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This is the most creamy and delicious homemade alfredo sauce that you will ever make! It’s a tried and true recipe that will take all of your favorite pasta dishes to the next level.
This is my most popular recipe for a good reason! If you love alfredo as much as I do try this Creamy Garlic Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta or Asiago Garlic Alfredo Pasta.
Best-Ever Alfredo Sauce
This is probably one of my favorite recipes here on the blog. (It’s a reader-favorite, too!) If there is one thing I can always count on my family to eat it is my homemade alfredo sauce over pasta. With alfredo sauce this creamy, cheesy, and flavorful, it’s so hard to resist!
We recently had some company over for dinner and I made these Chicken Bacon Garlic Alfredo Roll Ups. They are always are a huge hit! This homemade alfredo sauce really makes any dish shine. It’s thick and creamy, coats pasta perfectly, and the flavor is out of the world. It is restaurant quality that you can make right at home!
Ingredients You Need to Make It
You only need a few simple ingredients to make the BEST alfredo sauce. This sauce just has a smooth, creamy texture that melts in your mouth. For the best possible flavor, using the freshest ingredients is key! Fresh parmesan cheese grated off the block is one of those key ingredients. This will create a smooth textured sauce rather than a grainy one.
- Butter: Both unsalted or salted work for this alfredo sauce recipe. If using salted butter, then just adjust the extra salt you use or omit it entirely.
- Heavy Cream: A must-add so your sauce is rich and creamy.
- Cream Cheese: My secret ingredient! This adds a nice, thick consistency to your alfredo sauce.
- Minced Garlic: For the best flavor, use fresh garlic.
- Garlic Powder: Because you can never go wrong with too much garlic! Add some of this in so your sauce has a little extra savory flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: My favorite blend of herbs! They make the sauce smell and taste amazing.
- Salt and Pepper: Add both to taste.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Using freshly grated parmesan cheese is best. Powdered cheese will create a grainy texture and does not melt through when heated. This is because of all the preservatives that are added.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce From Scratch
Not only does this alfredo sauce recipe use super simple ingredients, but it’s so quick and easy to make! Simply combine all of your ingredients in a skillet and achieve creamy, cheesy goodness. It’s so good!
- Whisk Dairy Ingredients Together: In a medium saucepan add butter, heavy whipping cream, and cream cheese. Then cook over medium heat and whisk until melted.
- Add In Seasonings: Add the minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Then continue to whisk until smooth.
- Stir in Cheese: Add the grated parmesan cheese.
- Thicken Your Sauce: Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Toss With Pasta: Toss alfredo sauce with your favorite pasta! I always go for fettuccine noodles to make the best fettuccine alfredo ever!
How Many Cups Does It Yield?
When you are done making your alfredo sauce you will be able to fill a tall canning jar. This is about 14 to 16 ounces (1 pound) of pasta or 2 cups of sauce. I like to reserve a little sauce on the side for dipping breadsticks in.
Alfredo Sauce FAQ
This thick, cheesy, and flavorful sauce is a reader favorite for good reason! These are a few common questions I get asked, I hope they help you create the homemade alfredo sauce of your dreams!
- Can I Make Alfredo Sauce With Milk Instead of Cream? Adding milk is always an option. You will end up with a lighter and less thick consistency but it will work. Half and half is another option you can use. If you need to thicken your sauce up a little more, then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of flour until you reach your desired consistency.
- How Do I Make My Sauce Thicker? When adding cream cheese, slowly cut chunks of cream cheese as you are stirring. This helps create a thicker and creamier sauce. You can also use a roux by using an equal amount of butter to flour, about 1 teaspoon.
- Is This Alfredo Sauce Gluten-Free? This recipe is considered gluten-free! It has an amazing flavor without substitutions.
- Is Alfredo Sauce Made With Cheese? This is a cheese-based pasta sauce that is rich in flavor. It does not harden like cheese though.
- Can I Make it Dairy-Free? There are substitutions to make this dairy-free but I do not recommend it if you are looking for an authentic alfredo sauce. Having dairy in the recipe makes it rich, creamy, and smooth. If you absolutely must, then swap out the heavy cream for a dairy-free creamer or nut milk and use dairy-free or vegan cheese crumbles. Keep in mind that the texture may end up slightly different.
- What Protein Can I Add? Alfredo sauce goes so well with chicken or fish. Try this crispy parmesan chicken or garlic brown sugar salmon!
Tips and Variations
I think this sauce is even better than any restaurant that I have been to and the best part is- you can make it yourself! It’s thick, creamy, and rich. The perfect sauce for your favorite pasta. I know that you will quickly agree that it is the BEST! This will be a recipe that you make again and again, just like I do!
- Use a Whisk: Avoid separating your alfredo sauce when mixing it by whisking it together rather than stirring with a spatula.
- Cook Low and Slow: The most important rule is to not overheat your alfredo sauce. Slowly add ingredients on a low heat and for a short period of time. Melted cheese will break and separate once it gets too hot leaving your cheese clumpy. Do not boil or overheat. Boiling will separate and ruin the alfredo sauce. If you are worried about overheating, then add your parmesan with the heat off. This will also prevent clumping!
- Protein Choices: Grilled chicken, fish, shredded rotisserie chicken, or shrimp are great with this sauce!
- Extra Seasonings: Add in more spices and seasonings like red pepper flakes or paprika so your alfredo has a kick of heat, similar to this One Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta.
- Different Cheese: To switch up the flavor, use half Romano cheese or asiago cheese instead of parmesan cheese.
