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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
LeiBei
0So good!!!! The perfect Alfredo Sauce.
Steve
0Thanks! I just made this for dinner and it was great. I also used Fettuccine miracle noodles for the first time so lots of experimenting. I added some fried chicken and had a great meal. I’ll try again tomorrow with shrimp. This is going into my regular dinner menu. I just started keto and this site has been very helpful.
Kelly
0Absolutely amazing Alfredo sauce, to the point where nothing I have tried has compared!
TT
0This sauce was fantastic, thank you!
Nathan Kunkel
0Tastes amazing! Highly recommended. Can’t wait to try more!
Tami Proctor
0Couldn’t be any better!
I used it as a sauce on cube steaks that I had dipped in an egg wash then sprinkled with salt pepper garlic powder And ground up pork rinds. This is the first time I’ve use pork rinds and they taste just like breadcrumbs.
Roxy
0Soooo much better than the jar and so easy to make. My kids love it as well.
Michael L.
0Can I ask, for keto what is the difference between jar and this? I have made this and its great, but Bertoli alfredo sauce is 2 carbs per 1/4 cup serving.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michael, The big difference is in the ingredients. A jar of Alfredo sauce will include starches, gums, and preservatives. These are necessary to keep the jarred sauce from spoiling or separating on the shelf. While not everyone is bothered by these ingredients, there are some who prefer not to consume them either for health or clean keto reasons.
Bora
0Sooooooo good!!! I added a bit of Italian herbs and my oh my it take one of the best alfredo sauces I’ve ever tasted and to top it off it’s so keto friendly. It tastes good on my broccoli, chicken, and even konica noodles. Definitely making this again. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Renecha
0I highly recommend this Alfredo Sauce. It was easy to make and even my non-keto daughters who ❤️ Alfredo gave it . I doubled the recipe, but next time will probably triple or quadruple. I can see many possibilities for this sauce!
Sharon Stegenga
0I am an Alfredo snob and I loved this! I added 4 tbl whipped cream cheese toy second second batch and it was even better
Thanks so much!
Chuong Dao
0I can’t use parmesan because of its high sodium, what should I replace it with?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Chuong, this might work with nutritional yeast, but I haven’t tried it myself and wouldn’t recommend making a complete substitution.
Jen
0Love it found this today and decided to try it the whole family loved it. I used it on carb free noodles for myself and egg noodles for everyone else big hit! Thank you for another great recipe to make for a delicious and easy dinner.
Mary Jane Augustine
0Your Alfredo sauce is perfect and easy to make. I put the nutmeg in it. it was wonderful. Love your recipes. Thank you!
I already get your emails and notifications. Awesome!
Caroline
0This is how my mom always made alfredo or at least very close. I can’t wait to try it. I do have a question. Can I can it following basic sause canning method without making it non keto. I’m new to keto so do t understand all the ins and outs yet. We are a family of 9 and very busy it would be awesome to be able to have on the shelf for quick dinner.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Caroline, I’m not sure about that! Some store-bought jarred alfredo sauces don’t have any additional preservatives, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know if you give it a try!
Michele Gey
0This Alfredo sauce was easy & very delicious with shrimp over spaghetti squash
Cherie Barnes
0Just for those who shun their noses at nutmeg: if you know anything about nutmeg in creamed bases such as this, you’ll find that Nutmeg actually accentuates the RICHNESS of your creamed sauces. DON’T BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE BEFORE TRYING! Use a tiny bit (one or two quick shakes) until you taste a slight nutty richness. It’s AWESOME! ❤
Debbie Austin
0Have you ever used heavy cream powder? I would like to try recipes with heavy cream but don’t want to have to waste any.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debbie, I use heavy cream powder in my homemade white chocolate recipe!
Jennie
0For recipes that call for heavy whipping cream and so that I don’t waste it I pour them remaining liquid into silicone ice cube trays, then just take the amount I need out of freezer for my next recipe.
Ann
0This is super!! It was so easy and loved the touch of nutmeg.
Cameron
0Amazing. So easy and so good
Anita
0I messed up! Mine didn’t thicken at all, but it still tasted good. I’ll just have to try again.
Tina Beshears
0FINALLY! Someone who knows how to make real alfredo sauce although I personally would never use nutmeg. I haven’t tried this recipe but I don’t need to since it’s exactly how I make mine and it’s amazing. One thing I suggest doing to change it up a little is to make Carbonara. Saute’ diced pancetta or regular bacon in the pot first then pull out the bacon and continue with the recipe leaving the bacon grease in the pot. Add the bacon back at the end. So yummy!
Laura
0Oh my gosh!! I just made this alfredo sauce. When it was first finished, I tasted it and thought, yeah, ok, it’s alright. I added a little sprinkling of garlic powder to give it a little more punch of flavor and a little extra salt and pepper. But here’s the kicker. I set it off the heat while I made my chicken. In the 10 or 15 minutes that it sat, it really thickened up, which is what I like. But the other thing is that the flavors melded in that time and it was AWESOME!!! Am I at Olive Garden? Incredible! So for me, that’s the key. Just let it sit for a bit. Have mercy…
Joe
0You. Hold. Put this on a chicken breast and it would be heaven
Mike
0Loved it. Delicious. I used Nupasta with it so there were literally no carbs for the pasta. Added broccoli and bacon. Quick, easy and tasty.
