Creamy Alfredo Sauce

Name: Creamy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ½ cup butter; 1 clove fresh garlic (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder); 8 ounces cream cheese; 2 cups whole milk; 1 cup Parmesan cheese; salt and pepper

This creamy alfredo sauce is rich and delicious. It is easy to make, too! It is perfect for coating fettuccine but can be used as a dip for your breadsticks, sauce for your lasagna, and so much more.

Bowl of fettucine alfredo with chicken and broccoli, ready to eat.

If you love a good creamy white sauce on your pasta, this Alfredo sauce is for you. It is rich, cheesy, and perfectly coats your fettuccine.

The best part is that it only takes a few simple ingredients to make. And it is done cooking in about 15-20 minutes.

Toss your favorite pasta in it or just dive in with a breadstick. If you love Olive Garden’s alfredo sauce, you will love this recipe. Make it, and you’ll see!

Ingredients including butter, cream cheese, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese ready to be made into homemade alfredo sauce.

This alfredo sauce recipe has been in our family for decades. This was my birthday dinner request every year during high school.

We would have this super creamy fettuccine alfredo for dinner and chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake for dessert. It was rich and delicious all the way around.

The whole family loved it, not just me. This recipe has made an appearance on many special occasions and is at the top of the list when we are looking for something easy but delicious to serve guests.

Pouring milk into pan that has melted butter and a brick of cream cheese inside.

Large saute pan with creamy homemade alfredo sauce inside.

In fact, we have never been disappointed with it. Not once, in decades!

So now it is time to get down to business and whip up a batch of good chicken fettuccine alfredo. It has a short list of ingredients and is such a delicious recipe.

Why This Creamy Alfredo Sauce is the Best

This alfredo is the ultimate comfort food. It takes simple ingredients and just a few minutes to put together.

While some alfredo sauce recipes use heavy cream or eggs to make the sauce rich and creamy, this sauce relies on butter, cream cheese, and milk. It gives it such a great texture and really makes the sauce hold onto the pasta.

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Pan of creamy fettuccine alfredo pasta with smooth creamy white sauce.

Pan of fettuccine alfredo with broccoli florets and chunks of chicken stirred in, ready to eat.

Cream cheese alfredo sauce is perfect on a great number of things. Try dipping a breadstick in it or drizzle it over some broccoli.

Of course, the most popular way to enjoy it is to stir in some pasta. Many shapes and types of pasta will do, but fettuccine is by far the most popular.

You can use this easy recipe as a great base recipe if you want to spice it up. You can add a few red pepper flakes for literal spice.

Fork lifting fettuccine pasta and a broccoli floret coated in thick homemade alfredo sauce.

Add sliced chicken and sauteed zucchini or steamed broccoli for a tasty meal. Or make shrimp alfredo if you like seafood or to make it lent friendly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use instead of heavy cream in alfredo sauce?

This creamy alfredo sauce recipe doesn’t require the use of heavy cream. Instead butter, garlic, milk, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese are melted together to make a great sauce that sticks to the pasta and makes everything delicious.

What if my alfredo sauce is too thick?

You can always add a little bit of pasta water to the mix or an extra splash of milk if you want to thin the sauce out a bit. If it is too thin, just cook it a little bit longer to allow it to thicken.

More Great Family Friendly Pasta Dinners

Alfredo fans will also love chicken and broccoli alfredo lasagna. It uses this recipe for the sauce, so you know it is going to be good!

If you are looking for a way to make yummy pasta alfredo without boiling water, check out my recipe for crock pot chicken alfredo. It is still rich and creamy, but it is made with the help of your favorite slow cooker.

Serving of chicken, broccoli, and fettuccine coated in homemade alfredo sauce with pan and remaining pasta in the background.

Baked ziti is a perfect family-friendly fill them up kind of meal. It can be made ahead and baked to creamy, cheesy perfection.

One pot Italian sausage and broccoli pasta is another great option. It is another great option with a creamy white sauce made from common ingredients.

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Bite of fettucine noodles coated in cheesy alfredo sauce on fork.

4.96 from 22 ratings

Creamy Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings

If you are in the mood for pasta coated in a rich creamy sauce, you are in the right place. This homemade chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe is one of our all time favorite meals. This recipe makes the perfect amount to coat a pound of pasta plus a couple of extra add-ins. We like chicken or shrimp and broccoli, but you can add whatever you like.

Prep: 5

Cook: 15

Total: 20

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large sauté pan or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a about a minute. It should be fragrant but not browned.
½ cup butter, 1 clove fresh garlic
Add milk and cream cheese. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture just starts to simmer.
8 ounces cream cheese, 2 cups whole milk
Add Parmesan and heat 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
salt and pepper
Your sauce is now ready to use.