Free: Healthy 5-Ingredient Meals Ebook
Get It NowThis 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 a medium to large saucepan over 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, delicious cauliflower gnocchi, 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:
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.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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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.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
298 Comments
Annette McLamb
0Thanks for sharing this recipe, looks yummy! I do have a question. I noticed on the nutritional label it says total carbs 3g, but 0 net carbs, 0 fiber. Can you explain how the net equals 0? Thanks in advance, and I love your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Annette, Sorry about that, there was a glitch and it has been fixed. The nutrition info on the recipe card is correct now.
Sonja V Sanders
0Wow, I made this with meatballs, and zoodles. Great flavor and so simple.
Adriana Gutierrez
0Looks great! I’m planning to add Buffalo Sauce to your Alfredo sauce make a keto version of a family favorite. Grilled spicy boneless chicken strips in a cheesy buffalo sauce over cauliflower or zucchini noodles.
Dan
0This was awesome Alfredo! We served it with chicken and Zoodles. There may or may not have been a fight over who could lick the bowl clean
Aurora Peterson
0Is this healthy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Aurora, “Healthy” is a broad term and different people have different definitions. I do not give medical advice. However, in my book – yes – foods that are low in carbs and made from whole foods are healthy. I’d pair this with some zucchini noodles for a healthy meal or side dish.
Bron
0This is amazing! My ‘fussy’ eaters polished it off, with one coming back for seconds. Which is amazing because normally one has his pasta plain because he doesn’t like white sauce! We had it over cauliflower and carrots with spinach and a sprinkle of bacon … Mmmm. Highly recommend!
Katie Neil
0Today I made this for the second time and it does not disappoint. So quick and yummy. This will be one of my goto recipes. Better than any other Alfredo I have made…..thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Katie! Have a great day!
Susan
0Oh my goodness! So simple and delicious–thank you for posting this! (I always have all of these ingredients on hand.)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Susan! Have a great day!
Rob
0WOW!!! Just WOW!!! This is simply amazing!! Once I tweaked a couple of things, I got it to taste just like, and have the consistency, I’m used to getting in fancy Italian restaurants!! I can’t believe how simple, and YUMMY this is!! The nutmeg really makes it pop! 😀
Here’s a funny thing: I didn’t read closely and see that this is for 6 servings, so I have been eating the whole thing every time, haha!! I ran the macros, and even doing that, adding 100g of mushrooms, and 200g of roasted chicken breast, and using konjac fettucine noodles, it only comes to just over 1100 calories, and 17g net carbs! Since I do intermittent fasting, and tend to only have 1 large meal, with a couple of snacks per day, this fits PERFECTLY.
Thanks so much for publishing this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Rob! Have a great day!
Cara
0Do you think I could use this Alfredo sauce to make a Tuna mornay? (Leaving out the garlic) I’ve tried one keto version of tuna mornay before and really didn’t like it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cara, I haven’t tried it but I’m sure you could! Let me know how it goes if you do!
Allison P.
0Fantastic! Tips: 1. use high quality Parmesan (not the green jar, common brand). I’ve made it with both kinds and I recommend the high quality, REAL Parmesan. 2. Serve over zucchini ribbons (shave a zucchini with a potato peeler to achieve these) for a fettucini alfredo replacement. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for sharing your tips with us, Allison!
Ginger
0I can’t wait to try this! I’m going to cook it ahead of time and then refrigerate it. I will use it as the sauce for my Cali’flour pizza crusts. I’ll be adding shredded chicken, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and of course, cheese!
Do you think it will be an issue if I use cold sauce on the crust?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Ginger! That sounds delicious. The sauce is just thicker when cold, so might be more difficult to spread, but otherwise it’s fine.
Cristina Franco
0Love the Alfredo sauce! Even my kids love it. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that, Cristina! Have a great day!
Deanna
0I subbed bacon grease for the butter and we crumbled bacon into the sauce. Bacon Alfredo!!!! It was really yummy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that you added bacon, Deanna! Please come back again soon!
Katie
0How long do you think this would keep in the fridge? Thanks~ 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Katie, It keeps for a few days for sure, maybe up to about a week. Just reheat slowly because it can separate with temperature shock.
Buffie
0I’m thinking of making it and just eating it! Is that bad? Sounds delicious. Have had alfredo in years!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Go for it, Buffie! I hope you like it!
