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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.

completed Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce in a glass jar with garlic in the background

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.

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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

ingredients for Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce against a white background
  • 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.
How do you make a healthy garlic sauce?

This easy garlic sauce uses nuts and seeds instead of oil or dairy to create a creamy texture. This adds protein and healthy fats to the sauce. Dates are also added for a touch of natural sweetness.

Can you freeze this garlic sauce?

Yes! Since this recipe is completed dairy-free, it is perfect to freeze. When you’re ready to serve it, let it thaw in the fridge, and then blend it again for a perfect creamy texture.

completed Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce in a glass jar with a spoonful showing consistency with garlic in the background

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

Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce

5 from 55 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Vegan garlic sauce is the perfect 5-minute 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 to your tastes and blend it up!

Ingredients 

  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (to your garlic threshold)
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1 Medjool date, pitted (or 1 Tbsp sweetener of choice)
  • 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup of nuts or seeds of choice (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, cashews, brazil nuts, etc)
  • Just enough water to make creamy
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Handful of fresh herbs of choice, optional

Instructions 

  • Add garlic, shallot, date, rice vinegar, and nuts to a blender. Slowly add water by the tablespoon as you blend until it's a pourable consistency, like a thick smoothie.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add fresh herbs and blend again, if using.

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 7gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 478mgFiber: 6gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 42IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 2mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Renee Press
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Method: Blender
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Renee Press

Renee Press is the founder of Fire and Earth Kitchen in Seattle WA. which offers cooking classes, food coaching, and chef services. She’s on a mission to make vegan, gluten-free cooking easy, accessible, and delicious for everyone. fireandearthkitchen.com

More about Renee Press

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