Creamy Garlic Alfredo Sauce {My Go-To Dinner Saver!}
Healthier than recipes loaded with butter and cream, this tried-and-true creamy homemade Alfredo sauce recipe is so fast, so easy, and SO delicious.
I am not (not!) exaggerating when I say this quick, creamy garlic alfredo sauce has changed how I view non-dinner nights.
You know. Those nights when dinner just ain’t happening. Too many things going on. Too lazy (who, me??). Too many nights of husband being out of town. Too many kids needing attention. Too many this. Too many that.
The problem is, on nights like that, I just can’t handle the thought of dinner approaching and knowing I’m going to have to scrounge up something my kids will eat but I’ll probably find gag-worthy.
I can’t help it. Grilled cheese only gets me through so many nights.
Homemade alfredo sauce is easier than you think
Enter this sauce. It is fast. Unbelievably fast. And so incredibly creamy and flavorful.
Healthier (relatively) than the versions loaded with butter and cream, it comes together quickly, and it reheats beautifully the next day if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.
No exaggeration, we make this homemade alfredo sauce recipe at least 2-3 times a month. There is not another single recipe on my site that is universally loved and gobbled up by my children more than this amazing sauce.
It takes just minutes to make.
Fresh garlic (I’ve also used deyhdrated garlic with good results) cooks in a bit of butter until fragrant before cream cheese is added to the mix.
I like to let the cream cheese sit in the warm butter/garlic mixture until it is super warm and melty. This prevents lumps and bumps in the finished creamy sauce.
Cream cheese concerns: if you are a little bit averse to the flavor of cream cheese, this sauce does not have an overtly cream cheese vibe. The cream cheese lends a silky texture and helps thicken the sauce, but it doesn’t taste like melted cheesecake, I promise. 🙂
Add some milk, Parmesan cheese (fresh grated, always, for the best melting!), a bit of salt and pepper, and bam.
Homemade alfredo sauce.
This life changing alfredo sauce is delicious:
- over noodles
- over zoodles
- on top of roasted vegetables
- on pizza or paninis
This recipe has stood the test of time. It is as tried-and-true as you can get, and I don’t see us ever getting sick of this delectable little recipe.
In fact, I would have a full on mutiny if I ever decided, for whatever reason, to strike it from the archives of Meals That Make 100% Of Us Super Happy.
If you’re looking for a versatile homemade alfredo recipe that is ready in 15 minutes or less and tastes better than restaurant alfredo, this is the one.
What To Serve With This:
Broiled Parmesan and Lemon Chicken
Fresh, seasonal fruit
Green salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
Homemade Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 6 pieces (see note)
- 1 cup milk (see note)
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
- Add the cream cheese and let it sit over medium heat for a few minutes until it is warm and melty. Whisk the butter and cream cheese mixture together. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste.
- Add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes for a thicker sauce or remove right after the cheese is melted for a thinner sauce. Serve immediately over hot, cooked noodles.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe
Recipe originally published October 2011; updated May 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc
This was AMAZING. I’ve always loved the idea of Alfredo, but it has never really worked out for me. This recipe is so easy and turns out perfect every time!
I have tried many different alfredo sauces and none of them were as creamy and thick as I wanted. I made this one and the search is over! My family LOVED it and so did I. Very quick recipe and really delicious! One question – can you jar it to use later?
I don’t think it’s safe to can it and keep it on the pantry shelves, but you can keep it in the refrigerator for probably about a week.
I made this last last night for the first time last night and it was delicious! I cooked up some shrimp scampi style and put them and the sauce over whole wheat penne. My wife loved it. We will definitely make it again. I love Anna’s idea of putting it over spaghetti squash. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’ve made this many times before but I think last night was my highlight. I roasted 2 large spaghetti squash, scraped out the insides and mixed the sauce (with a mix of Parmesan and fontina) and some chopped bacon and Aidells spicy chicken sausage. I put the “noodles” back in the skins, added a little mozzarella, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper and returned to the oven for about 10 minutes! Delicious! (And Keto friendly if I cared about those kinds of things!)
A staple for years now! Still loving all your recipes Mel! Just made the black bean and quinoa bake this week for the first time and we loved it- a new staple ha! Youre the best 🙂
My dinner plans didn’t work out, so I had to find something last minute. I made this sauce with what I had: some aged Gouda, Monterrey jack cheese subbed for the Parmesan, and I used heavy cream + water to sub for the milk. It worked and tasted great!
