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This keto alfredo sauce recipe is the best way to satisfy comfort food cravings in minutes! Unlike some store-bought sauces, this one is naturally low carb and keto, without any unusual ingredients or thickeners, like cornstarch. Serve this easy low carb alfredo sauce recipe with all your favorite keto pasta alternatives, pair with conventional pasta for non-keto eaters at the table, or serve it with my very favorite — keto egg noodles!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Rich, cheesy flavor
- Creamy texture
- Uses basic keto staples
- Ready in 10 minutes
- Just 2.8g net carbs per (generous!) serving
- Perfect on ANY pasta, keto or not!

What Is Alfredo Sauce?
Unlike traditional red sauces, alfredo is a cream sauce traditionally made with butter, parmesan cheese, 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.
Low Carb Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for quick and easy alfredo sauce, 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 – This keto garlic alfredo sauce doesn’t skimp on garlic! I use 6 cloves here, but feel free to reduce the amount if you want less garlic. It’s also fine to substitute garlic powder (use 3/4 teaspoon in place of the 6 cloves).
- Heavy Cream – This adds richness to the sauce while keeping it pourable. If you need an alternative and don’t mind the flavor, you can also substitute full-fat canned coconut milk. I don’t recommend almond milk, as the final sauce will be too thin.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – This adds flavor and thickens the alfredo sauce. Grate it fresh if possible, or use a pre-grated kind. 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 more tangy 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 From Scratch
This section shows how to make low carb keto 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. Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Simmer. Add heavy cream, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and continue simmering until sauce thickens and reduces by roughly 1/3. The larger your saucepan, the faster it will reduce.


- Thicken. Reduce heat and gradually whisk in parmesan cheese until smooth. Add spices to taste and adjust sauce for thickness. (Add cream if sauce is too thick, or add additional cheese if sauce is too thin.)

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Frequently Asked Questions
No need to complicate this sauce! Get answers to all your questions here.
How To Thicken Alfredo Sauce?
This alfredo sauce recipe contains no thickeners, because it thickens naturally from the cheese, unlike other jarred sauces that rely on starches or flour. If you do wish to thicken the sauce more without adding substantial carbs, you can add more grated parmesan to your liking, or try a keto friendly cornstarch substitute.
Is Alfredo Sauce Keto?
Yes, with many high-fat ingredients and minimal carbohydrates, alfredo is naturally keto friendly. Some varieties (especially store-bought ones) contain extra ingredients that increase the carb count, so check labels and recipes to know exact macros.
Is Alfredo Sauce Gluten-Free?
Traditional alfredo is naturally gluten-free, and even store-bought sauces often avoid using gluten. Always check labels to be certain, though!
How Many Carbs In Alfredo Sauce?
This alfredo sauce recipe has 2.8g net carbs per 1/4 cup serving. Carbs in alfredo sauce at the store or at restaurants can vary widely, depending on what is in them.

Storage Instructions
Store this easy keto alfredo sauce recipe in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Can You Freeze Alfredo Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze homemade alfredo sauce. Transfer it to an airtight container (ideally a freezer bag) and freeze for 2-3 months. It may be lumpy after thawing, but follow the reheating instructions to fix this.
Reheating Instructions:
If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat directly from frozen. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave at low power until warm, stirring often to break up any lumps. If it’s still not smooth, you can give it a quick blend.
Since this sauce thickens during storage, you can thin it out with a little more cream as needed when you reheat it.

What To Make With Alfredo Sauce
Now that you know how to make easy alfredo sauce with heavy cream, you probably need ideas for ways to use it. Here are some recipes you can pair with this sauce, with no wheat-based noodles whatsoever!
- Keto pasta – This sauce tastes delicious with zucchini noodles (a.k.a. zoodles), shirataki noodles, or in spaghetti squash alfredo. My absolute favorite, pictured above, are keto egg noodles.
- Easy meats – Drizzle alfredo on top of juicy baked chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, keto meatballs, or even pan seared salmon.
- Roasted veggies – Roasted asparagus, roasted broccoli, and oven roasted brussels sprouts pair well with this creamy sauce.
- Delicious dinners – Try this sauce on chicken crust pizza, swap it for the pesto in this chicken cauliflower casserole (or include in other low carb casseroles), or use it as a dipping sauce for keto pigs in a blanket.
Recommended Tools
- The Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook – Complete with 100 easy keto recipes made for carb lovers!
- Saucepan – Perfect for sauces and other all-purpose cooking.
- Whisk – Ensures easy dissolving for a smooth sauce.
Easy Low Carb Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Low Carb Keto Alfredo Sauce Recipe (Easy!)
This easy keto alfredo sauce recipe needs just 4 simple ingredients and 10 minutes! Plus, homemade low carb alfredo sauce is creamy, rich, and tastes much better than the jarred ones.
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
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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. If using nutmeg, sea salt, and/or black pepper, stir those in, to taste. (If sauce is thicker than you like, you can thin it out with more cream.)
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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277 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!