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.

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.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
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
- 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
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
- 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.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
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.
Can you use the pregrated parmesean cheese?
You can, the flavor just won’t be as fresh!
Best recipe I’ve tried! My family couldn’t stop eating it 😋 😍
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.
Best recipe I’ve found yet!!
Super simple, super delicious!
My entire family loved it and we wanna make it again it came out super good
Made this using half parmesan and half romano cheeses- just made sure to cook it slowly- turned out delicious!
Came out perfect! My girls loved it. Will make this again.
Super watery. Too salty (no, we didn’t add salt). Would not try again, there are definitely better recipes out there
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.
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.
Hi, you may enjoy our no cream Alfredo sauce recipe (click here!) for a little something different!