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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.
I made this last night (cut recipe in half) and I had to take a spatula to the saucepan to get out every last drop for my hubby haha…It was really great! I did have to add about half a cup of milk towards the end to thin it out a bit but that was probably just a personal preference thing. Like others have said, I’ll never go back to the jar again 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe! I added some extra seasonings to give it that enhanced flavor. Including: garlic salt (substitute for garlic power), cayenne pepper, black pepper, oregano leaves and cilantro. I hope these seasonings help a bit. It truly enhances the alfredo sauce recipe. Ps the cayenne pepper really gives the sauce extra flavor without being spicy. Hope this helps:).
I also add garlic salt, oregano leaves, cilantro, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. I substituted the garlic power for garlic salt.
These extra seasonings enhanced the flavor a lot and made it taste absolutely delicious ?. I have never tasted something so yummy! Hope that this helps your cooking :). Ps. the cayenne pepper definelty enhances the flavor without giving your sauce too much spice.
This recipe is legit… No other way to say it… I have tried several variations of Alfredo sauces and this one is now the family favorite… Thank you for sharing! Only thing I changed was to simmer the sauce longer to thicken it up just a bit more but this is a winner!
How much does this make ? I am trying to make for a party but I am unsure of the amount that it makes … does anyone know in ounces / cups
About 2 cups of sauce and I found it best with a pounds of noodles. 🙂
Hi, will it be good if you skip the parmesan and add another cheese instead?
I highly recommend parmesan. But you could use another form of grated cheese if desired.
By far the best Alfredo sauce I’ve had in a while. I appreciate the fact that I didn’t need to tweak this recipe at all. Far better than any $16 plate that I’ve purchased from Olive Garden in the past. Definitely a winner!
This homemade Alfredo recipe is by far the best I’ve tried to date. It was quick, easy, and far better than any plate of Alfredo I could have gone to Olive Garden and purchased! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Oh. My. Gosh. I made this recipe (exactly) for my daughter to take to a potluck dinner date and almost wouldn’t let her leave with it. The best I’ve ever tasted–bar none. Now, if only I could replicate the taste in a low-fat version….
Hi! I will be making a chicken alfredo pasta for next week’s family dinner. I would just like to ask if how many servings does this make? Will this be enough for 8-10 servings? I don’t wanna fall short on the sauce. This will be my first time making chicken alfredo by the way, and I badly wanted to try this for the sauce because it seams very delicious! Thanks anyway 🙂
This is probably only enough for a family of 4-5. It makes about 2 cups of sauce and I used 16 ounces of noodles.
I was leery about the raw garlic, so I cooked it with the shrimp (*I have a picky husband and toddler that don’t like garlic as much as I do). This recipe was easy & awesome! I thought that it tasted better than any alfredo sauce that I’ve eaten in a restaurant or out of a jar. Can’t wait to try your other recipes now. Thank you!
how about using 1/2 and 1/2 as opposed to heavy cream? yes?
About how much pasta would that amount of sauce cover? The recipe doesn’t say, unless I missed something.
It covered 16 ounces in the picture that I posted. 🙂
I made this a few weeks ago. My husband wasn’t home from work yet, so i kept it simmering and it eventually separated (the butter and cream) i guess from cooking so long. I tasted it before it did though it was delicious. I want to make sure if i make leftovers for his lunch the next day will it do that if he heats it in the microwave?
thanks!
I just made this tonight and I have to say the best Alfredo sauce recipe I’ve tried. This will definitely be my go to for a quick and easy dinner. Thank you so much haha
How many serving is the sauce for?