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This creamy white pizza sauce is made with sharp parmesan cheese and rich half and half. It is so smooth and bursting with cheesy creamy flavors, and perfect on top of pizza, over bread, or for dipping your breadsticks in.

Have you ever been to Olive Garden and dipped your breadsticks in your alfredo sauce? That’s totally what this white pizza sauce reminds me of! It’s so stinking good, and you’ve got to try it on pizza or with breadsticks. To make your dish even better, try a homemade breadstick or roll like these copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks, these delicious Breadtwists, or these yummy Garlic Parmesan Pull-Aparts.

White pizza sauce on a wooden spoon.

White Sauce Pizza

Ok, this white pizza sauce is a little too good! It will have you eating ALLLL the carbs, because it’s perfect on top of your pizza dough or homemade baked crostini. You can even put it over a pasta if you really wanted to, because it is basically a simple garlic alfredo sauce. However you decide to eat it, I can guarantee it will be gone in a flash. It’s too good to resist!

So let’s talk about what’s in it. Simple ingredients that starts with butter and garlic browned in the pan. You will add flour to make a classic roux, then add your cream. I like to use half and half, but you could use whole milk instead. I think adding cream would be a little too thick, but go with your gut! Parmesan cheese is really what makes this sauce flavorful. You could experiment with using other cheeses because it’s a simple cheese sauce that would taste great so many ways.

Ingredients

This white pizza sauce is so easy and made from a few simple ingredients! It’s a really rich and flavorful sauce that is basically a simple garlic alfredo sauce. It takes about 10 minutes to make and my kids ask me to make it ALL the time. I bet your guests will be asking you for this recipe. You can find measurements below in the recipe card.

  • Butter: Oh butter, how we love you! I used unsalted butter for the base of this sauce.
  • Garlic: If you don’t want any little chunks of garlic in your sauce, use crushed garlic or finely grated fresh garlic. You could use minced garlic if you don’t mind a little pop of garlic flavor.
  • All-Purpose Flour: This is to help thicken the sauce.
  • Half and Half or Whole Milk: I love a thick and rich sauce, so I use half and half. You can use milk and it will turn out just as yummy!
  • Onion Powder: This helps to ramp up the flavor a little bit.
  • Salt and Pepper: I like to use Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to enhance the flavors.
  • Parmesan Cheese: This is a salty delicious cheese that everyone loves on pizza! Use grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor and texture.
Process photos showing how to make a roux and add in the other ingredients.

White Pizza Sauce Recipe

White pizza sauce is the perfect base for any pizza! You can add all sorts of amazing toppings like tomatoes, spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, the list goes on. Really any vegetable is amazing on top of this sauce, and I especially loved artichoke hearts! You can put the sauce on before you bake the pizza crust, and make sure to add some extra cheeses like mozzarella and ricotta cheese. One of my kid’s favorite toppings is chicken. You really can’t go wrong with this simple and delicious sauce. Here is how you’ll make it.

  1. Cook Butter and Garlic: Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; then stir in the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Whisk: Whisk in the flour and stir to make a roux.
  3. Make Sauce: Add the milk, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
  4. Cook to Thicken: Cook and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick.
  5. Enjoy: Remove from heat and then enjoy on pizza or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks.
A whisk in a bowl of the white pizza sauce.

Tips for Making White Pizza Sauce

This white pizza sauce is a quick 10 minute sauce that makes a great starting point for so many different flavor combinations. You can really take this sauce in so many different directions! Here are some ideas for making this recipe.

  • Add Lemon Juice: I like to add a little acid like lemon juice to brighten up the sauce. A half a lemon does wonders for the flavors!
  • Additional Seasonings: If you want to add a little spice, red pepper flakes are the perfect thing to add. You can play around with adding other dried herbs like thyme and basil. Get creative with how you season this dish!
  • Using White Pizza Sauce: There are so many uses for white pizza sauce. You can of course put it on pizza, or use it as a dip for breadsticks. It’s amazing poured over roasted vegetables or used as a pasta sauce. I’ve even put it on top of naan for a fun naan-style pizza. It was a total hit!
A spoon spreading the sauce over pizza dough.

Storing Leftovers

This white pizza sauce is so versatile I doubt you will have any leftovers. If you do happen to have some you need to store, here is how to do it.

  • In the Refrigerator: Put your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently so you do not break the sauce.

Note: This sauce will not freeze well because of the cream. It will separate once it is thawed.

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White Pizza Sauce

5 from 2 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
This creamy white pizza sauce is made with sharp parmesan cheese and rich half and half. It is so smooth and bursting with cheesy creamy flavors, and perfect on top of pizza, over bread, or for dipping your breadsticks in.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Whisk in the flour and stir to make a roux.
  • Add the milk, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
  • Cook and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick.
  • Remove from heat and enjoy on pizza or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 198IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delish! Made a pizza with it … only had a cup of milk so i used a half cup of heavy whipping cream and it was great!

  2. 5 stars
    great sauce, there’s a white pizza at a local pizza place, but have never tried to make it, so thank you for this recipe!