This Homemade Alfredo Sauce is quick and easy to make. Full of cream cheese, butter, Parmesan, and spices, you will be licking your plate clean, even when the noodles are gone!
This creamy sauce can be used in casseroles, as a dip for homemade breadsticks, or over your favorite pasta.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce: A Love Story
Many years ago, my brother called me and said “Erica, I need to impress this girl, Amber. I told her that I am going to make her a nice dinner tonight.” Of course I knew that he REALLY meant: “I want YOU to make a nice dinner for us tonight and I will pay the grocery bill.” Later that evening when the table was set with candles and fine dinnerware, he ushered me into the basement. However, the dinner impressed Amber so much that later she agreed to marry Devin!
The Secret is OUT
Of course, after the wedding, the secret came out when Amber asked Devin to make his famous Homemade Alfredo Sauce. He called me up and I gave the recipe up happily. All is fair in love and war, after all! I happily shared the best alfredo sauce recipe with him and now with you! This fettuccine alfredo is the first recipe I can truly call my own that I created from scratch and I can’t wait for you to try it. It’s one of the best pasta sauces I’ve ever had, and my whole family agrees with me on this one. The rich, cheesy flavor in this gorgeous sauce puts Olive Garden alfredo sauce to shame! Definitely let us know in the comments if this recipe helps you fall in love!
What Ingredients Do I Need?
Most Alfredo sauce recipes call for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, but not this one! You don’t even need to make a roux with flour and butter. Basically, you just need a few kitchen staples: fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (you can get great DOP Parmigiano Reggiano at Costco for a great price), garlic powder, butter and cream cheese. When you melt it all together and let it simmer, you get a rich, creamy sauce with a tangy, cheesy finish. You’ll never miss the heavy cream, I promise!
Substitutions for this Recipe
- If you have garlic cloves to use up, or a jar of minced garlic, feel free to use some of that fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.
- Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, Romano cheese, asiago cheese or fresh parsley.
- Swap out fettuccine noodles with any other pasta you have in your pantry: angel hair pasta, penne, or linguine.
Ways to Serve Alfredo Sauce
At the end of the day, this Homemade Alfredo Sauce is only as good as the dish it accompanies.
- Serve this glorious sauce with Chicken Alfredo over Fettuccine or Linguini noodles.
- Use this sauce as a dip for bread twists or veggies.
- Drizzle this sauce over grilled chicken, shrimp, or meatballs.
- Spread it on a pizza crust (try our family’s favorite pizza dough recipe for your next pizza night)!
- Serve grilled asparagus, green beans or a simple green salad alongside your beautiful pasta dish.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat by simmering on low heat on the stove or warming in the microwave.
5-Star Reviews from our Readers
Take it from some of our beloved readers who have tried this recipe; we guarantee you’ll love it too!
“For our Italian family making an Alfredo sauce results in lots if criticism. We are a hard family to impress. This was the best Alfredo Sauce I have made and everyone asked how I made it. The minced garlic was fresh as well as the Parmesan cheese. I actually impressed myself! Great recipe and will be my go to sauce! Thank you!” – Deborah Hollander
“This recipe was amazing! I made it last night and it was simple and tasty. Thank you!” – Renee Machurski
“I made this sauce to go with some mushroom ravioli and my boyfriend and I agree, this is THE BEST Alfredo sauce we have ever had!! I substituted the garlic powder for chopped garlic cloves (I used one big one) – it turned out so garlicky, creamy, and cheesy… SO DELICIOUS!! This will become a dinner regular.” – Taralyn
“This recipe is amazing! Simple ingredients, simple preparation, huge crowd pleaser. ” – Jo Johnson
More Recipes to Try
You can use this alfredo sauce recipe in these or many other recipes. Try some of our favorites and enjoy some good quality, restaurant-style food in the comfort of your own kitchen!
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)
- Baked Rotini with Italian Sausage
- Nick’s Authentic Italian Spaghetti
How to Make Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teasooon garlic powder
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (use fresh grated, not the powdery kind)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth.
- Add milk a little at a time while, continue to whisk.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper. Remove from heat when it gets to the desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if needed.
- Serve over fettuccine or linguini noodles and garnish with fresh parsley.
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What happened to your directions for the Skinny Red Pepper Alfredo sauce? I can still see the ingredients, but when I click on “Read Directions” it takes me to the Homemade Alfredo recipe….
You can find the recipe here: Healthy Alfredo Sauce
For our Italian family making an Alfredo sauce results in lots if criticism. We are a hard family to impress. This was the best Alfredo Sauce I have made and everyone asked how I made it. The minced garlic was fresh as well as the Parmesan cheese. I actually impressed myself! Great recipe and will be my go to sauce! Thank you!
Wow, this is such a great compliment! Thank you, I am so glad that it was a hit!!
I made this sauce to go with some mushroom ravioli and my boyfriend and I agree, this is THE BEST Alfredo sauce we have ever had!! I substituted the garlic powder for chopped garlic cloves (I used one big one) – it turned out so garlicky, creamy, and cheesy… SO DELICIOUS!! This will become a dinner regular.