This sauce is perfect! I make it regularly for a delicious and easy dinner.
This, like so many other AMAZING recipes on this website, is a dinner go-to in my household. Here I am, making it again, and I don’t know why I haven’t left a review yet. It is delicious, simple and even better than any version at a restaurant. Thanks again for a great recipe, Mel!
Thanks, Danielle! 🙂
This is simple to make, but so delicious!!! Everyone loves it. It is always a hurt whenever I make it. Thank you.
I made this last night, and it was a huge hit! I seared chicken, and made the sauce in the same pan. Delicious!
‘‘Tis is the best ever recipe.
Mel, my family loves this recipe. In fact, my husband refuses to eat the nasty store bought kind anymore. We use it so much I’m wondering if there is a way to freeze it, or can it? I’d love to make a big batch and have it ready for even quicker use. Do you know if this would freeze well? Or can it be canned? I have no idea how to can food, but I would figure it out if it meant I could have this in bulk!.
I’m not sure about canning it, Kristi – it would have to be pressure canned and I have no idea of the food safety or pH levels. But it can definitely be frozen! It might be slightly more watery after defrosting, but someone else just commented on a recipe similar to this that they froze in small portions and it was great after thawing and reheating.
Judging by the pictures, it sure doesn’t make much!
I LOVE my pasta SWIMMING in sauce…. so when I’m done, it takes TWO slices of Brown Garlic Toast to sop it all up!
Quick and easy, our family makes it on a regular basis. It also makes a good chicken alfredo pizza.
I love this recipe and so does everyone else who tries it! It is a go to for a quick meal, just add chicken or shrimp along with fettuccine or angel hair pasta and you have the perfect meal for everyone! I double or triple the recipe if I am feeding the family and their friends! ALWAYS A HIT! #DELICIOUSNESS
I made this two nights ago. You were right, it is very easy! I used light cream cheese (all I had) and I did not notice the grainy texture at all. I ate some leftovers today and they were still very yummy!
Thank you so much—this saved me tonight! I was short on time and this came together so quickly with things we had on hand and was SO delicious! My husband was craving Olive Garden, so it fit the bill perfectly! (And saved us a lot of money!)
HI Mel, I made this recipe before and my kids love it! They want this for dinner tonight but I’m out of parmesan cheese. Do you think this would work with pecorino Romano cheese instead?
I’ve made it with Pecorino before. It’s good – but the flavor was a little strong for my kids.
I make this on an almost weekly basis. A family favorite and so easy to make! Thanks Mel!
Delicious! My family ask for this meal several times every month! Not too greasy and it comes together quick.
Finally an Alfredo sauce I can make. And my whole family liked it!!
We love this sauce! Sometimes to mix it up I double the recipe and put in a can of diced tomatoes and some ground sausage. It makes this amazing lasagna – like sauce and we love it!! Thank you Mel!!
I love this recipe. Made it once and thought it was too easy but added some leftovers in my fridge when I made the sauce (bacon, asparagus and peppers). This time I just added bacon and it was perfect again. I think I could have this plain and just use it as a cheese dip for my nachos – sort of like a con queso dip
The pop-up and moving ads on this pager are nuts. Can’t handle it.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
My father is notoriously difficult to cook for and he recently decided to drop in at my apartment for a surprise dinner. After repeated reassurances that he would like this, I whipped together your magical recipe, grilled some chicken, threw in some steamed veggies, and I was left with a table of happy campers. In fact, I was told that I should have left all the “stuff” out because the sauce was that good. After they left, I got a text from my mom asking for the recipe because my dad was already requesting they make it themselves.
I am officially indebted to you!
I just wanted to write and say THANK YOU. I love every recipe of yours I’ve tried (and that’s lots!) but this one has truly been not only a favorite but a lifesaver. I, too, am pregnant–with #4–and morningsickness is always a bugger for me. We’re talking weeks on end of only eating takeout because I literally cannot cook without getting sick. But I was able to make this tonight! And it was perfect. Did you know that the inventor of fettuccine Alfredo reportedly created it to satisfy his wife’s pregnancy cravings for something warm and comforting? That’s exactly what this has been, and easy too. Thank you again.
I’m so happy to hear that, Catherine! Good luck with your pregnancy!
I only have the powdered Kraft parmesan cheese – could I use that in place of fresh grated?
