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This homemade alfredo sauce with cream cheese is quick and easy to make. Full of butter and fresh parmesan, you will be licking your plate clean!
Featured with this recipe
- “Olive Garden” Style Alfredo Sauce vs. Authentic Alfredo Sauce
- What Ingredients Do I Need?
- Substitutions for this Recipe
- How to Make Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
- Ways to Serve Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce
- 5-Star Reviews from our Readers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing the Leftovers
- More Recipes to Try
- How to Make Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
- Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese Recipe
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce: A Love Story
- The Secret is OUT
- Update: The Original Love Story!
Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is thick, rich, and full of flavor! With a smooth, velvety, cream sauce made from butter, cream, and parmesan cheese, this sauce is popular for good reason! Toss with pasta, use as a pizza sauce, or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks. There are so many options for homemade Alfredo sauce!
If you love Olive Garden, then you will love the nice velvety texture and rich taste this copycat Alfredo sauce has. This is a favorite sauce that everyone loves and is so versatile. Homemade Alfredo is a family favorite and will be yours for generations to come!
“Olive Garden” Style Alfredo Sauce vs. Authentic Alfredo Sauce
Most Alfredo sauces usually are close to the same ingredients and the same delicious flavor. There are a few ingredients that can be substituted and used one over the other. There is an authentic Alfredo sauce and an Olive Garden-style Alfredo sauce which is more American. Both have a great flavor, texture and taste with a creamy white coloring.
Olive Garden Alfredo sauce has a thick, velvety, and creamy texture and appearance. This is more from an American style with more creams. A true, authentic Alfredo sauce is found in Italy using only butter, pasta, and parmesan cheese. In Italy, the sauce isn’t made independently of the pasta dish, meaning the noodles and sauce are all tossed together and the sauce is formed as the ingredients come together.
This tastes incredible, however, it makes it difficult to serve the sauce on the side or as a dipping sauce. This sauce is made independently of the noodles so it can be served over the top of the pasta, tossed with pasta, served as a pizza sauce, or as a dipping sauce.
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 need a few kitchen staples! You get a rich, creamy sauce with a tangy, cheesy finish when you melt it all together. You will never miss the heavy cream, I promise!
- Butter – Unsalted butter works best. A smooth and rich flavor from the butter brings a buttery rich texture.
- Cream cheese – This gives the Alfredo thickness with a hint of flavor.
- Garlic powder – Season the cheese mixture to help with flavor and give it an Italian taste.
- Milk – Helps add a creamy base and texture. No need for heavy cream with this recipe!
- Parmesan cheese – We love to use a good DOP Parmigiano Reggiano that is rich in flavors and holds an authentic taste.
Substitutions for this Recipe
This simple Alfredo sauce is easy to make with pantry staple ingredients. You can add and substitute a few ingredients to help make your sauce even better! Try a different garlic, garnish with more cheeses, or try another type of noodle. All these options are easy to use and still will have them on hand at home!
- Garlic – 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.
- Topping – Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, Romano cheese, asiago cheese, or fresh parsley.
- Pasta – Swap out fettuccine noodles with any other pasta in your pantry: angel hair pasta, penne, or linguine.
- Gluten-free – Make it GF and vegetarian by using spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles to lighten this alfredo sauce with cream cheese.
- For a lighter version of Alfredo sauce, try our Healthy Alfredo Sauce recipe.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
Making Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is foolproof! Because you melt the butter and cream cheese together, the sauce gets thick without being temperamental. Follow these easy step-by-step instructions for making the best Alfredo sauce.
- Saute – Melt the butter and cream cheese together in a saucepan with seasonings. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth.
- Whisk – Add milk and whisk constantly until desired consistency is reached.
- Thicken – Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Add more milk if needed to thin.
- Garnish and serve – Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ways to Serve Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce
At the end of the day, this creamy, cheesy sauce is only as good as the dish it accompanies. There are so many options to pair this alfredo sauce with. Try it as the main dish, side dish, or dipping sauce! Each option is delicious and full of the amazing alfredo sauce flavor!
- Pasta – Serve this glorious sauce with Chicken Alfredo over Fettuccine or Linguini noodles.
- Dipping – Use this sauce as a dip for bread twists or veggies.
- Protein – Drizzle this sauce over grilled chicken, shrimp, or meatballs.
- Pizza – Spread it on a pizza crust (try our family’s favorite pizza dough recipe for your next pizza night)!
