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GET IT NOWIf I had to pick one favorite sauce, homemade Alfredo sauce would be it, without question. It may not be as popular as, say marinara sauce, but I’m firmly a cream sauce girl when given the choice. And this one? It’s so rich and cheesy, it will make anything you put it on 1000 times better, with instant comfort food factor. Make this easy Alfredo sauce recipe with me, and you might never buy a jar again!
Why You Need My Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Super rich and creamy – This is seriously the best Alfredo sauce I’ve ever had, with the perfect creamy texture and cheesy, garlicky flavor. I promise you, the jarred stuff has nothing on making it from scratch.
- Quick and easy – If you’re unsure about making your own sauces, this is a great one to start with. It’s super simple and takes just 10 minutes.
- Simple, clean ingredients – Just 4 of them, plus S&P. And unlike most Alfredo sauce recipes as well as store-bought versions, mine has no flour, starches, or other thickeners. It’s naturally thickened by reducing and melting in the parmesan!
- Versatile – Of course you can toss it with your favorite pasta (or zucchini noodles if you’re like me), but there are so many more ways to enjoy this sauce! I have a whole list of ideas below. I even included it in my second cookbook just so I could add it to other dishes in the book.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best Alfredo sauce ingredients, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Not only is this the star flavor, it also thickens the Alfredo sauce without a flour roux or cornstarch! I prefer freshly grated parm, as it melts more smoothly than the kind from the green can. 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.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor. But if you’re in a rush, a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic or 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder will work.
- Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce creamy, of course. Sometimes this is called heavy whipping cream on the carton. I don’t recommend regular milk or almond milk for my homemade Alfredo sauce recipe, as the final sauce will be too thin.
- Butter – I use this brand. Any kind is fine, but go for unsalted so you can adjust the salt better separately.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Yes, I forgot them in the ingredient picture below, but I bet you know what they look like. 😉 If you don’t like specks of black pepper in your sauce, use white pepper instead.
- Nutmeg – This is a common spice in Alfredo sauce and I like a little bit in mine, but you can leave it out if you’re not a fan.
How To Make Alfredo Sauce
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Saute the garlic. Melt butter in a large saucepan (or a small pot) over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Reduce the heavy cream. Pour it into the pan, then simmer gently until the amount reduces by about 1/3.
- Thicken with parmesan. Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the parmesan cheese, until smooth and thick.
- Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. You can adjust the spices in your homemade Alfredo sauce to your taste.
My Recipe Tips
- Grab your largest saucepan. The larger your pan, the faster the cream will reduce. You can even use a skillet with tall sides!
- Be careful not to scorch the cream. You want a very gentle simmer, not a boil. Stir often, too, to avoid a film from forming on top.
- Make sure the cheese melts completely. This Alfredo sauce recipe is supposed to be smooth, but it can be lumpy if the cheese doesn’t melt fully.
- How to thicken Alfredo sauce if it’s too thin? Just add more parmesan! The amount in my recipe has the perfect thickness for me, but this will also depend on exactly how much you reduced the cream. It’s easy to add more parm if needed.
- What if it turned out too thick? Just stir in a little more cream until it reaches your desired consistency. Easy.
- Homemade Alfredo sauce thickens as it cools from hot to warm. Keep this in mind when deciding how thick you want it! If you store it in the fridge for later, it can even solidify completely, but will get thinner again when you warm it up.
- Add a little more salt and pepper than you think you need. The flavor will mellow out after mixing the sauce with pasta or vegetables.
- Want to double the recipe? My Alfredo sauce recipe makes 1 1/2 cups (6 servings), but you can easily scale it up by adjusting the number of servings on the recipe card below. Just keep in mind it’ll take longer to reduce the cream and melt in the cheese.
Ways To Use It
To say I love this Alfredo sauce on everything is an understatement! Here are my favorite savory dishes to put it on (or in):
- Pasta – Fettuccine Alfredo is the most classic option, but I actually love it on spaghetti squash noodles, cauliflower gnocchi, and zoodles (in my picture above). If you like a chicken Alfredo meal, I usually add my quick pan seared chicken breast.
- Proteins – Slather it over my healthy baked chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, or even pan seared salmon for a cozy vibe.
