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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.
Add a pinch of wine to the pasta. Perfecto!
I would Like to have your salmon recpise I have enjoyed reading them thank u Grace
Here are my salmon recipes for you to look over. Hope you can find some that you love! https://therecipecritic.com/?s=salmon
How long can this stay in fridge? A week?
I recommend about 3 to 4 days. Enjoy! It is the best! XOXO
Delish! Best homemade sauce I’ve had.
So your homemade Alfredo sauce is absolutely amazing!! Every time I make it I get compliments that it is the best they have ever had! My questions is that I am about to make this for 90 people!! How many batches would you say I should make? Any tips for making it in advance? Or does it need to be made right before it is served? Also any tips for cooking the noodles? Thank you so much in advance
OH! WOW! 90 people are going to be so lucky to have you cook for them. It would have to be about 8-10 batches depending on how much each person uses. It only lasts about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. I would recommend storing it in the fridge. The freezer will separate it and will not taste the same. You can put a tiny amount of oil on the noodles to keep them from sticking together. Hope that helps! That will be a great party for you! Thanks for choosing my recipes! XOXO
This sauce is AWESOME!
This is my first time not using a jar Alfredo sauce and I must say, I’ll never use store bought Alfredo sauce again. Thanks!
Hi. I am about to try your Alfredo sauce. Could you please recommend a type of Parmesan cheese and how finely it should be grated? Thank you! Please reply to my email.
Can the sauce be made, frozen and used later. If so what’s the best way to unfreeze and use ?
Unfortunately, it can not. The sauce would separate too much and leaving it not tasting the same.
The best alfredo sauce EVER!
Amazing Alfredo Sauce !!! Definitely the best I’ve ever had. Cut up grilled zucchini, instead of pasta, for my Keto lifestyle. Definitely will make again. 5 stars !
I love this recipe. I grill chicken and cut it up into pieces. I also add lemon pepper and it makes it all so delicious. No other additions required. If I’m feeding a lot more people I add some chicken broth to thin it out so we don’t run out so fast. This is a family favorite!
That sounds great! I am glad that you made it your own! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
Made this for an impromptu dinner with my in-laws. I just so happened to have everything (except I had half and half rather than heavy whipping cream). Put it over some lobster ravioli I had stashed in the freezer. It was a huge hit. My in-laws were very impressed and had several helpings of dinner. Thank God this recipe is so quick and easy. It made my Sunday evening a breeze.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing! I am so glad that it all worked out for you! XOXO
Alyssa isn’t kidding. This IS the BEST alfredo sauce ever! …and up until tonight I didn’t care too much for alfredo. seriously. too cheesy. This recipe rocks!!! Made it exactly as written. Sauteed shrimp and poured shrimp & sauce over spaghetti squash-it was AMAZING!!! I added some chinese chili paste to spice it up a little. My taste buds wept with joy-not kidding. Thanks for this awesome recipe Alyssa!
HAHA!! Thanks so much! It is one of my favorites too!! Thank you so much for the rave review. You are so sweet! Thanks for choosing one of my recipes and following along with me! XOXO
This is a great recipe. Thanks for sharing. My family loved it. I added shrimp to it.
I wish I could make this recipe.
But alas, my doctor would scold me.
My nutritionist would disown me.
My diet consultant would resign.
And I would have to give up my “healthy foodie” decoder ring!!! 🙂
If nothing else Alyssa, the pictures are nice to dream about.
I love Alfredo pasta and this right here is the best thus far! Thank you so much for posting! Wayyyyy better and CHEAPER than restaurants for sure!