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If you have been craving a rich and creamy bowl of chicken Alfredo without the heaviness, this recipe is for you!! Tender pan seared chicken is paired with a velvety dairy free Alfredo sauce and fresh zucchini noodles for a healthy dinner that is packed with flavor. It is comforting, satisfying, and comes together in just 35 minutes.
This creamy chicken Alfredo is made with simple wholesome ingredients and delivers all the cozy flavors you love in a lighter way.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Rich and creamy without any dairy
- Ready in just 35 minutes
- A healthy comfort food dinner the whole family will enjoy
- Made with a smooth cashew Alfredo sauce
- Naturally low in carbohydrates and packed with protein
- Perfect for busy weeknights
- Delicious with zucchini noodles or your favorite pasta
How To Make Chicken Alfredo Healthier
Growing up, one of my favorite comfort foods was a big bowl of Fettuccini Alfredo. I wanted to recreate those same cozy flavors using wholesome ingredients that leave you feeling your best.
As a nutritionist, I love taking classic comfort food recipes and giving them a nourishing twist. Instead of heavy cream and butter, this Alfredo sauce gets its rich texture from soaked cashews blended with garlic, onion, tahini, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. The result is a creamy, flavorful sauce that feels indulgent while staying light and fresh.
Pair it with juicy pan seared chicken and zucchini noodles for a dinner that is satisfying without feeling overly heavy.
Ingredients For The Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this creamy homemade Alfredo sauce.
Raw cashews: The secret to an incredibly creamy sauce. This ingredient is essential for the texture.
Chicken broth: Adds savory flavor. Filtered water also works if needed.
Onion: Brings natural sweetness and extra flavor.
Garlic: A must for classic Alfredo flavor.
Lemon juice: Adds freshness and balances the richness.
Tahini: Creates an even creamier consistency while adding depth of flavor.
Nutritional yeast: Gives the sauce its delicious cheesy flavor without dairy.
Salt and pepper: Season to taste.
Fresh basil is optional, but highly recommended!! It adds incredible freshness and pairs perfectly with the creamy garlic sauce.
How To Make Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo
Start by soaking the cashews in hot water for at least one hour. Drain well before blending.
Add the soaked cashews, chicken broth, onion, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to a high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Meanwhile, cook the chicken until golden brown and fully cooked.
Prepare the zucchini noodles and gently warm them before tossing with the Alfredo sauce. Top with the sliced chicken, fresh basil, and cracked black pepper before serving.
Does It Taste Like Traditional Alfredo?
I always like to be honest with you. This sauce is not an exact copy of traditional Alfredo because it does not contain dairy.
What it does deliver is that same rich, creamy, comforting experience that makes Alfredo so irresistible!! The garlic, nutritional yeast, and silky cashew base come together to create a sauce that is incredibly satisfying and one that always has everyone scraping their plates clean.
What To Serve With Chicken Alfredo
This recipe is delicious served over zucchini noodles for a lighter meal, but it is equally tasty with your favorite pasta or vegetable noodles.
Looking for the perfect side dish? Try serving it with my Roasted Broccoli for extra vegetables, sautéed garlic mushrooms for even more flavor, or finish the meal with my Easy House Salad.
Tips For Success
- Soak the cashews for at least one hour. For the smoothest sauce, soak them for several hours or overnight.
- Use a high powered blender to achieve a silky smooth Alfredo sauce.
- Do not skip the nutritional yeast since it creates the signature cheesy flavor.
- Fresh basil and cracked black pepper take this recipe to the next level.
- Warm the zucchini noodles gently to prevent them from becoming watery.
Can I substitute the cashews?
I do not recommend substituting the cashews. They create the creamy texture that makes this Alfredo sauce so special, and other ingredients will not produce the same results.
Can I use regular pasta?
Absolutely!! This sauce is delicious with traditional pasta, chickpea pasta, vegetable noodles, or zucchini noodles.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes! Store the Alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. Reheat gently and add a splash of chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce.
