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Alfredo sauce is one of my most popular recipes EVER! This sauce is ultra creamy and belongs on everything. It’s so much better than store-bought and only takes 20 minutes to make!
A Reader’s Review
This was BY FAR the best alfredo recipe I have yet to find! If any of you are looking for online alfredo recipes, you can quit looking. This one is the richest/creamiest/most appetizing one I’ve found yet. I’ve trialed with several and this one beats them all. EXCELLENT recipe!! My husband cannot stop talking about how much ‘better’ my alfredo is this time!
Why You Need to Make This Alfredo Sauce Today!
- It’s so good, I eat it with a spoon! I “test” it so many times while cooking that I’m usually full before dinner even starts. It’s that creamy, cheesy, and irresistible.
- Cream cheese makes it next-level! This is my secret ingredient! It adds the perfect tang and smooth texture that most Alfredo sauces are missing.
- You won’t believe how simple and fast this is! It tastes fancy, but it’s so easy. One pan, a few ingredients, and 20 minutes later, you’re a dinner hero.
Ingredients Needed
- Different Cheese: To switch up the flavor, use half Romano cheese or Asiago cheese instead of Parmesan cheese.
- Do I have to use cream cheese? You can omit the cream cheese, but I suggest replacing it with 1/2 cup of additional heavy cream.
- Fresh or canned Parmesan? Freshly grated Parmesan is a must! The stuff in a can will make the sauce grainy, and the pre-shredded kind will end up very clumpy.
- Can I substitute the heavy Cream? You can use milk or half & half instead. The sauce will be lighter, but still tasty.
- Make it spicy! You can add in more spices and seasonings like red pepper flakes or paprika so your Alfredo has a little kick to it! Similar to this Cajun Alfredo pasta!
- What protein can I add? Alfredo sauce goes so well with chicken or shrimp.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce from Scratch
Not only does this Alfredo sauce use simple, everyday ingredients, but it also comes together in minutes.
- Melt: Add the butter, cream, and cream cheese to a medium pan and whisk over medium heat until melted.
- Whisk: Add the minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and whisk until combined. Make sure to whisk it together rather than stirring with a spatula. This will help your Alfredo sauce not to separate.
- Gradually Add Cheese: Continue to whisk until smooth before gradually adding the Parmesan cheese. (Overheating can cause the cheese to break and turn clumpy. Keep the heat low, stir gently, and avoid boiling. For best results, add the Parmesan off heat to help it melt smoothly.)
- Simmer and Serve: Bring to a simmer and whisk for about 3-5 minutes or until it thickens. Toss it with fettuccine noodles and serve immediately.
Alyssa’s Pro Tips
Want a thicker sauce? Cut the cream cheese up into cubes and add in small amounts at a time while stirring. It melts evenly and enhances the texture. If needed, whisk together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir it in to thicken further.
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.
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!
- In the Fridge: Store your homemade Alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat your sauce on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often. It is best not to microwave this sauce because it can cause the sauce to break and turn oily.
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Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 pint
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 cups heavy whipping cream, and 4 ounces cream cheese to a medium saucepan and whisk over medium heat until melted.
- Add ½ teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Continue to whisk until smooth before gradually adding 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Bring to a simmer and continue to whisk for about 3-5 minutes or until it thickens. Toss it with your favorite pasta and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
tastes sooooo good and creamy. Add like 1/2 cup of mozzerella!!
I used your recipe for the sauce, added a bag of frozen spinach, a can of drained shredded chicken, and a small container of 3 color Tortellini! It is fabulous!!
So delicious
Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
Yes, it can be made ahead of time. It will store well in the fridge for up to 5 days ahead. Do not freeze. To reheat, warm slowly on the stove top not a microwave.
One word
Three syllables
AMAZING!!!
I lost a lot of my recipes while cleaning my computer, and this is one recipes that was deleted! I am so happy I was able to find this recipe! I WILL never use canned Alfredo sauce again!
This is the best Alfredo sauce ever. My go to!!! Thanks for sharing ?
Just made this recipe for my daughter who orders Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli when we go out to eat. She is a picky eater and she loved it. I will be making this regularly to have on hand for her. I don’t eat carbs so I just tasted a bit of the sauce with some broccoli and I found myself going back and forth dipping broccoli bits in the sauce over and over. I made this tonight with Chicken, broccoli and sautéed mushrooms. Cooked everything separately then mixed each portion with the different components in a big bowl before serving because my son hates mushrooms. Very simple and inexpensive meal. Next time I will make some spaghetti squash for myself. We made 4 servings and there is still plenty of sauce left.
Our family really loves this recipe and I make it at least once every two weeks. I added more minced garlic, an extra ounce of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of Romano cheese and 1/8 tsp of nutmeg. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
It’s the absolute best recipe ever for Alfredo sauce! Way better than
restaurants Fettuccine. I’ve made it several times now and everyone loves it! I was wondering how much a serving size is, it shows the calories but not the serving size.
This was wonderful! I enjoyed the recommendation of paprika as it sweetened it up. I was thinking about adding pancetta the next time to give it a little bit of saltiness and texture. If anyone has tried adding pancetta or bacon crumbles please let me know what the outcome was. Overall, very nice! Kudos!
Seriously delicious in every way with no tweaks!
Wish I could add a picture!!
Hello Alyssa!
I spell my daughter’s name same way as yours. In any case, I had half a brick of cream cheese left over from a previous recipe and was perusing Alfredo sauces on various blogs and came to see yours. I am living alone now ,, kids are away , and I halved every thing in your original recipe except for one thing… I used one half cup of heavy cream and one half cup of half and half, which already has a component of heavy cream. The cream cheese gave the sauce a different dimension and when I tell you, I am Italian ,so I wanted to see how the cream cheese would be a different taste. It worked fine. I did not use the minced garlic just the powder. The finished sauce was divine and I have a bag of shrimp , deveined and uncooked , which I will make for a guest soon and use over fettucine. I am sure I will use the full recipe as printed but still keep to the half ratio of heavy cream and half and half. Great recipe and the Italian herbs give it a nice punch. Thank you!!
I’ve been using this recipe forever and love it! The only thing I change is using half heavy cream and half whole milk and I always add a little bit of nutmeg. Family favorite!
Yummmmm made this one tonight for dinner and it’s a keeper. I had it on zoodles (keto) and my partner (carb-aholic) had it on regular pasta. We did a bite-for-bite trade taste test and it was excellent with both. He even said he’d happily eat it with zoodles next time! The sauce def carries itself; regular pasta isn’t required to make it still be great. Only change is that I cooked it a bit longer since we like thick Alfredo. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this easy, delicious alfredo recipe! I’m looking too create a variety of dishes for my family and this was an absolute hit! I will no longer look to the restaurants to satisfy my desire for creamy alfredo pasta.