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This easy homemade alfredo sauce recipe is the best way to satisfy comfort food cravings in minutes! Unlike some store-bought sauces, this one is made with clean ingredients, without starch or thickeners. Serve it over your favorite noodles or vegetables for a quick dinner. This recipe for alfredo sauce is so versatile that I included it in my second cookbook to combine with other dishes the book has. And it tastes way better than the jarred kind!
Why You’ll Love This Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Rich and creamy
- Just 4 simple ingredients
- Ready in 10 minutes
- Better than store-bought brands
- Perfect on ANY pasta!
What Is Alfredo Sauce?
Alfredo is a creamy white sauce traditionally made with butter, parmesan cheese, milk or cream, and spices. Store-bought sauces may also contain thickeners (such as flour or cornstarch), vegetable oils, or other added ingredients to keep them shelf stable.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best alfredo sauce ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Butter – I use grass-fed butter here, but any unsalted variety will work.
- Garlic– I prefer to use fresh garlic cloves, but 1 tablespoon of jarred minced garlic or 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder can be used for convenience.
- Heavy Cream – Sometimes this is called heavy whipping cream on the carton. I don’t recommend regular milk or almond milk for this alfredo sauce recipe, as using these requires thickeners and the final sauce will be too thin.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Adds flavor and thickens the alfredo sauce without a flour roux or cornstarch. Shredded parm should also work, but might take longer to melt. As an alternative, cream cheese can act as a thickener, but the flavor is completely different, so I don’t really recommend it unless you want a tangier cream sauce.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper– You’ll want to add a little more than you think you’ll need, since the sauce will mellow out after mixing with ingredients like pasta or vegetables. If you don’t like the appearance of black pepper in your sauce, use white pepper instead.
- Nutmeg– It’s a classic ingredient for any easy alfredo sauce recipe, but you can omit it if you like.
How To Make Alfredo Sauce
This section shows how to make homemade alfredo sauce, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Saute the garlic. Melt the butter in amedium to large saucepanover medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and continue simmering until sauce thickens and reduces by roughly one third.
- Thicken with parmesan. Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the parmesan cheese, until smooth.
- Add the spices. You can adjust the spices in this alfredo sauce recipe to your taste. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
Tips For Best Results
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese works best. It melts more smoothly into the sauce than the canned stuff. Pre-grated works okay in a pinch, but may not be as smooth.
- A large saucepan works best. The larger your pan, the faster the cream will reduce. You can even use a skillet with tall sides!
- It’s easy to adjust the consistency. For sauce that’s too thick, thin it with more cream. But if you’re wondering how to thicken alfredo sauce, just add extra parmesan to get the right consistency.
Storage & Reheating
- Store: Pour the alfredo sauce into a covered container and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Reheat: Warm up on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave at low power, stirring occasionally to smooth out lumps. If it’s still not smooth, you can give it a quick blend. This sauce thickens during storage and reheating may cause more moisture to evaporate, so if it’s too thick, add cream to thin out as needed.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen. It may separate when thawed, but reheating will smooth it out.
Ways To Use Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Now that you know how to make alfredo sauce, you need ways to use it! Here are some recipes you can pair with this sauce for a comforting meal:
- Pasta – For a classic fettuccine alfredo, cook up some fettuccine noodles or your favorite pasta. If you want a lighter option, use spaghetti squash noodles or zucchini noodles (pictured above). Add some quick pan seared chicken breast for a chicken alfredo meal.
- Proteins – This alfredo sauce recipe actually tastes delicious on meats! Try it on top of healthy baked chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, or even pan seared salmon.
- Roasted Veggies – Toss roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts in this creamy sauce, or drizzle it on roasted asparagus.
- Pizza – Alfredo sauce makes a delicious white pizza! Spread it on your favorite crust with toppings like grilled chicken, sauteed spinach, red onions, and fresh or sauteed mushrooms. One of my favorite ways to use it is on a chicken crust pizza!
More Homemade Sauce Recipes
Making your own sauce from scratch is not only healthier, but also super fun and lets you experiment with flavors. Explore some more simple options:
Basil Pesto Sauce
Mushroom Sauce
Peanut Sauce
Peri Peri Sauce
Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Recipe Card
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!)
This easy homemade alfredo sauce recipe needs just 4 simple ingredients and 10 minutes! It's rich, creamy, and perfect for pasta or veggies.
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com
Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)
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Ingredients
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Instructions
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Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, then continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken and volume is reduced by about 1/3. (Amount of time will vary depending on the size of your saucepan.)
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Reduce heat to low. Gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Keep whisking over low heat, until smooth.
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Stir in nutmeg, sea salt, and black pepper, to taste. If sauce is thicker than you like, you can thin it out with more cream.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
Recipe from The Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories 261
Fat 25.9g
Protein 5g
Total Carbs 2.9g
Net Carbs 2.8g
Fiber 0.1g
Sugar 1.9g
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: alfredo sauce, alfredo sauce recipe, easy alfredo sauce, homemade alfredo sauce
Calories: 261 kcal
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Alfredo sauce is a creamy white sauce traditionally made with butter, parmesan cheese, milk or cream, and spices. It is commonly used as a topping for pasta dishes. Store-bought alfredo sauces may contain thickeners, vegetable oils, or other added ingredients to keep them shelf-stable. However, homemade alfredo sauce can be made with clean ingredients, without starch or thickeners [[1]].
To make homemade alfredo sauce, you will need the following ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic
- Heavy cream
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Nutmeg (optional) [[1]]
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make alfredo sauce:
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream and bring it to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken and reduce in volume.
- Reduce the heat to low and gradually whisk in the grated parmesan cheese until smooth.
- Stir in nutmeg, sea salt, and black pepper to taste.
- If the sauce is thicker than desired, you can thin it out with more cream [[1]].
Some tips for best results when making alfredo sauce:
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese works best, as it melts more smoothly into the sauce than pre-grated cheese.
- Using a larger saucepan will help the cream reduce faster.
- You can adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding more cream if it's too thick or more parmesan cheese if it's too thin [[1]].
Storage and reheating:
- Alfredo sauce can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.
- To reheat, warm it up on the stove over low heat or in the microwave at low power, stirring occasionally to smooth out lumps. If the sauce is too thick after reheating, you can add cream to thin it out [[1]].
Alfredo sauce can be used in various ways, including:
- Tossed with pasta, such as fettuccine noodles, spaghetti squash noodles, or zucchini noodles.
- Used as a topping for proteins like baked chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, or pan-seared salmon.
- Drizzled over roasted vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or asparagus.
- Spread on a pizza crust as a base for a white pizza, topped with ingredients like grilled chicken, sautéed spinach, red onions, and mushrooms [[1]].
I hope this information helps you in making delicious homemade alfredo sauce! Let me know if you have any other questions.