Destiny
0I’m thinking about adding sun dried tomatoes to the sauce and pouring it over some cooked chicken or shrimp and zoodles. Yum! Thank you for the recipe. 😉
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Destiny, That sounds amazing! I love sun-dried tomatoes. I even have a recipe for making them yourself here.
Stephanie, One Caring Mom
0This looks absolutely delicious. I need to go get some cream so I can make this. Alfredo is one of my absolutely favorite sauces and homemade is always the best!
Tamara Iverson
0Super easy to make. I used salted butter and 1tsp of sea salt. Came out perfect and the whole family enjoyed it over spaghetti squash with grilled chicken.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that you served it with spaghetti squash and chicken, Tamara! YUM!
Keva
0Easy recipe that resulted in a delicious sauce!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks so much, Keva! Thanks for stopping by!
Kim Smyth
0I can’t wait to try this. I want to find your chicken Alfredo with Shirataki noodles recipe, but have been unable to find it again. Can you send me a link, I promise to make it and share how good it was on my blog. I tried your cinnamon mug cake this morning…yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kim, My chicken alfredo recipe is with spaghetti squash. I’m glad you liked the cinnamon mug cake!
cindi jenkins
0This sauce is amazing . never again will I buy jar again! I used this over garlic zoodles and shrimp. Better then any I’ve ever tried and so easy to make! Thank-you for sharing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that, Cindi! Thanks for stopping by!
Yvonne Rodriguez
0This was delicious! I didn’t realize how easy it is to make. I did add 1 cup of shredded Parmesan and the flavor was amazing! Thank You!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Yvonne!
Jennifer
0Can you make this and freeze it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Yes, you can. Just thaw before reheating, and then heat over low heat while stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
Kathy
0Oh….My…Word…. made this for dinner tonight and just like all other reviews it WAS amazing!!!!! I did add some fresh baby spinach, sautéed mushrooms and a roasted red pepper. Served with grilled chicken breasts on top of spaghetti squash. A hit at my house.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kathy! I am so happy you loved this, thanks for stopping by!
Raquel Dishman
0I’m thinking of adding spinach and artichoke hearts.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Raquel! That sounds delicious.
Debi
0I buy minced garlic in a jar, what measurements would I use in place of the fresh garlic cloves. This recipe sounds great and looks very easy to make. At least this way you know exactly what is in the Alfredo sauce. Thanks for sharing
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debi, For the jar kind, usually a clove of garlic is 1/2 tsp. So, you’d need 3 tsp or 1 tbsp of the minced garlic from a jar.
Kori
0If I want to use Nutmeg, how much would be needed?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kori, You can adjust to taste to your liking. Start with just a little bit, maybe 1/8 or 1/4 tsp, and adjust from there.
Lachelle
0Hi! I made this and had to run out the door- my husband said it was delicious! When I tried re-heating on the stove, it separated and I can’t get it back to where it was!! How would you suggest it be re-heated if it separates? I didn’t microwave it for this reason.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lachelle, I’m so glad you liked the sauce! Sorry it separated later. Try reheating over lower heat and stir constantly as you do. If a sauce already separated, sometimes running it through a blender can bring it back together, but it doesn’t always work.
Tiffany Johnson
0This was super easy and super yummy. I mixed parmesan and cheddar for my recipe. Had a question about nutrition though. You have 3g total carb, 3g net carb and 3g protein. If that’s actually correct protein would cancel out the carb and the net carb would be zero. Please clarify. Thx
Tiffany Johnson
0Never mind! I’m thinking fiber while reading protein. The carb count looks correct. Guess I’m dreaming over here about this yummy sauce.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tiffany, I’m glad you liked it! Protein does not cancel out carbs. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and erythritol.
Andrea
0Can I use a bit of half and half if I don’t have enough HWC?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Andrea! That should be fine. It might change the nutritional information a bit, but I bet it tastes delicious!
Jill
0Can you double the recipe
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Absolutely, Jill! I hope you like it!
Sherrie leding
0I fixed this for dinner tonight and added leftover rotiisseried chicken. I did have to thin it with a little more cream, but not much. I served it over cooked broccoli and it was so good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love your convenient tip, Sherrie! Thanks for stopping by!