Melissa
0I made this last night and it was amazing!! Family loved it! I never knew making this could be so easy!
Rhonda
0Amazing nobody knows it’s low carb either!! Not any left overs for sure!!❤️❤️❤️
Cindy
0How much salt did you guys use in this recipe? I want to make it but I’m afraid I’ll ruin it! Also, did everyone go with six cloves of garlic? I love garlic but I don’t want to be tasting it for days. 🙂 That probably wouldn’t happen since the garlic is cooked, but just wondering how much other people used. Sounds soooo good! Can’t wait to make it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cindy, I recommend using the amounts on the recipe card the first time you make it, then you can adjust for next time. With sea salt, I just add a sprinkle at a time and taste after each addition. The parmesan is salty, so you don’t need much extra salt.
Sylvie
0So delicious! I drenched chicken and broccoli in it. And then I poured it over broccoli slaw. I can definitely see how this could *accidentally* be one serving! I forced myself to step away from it. Excellent simple recipe! Thank you!!!
Jennifer
0OMG it’s incredibly yummy!! Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m on a low carb diet and recently discovered shirataki pasta ,will go perfect with the shirataki fettuccine!!
TT
0This recipe was easy and tasty. I just needed a dash of salt but I think that’s only because of the brand of cheese I chose.
Mary
0How would you determine how much already minced garlic to use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, A clove of garlic is approximately equal to 1/2 tsp minced.
Karen
0I served this over Zucchini noodles and garlic shrimp. What a fabulous change of taste.
Misha
0Hi. Can I use this sauce for Florentine. Like can I bake it with a little cheese on top ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Misha, Yes, you definitely can!
Jennifer
0Can I use cream cheese and milk instead of heavy cream? I don’t have any
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Yes, you could probably use that combo, though I’ve never tried it. It would not be keto friendly with milk in there, and the cream cheese would add a different flavor than classic Alfredo sauce. But from a consistency standpoint, it would be fine.
Trinidad Diaz
0Hi, I tried this recipe. Very good and easy! However when I plug the ingredients into my carbsmart app I get 775 calories per serving??? Why?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Trinidad, I can’t troubleshoot 3rd party apps unfortunately. Could be an ingredient error or incorrect number of servings. The nutrition info is listed above and is correct.
Crissy
0Thank you. This was quick simple and delicious
Rebecca Porter
0Incredible! Paired it with chickpea pasta and smoked sausage. Yum!
Vera
0I did not have parmesan on hand, so I threw in a mozzarella- cheddar blend. the result was good.
Michelle Petty
0Where are the macros listed? I’m making it tomorrow night, contingent on the applicable macros. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, The macros are on the recipe card above.
Charlotte Kozlowski
0What can I replace the cream with? Certain forms of dairy (basically any creams or milks) are not friends with my digestive system but I can handle butter and cheese. Would full fat coconut milk or almond milk work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Charlotte, Yes, you can use full-fat canned coconut cream. Almond milk won’t work, it’s too thin.
Christina
0Recipes look great, but would love to see the full carbs for those of us that believe that net carbs is a gimmick. If I missed it, sorry!
Thank you so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Christina, Both total carbs and net carbs are listed on the recipe card.
Mallory Gamblin
0I’m just curious…people think net carbs is a gimmick? As in you count dietary fiber(that cannot be digested) in your macros?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mallory, I don’t think net carbs are a gimmick, but am happy to provide information for people that prefer to see both numbers.
Grace
0Super easy, fast and tasty!!! Added this to zoodles and had dinner in about 10 minutes. Thank you! Next time me I’m adding shrimp!
Priscilla Caldwell
0So delicious and so easy!! I added mushrooms to mine and will be eating it with shirataki noodles thank you for this delightful recipe!!!
Judy
0Recipe sounds so delicious can’t wait to try it.
Christine Moore
0OMG this was so good. My husband was really surprised and asked when I was making it again.
Waneta
0I’m thinking of using this for my wing sauce. Wanna grill the wings first as I’ve found thts like the only way I like thm. Can’t wait to try
Tea
0Omg, this was delicious! Never buying jar Alfredo sauce again ! Basically only 4 ingredients! Amazing!
Lanie
0This is the best homemade Alfredo sauce! Super easy and full of flavour. Definitely better than the store bought jars. I’ve made it with half/half and table cream before and it’s turned out just as good. Thanks for the recipe!
Abigail
0Hands down best homemade Alfredo sauce I’ve made. The nutmeg really made all the difference. I used this on hearts of palm “pasta” with some shredded chicken thighs I had prepped and it was amazing!
Russ
0I made this and paired it with some Miracle Noodles (Shirataki/ Konjac) and shrimp. Very tasty! Will be saving this recipe for sure!