- Roasted Veggies – This Alfredo sauce recipe is amazing tossed with roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts, or drizzled over roasted asparagus.
- Casseroles – Swap the sauce in my chicken broccoli casserole with this one.
- Pizza – I love a white pizza! Spread this creamy sauce on your favorite crust with 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!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce (4 Ingredients)
Make my easy homemade Alfredo sauce recipe with 4 simple ingredients, in just 10 minutes! It's rich, creamy, and perfect on pasta or veggies.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the volume is reduced by about 1/3. (Amount of time will vary depending on the size of your saucepan.)
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Reduce the heat to low. Gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Keep whisking over low heat, until smooth.
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Stir in the nutmeg, sea salt, and black pepper, to your taste. If the Alfredo sauce is thicker than you like at this point, you can thin it out with more cream.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right consistency in your sauce, and how to adjust the thickness if needed.
- Store: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It usually turns solid, but will be normal again wheny ou heat it.
- Reheat: Warm up on the stove over very low heat, stirring often to smooth out lumps and prevent separation. I usually find the sauce is thicker the next day, so you can thin it out with more cream as needed.
- Freeze: You can absolutely freeze my homemade Alfredo sauce, for up to 3 months. Since it doesn’t have starches (or other mystery ingredients), it doesn’t freeze quite as well as the store-bought kind. I recommend thawing it in the fridge overnight, and then whisk when heating. If it still isn’t smooth, blitz it in a blender briefly.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook here.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
338 Comments
Jan Campbell
0Absolutely fabulous! I had some egg wraps that I rolled up and cust into noodles. Just dropped them in the sauce to warm and with the addition of chicken and a vegetable we had a wonderful meal.
Carol L
0Hi. Just made this to go with some chicken and vegetables. I thought I had low carb fettuccine, but didn’t…so I’m going to add some palm hearts rice and throw this on top. Making it to travel where there are no low carb options. One question: the salt, pepper and nutmeg, it would be nice to have a starting point. I know it’s to taste, but how much to start? 1/2 tsp? 1 tsp?
Thanks for the recipe!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, Start with 1/4 teaspoon and adjust from there. It can vary depending on how salty your parmesan is and your preference.
Carolyn Knapp
0Used fresh Parmesan (my cuisinart grates it in a breeze) and added it to the cream. Salt pepper nutmeg with the butter and garlic! This was quick and easy! And by far better than store bought!!! Thank you
Sandra
0The recipe is very good, but I will make one major change to it. I will be using the freshly ground Parmesan cheese from the store deli. There’s no way that I will use the Parmesan cheese in the green can. Yes,I realize that in many areas, that is all that is available. I made this last year, and it was perfect. And, surprise (!), my adult son likes it too. He also does not like the sauce that comes in a jar ( any brand ) either. I also will get the garlic crusher gadget; it looks very much like the kind that you mix pie crust mix up with, except you can rock it back & forth to chop the garlic. It’s going to be a lot easier for me to do that than to have to squeeze the garlic. Will let you all know if that thing does the job. Thank You, Maya, for posting this recipe.
Sherry Hoyt-Cline
0Made the sauce to put on Spaghetti squash mixed with asparagus, and grilled chicken. Was delicious!!! Simple. Thank you.
KW
0This recipe for Alfredo sauce is so decadent and good!!! I browned up some diced chicken breast and cauliflower and enjoyed a wonderful treat. Hubby who usually makes faces at keto kept sneaking into the kitchen for just one more taste. Thank you!
LJ
0Just made this for dinner. I didn’t have any nutmeg. My family loved it!! I can’t wait to try next time with the nutmeg. Thanks for sharing!
Sue
0Can you substitute coconut cream for the whipping cream?
Thanks Sue
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sue, Yes, you can do that if you like.
Mary O’C
0I liked this recipe a lot because it’s versatile and easy. I made it again this evening and folded it over sautéed sliced mushrooms, red pepper chunks and spiraled zucchini noodles. I could have folded in my cooked cooked shrimp – or even cooked chicken – but wasn’t sure the shrimp and mushrooms would go well together. Still, it was delicious, filling and very colorful.
Jennifer Maestas
0Wow…was this ever so good. Due to my husband having to watch fat intake due to surgical concerns, I used 1/2 and 1/2 but everything was the same. Thank you for this!