There’s not a recipe of yours we haven’t loved! Thank you
Hey Jill – thank you! I don’t think the powdered Parmesan will give a very good result here (won’t melt into the sauce and will likely be grainy and clumpy).
I have so many recipes from this blog in my binder o’ recipes, and this is the one that is always my go-to when I don’t know what to make or don’t have other ingredients on hand – I always have some cream cheese in the fridge, and if you can get a $1 brick of cream cheese this is also super inexpensive! LOVE IT. I wish I could lick all the leftovers out of the saucepan (I mean, maybe I still do… please don’t tell anyone). I find that the recipe as stated is perfect for two people (or for just me, one dinner + one lunch the next day, although reheating in the microwave is a bit meh). Also it lends itself to so many variations – the tuscan variation with basil and sun dried tomatoes is great, and I recently tried adding sauteed spinach and artichoke hearts for a spinach artichoke “dip” version. Everyone must try this.
Interesting, I expected you to know that low fat dairy MAKES YOU FAT. In fact, pig Farmers give skim milk to pigs for the sole purpose of fattening them up. It’s worth since research if you don’t know this. I know this is several years old. So maybe you do now. But your recipes are AMAZING. Even though I’ve only tried the sloppy joes & go to French bread /rolls/buns I’ve saved more from your site than any other. I can tell just from reading them that they will be fantastic. And it helps that your family has similar likes as my family! Love your site!
Tonight was 100% one of those non dinner nights. Mel to the rescue!! Thanks for this simple dinner.
Mel-I have wanted to like alfredo for a long time! Let me say my mom always served it store bought from a jar (yuck) and even tho I have been living on my own for 10 years I just thought I wasn’t much for alfredo but the idea sounded nice. Well I made this tonight for dinner. Added cooked chicken, sliced bell pepper and artichoke hearts right after stirring in the parm cheese. Then added in the noodles. Not only did my two year old gobble it down but my husband kept saying, “wow”. I very much enjoyed it too. And you are right – SO quick and easy! Thank you! I knew there had to be good things about alfredo just needed to land on the right concoction 😉
Hi Ms. Mel!!! Your recipe is fantastic- my family couldn’t get enough of it! My mom said she wanted to kiss my fingers! This sauce is so excellent and flavorful and the farfalle pasta makes it so fun and really attaches to the sauce! I added some ham and onions and it made for a really delicious one-bowl meal. I can imagine it with peas as well, it would mold nicely with the flavors! I am 16 years old and had no trouble with this dish, but I’m not exactly new to the kitchen. Anyways just thought I would let you know how much I loved it! Thank you from my family and I! 🙂
Can this sauce be frozen if there is any left over? (I’m trying it with my picky eaters, so there actually could be some left over!) lol
I’ve never frozen it but I think others have in the comment thread. Because of the high dairy content it might be a little grainy after it defrosts.
Mel,
I have been making this for about 5 years. The only thing I do differently is use regular cream cheese, extra garlic; LOVE garlic. I always add cooked chicken breast chunks. This sauce freezes wonderfully!
Brenda from Wisconsin.
thanks for the tip about freezing!!! My husband was just saying how HORRIBLE canned alfredo sauce is and he wishes he could just pop open a jar of “my sauce” (mel’s) to make a quick meal.
Amazing recipe!!! I’m such a huge fan of yours! Love your blog and the recipes you have on here do not fail! 🙂
Hi Mel,
I absolutely love this recipe and my family eats it for dinner at least once a month. It has been life and dinner saving. Thank you! I usually serve it on gnocchi and it is delicious!
My aunt suggested I make it for our family reunion next weekend and I’m wondering if you think that’s even plausible. There will be 32 adults and 16 children (ages 2-11). That seems like a lot of cream cheese and a really, really big pan! There will be other food served at the meal (chicken, salad, fruit, etc.)
Advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much!
Hi Elyse – I’ve never made this in a larger quantity than quadrupling the recipe but if you have the time/willpower you could certainly make a couple really large batches. I wouldn’t suggest doing more than quadrupling each batch (so you’d need several quadrupled batches, I think). I have learned with this sauce that unfortunately, it doesn’t stay warm well in a crockpot (it gets kind of grainy especially if the heat is too high) so keep that in mind. Good luck!
Thanks so much Mel! So when you quadrupled it, did you quadruple all the ingredients or did you go easy on certain ingredients (ie salt and pepper?)
