Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

This 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!

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.

1. Saute the garlic. Melt the butter in amedium to large saucepanover medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
2. Add the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and continue simmering until sauce thickens and reduces by roughly one third.

3. Thicken with parmesan. Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the parmesan cheese, until smooth.
4. Add the spices. You can adjust the spices in this alfredo sauce recipe to your taste. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.

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 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:

Recipe Card

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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.

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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See Also

The Best Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon Recipe

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

• 1tbspUnsalted butter▢
• 6clovesGarlic(minced)▢
• 1 1/2cupHeavy cream▢
• 1/2cupGrated parmesan cheese(preferably freshly grated)▢
• Black pepper(to taste)▢
• Sea salt(to taste)▢
• Nutmeg(optional – to taste)▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

2. 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.)

3. Reduce heat to low. Gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Keep whisking over low heat, until smooth.

4. 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.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Recipe from The Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories261

Fat25.9g

Protein5g

Total Carbs2.9g

Net Carbs2.8g

Fiber0.1g

Sugar1.9g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:Italian

Keywords:alfredo sauce, alfredo sauce recipe, easy alfredo sauce, homemade alfredo sauce

Calories: 261 kcal

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Alfredo Sauce Recipe

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