Raquel
0This Alfredo sauce is AMAZING. I ate it over spaghetti squash. That was fantastic. Next time I will try it over the zoodles. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Racquel! I am so happy you loved it! Have a great day!
Jen
0Hi there! Do you think this recipe would work with almond milk instead of HWC? I’m allergic to anything that comes from a cow. So basically, a vegan version (except for the cheese).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jen! You can definitely try it, but it would probably be too thin. You can try coconut cream for a vegan version!
Gaston
0This sauce is so delicious! Super easy and quick to throw together with items that are usually on hand. We toss with spiralized zucchini and sliced lemon pepper chicken. The nutmeg is essential to achieving an authentic flavor.
A comment about the net carb count: I believe it’s around 2.5g to 3 net carbs per serving. Heavy cream is 0.4g carbohydrates per tbsp. With 1.5 cups (24 tbsp) that’s 9.6g for all the cream in the batch. Divided 6 ways that’s 1.6g of carbs from the cream alone. Add 0.9g carb per clove of garlic and around 0.25g carbs for every tbsp of Parmesan and you total out to just under 3 net carbs.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gaston, Thank you – I’m so glad you liked it. I love it with zucchini noodles, too. Thank you for the breakdown on the carb count. You are right! There was a minor rounding issue and it’s now fixed.
Ellen
0Made this tonight with Cajun Seasoned Fresh Shrimp, mushrooms and added Cajun Hard Cheese too, served over zoodles……so so good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Ellen! That sounds awesome!
sarah
0Just made this recipe…so good! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks so much, Sarah! Have a great day!
Zachary
0I made this last night without the nutmeg, 3 garlic cloves, and probably another 1/4 cup of parmesan. Seasoned the precooked shrimp with salt, pepper, paprika, roasted garlic powder, and onion powder. Cooked it in coconut oil. OMG, THAT SAUCE WAS AMAZING!!!! Also, the hint of coconut on the shrimp was a wonderful twist.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Zachary!
Michael Roberson
0How is this recipe low carb with all of the heavy cream?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michael, Heavy cream has very little carbs, less than a gram per tablespoon.
Julie
0Heavy cream is a low carb staple! Fat good, carbs bad!
Triple
0I do not have HWC, can I use milk and cream cheese or some other alternative?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi there, I haven’t tried that combination. It has come to mind before but in my opinion the tart flavor of cream cheese is not ideal for alfredo sauce. Regular milk would also increase the carbs. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Carol
0Can you make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, Yes, you can! Make sure to stir well when you reheat to prevent curdling.
Nick
0Garlic has up to 18 carbs per clove. There’s no way the nutritional information on this is correct.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nick, You might be thinking about the entire bulb. A clove of garlic has 1g total carbs with a little fiber, so 0.9g net carbs. The nutrition info on the recipe card is correct.
Pete
0I used mince garlic to control the portion of carbs.
Shannon
0Awesome! Just made it and I want to drink it. Lol
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Shannon!
Rachel
0Would mozzarella cheese work ok in place of Parmesan?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rachel, No, I don’t think so.
Lynn Tremblay
0Tried this the first time for dinner tonight. Pleasantly surprised. It is delicious. Highly recommend.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Lynn!
Lisa Kirkman
0What does everyone serve it over? I can’t have pasta unfortunately.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash are our favorites. Try this chicken alfredo.
Renea McClintock
0Wow! I just made this sauce last night. It was amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Renea!
Emma
0This is the same recipe I use! It’s so good. I will usually add a few strips of chopped roasted red bell pepper in a jar. It will add a small amount to the carb total but it’s so yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Emma! Adding roasted bell pepper sounds delicious!
Nicole
0How is this yummy sauce less then 1 net carb???! I love it but that seems so crazy to me!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Nicole! I love it, too.
Mandi
0Would this sauce be okay to use in a Crock Pot? I’m wanting to make a Tuscan chicken dish that requires Alfredo sauce, but the store bought have ingredients I don’t need. I was thinking to make it the night before and use it the next day in the Crock Pot. Please let me know what you think. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mandi, Yes, absolutely! Just to clarify, I haven’t tried actually making the sauce in the Crock Pot so am not sure about that part, but once you have the sauce ready, you can definitely use it in any Crock Pot recipe. 🙂