Ditch the jarred sauce and elevate your pasta nights with this irresistibly easy homemade Alfredo sauce. Ever since I perfected this recipe, it’s been my go-to for a quick, comforting meal. Rich, creamy, and packed with flavor, this sauce has become a family favorite—perfect for coating fettuccine, spaghetti, penne, and all your favorite pasta dishes.

overhead view of fettuccini alfredo in a white dutch oven with tongs.

5-Star Reviews

“This was quick and easy to prepare. My 11y/o who loves cooking did an amazing job following the directions. 10/10 would recommend. Next time she makes it we’ll have to take pics of the sauce at least because it did not last long 🤣” – Divine

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe

I make my Alfredo sauce with just a few simple ingredients—butter, cream, garlic, and plenty of Parmesan—and it comes together in minutes. The result? A rich, velvety sauce that perfectly coats every bite of pasta.

Making alfredo sauce from scratch is simple and endlessly customizable. I love mixing in grilled chicken, shrimp, or roasted vegetables to make it a heartier meal. Once I started making this from scratch, I never went back to the store-bought kind—and I don’t think you will either!

Tips for Success Every Time

  • You can easily change up this homemade Alfredo sauce to meet your needs. For a vegan Alfredo sauce, swap the butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan for vegan alternatives. Follow the same advice to make a dairy-free Alfredo sauce.
  • For a lighter Alfredo sauce, use whole milk or half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
  • If cold heavy cream is added, it may separate. Room temperature cream incorporates much more easily with the other warm ingredients.
  • When the sauce appears to be too thick, I thin it out by using some of the reserved pasta water and adding it to the skillet.
Recipe Card

Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe

4.75 from 199 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Becky Hardin
overhead view of fettuccini alfredo in a white dutch oven with tongs.
This easy alfredo sauce is perfect for any of your favorite Italian dishes, like fettuccine alfredo and chicken alfredo.
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
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Ingredients 

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick).  If it has salt in it, the sauce may taste a bit too salty to you.
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • cups heavy cream room temperature. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can make it using whole milk and full-fat butter.
  • 6.4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • Minced fresh thyme optional

Instructions 

For the Alfredo Sauce

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    overhead view of ingredients for homemade alfredo sauce in individual bowls.
  • Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant.
    1 clove garlic
  • Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 3-5 minutes.
  • Pour in the room temperature heavy cream. Whisk until combined.
    1½ cups heavy cream
  • Once the cream is fully combined, place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Do not let the sauce come to a boil – keep it over low heat.
  • Add the grated cheese and continually whisk the sauce together until the cheese is completely melted and evenly combined.
    6.4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    cheese added to butter and heavy cream in a white dutch oven.
  • Taste and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
    Kosher salt, Ground black pepper, Minced fresh thyme
    homemade alfredo sauce in a white dutch oven with a whisk.

To Make Fettuccini Alfredo

  • Bring water in a large pot to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Once the water is boiling, cook 16 ounces of fettuccine noodles to al dente according to package instructions.
  • Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
  • Mix the pasta with the sauce, adding cooking water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.
    fettuccini alfredo in a white dutch oven.

Becky’s Tips

Yield: This recipe yields approx. 2 cups of Alfredo sauce. 
  • Fresh thyme is an optional ingredient that adds even more flavor to this sauce. However, you don’t need it. If you can’t find it, don’t worry about adding it because the sauce will still taste amazing.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor.
  • Add red chili pepper flakes to the blend of seasonings if you’d like to add a slight bit of spice to your sauce.
  • Nutritional information is for the sauce only, not prepared fettuccini Alfredo.
Storage: Store Alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this sauce as cream-based recipes don’t typically thaw and reheat well.
Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 323kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 8gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 556mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1115IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Alfredo Sauce – Step by Step

Sauté the Garlic: Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 3-5 minutes.

overhead view of ingredients for homemade alfredo sauce in individual bowls.
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Add the Cream and Cheese: Pour in 1½ cups of room temperature heavy cream. Whisk until combined. Once the cream is fully combined, place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Do not let the sauce come to a boil – keep it over low heat. Add 6.4 ounces of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and continually whisk the sauce together until the cheese is completely melted and evenly combined. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.

homemade alfredo sauce in a white dutch oven with a whisk.

Make the Pasta: Make Fettuccini Alfredo by cooking 16 ounces of fettuccine noodles to al dente in salted water. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Mix the pasta with the sauce, adding cooking water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.

pasta added to homemade alfredo sauce in a white dutch oven.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover Alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop set over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing this sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Of course you’ll want to use this homemade alfredo sauce on fettuccine noodles and chicken alfredo, but you can use it in lots of other tasty Italian dishes too. You can use it in place of store-bought sauce in any of the recipes listed below!

If you’re looking for great pairings, I love to serve this homemade alfredo sauce recipe alongside my famous Garlic Bread or Olive Garden Breadsticks. And don’t forget to make a Caesar Salad as well!

Try making pasta from scratch for the freshest taste, then add diced chicken, steak, or sausage crumbles for a hearty meal.

More delicious alfredo recipes

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.75 from 199 votes (171 ratings without comment)
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57 Comments
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Judy
Judy
March 9, 2025 4:00 pm

Can you use the pregrated parmesean cheese?

Amy - The Cookie Rookie
March 10, 2025 10:13 am
Reply to  Judy

You can, the flavor just won’t be as fresh!

maria
maria
February 6, 2025 7:42 am

Best recipe I’ve tried! My family couldn’t stop eating it 😋 😍5 stars

MaryR
MaryR
February 4, 2025 1:56 pm

Good recipe. I substituted earth balance butter and soy milk because I cannot have much dairy. I added a little extra salt as the soy milk was kinda sweet. Turned out wonderful and lower fat content is great. I still added Parmesan so it wasn’t dairy free more like dairy lite. Turned out well. I basically made a new recipe with all my adjustments but I’ve never made Alfredo sauce before so this was a good starting point recipe.5 stars

Claire
Claire
January 14, 2025 7:51 pm

Best recipe I’ve found yet!!5 stars

Jane T
Jane T
December 9, 2024 5:27 pm

Super simple, super delicious!5 stars

Jasmine
Jasmine
November 30, 2024 9:16 am

My entire family loved it and we wanna make it again it came out super good4 stars

Don Grande
Don Grande
November 2, 2024 9:55 pm

Made this using half parmesan and half romano cheeses- just made sure to cook it slowly- turned out delicious!5 stars

Christa
Christa
October 29, 2024 7:00 pm

Came out perfect! My girls loved it. Will make this again.5 stars

Lou
Lou
August 26, 2024 7:21 pm

Super watery. Too salty (no, we didn’t add salt). Would not try again, there are definitely better recipes out there2 stars

Samantha Marceau
August 27, 2024 8:24 am
Reply to  Lou

Hi Lou, we’re sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe! We’re wondering if it’s possible you used salted butter instead of unsalted? Otherwise, the only salty element is the cheese. If the sauce seems too thin, we recommend continuing to simmer until it thickens up.

Anonymous
Anonymous
July 1, 2024 7:34 pm

I tried it, it’s okay. Definitely missing the richness that béchamel brings to the sauce. I would definitely start the base with butter, flour and garlic before I add the cream next time.

Samantha Marceau
July 2, 2024 9:02 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Hi, you may enjoy our no cream Alfredo sauce recipe (click here!) for a little something different!