This healthy Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo is proof that comfort food can be both wholesome and incredibly delicious. It is creamy, satisfying, family friendly, and easy enough for any night of the week. Once you try this homemade Alfredo sauce, you will want to make it again and again!!
Quick and Easy Keto Chicken Alfredo (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 lb chicken breast tenders, can also use pre-cooked chicken to make it easy
- 2-3 tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, non synthetic type*
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped basil, optional
- Vegetable noodles to serve
Instructions
- Soak your raw cashews for at least one hour in hot water, up to 12 hours. Drain and set aside when ready to cook.
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Salt and pepper your chicken breast strips, If you have large chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces so the cook time is shorter. Add 2 tbsp avocado oil to the skillet, then add 2 cloves minced garlic. Heat the garlic for just one minute until flavorful, then add the chicken to the skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Do not overcook. Set aside to a plate and cover with foil.
- Add the remaining avocado oil to the pan. Add in chopped onion. Let saute for 2-3 minutes to give the onion a bit more flavor. Now add the remaining minced garlic, then add in 1 cup chicken broth.
- Let the broth and onion/garlic mixture simmer for 8-10 minutes or until onion is completely soft. You may need to add in a bit more broth to prevent any burning. But the broth should be almost completely evaporated once the onions are ready.
- Place onion/garlic into your blender. Now add the remaining chicken broth (about 1 cup), lemon juice, tahini, nutritional yeast, and cashews. Mix in your blender on high speed until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. This may take a few minutes. You can prepare your noodles while the sauce is being made.
- Once the sauce is smooth, adjust with salt and pepper to taste, or even add in a bit more lemon if the nut taste is strong or more nutritional yeast (for cheesy flavor).
- If the sauce is cool, you can heat up in a small saucepan to serve (or microwave).
- Serve over vegetable noodles with fresh cracked pepper, salt, and fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
what can you use besides cashews? Can you leave them out? Ihave everything but the cashews.
You could leave out the cashews, but I don’t think it will taste very good. They are there to give the sauce a rich, satisfying, creamy texture. Without it, you have a more water based sauce.
I was thrilled to try this recipe. It turned out really good too. My family had regular alfredo and I made this for myself. I wasn’t sure if I would love it because I haven’t ever tried a sauce like this, but I was pleasantly surprised. I used spaghetti squash as my ‘noodles’.
Love hearing that!
Flavor was great!! I did find the sauce a little thin so going to try to add some more cashews to thicken up! Otherwise was an awesome paleo dish!
Yay!! So glad you loved!
This was AMAZING!
I used a bit of Xantham gum to thicken it up a bit. My in-laws couldn’t believe it was dairy free ????
Woohoo!! Love hearing that 🙂
How did you get the noodles so thick? What spiralizer did you use?
Hi Christina, I use the Paderno. https://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-Spiralizer-Counter-Mounted/dp/B00AW3IQMY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1521291083&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=paderno+spiralizer&psc=1
Just made this last night. I’m trying all of your recipes now and cannot get enough of them! Hubby said he liked this more than the traditional. I was really skeptical yet pleasantly DELIGHTED.
That makes me so happy!! Glad you are loving it all!
What is nutritional yeast
Hi Sharon, it’s a deactivated yeast that is packed with nutritional value (lots of B vitamins). It has a nutty and cheesy taste that is added to recipes to give that “cheese” flavor without the dairy products. It can be found in the health food section of many grocery stores, online, or at all health food stores.
Hi Amy! I am eating a grain free/dairy free diet now, and just made this for dinner tonight. It was AH-MAZING!! I can’t say enough good things about it. So happy to have an alfredo sauce my whole family can enjoy!!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it April!!
When you make you zoodles, do you salt them and let them drain?
Hi Randi, I just make my zucchini noodles raw without draining. Sometimes I will salt them, it just depends on the sauce I’m serving with. With this recipe I do add a bit of salt!
It does Renee!!