- Vegetables – Serve grilled asparagus, green beans, or a simple green salad alongside your beautiful pasta dish.
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! These are all great reviews and the way that they made it. It really is quick and easy to make in less than 15 minutes!
““This recipe was amazing! I made it last night and it was simple and tasty. Thank you!”
-Renee
“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
“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
Frequently Asked Questions
Alfredo sauce is typically made of butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Italian Alfredo sauce generally does not have cream and is made with starchy pasta water instead.
No. The two sauces are similar but they are not the same. Alfredo sauce is made with butter, Parmesan cheese, and sometimes cream. Carbonara is made with egg, cured pork (such as bacon or guanciale), and pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Sometimes if you add the milk too fast instead of adding it little by little this can happen. Add the milk slowly to the mixture. And remember, it doesn’t have to be TOO thick, just thick enough to coat the noodles. The alfredo sauce will thicken as it stands.
READ MORE: 35+ Easy Dinner Recipes
Storing the Leftovers
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. We do not recommend freezing the leftovers. If thawed and reheated the sauce texture will not be the same.
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!
How to Make Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
Video
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. The sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if needed.
- Serve over fettuccine or linguini noodles and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Notes about homemade Alfredo sauce
- 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.
Nutrition Information
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! 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!
Update: The Original Love Story!
Since posting this original recipe, we were contacted by a family member of the actual Alfredo Di Lelio, the creator of Fettuccine Alfredo! This comment is one of our favorites of all time so we thought we would share it here for you to enjoy:
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
– Best regards Ines Di Lelio
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”. More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo”, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome. In 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family. In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando. His restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”) whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me. The famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) was donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See the website of “Il Vero Alfredo” (also about franchising news). I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand . “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma”. I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo –Alfredo di Roma” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
I couldn’t get the sauce to thicken at all. Wish I could have figured out why. I added corn starch mixed with water, that helped a little. I ended up throwing it out.
Oh no! Sometimes if you add the milk too fast instead of adding it little by little this can happen. Was it thick before you added the milk?
It was a good recipe, forgiving to the changes I made. I used zoodles, left over chicken and fat free cream cheese. It was a delicious rich dish despite my making it skinny. I used a minimum of Parmesan and still a yummy dish. Easy fun recipe.
I have been making it this way for over 30 years, it is the best.
Absolutely the best Alfredo sauce I’ve ever made. It’s so good that you want to pour it in a glass and drink it!
This is a fabulous recipe. I came up short on the full amount of cream cheese the recipe calls for, so I “filled in” with about three tablespoons of mascarpone cheese. I also used organic half-and-half because I was out of milk. The parmesan I used was of very good quality, and I think that makes all the difference in the world. I love this recipe — and it’s so easy. Thank you for sharing it.
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.
This recipe is amazing! Simple ingredients, simple preparation, huge crowd pleaser.
Thank you!
Where is the sour cream in this recipe? Thanks
Hi Mary Beth- A previous version of our recipe included 1/2 cup sour cream that was added at the end before serving but after further testing we decided to remove it. It can always be added but we realized it was more flavorful without the sour cream. Hope this helps!
So glad you asked because I read through this several times and though listed in the narrative as the first of the few kitchen staples needed, I couldn’t find it in the recipe and thought it was a mistake in the recipe. Thanks.
Yes, after doing a lot of testing we found it doesn’t need sour cream. We will try and find the error in the post body and fix it. Thanks for catching that!
I’ve never used sour cream in Alfredo sauce, what’s the flavor profile like with it as compared to without?
It gives it more of a tangy flavor. You can definitely leave it out if you’d like!
My kids devoured this. I’ll be making it again for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again!
This recipe was amazing! I made it last night and it was simple and tasty. Thank you!
I’m sorry I meant can you use heavy whipping cream in place of milk?
It will be very thick, but you can!
Delicious!
If I made a large batch , how long would it keep in the fridge?
Probably 2-3 days. You may have to add a little milk or cream to thin it out when you’re ready to eat it because it will thicken in the fridge.
Can you use store bought shredded cheese?
Yes, you can. The note about the cheese is referring to the grated, powdery kind that comes in a can.
I don’t normally comment, but this was excellent! Thanks for such a great recipe!!!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the 5-stars!
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo”, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See the website of “Il Vero Alfredo” (also about franchising news).
I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma”.
