Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce

Vegan garlic sauce is the perfect quick fix for easy meals and if you love garlic you’re going to use it all the time. Adjust the amount of garlic in this easy garlic sauce recipe to your taste preference and blend it up to enjoy in just 5 minutes.

If you love garlic or feel like you’re fighting a cold this is one of those healthy recipes you will always want to have on hand. It’s the perfect sauce to use to create so many different combinations!

Want more garlic inspiration? Try this easy roasted garlic that mellows the flavors of garlic even more! Garlic makes everything taste better like in these baked potato wedges and a bowl of soba noodles.

Why This Recipe Works

• No-cook: This recipe doesn’t require any type of heat! All you need is a blender and about five minutes to whip up this super creamy sauce.
• Great flavor: Vegan garlic sauce makes everything taste better from noodles, pasta, veggies, and more!
• 5-Ingredients: This garlic cream sauce requires only five easy ingredients.
• Healthy sauce: Gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free sauce for making healthy meals.
• Flexibility: Add herbs and seasonings creating more flavors for more variety of creamy garlic sauce.

What Goes Into This Recipe

• Fresh garlic: You can adjust the garlic to your own taste preference! Use it all or use less for a milder flavor. 
• Shallot: In the same family as onion and garlic with a slightly softer flavor than onion. You can also use the white ends of green onion or regular onion instead.
• Medjool date: To add some sweetness to the sauce, but you can swap it out with another sweetener if desired.
• Rice vinegar: A bit of acid for the sauce. Apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar make a good substitute for the mild flavor of rice vinegar if you don’t have it.
• Nuts or seeds:  Use whichever you prefer. Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, cashews, brazil nuts, and almonds all work well.
• Water: Just enough to make the sauce creamy.
• Flavor: Salt and pepper to taste and a handful of fresh herbs if you want!

How to Make Vegan Garlic Sauce

• 1) Place the garlic, shallot, date, rice vinegar, and nuts in a blender. Slowly add water by the tablespoon as you blend until it’s a pourable consistency, like a thick smoothie.

• 2) Try the flavor and season with salt and pepper to your taste preference. If you want, add some fresh herbs and blend again.

• 3) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

How to Serve Easy Garlic Sauce

• Noodle bowl: Cook your favorite noodles, place a steamer basket of veggies on top while the pasta cooks, and blend all the vegan white sauce ingredients. Pour over veggies and noodles generously and dig in. Easy!
• Change up the flavor: The beauty of this dairy-free garlic sauce is that you can change it up in a flash by simply adding different herbs and seasonings. Curry powder, chipotle chili powder, fresh basil, oregano, and dill are just a few ideas.
• Veggies: Use over fresh cooked broccoli or cauliflower, on top of roasted vegetables and so much more.
• Rice and grains: Drizzle over the top or mix into your favorite rice, grains, or pilafs for added flavor.
• Use it as a dipping sauce: This sauce makes for a tasty vegan garlic dip for zucchini fries, crispy tofu sticks, bread slices, and fresh veggies.
• Pizza sauce: Swap out tomato sauce for a delicious vegan garlic alfredo base for pizza night.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Let the sauce sit before serving: Since the sauce isn’t cooked it can have a bit of a bite depending on how much garlic you use. This strong flavor mellows after a few hours in the fridge.
• Use fresh garlic. Garlic that has been sitting around for a while develops a sharper more pungent flavor. For best results use the freshest garlic possible.
• Don’t use jarred minced garlic. I am all about shortcuts, but this is one of those instances where it doesn’t work so well. Once cut, the garlic loses some of its fresh flavors and doesn’t taste the same in this easy garlic sauce.
• For a little spice. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top.
• Make in a blender rather than a food processor. The food processor, unless it’s super high-powered, won’t make the sauce creamy enough.

More Quick and Easy Sauce Recipes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Meaty Tomato Sauce

Butternut Squash Sauce

Photos by Alfonso Revilla