Creamy, savory, and full of fall flavor, this Healthy Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce is a great seasonal twist on a classic dish! Made with pumpkin puree, and a blend of white cheddar, Parmesan, and pecorino cheeses, this creamy sauce is the ultimate in fall comfort food made delicious. This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
Healthy Pumpkin Alfredo
Pumpkin season is officially upon us. Everything is pumpkin flavored from coffee to cookies to seltzers to even toothpaste. But not everything pumpkin related has to be spiced and full of sugar. Pumpkin can also be used for savory dishes like this Healthy Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce! This yummy recipe ditches the heavy cream and switches to pumpkin puree to get that creamy consistency. Add in cloves of garlic, three types of cheese (feel free to switch to vegan alternatives, this recipe is very adaptable!), and just a dash of nutmeg, and you’ve got comfort food to last you all fall!
Ingredients for Healthy Pumpkin Alfredo
This recipe is a fun fall twist on my wildly popular Healthy Alfredo Sauce and uses similar ingredients, too!
- garlic: about 4-5 cloves depending on your preference, minced
- olive oil: or olive oil spray
- butter: you can also make it vegan with vegan butter or use ghee
- flour: gluten free or whole wheat flour will work, but avoid almond flour as your sauce won’t thicken enough
- original unsweetened almond milk: cashew milk is a great substitution option
- white cheddar cheese: freshly shredded, packed in tight
- Parmesan Reggiano cheese: also freshly shredded, packed in tight
- Pecorino Romano cheese: you can also just substitute extra Parmesan cheese
- pumpkin puree: be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as pumpkin pie filling is sweetened. Also, if your pumpkin is watery (like the Trader Joe’s brand), strain it out a little before mixing it into the sauce. I love Aldi’s canned pumpkin!
- spices: fresh ground pepper, salt, nutmeg and fresh parsley to finish it all off!
How to Make Healthy Alfredo Sauce with Pumpkin
In just a few simple steps, this delicious dinner comes together in no time! Perfect for a chilly weeknight meal with the family.
- Heat a ceramic or stainless-steel pan over medium low heat. Add in the olive oil (or spray with olive oil spray) and garlic. Stir until fragrant, then add in the butter.
- Slowly whisk in the flour until well combined with the butter and garlic.
- While whisking, carefully add in 1 1/4 cups of almond milk. Increase heat to medium and allow the milk and flour to thicken for several minutes, careful that it doesn’t begin to burn.
4. Once your roux has thickened, reduce the heat to low and add in the white cheddar, Parmesan Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano cheese, stirring well until the sauce is creamy. Then stir in the pumpkin puree.
5. Remove sauce from heat. Add in salt and pepper to taste and dash of nutmeg.
6. Serve with noodles, veggies, and/or your favorite protein and top with extra parmesan. Garnish with fresh parsley and a pinch of nutmeg and enjoy!
How Long Will The Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce Stay Fresh?
This healthy pumpkin alfredo should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days to retain the best flavor! When reheating leftovers, add a splash of whichever milk you chose for the recipe to keep the sauce creamy.
What Can I Serve With This Sauce?
There are so many ways you can serve and even dress up this amazing sauce! For serving, it pairs perfectly with gluten free spaghetti, fettuccine noodles, or even have a little fun with some bow tie pasta! You could also drizzle it over baked chicken and/or some seasonal veggies like carrots and broccoli. One of my readers even poured it over my Taco Stuffed Acorn Squash!
Hungry For More Savory Squash Recipes? Check These Out:
Pumpkin Pasta with Spicy Sausage
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage
Healthy Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp olive oil or sub olive oil spray
- 4 tsp butter, vegan butter, or ghee
- 4 tsp gluten free or whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cup original unsweetened almond or cashew milk
- 1/4 cup freshly shredded white cheddar cheese packed in tight
- 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese packed in tight
- 2 tablespoon Pecorino Romano cheese or just sub extra Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- dash nutmeg
- salt to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- fresh parsley optional, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a ceramic or stainless steel pan over medium low heat. Add in olive oil and garlic. Stir until fragrant, then add in butter.
- Slowly whisk in flour until well combined with the butter and garlic. While whisking, slowly add in 1 1/4 cups of almond milk. Increase heat to medium and allow milk and flour to thicken for several minutes.Â
- Once your roux (aka flour mixture) is thickened, reduce heat to low and add in all the cheese, stirring well until the sauce is creamy, then stir in pumpkin.
- Remove from heat. Add in ¼ tsp of salt (or to taste), a sprinkle of pepper, and dash of nutmeg.Â
- Serve with noodles, veggies, and or your favorite protein and top with extra parmesan and garnish with fresh parsley and a pinch of nutmeg.
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