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo –Alfredo di Roma” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
IN ITALIANO
STORIA DI ALFREDO DI LELIO, CREATORE DELLE “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), E DELLA SUA TRADIZIONE FAMILIARE PRESSO IL RISTORANTE “IL VERO ALFREDO” (“ALFREDO DI ROMA”) IN PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE A ROMA
Con riferimento al Vostro articolo ho il piacere di raccontarVi la storia di mio nonno Alfredo Di Lelio, inventore delle note “fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”).
Alfredo Di Lelio, nato nel settembre del 1883 a Roma in Vicolo di Santa Maria in Trastevere, cominciò a lavorare fin da ragazzo nella piccola trattoria aperta da sua madre Angelina in Piazza Rosa, un piccolo slargo (scomparso intorno al 1910) che esisteva prima della costruzione della Galleria Colonna (ora Galleria Sordi).
Il 1908 fu un anno indimenticabile per Alfredo Di Lelio: nacque, infatti, suo figlio Armando e videro contemporaneamente la luce in tale trattoria di Piazza Rosa le sue “fettuccine”, divenute poi famose in tutto il mondo. Questa trattoria è “the birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
Alfredo Di Lelio inventò le sue “fettuccine” per dare un ricostituente naturale, a base di burro e parmigiano, a sua moglie (e mia nonna) Ines, prostrata in seguito al parto del suo primogenito (mio padre Armando). Il piatto delle “fettuccine” fu un successo familiare prima ancora di diventare il piatto che rese noto e popolare Alfredo Di Lelio, personaggio con “i baffi all’Umberto” ed i calli alle mani a forza di mischiare le sue “fettuccine” davanti ai clienti sempre più numerosi.
Nel 1914, a seguito della chiusura di detta trattoria per la scomparsa di Piazza Rosa dovuta alla costruzione della Galleria Colonna, Alfredo Di Lelio decise di aprire a Roma il suo ristorante “Alfredo” che gestì fino al 1943, per poi cedere l’attività a terzi estranei alla sua famiglia.
Ma l’assenza dalla scena gastronomica di Alfredo Di Lelio fu del tutto transitoria. Infatti nel 1950 riprese il controllo della sua tradizione familiare ed aprì, insieme al figlio Armando, il ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” (noto all’estero anche come “Alfredo di Roma”) in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 (cfr. il sito web di Il Vero Alfredo).
Con l’avvio del nuovo ristorante Alfredo Di Lelio ottenne un forte successo di pubblico e di clienti negli anni della “dolce vita”. Successo, che, tuttora, richiama nel ristorante un flusso continuo di turisti da ogni parte del mondo per assaggiare le famose “fettuccine all’Alfredo” al doppio burro da me servite, con l’impegno di continuare nel tempo la tradizione familiare dei miei cari maestri, nonno Alfredo, mio padre Armando e mio fratello Alfredo. In particolare le fettuccine sono servite ai clienti con 2 “posate d’oro”: una forchetta ed un cucchiaio d’oro regalati nel 1927 ad Alfredo dai due noti attori americani M. Pickford e D. Fairbanks (in segno di gratitudine per l’ospitalità).
Desidero precisare che altri ristoranti “Alfredo” a Roma non appartengono e sono fuori dal mio brand di famiglia.
Vi informo che il Ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” è presente nell’Albo dei “Negozi Storici di Eccellenza – sezione Attività Storiche di Eccellenza” del Comune di Roma Capitale.
Grata per la Vostra attenzione ed ospitalità nel Vostro interessante blog, cordiali saluti
Ines Di Lelio
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. What a gift your grandfather gave to the world. Our family LOVES Fettuccine Alfredo!
So cool!! I loveeee Alfredo. Thank you to your grandfather!
Will it still work if u don’t have cream cheese
It won’t thicken as well without the cream cheese, it will be quite runny and won’t taste as creamy. Hope this helps!
Do we have to use garlic powder or can we use regular garlic?
You can use regular garlic if you would rather 🙂
How much does this make
What size cream cheese?
An 8 oz. package
Absolutely delicious!!!
Should b.. This is the exact recipe for copycat olive garden alfredo sauce my sister gave me 10 yrs ago lol.
Your sister was wrong!
https://m.olivegarden.com/recipe/alfredo-sauce/man-imp-reci-prd-69
Just made it…so delicious. I used it with a gluten free pasta for my husband. Thanks for sharing!
this was an excellent sauce. We loved it…….!
I used this recipe to make spaghetti squash alfredo, absolutely amazing! It made more than enough for meal prepping for the work week. Will make this again.