Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

21 Comments

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce is great for topping pasta or for your casserole dishes. Easy to make from scratch with 4 simple ingredients.

Make sure you’re using fresh parmesan for this pasta sauce recipe- it makes a big difference and tastes way better than store bought! For some other tasty sauces, try our Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe or our Homemade Pizza Sauce.

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce in a jar with a spoon

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Making a delicious Alfredo Sauce for all sorts of pasta dishes or some Chicken Alfredo isn’t hard at all! I used to go out and buy jarred alfredo sauce from the store whenever I needed a white sauce for quick weeknight dinners. That was before I realized that I could make Alfredo Sauce from scratch and have it taste way better than the store bought stuff. All you need is 4 ingredients to make this tasty Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce!

White Sauce in a pan with spoon

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While this recipe does have a short ingredients list, you definitely get your mileage out of each one. Garlic- even the jarred stuff- tastes amazing if you brown it up and saute it a little, the heavy cream adds creaminess and plenty of body to the sauce, and butter is… well… butter! Probably the most important part of this Alfredo Sauce Recipe is the parmesan: using good, freshly-grated parmesan cheese is going to be the main thing that makes this sauce taste better than any store bought alfredo sauce. If you do everything right, you’re going to have an amazing Homemade Alfredo Sauce that’s perfect on just about anything and keeps well in the fridge. You’ll find the recipe below- we know you’re all going to love it!

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce on a spoon

Liked this recipe? Try some of these easy pasta recipes next!

  • For something buttery, garlicky, and creamy, go with our Garlic Parmesan Noodles. These are sort of like a homemade Lipton Noodle side dish: just as easy to make but so much tastier! Packed with parmesan and garlic flavor, these buttery noodles make for a great side dish with almost any meal.
  • If you want something more beefy, simple, and comforting, then make some of our One Pot American Goulash. Goulash is great for feeding a big crowd or family because it’s packed with plenty of inexpensive but filling ingredients: ground beef, crushed tomatoes, and some macaroni elbows. So easy to make up all in one pot too, which means clean-up is a breeze!
  • For a simple but rich-tasting weeknight dinner, boil up some pappardelle and toss with some of our Bolognese Sauce. Meat sauces are so easy to make and can be packed with so much flavor and richness. This sauce will keep well in the fridge or freezer too, so you don’t have to worry about those leftovers.

Alfredo Sauce from scratch in a jar

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients

  • Butter
  • Garlic – Jarred garlic will work perfectly fine for this recipe, so don’t worry if that’s all you have!
  • Heavy Cream – If you feel like your Alfredo Sauce is too thick, feel free to sub in something like half-and-half for this recipe.
  • Parmesan CheeseFreshly grated is going to work best. Pre-grated parmesan never tastes as good as freshly grated parmesan!
You’ll also want some salt and pepper for seasoning the sauce when it’s finished. If you’d like to keep the sauce looking white, consider using white pepper instead of black pepper.

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients

How to make Alfredo Sauce from scratch

Making up some of this Homemade Alfredo Sauce is so easy! Here’s all you’ll need to do:
  1. Melt butter over medium/medium-low heat before adding garlic and sautéing for a couple minutes.
  2. Mix in the heavy cream and allow to simmer for 6-7 minutes, whisking occasionally.
  3. Add in grated parmesan and then whisk until cheese is melted. Use immediately or let cool then store in fridge.

Freshly Grated Parmesan cheese for homemade Alfredo

After prepping your ingredients- grating parmesan, mincing garlic if using fresh- you can get right into making the sauce. Start by setting your pan over medium to medium-low heat and tossing in your butter. Let melt then add your garlic.

Butter and garlic in a pan

Sautee that for a minute or two to give it some color and aroma before whisking in your heavy cream. Whisk occasionally and let simmer for 6 or 7 minutes. Make sure you DON’T BOIL the sauce!

Adding heavy cream to butter and garlic

At this point, you can add the parmesan in. Whisk the sauce together until the cheese has melted.

Adding Parmesan to pan

Feel free to hit your sauce with some salt and pepper for a bit of seasoning. Hope you enjoy!

Alfredo sauce in a pan with pepper

How long does Homemade Alfredo Sauce last in the fridge?

If you’d like to save your Alfredo Sauce for later, you can also store it in the fridge. Transfer the sauce to a jar and allow to cool completely before putting a lid on it and transferring to the fridge. Kept like this, your Homemade Alfredo Sauce will last up to a week.

