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

Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (1)

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Table Of Contents hide

  • Why You’ll Love This Alfredo Sauce Recipe
  • What Is Alfredo Sauce?
  • How To Make Alfredo Sauce
  • Tips For Best Results
  • Ways To Use Homemade Alfredo Sauce
  • More Homemade Sauce Recipes
  • Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!)

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!

Why You’ll Love This Alfredo Sauce Recipe

  • Rich and creamy
  • Just 4 simple ingredients
  • Ready in 10 minutes
  • Better than store-bought brands
  • Perfect on ANY pasta!
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (2)

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.
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (3)

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.
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (4)
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (5)
  1. Thicken with parmesan. Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the parmesan cheese, until smooth.
  2. Add the spices. You can adjust the spices in this alfredo sauce recipe to your taste. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (6)

Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (7)

Tips For Best Results

  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese works best. It melts more smoothly into the sauce than the canned stuff. Pre-grated works okay in a pinch, but may not be as smooth.
  • A large saucepan works best. The larger your pan, the faster the cream will reduce. You can even use a skillet with tall sides!
  • It’s easy to adjust the consistency. For sauce that’s too thick, thin it with more cream. But if you’re wondering how to thicken alfredo sauce, just add extra parmesan to get the right consistency.

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.
Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (8)

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:

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Recipe Card

Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (14)

4.91 from 175 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

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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Ingredients

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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

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

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FAQs

Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum? ›

Add heavy whipping cream, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency.

What is the secret to smooth Alfredo sauce? ›

Add heavy whipping cream, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency.

What makes Alfredo sauce taste better? ›

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano, the name-protected Italian cheese, is a surefire way to add a umami and depth of flavor to a jarred Alfredo sauce. Freshly grate a few inches of the cheese, then whisk it right into the sauce as it's warming on the stove.

Can diabetics eat Alfredo sauce? ›

Skip Creamy Sauce in Favor of an Oil- or Tomato-Based Sauce. Like other “white” foods to swap out of your diet (think: white bread, white rice, and yes, white pasta), ditch white sauce when preparing a more diabetes-friendly meal.

How to make Alfredo sauce from a can better? ›

Alfredo sauce is quick and easy to make, recipes are on line and several are pretty good. But that's not the question. To make store bought taste better add some fresh grated parm or romano cheese, a shake of white pepper and a pinch of italian seasoning.

How do I keep my Alfredo sauce creamy? ›

One of the key components to making a thick and creamy Alfredo sauce is the cream. That being said, I think you could get away with using half and half or if in a real pinch, whole milk. Keep in mind that the less fat content in the dairy the thinner and less appealing the Alfredo Sauce will be.

What thickens Alfredo sauce? ›

The key ingredient in Alfredo sauce is cheese—generally Parmigiano Reggiano—and lots of it. To thicken Alfredo sauce, simply add more cheese than the amount called for in a recipe until you achieve the consistency you want.

Can you add heavy cream to jar Alfredo sauce? ›

If you're not happy with the jarred alfredo sauce you got from the grocery store, or are looking for extra ingredients to add to the original recipe, there are lots of things that you can do. Here are some ideas. Milk, heavy cream, or sour cream. Add 1/2 cup of one of these after melting the butter.

How to jazz up Alfredo sauce? ›

15 Ways To Upgrade Store-Bought Alfredo Sauce
  1. Add extra cheese for creaminess and flavor. ...
  2. Stir in a touch of marinara to mimic a vodka sauce. ...
  3. Mix in a bit of pesto for an instant transformation. ...
  4. Add roasted or sauteed garlic for a serious boost in flavor. ...
  5. Simmer with extra herbs and spices for added depth.
Feb 29, 2024

What does adding flour to Alfredo sauce do? ›

Flours can be used to make a bit of a slurry and add to the sauce to make it thicker. 1 part flour to 2 parts liquid and then adding it to your sauce should thicken it nicely. Just make sure that when you make the slurry, there are no lumps in your mixture.

What are the 5 worst foods for blood sugar? ›

Foods to limit or avoid
  1. Refined grains. Refined grains like white bread, pasta, and rice are high in carbs but low in fiber, which can increase blood sugar levels more quickly than their whole grain counterparts. ...
  2. Sugar-sweetened beverages. ...
  3. Fried foods. ...
  4. Alcohol. ...
  5. Breakfast cereal. ...
  6. Candy. ...
  7. Processed meats. ...
  8. Fruit juice.

What pasta is best for a diabetic? ›

Whole wheat pasta is an excellent choice for diabetics as it contains whole grains. In addition to whole wheat pasta having a lower glycemic index than traditional pasta, whole wheat pasta also contains more fiber which can help to keep blood sugar levels in check.

Does pasta spike blood sugar? ›

Pasta, potatoes and rice... are all carbohydrates that cause a surge in blood glucose levels as they are broken down. For people with diabetes, these surges in glucose can be tricky to manage and cause problems over time.

Is homemade Alfredo worth it? ›

Why Make it at Home? In blind taste tests I found that alfredo sauce made from scratch has a lot more flavor than jarred sauce. The parmesan is a lot more prevalent and the sauce itself is smoother and richer. And this flavor comes at practically no extra cost.

Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream for Alfredo? ›

Alfredo sauce with half-and-half is lower in fat than most. This is delicious over pasta and is easy to make. You can also make it the day before and refrigerate it until ready to use. Serve with Caesar salad for a delicious meal in less than an hour.

How do you keep Alfredo sauce from hardening? ›

The Alfredo sauce will harden into a thick paste once it cools in the fridge, but give it a few minutes of gentle heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, and it will once again become silky and creamy.

Why isn't my Alfredo sauce smooth? ›

Add more cheese.

This is often the easiest way to make a creamy sauce. Any grated, shredded, or cream cheese will do. Toss in 1 or 2 tbsp of pasta water for best results. The starch from the pasta will bond with the dairy content, creating a nice cream that will improve the texture of the sauce.

How do you get rid of gritty Alfredo sauce? ›

Slowly let the cheese disolve on low heat into the cream mixture. And remove it before it is completely melted but keep stirring this allows the finishing blending to happen without over heatting the cheese which causes that grainy texture. Try this and you'll never go out to a resturant for alfredo again.

How to keep Alfredo sauce from clumping? ›

Adding cheese all at once: It may be tempting to add all the grated cheese to the sauce at once, but this can contribute to clumping. Adding the cheese in sections and stirring the liquid or pasta as you slowly incorporate the cheese bit-by-bit can help it melt evenly and prevent clumps [3].

What causes Alfredo sauce to curdle? ›

However, if the sauce stays on the heat too long and too much water evaporates, it will break, since there's no longer enough water to hold the fat in suspension. If this happens, the sauce will look curdled and greasy.

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