This Vegan Carbonara is made with simple healthy ingredients, but tastes rich and super creamy! Find out the secret to making a smooth and luscious carbonara sauce that is completely dairy-free!

Vegan carbonara on a white ceramic plate with a fork on the side

The best dairy-free Carbonara sauce

Hi Friends! Do I have a special recipe for you today! I’m talking smooth, creamy, luscious, heavenly, comforting, dreamy Vegan Carbonara.

Traditionally Carbonara is made with egg yolks to create a creamy sauce for the pasta. In this recipe, we’re using raw cashews to give the pasta the same creamy texture.

Ingredients you’ll need

  • Raw Cashews: This is the base of the sauce. Make sure to use raw unsalted cashews!
  • Nutritional yeast: Adds a bit of cheesiness to the sauce
  • Pasta: Any long pasta. Spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine
  • Vegan Bacon: Any brand you love
  • Olive oil: To sautee the garlic
  • Garlic: 2-3 cloves for flavour
  • Salt & Pepper: To season
  • White miso paste: Adds a really nice umami flavour to the pasta
  • Parsley: To top
  • Linguine in a white pot
  • Vegan carbonara in a white pot

Options for the vegan “bacon”

To keep things simple, this recipe uses pre-made vegan bacon. (I like the Light life brand.) If you prefer to make a homemade vegan bacon substitute, here are some options:

Try making Crispy smoked chickpeas: Use the recipe from the blog here!

Coconut bacon is another option. Toss 1 cup of coconut flakes (the big ones) with 1/2 tbsp tamari, 1/2 tbsp liquid smoke and 1/2 tbsp maple syrup and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Two plates of vegan carbonara with a small bowl of parsley on the side

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

  • Don’t forget to soak the raw cashews! This helps to soften the cashews so they blend up into a nice and creamy sauce.
  • The sauce will look very thin and liquidy before you cook it down. Don’t worry, once it’s in the pan you’ll see it begins to thicken up.
  • If you can’t find vegan bacon or don’t want to make your own smokey vegan chickpeas or coconut chips, you can leave this out entirely or add in something salty like capers or sundried tomatoes.

More pasta recipes to try:

A plate of vegan carbonara topped with parsley

If you tried this Vegan Carbonara or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Vegan carbonara on a white ceramic plate with a fork on the side

Vegan Carbonara

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe

Description

This pasta is super rich and creamy and perfect for an easy cozy weeknight or date-night dinner!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight then drained
  • 1 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
  • 10 oz long pasta 
  • 6 strips vegan bacon, cooked according to package directions (see note) 
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp white miso paste
  • 3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Blend the cashews, water and nutritional yeast in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy, for about a minute. Set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside. 
  3. Chop the vegan bacon into small pieces. 
  4. Heat the olive oil in the pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and add the bacon pieces, cashew cream, miso, salt and pepper and let cook down on medium for 1-2 minutes string constantly. The sauce will begin to thicken. 
  5. Add pasta and toss everything together until well combined and heated through. 
  6. Serve topped with freshly chopped parsley.

Notes

If you can’t find store-bought vegan bacon, you can make crispy smokey chickpeas from this recipe to use instead.

Don’t forget to soak the raw cashews! This helps to soften the cashews so they blend up into a nice and creamy sauce.

The sauce will look very thin and liquidy before you cook it down. Don’t worry, once it’s in the pan you’ll see it begins to thicken up.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 365
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Fat: 14g
  • Carbohydrates: 43g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 15g