20-Minute Tomato Cream Sauce (No Dairy!)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Feb 9, 2017 (last updated Oct 11, 2024) 
This quick and easy tomato cream sauce for pasta is made without dairy buy using… drumroll please…. coconut milk (but don’t worry, it does NOT taste like coconut at the end). Canned tomatoes and tomato paste combine with a splash of coconut milk to create the most satisfying, creamy and comforting dairy-free pasta sauce that will have you licking your plate.
Creamy Tomato Sauce for Pasta, But Hold the Cream
I’m a big fan of all things sauce, whether it be my simple homemade marinara, mama’s homestyle meat sauce, or this creamy, dreamy tomato sauce that uses coconut milk in place of cream for an irresistible pasta sauce that is one of my family’s go-to dinners on busy weeks.
I learned a long time ago that homemade sauce is so much better than the store-bought variety. And it’s probably simpler to make than you think. I’m betting you already have many of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge already, too!
Making a Creamy Tomato Sauce Dairy-Free Is Easier Than You Think!
My specialty is quick & easy recipes, and this sauce delivers on that promise. Since there’s just 7 ingredients (many of them that come already prepared in a can), this recipe has minimal hands-on prep time. Just sauté the onions & garlic, add your canned tomato products, season and simmer until silky & thick.
The secret to making a truly creamy dairy free pasta sauce is to add full-fat coconut milk at the very end. And if you’re worried that the coconut milk will lend a coconutty flavor, don’t be. There’s just enough in this recipe to make this vegan tomato sauce creamy, without adding an in-your-face coconut taste.
Tip: You can freeze any leftover coconut milk to use another time, too, or store it in the fridge for using in smoothies.
Ingredients & Ideas For Substitutions
Garlic: Since we’re using such simple ingredients, I love using fresh garlic in this recipe. Together with the granulated garlic powder, it adds lots of flavor.
Onion: The onion also adds so much flavor to homemade tomato sauce. But if you don’t like or can’t eat onions, feel free to skip them in this recipe.
Tomato paste: Don’t skip the tomato paste, it has great concentrated tomato flavor. And also allows the sauce to thicken.
Crushed tomatoes: The crushed tomatoes add lots of delicious flavor and moisture without watering down your sauce.
Olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil best in this recipe. But any neutral oil will work in this soup, such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or canola.
Coconut milk: This is the secret to making a creamy pasta sauce without a drop of cream. The taste of the coconut milk is nearly undetectable in this recipe, but you can also use heavy cream in it’s place for a classic cream sauce.
Tip: Use full-fat coconut milk from a can for the best flavor. Be careful not to use “coconut beverage” from a box, which is much more watery and won’t produce the creamy, thick texture you want.
Ways to Use & Store
Serve over spaghetti or any other shape of pasta you like, with or without turkey meatballs. It also works great for a low carb option, like ladling it over zoodles, cooked spaghetti squash, chicken or fish. You can also use any extra sauce to make an easy lasagna!
Homemade tomato sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. This sauce also freezes beautifully, either in a gallon ziplock bag, or individually in mason jars. You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarianWhole30
20-Minute Tomato Cream Sauce (No Dairy!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk, from a can
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until very soft and slightly browned, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and garlic powder, stirring constantly over medium heat for about 30 seconds, until lightly browned.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Simmer over medium-low for 10 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, and an additional ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Taste and add additional salt or red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve with gluten-free or whole wheat pasta, or as a sauce for chicken or fish, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, parsley and basil if you like.
Notes
- Serve this sauce over whole wheat or gluten free pasta, or over chicken or fish.
- If serving over pasta, you can bump up the protein by adding some pan sautéed shrimp or chicken.
- Nutrition information calculated for sauce only.
- This recipe makes enough sauce for about 1 pound pasta of choice.
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For more ingredients & substitutions, see blog post above.
I really liked this sauce. I added about 1/2 red bell pepper before adding the tomatoes and then blended a bit to make it smoother. Really tasty and good for pasta and as a curry sauce with chicken.
Mmmmmm. love the idea of adding bell pepper. Yum!
This looks delicious. Would I be able to substitute hemp or oat milk for the coconut (I’m allergic)? There’s not as much fat so I’m wondering if it would ruin the texture.
Ellen, I think hemp and oat might not be thick and creamy enough. Would either cream or a non-sweetened almond milk creamer would work for you?