Thanks again!
Hi Elyse – I just added salt and pepper to taste so yes, I probably went a little easy when adding everything else and tasted it at the end. Also, I think with a quadrupled recipe, I only added a double amount of Parmesan.
This was really good. All 4 of us gobbled it right up! I doubled everything to make a bigger batch. I also subbed bagged, shredded parmesan-romano for the cheese. We added precooked chicken to ours at the end. Yum!
Delicious! I had some frozen mushroom ravioli I coated in the sauce. I also sautéed shrimp in old bay, threw that in the sauce as well as some fresh spinach. After mixing sauce, pasta, and cooked shrimp all together, I served topped with more fresh grated Parmesan and chopped Roma tomatoes (fresh, uncooked). It was a huge hit!
I was looking to make good use of the limited ingredients I currently had. So glad I found this recipe! Just made it, tastes divine!!! Will definitely be trying out more from your site.
Pouring sauce over pasta is a poor way to serve a dish, especially with penne. This is a typical American cooking mistake. Toss them together before servingv to coat the pasta, and it’s noticeably better.
I made this last week and my husband and I really enjoyed it! My 12 year old thought it was too salty. After tasting it again, I think she is correct, so I will either use less salt or unsalted butter. Mel, did you use regular butter or unsalted butter?
I use salted butter.
I just made the sauce and my whole family loved it, even my finicky 10yo daughter. It was as easy to make as Mel says it is and full of flavor. I poured it over whole grain linguine and chicken. I browned the chicken cutlets and seasoned them with Weber’s Roasted Garlic and Herb grill seasoning. It was awesome. Thanks for the great recipes.
Made this with pasta and chicken and it was delicious! Had to comment and share-if you have leftovers of the sauce it is to die for on steamed broccoli! Thanks for another great recipe!
Just made this and it came out great. Thxs for sharing.
I tried this recipe for my nutrition cooking class and I added a little bit of milk to thin out the sauce. It tasted great and a lot of people enjoyed it. I cooked it with a small box of rotini pasta (cooked Al Dente) and the sauce evenly coated the pasta 🙂
Not too heavy and just tasty overall!
We loved this sause! It was so delicious and simple to make. I made a couple changes though, I used 5 cloves of garlic instead of 3 and I added chives for a little extra flavor. We tossed it with shrimp and spaghetti noodles and it was amazing. This is by far our favorite sause and will be our new go to for garlic Alfredo sauce! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe !!
This was so good, thanks for another great recipe!! I used low fat (neufchatel) cream cheese and 2% milk and I didn’t notice any graininess. It seemed a little thin so I stirred it quite a bit to thicken it up and then once I had it mixed in with pasta and sitting for a few minutes it thickened up perfectly. My husband loved it and I’m already thinking about how good the leftovers will be 🙂 Thank you!
I’ve been trying and loving your recipes for the past three years and I just wanted to tell you how absolutely amazing you are! This recipe is another keeper. I seasoned some shrimp with a little old bay before tossing them in to cook right after the cheese was all melted. Served it with a caesar salad and garlic bread. Absolutely amazeballs delicious. Thank you again for being so awesome 🙂
Thank you, Selam!
Made this tonight to use for a chicken alfredo stuffed shell…absolutely spectacular. It is creamy and smooth and just delicious! Thank you so much for sharing.
Can I freeze this sauce? I’ve read that cream sauces don’t thaw well but technically this recipe doesn’t have cream in it. Thanks!
Chris – I haven’t frozen this sauce so I’m not sure how it would fare. My guess is that it might get a little grainy after thawing but it might be worth a try. Good luck!
I freeze it pretty often, and it reheats well on the stove over warm heat. I usually make a double batch and freeze half. Hope that helps!
Hi Mel – I love all your recipes and tried this one for a lunch/dinner option today. I added a full brick of of cream cheese (the shame lol) but the cream cheese was greek yogurt cream cheese so I think that justifies the full brick right? 😉 I added the extra as I found the sauce a bit too think otherwise, but I used a half a cup of water to dilute the half cup of 5% cream I had to use because I didn’t have milk – I thought that was a good substitute but perhaps it wasn’t..thus I used the full brick of cream cheese. All in all it is very good – and verrryyy filling! Thanks for the fast and tasty meals!
Great recipe. Never made it before. The family can’t wait till I make it again. Thanks!