Melissa
0This is delicious!!! Thank you!! It’s so easy also.
Tasha
0Better than any restaurant! Simple and Delicious my tummy is happy.
Diann
0Can I substitute regular butter for the unsalted?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Diann, Yes, you could do that, since extra salt is to taste anyway.
Marlene DiPaul
0Hi…I was wondering, can I use coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream for this recipe??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marlene, Yes, you can use the thick type of coconut milk from a can. I don’t recommend coconut milk beverage, the kind that comes in a carton, as it will be too thin. Hope this helps!
Elise
0This is super yummy! and was very easy to make. When I reheat the sauce turns into what looks like butter or just oil? What have I done wrong? I’m not much of a cook!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Elise! This sauce needs to be mixed well and stirred frequently over low heat when reheating. It sounds like your heat might have been too high or you didn’t stir it enough. Hope this helps!
Danielke
0Neumans Alfredo Sauce contains 3 grams of carbs and 90 calories per 1/4 cup serving. 2.9 grams of carbs plus 261 calories per serving is alot of calories.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Danielke, My Alfredo sauce is made with better ingredients, with no gums, starches, or artificial ingredients. Most store-bought sauces are very processed, even though some are lower in calories.
Martine
0This was delicious, even though my sauce split because I had the heat on too high. Note that If you use a large frying pan, the sauce will thicken faster. The recipe also scales down easily. I made it for one portion.
I eat mine with a poached egg on top, it really adds to the taste.
Lindsay
0Mine didn’t thicken! What did I do wrong??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lindsay, Please see my tips above to thicken the sauce if it’s too thin.
Trudy
0This is very close to the way I make Alfredo. Rich and decadent. I add cream cheese to mine as it helps thicken it and it reduces the chance of it breaking when reheated. Just found your chicken crust pizza can’t wait to try it.
Julia Mills
0Loved it and so did my family! Thank you!!!
Teresa
0Made this tonight with Healthy Noodle (from Costco) and broccoli – it was delicious! Husband and teenager loved it too.
Tina Leonard
0Best and easiest recipe ever. My family loves this Alfredo sauce on everything.
Raquel
0This Alfredo sauce was rich and delicious. Bonus that it is Keto!
Glenda
0So delicious! Creamy, cheesy happiness! Thanks for sharing!
Lilly
0Fantastic! I followed the recipe closely and it was perfect.
Carolyn K Ford
0These instructions seem wrong. It says to simmer the cream; after that, it says to reduce the temperature. Simmer is the lowest temperature there is. Can you adjust this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carolyn, You are going to simmer on medium heat and then reduce the heat to low after the sauce thickens, at which point it’s no longer simmering. Your stove might have a “simmer” setting, but this is not what I’m referring to. On low heat, the sauce should no longer be actually simmering. Hope this helps to clarify.
Joy Baltazar
0Many recipes call for “heavy cream”, I can only find “heavy whipping cream”, Is that the same?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Joy, Yes, they are the same thing.
Cindy Pickles
0Can you substitute full fat coconut milk for heavy cream? And sheep cheese for Parmesan cheese as it does not contain A1 casein that can be bad for those with celiac who must also must eliminate dairy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cindy, Yes, both of those substitutes will work. The flavor will be a bit different with sheep’s cheese, but it will still make a creamy sauce.
Ostine Watts
0This sauce is excellent with shrimp, fish, other seafood items!
Ruth Buchanan
0I’m new to this food program. What can I substitute for heavy cream or do you have another alfredo sauce that is non dairy or using goat’s milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ruth, Coconut cream is usually used as a substitute for heavy whipping cream. Though I’ve tried goat’s milk, I’ve never used it for this recipe so am not sure how well it would work. I think it would probably be too thin, unless the fat content is as high as regular heavy cream.
Loo
0Quick easy midweek meal. Love it. Thank you.
Hannah
0The sauce was easy to make and tasted great! You were right about the garlic because I love garlic myself. I added a little bit more Parm as I like it a bit thick, but everything else, I followed the recipe as is. I’m definitely keeping this recipe from now on. Bonus for it being low carb!
Amber
0How long can I store it in the fridge?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amber, This will keep for about a week in the fridge, or you can check out the post above for freezing instructions!
