Homemade Alfredo Sauce

5 from 6 votes

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Homemade alfredo sauce is creamy, cheesy, and incredibly easy to make. Check out my tips, watch the video, then make this 15-minute recipe!

homemade alfredo sauce dripping down side of mason jar


Alfredo is a popular sauce with Italian-American dishes, but it’s actually a secondary French sauce. The base, known in French cuisine as a Mother sauce, is bechamel sauce. By adding cheese and seasonings, it transforms into a velvety smooth, creamy white cheese sauce!

It’s perfect over sautéed chicken or steamed veggies, or as a dipping sauce for soft breadsticks.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

This classic sauce earned widespread fans via restaurant chains like Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden.

The Alfredo sauce in those restaurants is not the same as an authentic version though. They include heavy cream in their recipes, while the original recipe does not.

Authentic Italian version

Italian chefs use fresh fettuccine that gets tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese. As the freshly grated cheese melts, it emulsifies the liquids to form a glossy smooth and rich sauce coating the pasta. This is known as Fettuccine al Burro, or Fettuccine Alfredo as we know it!

I’m sharing with you my American-style version of homemade alfredo sauce.

What’s in alfredo sauce

  • butter
  • garlic
  • cream
  • parmesan cheese
  • salt
  • white pepper
  • dash of nutmeg
ingredients in small bowls to make white cheese sauce

Video: How to make alfredo sauce

To see the process of making the sauce from start to finish, watch the video located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

spooning homemade alfredo sauce into tall mason jar

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet (cast iron type) over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. To the skillet, whisk in the heavy cream until combined and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add freshly grated cheese, kosher salt, white and black peppers and nutmeg. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to reheat and serve within 5 days.
collage of steps on how to make a white cheese sauce

Substitutes for heavy cream

  • You can substitute Half and Half (equal part milk and cream)
  • You can also use evaporated milk
  • 3 parts whole milk and 1 part melted butter
  • Equal parts whole milk and Greek yogurt, whisked together

Storing homemade alfredo sauce

If you don’t want to serve it immediately and/or you have leftovers, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator and use within 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat.

drip of alfredo sauce running down front of jar
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This post, originally published Kevin is Cooking on Apr 27, 2020, was last updated with new content on Oct. 27, 2021.

homemade alfredo sauce dripping down side of mason jar

Homemade Alfredo Sauce + Video

5 from 6 votes
Homemade alfredo sauce is creamy, cheesy, and easier to make than you might think! Watch our video, then make this 15-minute recipe!
Servings: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet (cast iron type) over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    butter melting in pot of hot cream
  • To the skillet, whisk in the heavy cream until combined, then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
    alfredo sauce simmering
  • Whisk in the freshly grated cheese, kosher salt, white and black peppers and nutmeg. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
    alfredo sauce bubbling in hot skillet
  • Serve immediately over pasta of choice or vegetables, or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks.

Video

Notes

  1. Substitutes for heavy cream
    • half and half (equal parts whole milk and cream)
    • evaporated milk
    • 3 parts whole milk and 1 part melted butter
    • Equal parts whole milk and Greek yogurt, whisked together
 
  1. For most cheeses, 2 cups shredded cheese = 2.5 oz block.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 312mg | Iron: 1mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American, Italian, Melting Pot
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
A drip running down jar of alfredo sauce

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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15 Comments

    1. Not sure as sadly I was not there, but if you followed the instructions and watch the video it might show what possibly you did or did not do? I use a whisk vigorously and finely grate my own parmesan cheese. Let me know Alexis.

  1. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for this simple recipe. I added chicken and fresh sliced mushrooms and I doubled the recipe. Yummy for leftovers!

  2. 5 stars
    Kevin, I am new to your site and I am loving your recipes!! This week I made the this recipe with the addition of fresh made pesto. It came out amazing!! Thank you. I have one question. I love when a recipe author includes the weight measurement by cups and the weight by ounces/pounds. I am struggling to get 2.5 ounces of cheese to match the 2 cups. To make 2 cups I need between 6 or 6.5 ounces of cheese. Did I add to much cheese by using 2 cups (the taste was great) measurement?

  3. 5 stars
    My favorite online alfredo sauce recipe yet. My husband LOVED it We’re making it again for some guests coming to dinner tomorrow… with fettucine and smoked salmon. The last few times I’ve bought sauce from a jar, it was awful. Now I have no excuse not to make it from scratch every time.

  4. 5 stars
    This was so much better than jar sauce. It was super yummy and I liked the tutorial. It came out creamy and not gummy. Thanks

  5. 5 stars
    Great tutorial Kevin! It is so easy to just grab a jar at the store, but making from scratch always tastes so much better and you can control the ingredients. Pinning!

  6. 5 stars
    Could this sauce be used as a base, with added cheese(s) for Mac n Cheese? If so..would any changes be required?