. If you are looking for a great pasta dish to make for your family, to make for meal prep, to serve at a dinner party or to just enjoy yourself, this pumpkin alfredo is truly a winner. It’s 100% plant-based and gluten-free optional if you use gluten-free noodles. 
What ingredients do I need for this recipe?
- canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- pasta of choice
- unsweetened macadamia milk (I use Milkadamia!)
- raw cashews
- white wine
- garlic
- shallot
- olive oil
- fresh sage
- salt
- pepper
How do you make creamy vegan pumpkin alfredo?
First, boil your favorite pasta. While that cooks, make the cashew cream sauce by blending soaked or boiled cashews in your blender with Milkadamia’s unsweetened macadamia milk as well as salt and pepper. If you do not have access to Milkadamia, use any plant milk.
In a pan on medium heat, saute olive oil, shallot and minced garlic until aromatic. Add in the pumpkin puree then pour in the cashew cream and white wine. Stir to combine! Add in your pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce for about 2 minutes. Top with vegan parmesan cheese, fresh sage and pepper. Yum!
Why does macadamia nut milk make great vegan alfredo?
Macadamia milk is amazing for vegan cheese sauces because it’s creamy, nutty, smooth and absolutely delicious. I use the unsweetened original one in this recipe. My favorite brand is Milkadamia and I am excited to have teamed up with them on this recipe! Their vegan nut milks are made from raw macadamia nuts that are sustainably farmed (so cool right?!). If you want to read more about their regenerative farming practices, head over to Milkadamia’s website to learn all about it! Milkadamia’s products are all non-GMO, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Use the Milkadamia store locator.
Will my non-vegan family and friends enjoy this?
What’s not to love? This creamy pumpkin vegan alfredo is a huge crowd pleaser. It tastes super rich and indulgent but it’s secretly healthy. Everyone who I have made this for ends up falling in love with and always asks me for the recipe. Kids also love this because it reminds them of mac and cheese. I promise that if you make this for people when they come over or if you decide to make it for your non-vegan family members, they will eat this up!
A few important tips:
- Save some of the pasta water for the sauce! It’s important for thickening it and helping the sauce bind to the pasta.
- Use pumpkin puree (make sure the only ingredient is pumpkin) not pumpkin pie filling.
- You can keep this in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It makes great leftovers.
- Serve this fresh and hot!
- If the sauce is too thick just add more pasta water until it’s the right consistency.
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Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo
the ingredients
- 12 oz pasta of choice
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 diced shallot
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- fresh sage garnish
- vegan parmesan garnish optional
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked for a few hours or boiled for a few minutes to soften
- 3/4 cup macadamia nut milk I use Milkadamia
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
instructions
- Boil pasta until it's al dente (save the pasta water). While it cooks make the cashew cream by blending all of the cashew cream ingredients in your blender until smooth.
- In a pan, on medium heat, saute olive oil, shallot and garlic until aromatic.
- Add the pumpkin puree, wine and cashew cream to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add pasta into the pan with 1/2 of pasta water and stir for a few minutes until the sauce thickens nicely and combines with the pasta.
- Serve and garnish with fresh sage, vegan parmesan, and fresh pepper.
Hi there! This looks amazing, but I just have one question: is there another plant milk that I can use instead of macadamia?
Thank you so much!