Homemade Alfredo Sauce

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.

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 mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Author: Becky Hardin

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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 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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
• ▢ 1½ 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

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Instructions 

For the Alfredo Sauce

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
  6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 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
  
• Taste and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
  Kosher salt, Ground black pepper, Minced fresh thyme
  

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.
  

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.

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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.

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.

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

Chicken Alfredo Recipe with Jar Sauce

Alfredo Sauce without Heavy Cream

Alfredo Pizza

Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo Sandwich (Crockpot Recipe)

Sausage Alfredo Pasta with Fried Sage

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake Recipe

Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells