This rich and ultra-creamy homemade alfredo sauce recipe is truly the *best* alfredo sauce that you will ever make! Ready in just 10 minutes with 6 simple ingredients, you are guaranteed to make it over and over again.
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Why I Love This Sauce
As a kid, I got so excited whenever I saw chicken alfredo on the menu, it was my favorite restaurant dish. When Jorge and I first got married, we rarely got to go out to eat, so I set off on figuring out how to make alfredo sauce that was rich, thick, and super creamy. It took some trial and error, but I finally nailed it. Almost 16 years later, I am still making this alfredo sauce recipe the exact same way and it’s now my three kids’ favorite dinner too! Here’s why I know you will love it:
- So Creamy: Made with nutty parmesan cheese, rich butter, and heavy cream, this Alfredo sauce is a lusciously rich and creamy sauce that coats every strand of pasta beautifully.
- Quick and Easy: You may think this creamy sauce is hard to make, but it only takes 10 minutes with just a whisk and a skillet!
- Crowd Favorite: To say this easy alfredo sauce is a crowd-pleaser would be a massive understatement! Despite its simplicity, this sauce transforms any dinner into a gourmet meal.
- Budget Friendly: Made with just 6 simple ingredients, this sauce is cheaper to make at home and tastes infinitely better than store-bought versions!
If you agree that homemade sauces can make your entire meal, make sure to also try my irresistibly flavorful “Oh My!” steak sauce. My famous homemade honey mustard and creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce are also must-try sauces!
Featured Reader Review
Added the optional pinch of nutmeg and holy moly, this was by far the best Alfredo sauce recipe I have ever made. My family asked for this to be a new weekly dinner option it was so good!
Key Ingredients
You only need 6 simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand! Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream will create the creamiest sauce possible. However you can use a 50/50 combo of heavy cream and whole milk, or half and half, for a lighter sauce. Evaporated milk also works great and is creamier than whole milk.
- Garlic: I always use fresh garlic cloves, not jarred garlic, for the most flavor. And personally, I like to double the garlic because my family loves garlic. You can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese, not the kind in the shaker can. (Read why in the tips section below.) For a slightly different flavor, try another hard cheese like Asiago or Romano cheese.
- Seasoning: Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. You can also add a pinch of Italian seasoning if you like.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce From Scratch
This easy Alfredo sauce recipe comes together in just a few simple steps! Too much heat can burn the butter/garlic and make the cheese clump, so keep it at a steady low-medium heat. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step by step video!
- Simmer: Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add the cream and bring the mixture to a low simmer. Cook, whisking often, for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, and cook for another minute.
- Thicken: Add the parmesan cheese slowly, whisking constantly, until melted and the sauce is smooth. If your sauce becomes too thick, add a little pasta water or more cream to thin it out until your desired consistency.
- Serve: Add salt and pepper, to taste. Toss in your favorite cooked pasta, or use it as a dip or topping, and dinner is served. It really is that simple and easy to make homemade alfredo Sauce!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Use fresh parmesan: The most important tip is to use freshly grated parmesan. You can grate it yourself or use the kind found in the refrigerated section. Do not use the green shaker can, it is coated in anti-caking agents and can make your sauce over-thicken or seize up.
- Double the recipe: This sauce will make enough to throughly coat 8 ounces of cooked fettuccine. Double the recipe if you are making 16 ounces (1 pound or standard sized box) of pasta!
- Extra thick: For a super thick sauce, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the melted butter and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Then add the cream and continue with the recipe.
- Lemon cream sauce: For a lemon Alfredo sauce, add fresh lemon juice when you add the cream. For a slight lemon flavor, add juice from half of a lemon. For a very lemon-y Alfredo, add juice from a whole lemon.
- Cream cheese: Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is another common swap made in many American home kitchens. It gives your Alfredo a slightly tangy flavor.
- Nutmeg: Add a little freshly grated nutmeg to add a touch of warmth! Just grab your microplane grater and a whole nutmeg and grate about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, to taste, into the finished sauce.
How To Serve Alfredo Sauce
- Pasta: Just pick your favorite pasta: fettuccine, penne, ziti, spaghetti, etc. It’s also amazing over stuffed ravioli. Don’t forget some homemade breadsticks on the side!
- Meatballs: It’s delicious served over these homemade Italian meatballs.
- Chicken: Drizzle over chicken breasts, use it in this Cajun chicken Alfredo or this chicken broccoli Alfredo bake!
- Pizza: Alfredo sauce makes a perfect white pizza – especially if you top it with some chicken, bacon, or mushrooms.
- Use as a Dip: Any kind of vegetable is delicious dunked in Alfredo! This parmesan roasted broccoli is a personal favorite of ours.
Yield: 6 servings
Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
If you're a big fan of classic comfort food, you'll love this homemade Alfredo sauce recipe! It uses only 6 ingredients, takes 10 minutes to make, and is perfect on anything from fettuccine to chicken or shrimp.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream, or half and half for a lighter sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Add cream and bring to a simmer (lightly bubbling, not a full boil). Cook, whisking often, for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Then add garlic, cook for 1 minute more. Add the cheese slowly (I recommend doing it in two to three batches) and whisk constantly until melted. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- If your sauce becomes too thick, you can thin it out with a little extra cream or pasta water. Toss in your favorite pasta and dinner is served!