Storing Leftover Alfredo Sauce
Alfredo sauce is a favorite at our house and I know that it won’t last long, even if I double it! Here’s how to store any leftovers so you can enjoy it again and again.
- Storing in the Refrigerator: I like to store my alfredo sauce in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. It will stay good for about 5 days. The ingredients may separate as it sits, so give it a quick stir before you use it.
- Reheating: Slowly is key! Use low temperatures and stir often. If it starts to separate, slowly whisk it back together over low heat on the stovetop. It is best not to microwave this sauce. It becomes more oily and separates just as easily, if not more.
More Amazing Alfredo Recipes
If you love everything alfredo, here are a few more great dishes to try. They’re easy, cheesy, and picky eater approved! What could be better than that? So go ahead, try them out with that tasty batch of alfredo sauce you just made!
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The Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce Ever!
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream or 2 cups
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan add butter, heavy whipping cream, and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat and whisk until melted.
- Add the minced garlic, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk until smooth. Add the grated parmesan cheese.
- Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Toss it with your favorite pasta!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
made this twice. the second time without butter and used regular whipping cream and 1/3 the fat cream cheese and tasted just as yummy! it also didnt separate since no butter was used!
That is great to hear! I absolutely love Alfredo sauce! It is requested often at our house! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
Most amazing sauce, simple ingredients and simple to make, better the most restaurants, this will be my go to, I added grilled chicken, my boyfriend doesn’t like cream cheese, he never new it was in there, just commented on how creamy the sauce was, thank you, it is the best!!
Do you know the nutritional info on the sauce?
This is THE BEST alfredo sauce I’ve ever had before in my life everyone loved it thank you so much!!!!!
That is so great to hear!! We all love it in our family! It is a favorite and can be used in several ways! Thanks for sharing!! XOXO
Fabulous! I can’t wait to try more recipes
That is great to hear! Happy cooking!! XOXO
Can the alfredo sauce be made a day ahead?
My fiancee and I are considering making an Alfredo dish for our wedding. How many servings do you normally get from this. We are trying to save money by not doing catering and I love to cook. Don’t worry she will still have plenty of time to get ready as I am the Groom. Just wondering how many times I would need to multiply it.
Wowsers!!!! Absolutely yummy. My man just kept licking all the utensils while he did the dishes. I accidently added 2 cups of Parmesan cheese (I need new glasses) and needless to say it was delicious. Next time I’ll use 1 cup. I served it over steamed broccoli, chicken, and Trader Joe’s Basil Luiguine noodles.
? yummy
That is AWESOME to hear!! I LOVE comments like this!! Thank you so much for sharing!!XOXO
It is insane how good this is. I’ve been buying Rana Alfredo sauce since it’s decent and minimal with only healthy ingredients and I can’t believe how easy and good this is. I used kerrygold grass fed butter, and for parmesan I used 4C homestyle parmesan. Super delicious and still very healthy from a clean eating perspective. High calories when factoring total calories but with a pound of pasta, pound of chicken breast and 2 heads of broccoli, this is plenty for 15 servings at under 350 calories each.
I was skeptical with the cream cheese but you can’t even tell and it’s so rich and creamy.
Oh thank you so much!! I really appreciate that a lot!!
Ok I stumbled across your recipe when I was trying to figure out supper tonight. Wow!! This was amazing! As a wife of a picky husband and a mommy to a 1 1/2 year old things have to be simple and tasty. This was both. My husband told me multiple times that it was so good. My toddler even ate some. Thank you for posting. I’m now subscribed 🙂
That is awesome!! I am so happy you found me and that you loved this recipe!! It is by far one of our go-to dinner recipes and my kids love it too!! Thanks for following along with me!! Xo
Omg this is sooooo good it’s soooo rich creamy and thick just how I like it! Better than red lobster, Olive Garden, omg girl you need to sale this sauce in store or something loll
LOL!! It IS SOOO GOOD!! My family LOVES it too!! Thanks so much for your sweet remarks! Xo
Alyssa I’ve made your recipe several times & my family loves it! They tried to get me to commit to making it at least once a week !! LOL…
How many people does it feed?
Depending on what you use the Alfredo sauce on or for it usually feeds around 8-10 people. I have a few recipes that go along with this Alfredo sauce and they all serve about 8 people. Hope that helps!! It is the BEST Alfredo sauce!! My kids love it!
OMG, that was the BEST alfredo sauce I have EVER had. My daughter loved it so much that not only did she not touch her garlic bread until the very end, but she used the garlic bread to clean off her plate and her fork. It was truly awesome. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I will NEVER buy jar alfredo again.
That is so good to hear! I am glad everyone loved it! Great job! It always feels good when the kiddos eat the food:)! Thanks for sharing! Xo
Your Recipe Critic,
Alyssa
this is a good recipe, certainly–I’ve been using it for over 20 years, having found it in a Taste of Home magazine in the mid-1990’s–and I use it all the time. Can’t stand the commercially-made junk on the market, and homemade sauce of any kind is always better.
I’m going to omit the cream cheese next time. WAY TOO THICK! Or maybe 1tbsp. Added all the pasta and had throw it out. Good recipe otherwise.
Oh man! You think so?? We just made this tonight over pasta and it was PERFECT!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Just made it and had to let you know how great this recipe is!! I added broccoli and chicken and everyone loves it!!! Delicious !!!
This alfredo sauce is amazing! It is definitely a new family favorite. I’ve tried many different recipes but this one by far outweighs any that I’ve ever made. Thank you!!!!!!
We made it tonight and had it over pasta and it is AMAZING!! We are reminded every time how good it is. I am glad you loved it too!