Sheila Grant
0Why did we not use a springform pan and mine has cooked until it’s cracked and it’s super jiggly
Sheila Grant
0I’m sorry this last post was referring to a cheesecake recipe, this was soooo good on the other hand
Ray Godsey
0How many will this recipe serve?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ray, This recipe makes 6 1/4 cup servings. Enjoy!
Nannette
0Omg bomb dot com! Thank you. I modified just a little – I used shredded parmesan, 1/2 cup, but I added the grated parm from the can about 1/8 cup. Yum bc, I wanted thicker.
Eileen
0Delicious! Served it on Shiritaki noodles with broccoli florets–felt like I was at a restaurant!
Great to have “classic” recipes in my low carb repertoire. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Eve
0I made this tonight. It was perfect. Thank you
Jessica Flaherty
0This Alfredo sauce is SO easy and SO good! I literally can not tell the difference between this and one made with a roux. I have NO IDEA why I’ve been making it complicated (and carb-licated) for so many years. It came together in ten minutes. I made it in a saucepan and tossed my 0 net carb Konjac noodles right into the sauce to pick up the flavor. I added nutmeg (bc a good alfredo sauce HAS to have nutmeg!) and lots of fresh ground black pepper. I also tossed some cooked chicken into for some more protein. One of the easiest and most time efficient and delicious and convenient keto recipes OF ALL TIME!!
Sandra L. Wendorf
0So glad I found this recipe of yours. I had a recipe for this, but misplaced it. Looked at the ingredient list on the “Jar” we have in the house, and there sure is a lot of “junk” in there. Making this won’t take up a heap of time, and it’s probably a lot tastier too. Also will grate the nutmeg as well. Been doing that for many years now and it’s better to grate your own than buy the stuff in a spice jar from the store.
Sandra W.
Ranon
0So yummmmmmy. I did add a bit extra parmesean. Then I added some precooked Mediterranean chicken(diced) and served it over roasted asparagus spears. So tasty!
Sandra L. Wendorf
0Ranon: Using roasted asparagus is a great idea! Thank You for bringing up that idea.
Jessica
0This sauce was delicious, even without any of the optional seasonings. I did have to turn the heat way down, as the cream almost boiled over a couple times. I will def. make this again, super quick and yummy!
Angela Richards
0I have made this so many times and my family loves it! Pure flavor and great for my KETO diet. I eat it over baked spaghetti squash while they have it over noodles.
Patty Nicholson
0I’ll plan to put it over Zoodles.
Detra Borner
0I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s so simple and a hit with anyone I share it with. My advice, double the recipe or you’ll have disappointed dinners. They always want seconds!
Suzanna
0Absolutely fantastic! I added red pepper flakes for some heat. Read that in a recipe forever ago, for cream sauces. Super easy and OMG, the garlic! I may add a smidgen less next time. No vampires for suresies tonight! 😀
Karen
0Really good! I made the sauce and poured it over fish and shrimp and then baked until bubbly and browned. I was using the jarred sauce from Costco but it has sunflower oil in it. This is so much better. Thank you!
Katie Powell
0Wow so yummy and really easy to make!!! Used this sauce over zucchini noodles and crispy chicken. Delicious and definitely my new favorite Alfredo sauce!
Robyn
0Amazing, so quick and easy and tastes great! Highly recommend.
Lori
0This alfredo sauce is wonderful! I made it & used the optional nutmeg & threw in some ground cayenne pepper. I mixed the sauce with Shirataki fetuccini, kale & shredded chicken. Made a great dinner! Will definitely be making again!
Claudia
0So simple and wonderful!
Cheryl
0I’m making a white pizza with fresh tomatoes and garlic, fathead dough. I want to add ricotta. I wonder if I must add it to this Alfredo, after reducing the cream, or can I make a seperate layer. If seperate, would it go on top or under the Alfredo? Love your recipes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cheryl, Wow, that sounds great! I think these choices are pretty subjective, I have not personally added ricotta to my alfredo sauce, but I imagine it would be great. For me, I would probably dollop ricotta around the finished pizza just before I put it in the oven, but that choice is up to you! Please share how it turns out!
Samantha Rogers
0This was simple and tasty. I paired it with low carb noodles. Delicious!!!