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce in a jar

 

5 from 3 votes

Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

This Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce can be made from scratch with just 4 simple ingredients. Great for topping your pasta or for your casserole dishes. Make it with fresh Parmesan and you will find it much better than store bought.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Instructions 

  • In a large pan over medium low heat, melt butter.
  • Add garlic and stir.
  • Add heavy cream and wisk to combine.
  • Allow to simmer, whisking occasionally, for 6-7 minutes.
  • Add Parmesan cheese and whisk continuously until the cheese is melted.
  • Add cooked pasta or use in another recipe.

Notes

Tip: Freshly grated is going to work best. Pre-grated parmesan never tastes as good as freshly grated parmesan!

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 27g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 725mg, Potassium: 79mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1522IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 486mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Long pin collage with text Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce Just 4 Ingredients

About Jen Lunsford

A lover of food and frugal living. A wife to a wonderful hubby, momma to 5 fun kiddos. Welcome to my blog. You will find REAL TASTY RECIPES. Be sure to subscribe to my email list and follow me on social media, to never miss a recipe.

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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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21 Comments

  1. I take Alfredo sauce poor it into shallow pan freeze then when frozen cut into squares and put it into a freezer bag. When ready to use add the fresh or frozen pasta next you also made in advanced and froze in a pot with 3 tab. Of water put on med heat with top on and let simmer turning noodles every 3-5 minutes until ready. Works like a charm. I took a trader Joe’s bagged Alfredo and made my own

    1. WOW Lisa! That sounds like a great idea for quick meals. I need to give it a try. Thanks so much for the helpful suggestion for freezing Alfredo sauce. I am sure other readers will love the idea too. Have a wonderful day. – Jen

  2. 5 stars
    This makes a very tasty sauce. Thank you so much for the easy recipe. I will not buy Alfredo sauce again. This was too yummy!

  3. This was great Very easy Only 4 ingredients Guests said it was much better than jar sauce Will continue to make and save Only 3 carbs and 1 sugar

  4. Hello, Can I make this in advance to serve at a reception party for 20 people as a side dish to the main course, and if so how would I keep the cheese sauce warm until serving,

    1. Hi Kathy I have never tried to make this Alfredo Sauce ahead of time, refrigerate freeze, etc. I would think if you made it and then stored it in a slow cooker on the keep warm setting, it would hold up well. I would give it a quick stir from time to time. I hope that helps.

  5. 5 stars
    Made this over the weekend and it was delicious. This is the simplest and best recipe I have found. Love it. Thanks for sharing!

  6. 5 stars
    The sauce is amazingly simple and quite delicious. I’ve made it a handful of times, and in addition to serving it as a simple Alfredo as shown here, I’ve added diced pancetta and frozen peas (or baby spinach leaves w/or w/out stems), as well as, grilled, chunked chicken and frozen peas, shrimp & peas (we like peas!). It’s a great tasting sauce that’s extremely versatile. I encourage those on the fence or those that may, like I initially did, think that it’s too easy to be tasty. It’s not! I was also a bit skeptical because she said she sometimes uses jarred/pre-made Alfredo sauce. Because I’d sooner eat plain pasta than with a jarred Alfredo sauce, I wasn’t sure her sauce would meet my taste expectations, but it’s really good. Someone asked about making it and then refrigerating it. I’ve done this with success. However, using a microwave is possible, but because you must stir it every 30 seconds, it’s much easier to reheat on the stove top and stir frequently– you may need to add a tablespoon or two of cream or milk when reheating just to help release the stronghold between the cheese & cream molecules. Also, do not add the pasta before refrigeration. Because it uses the same amount of pots & pans –one deep pan for the sauce & one pot for the pasta AND it takes the same amount of time to reheat as to cook from scratch, I would only refrigerate to reheat as a leftover as it won’t save any time to make ahead. I’d like to know if anyone has tried freezing the sauce to have it on hand when you want a quick meal but don’t have the ingredients on hand.??

    1. I made 12 gallons of alfedo sauce for a wedding reception, froze it, when it thawed and as i reheated I had to add a bit more half and half I had rave reviews on my sauce

  7. 4 stars
    Try adding just a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to get the real Italian flavor! Do not use ground nutmeg…a world of difference.