AZ came out the gates the strongest and got close to scoring the opener after seven minutes, but Sven Mijnans couldn't convert with his low driven shot.
A cagey first half saw the visitors create most of the chances and come close to scoring when Irishman Troy Parrott fired a shot at Vasilios Barkas' goal, but the Greek stopper kept his goal clean.
Only an effort from distance from AZ's Japanese full-back Seiya Maikuma and a spirited run from Utrecht midfielder Milliano Jonathans preceeded referee Dennis Higler blowing his whistle to end a tame first half.
A second half with even less chances saw Utrecht striker David Min, who replaced Ivorian international Sebastien Haller near the end of the game, miss the biggest scoring opportunity just seconds before the final whistle when the Dutchman saw his header get saved by Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro.
Utrecht squander a golden opportunity to close the gap to league leaders PSV after their loss away at PEC Zwolle earlier on the day. Meanwhile, AZ lose valuable points in the close battle for the coveted fourth spot.