Video
Notes
Fridge: Store sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat: The best way to reheat Alfredo sauce is on the stovetop over medium low heat. Whisk it constantly, until heated through.
Freezer: Be warned that this sauce may separate once thawed, however it’s worth a shot if you happen to have a lot leftover. Freeze the cooled sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw sauce overnight in the fridge. Then reheat as directed above slowly on the stove top, whisking constantly!
Yield: This sauce will make enough to throughly coat 8 oz of fettuccine. Double the recipe if you are making 16 oz (a standard size box) of pasta!
Use fresh parmesan! The most important tip is to use freshly grated parmesan. You can grate it yourself or use the kind found in the refrigerated section. Do not use the green shaker can, it is coated in anti-caking agents and can make your sauce over-thicken or seize up.
Extra Thick: For a super thick sauce, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the melted butter and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Then add the cream and continue with the recipe.
Lemon: For a creamy lemon Alfredo sauce, squeeze in fresh lemon juice when you add the cream. For a slight lemon flavor, add juice from half of a lemon. For a very lemon-y Alfredo, add juice from an entire lemon.
Cream Cheese: Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is another common swap made in many American home kitchens. It gives your Alfredo a slightly tangy flavor.
Nutmeg: Add a little freshly grated nutmeg to add a touch of warmth! Just grab your microplane grater and a whole nutmeg and grate about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, to taste, into the finished sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 438mg, Potassium: 79mg, Fiber: 0.04g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 909IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 309mg, Iron: 0.3mg
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Very delicious and easy. Just the right amount of garlic. I love garlic but not if it overpowers. It did get super thick once the cheese was added a little pasta water worked well but I might try half|half next time. Definitely a keeper. One of the picky grandkids even loved it. I’d post a pic but I didn’t get one before it was all gone.
Tried it tonight because my 7 year old demanded chicken Alfredo homemade… it’s amazing! May make a bigger batch and can it for winter!
Servings? How many people does this serve. Wanting to make for 6-7 adults and 2 kids. Would I double or triple this recipe?
Hi Sam! This Alfredo recipe makes enough sauce to coat 8 oz of fettuccine pasta. Which usually serves 2 or 3 people, depending on how hungry they are. Hope this helps! 🙂
Awesome! We loved it! Will definitely make again! Thank you for sharing!
This is by far our favorite recipe for alfredo! Tonight, we added some rosemary and crushed red pepper and backed a bit off on the garlic. YUM!
I will be making this tonight with shrimp. Excited to try it out.
Delicious! My teenager loves alfredo, but I don’t love the things in the jar stuff at the store. This was super easy, and he LOVED it!!
Easy and delicious thank you
Loved this recipe. I added bacon and spring onion as my husband is a big meat eater. He loved it. I will never buy store bought again
This came out great! I doubled the recipe and used half and half. It came out really creamy and there was no cheese lumps. My husband said this was the best alfredo he has ever tried.
Holy cow. Made this for the first time tonight and I’ll never make another recipe. This is perfect and brilliant!!! And so easy!!
Was really easy to prep and tasted phenomenal
Excited to try this! If storing the sauce separate in the fridge, do I avoid tossing in the noodles at the end?
Hi Kassidy! Yes, if you want to store the sauce to try to use again later, it’s best stored by itself. Then reheat it slowly on the stovetop to try to prevent it from splitting as directed! 🙂
Sooo yummy! The only thing I’d change when I make again (which I will definitely be doing!) is adding the garlic in with the butter earlier in the cooking process. It didn’t completely cook down so there were hard bits of garlic in every bite which wasn’t for me. Otherwise, 5 stars!
Taste great but the instructions say nothing about when to add/put the cheese in. Even without the cheese it’s great but that seems like an oversight.
Hi Brian, you add the cheese in step two, right after the garlic. Slowly adding it and whisking the whole time. 🙂
This was fantastic. I made the sauce, added seamed broccoli, left over king crab, and fettuccini pasta.
Love it so much! It adds a perfect amount of flavor to the pasta! Every bite is mouth watering!
So quick and easy. I have always been intimidated to make an Alfredo sauce. I was under the impression that it was difficult. This was not only simple. But absolutely delicious!!!
I am a TERRIBLE cook and this sauce came together beautifully!! Followed the directions to a tee and it was superb. Perfect amount of sauce for 16 oz of small shell pasta (maybe some to spare). Chef’s kiss!
Best recipe for Alfredo sauce I’ve ever made
This is a super easy recipe! I doubled it. The only revision I did was add a bit more milk at the end because it was a little too thick. Other than that, there’s no reason why you should be Alfredo sauce at the store!
I used this Alfredo with homemade chicken/cheese tortellini. This recipe is easy and a keeper in our dinner rotation!