Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese is the creamiest, most foolproof Alfredo you’ll ever make. It’s ultra-rich and garlicky, comes together in one saucepan, and it’s ready in about 10 minutes. Even the pickiest eaters go back for seconds!
Why Cream Cheese Makes A Foolproof Alfredo Sauce.
If cream sauces have ever intimidated you, this version is for you! Most Alfredo sauce recipes lean on heavy cream and parmesan alone, and that’s exactly the combo that likes to split on you. Adding cream cheese saves you from that risk!
Cream cheese does two jobs here. It keeps the sauce from separating, which is where most Alfredo goes wrong. And it thickens everything without any flour. I add the cream cheese cubed so it melts evenly, and I drop the heat to low before the parmesan ever goes in, stirring it slow so it never seizes.
The result is a rich, creamy sauce that clings to the pasta, has a slight tang, and still tastes great warmed up the next day. Toss it with fettuccine and dinner is done.
— ♥︎ Jess —
Key Ingredient Notes
- Cream Cheese: Use regular full fat for the best texture and flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: To make sure it doesn’t seize up, it’s super important to only use freshly shredded parmesan from the refrigerated section (not the kind in the green shaker can).
- Heavy Cream and Whole Milk: I like to use a combination of the two, but half and half is also a great option to use.
- Garlic: Jarred garlic tastes more muted, so I always use fresh garlic to give my sauce that classic Italian zesty flavor.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
Visit the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full directions.
Step 1: Sauté the Garlic
Melt the butter over medium heat, add the minced garlic, and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 2: Add Milk and Cream
Stir in the milk and cream and simmer gently for a minute.
Step 3: Add the Cream Cheese
Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until fully melted and smooth.
Step 4: Add Parmesan, Toss and Serve
Drop the heat to LOW and stir in the parmesan for 4 to 5 minutes, until melted and glossy. Thin with pasta water if it gets too thick. Pull the sauce off the heat, pour it over the fettuccine, and toss to coat. Season, garnish with parsley, and serve right away.
Jessica’s Tips
- Cube the cream cheese first. Cutting it into small cubes means it melts fast and evenly, so you don’t end up chasing stubborn lumps around the pan
- Keep the heat low for the cheese. Cream-based sauces break when they boil. Drop to low before the parmesan goes in and stir it slowly so it melts smooth instead of seizing into grainy clumps.
- Save your pasta water. Reserve about half a cup before draining. A splash loosens a too-thick sauce right back to glossy, and the starch helps it cling to the noodles.
- Serve it right away. This sauce is at its silkiest fresh off the stove. It thickens as it sits, so have your pasta drained and ready before the sauce is done.
Recipe Help: Frequently Asked Questions
It makes about 3 cups of sauce, which is exactly what you need for a full pound of fettuccine.
Pull the pan off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon or two of warm milk or cream. It usually smooths right back out. Grainy sauce is almost always a sign the heat was too high when the cheese went in.
Too much heat. Cream sauces break when they boil, leaving butter floating on top. Take the pan off the burner, whisk in a splash of cold cream, and whisk hard. A quick 15 seconds in a blender will re-emulsify almost any broken sauce.
Yes. You can use all whole milk for a lighter sauce, though it won’t be quite as rich. The cream cheese still gives it plenty of body.
Any pasta shape works! Fettuccine is classic, but penne, farfalle, linguine, or even elbows all catch this sauce beautifully. It’s also great with ravioli or used in a white lasagna!
While it is best served fresh when the texture is the smoothest, you can make the sauce 48 hours ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat gently with a splash of milk in a sauce pan, then toss with freshly cooked pasta right before serving. Skip the high-power microwave, which heats too fast and can make the sauce oily.
Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, shredded
- salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat and add the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Slowly stir in the milk and cream. Gently simmer for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the cream cheese to the warmed milk mixture and gently stir until fully melted.
- Reduce the heat to low, and add in the Parmesan cheese. Stir for about 4 minutes, until all the cheese is melted. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in some pasta water or milk to thin it out.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the Alfredo sauce over your prepared pasta and gently toss to coat, or serve as desired.
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Notes
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11/10 and so easy!
I’ve never made homemade Alfredo before (& usually I get these type of recipes from my grams but she was busy)…. So a quick google searches found this one! It was so good! My whole family loved it (& my FIL is a tough sell).
I made it was fettuccine GF noodles, scallops, and mushrooms. I subbed the milk for 1C veg broth.
I’m trying to stay low carb. Do you think 2 cups of heavy cream and leave out the milk would work?
I would do 1.5 cups heavy cream and .5 cup chicken broth. If you do all heavy cream, I think it will be too much thick cream. Hope this helps!