Alfredo Sauce Recipe With Cream Cheese

This alfredo sauce recipe with cream cheese is a super easy recipe to make at home. It’s done in under 10 minutes total time and with just a few basic ingredients. Save yourself a trip to the store and also a little cash. Even better than Olive Garden’s alfredo sauce recipe!

Original post: May 2019 | Updated: November 2021

Why This Recipe Works

My love for making homemade sauces is intense. Most savory sauces that you purchase in a can or a jar at the grocery store can be made for a fraction of the cost and in just a few minutes.

Here are a few of my favorite things about this alfredo sauce recipe with cream cheese:

• Cream cheese makes everything better. 🙂
• This cream cheese alfredo sauce is such a simple recipe made with a few simple ingredients and in just a few minutes.
• Making this recipe yourself is a great way to eliminate ingredients that you don’t wish for you or your family to consume.
• If you are looking for a yeast free or gluten free recipe, this is the perfect homemade sauce for you!
• This homemade cream sauce is far tastier than anything you can buy at the grocery store.
• Easy alfredo sauce is creamy and rich and I enjoy pouring it all over everything.
• In my humble opinion, this is the best alfredo sauce and it rivals the famous Olive Garden recipe. It’s like the real deal, but better!

Recipe Ingredients

Butter – Salted or unsalted butter both work great and can be used interchangeably.

Heavy whipping cream – Use heavy cream for best results, but any variety of milk can be used as a replacement. Skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole milk and half and half all work great.

Cream cheese – If I had to label any ingredient the secret ingredient, this would be it. Full fat cream cheese is the best cheese for alfredo sauce.

Garlic – If you are not a massive garlic lover, keep the recipe as it is. However, if you really love the taste of fresh garlic, use 3 or 4 cloves instead of the 2 fresh garlic cloves listed in the recipe card.

Or you can add up to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt.

Parmesan cheese – If at all possible, use fresh Parmesan cheese. It is so easy to open that green bottle from the fridge, but the flavor will be greatly enhanced when you go fresh. Purchase a wedge of Parmesan cheese and grate it for best results. 

How To Make Alfredo Sauce With Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream

Step 1

Melt butter, heavy whipping cream and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Simmer for 2 minutes and stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Step 2

Whisk the mixture until it is creamy. Add to your favorite dish immediately or let cool and pour into sealed containers.

Recipe Notes

• Easily add a punch of flavor by adding black pepper to the recipe.
• For a thinner sauce, add milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time. For a thicker, more creamy sauce, reduce the amount of heavy cream/milk used and add either sour cream or cream cheese 1 ounce at a time.
• Looking to spice it up? Add red pepper flakes or a pinch of white pepper or cayenne pepper.
• Use a garlic press to make the end result smoother.
• Top the sauce with fresh parsley just before serving.

Ways To Use Alfredo Sauce

• Replace pizza sauce with this homemade alfredo cream cheese recipe on your next pizza!
• Dip breadsticks or garlic bread into it. YUM!
• Chicken Alfredo makes the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Top with fresh parsley and black pepper!
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole (best. casserole. ever.)
• Heat it up and pour it over hot fettuccine pasta noodles or your favorite cooked pasta such as Instant Pot shrimp scampi or angel hair pasta.
• Turn traditional lasagna into a white lasagna by replacing spaghetti sauce with alfredo sauce and beef with shredded chicken.
• Add it to your next batch of scalloped potatoes.
• Mix it with cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for a healthier version of fettuccine alfredo.

How To Make Alfredo Sauce With Milk

To make this sauce with milk (vs heavy whipping cream), simply replace in equal amounts. For an even creamier version, create a simple roux using milk.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk until free of lumps. Add 1 1/2 cups of room temperature milk and whisk. Heat until warmed through.

Alfredo vs Marinara Sauce

The two most popular Italian sauces get the full comparison in this post discussing the powerhouses of pasta dishes – Alfredo vs Marinara Sauce!

How To Thicken Alfredo Sauce

Create a cornstarch slurry by adding 2 tablespoons of corn starch to 2 tablespoons of cold water or chicken broth. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and slowly add it to the sauce. Let simmer for 2 minutes or until desired consistency has been reached.

How To Freeze Alfredo Sauce

To freeze leftover Alfredo sauce, allow it to cool completely. Transfer it to a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight container. If using a freezer bag, remove as much of the air as possible before sealing.

Freeze for up to 3 months for best results. Thaw in the fridge overnight when you are ready to use it. Warm on the stove top, giving it a good stir to bring it back to life and to give it that creamy texture.

How To Reheat Alfredo Sauce

Do not toss your leftovers! Use one of these methods to learn how to reheat Alfredo sauce so it is just as good the second time around.

How To Tell if Alfredo Sauce is Bad

To determine whether or not alfredo sauce has gone bad, open the container and give it a good sniff to detect an off odor. If you detect a sour smell, it’s likely past its expiration.

Visible mold or bacteria can also be a sign that it needs to be tossed.

How To Make Jarred Alfredo Sauce Better

Planning to serve alfredo sauce but find that store-bought jar in your pantry bland? Read on for delicious ideas about how to make jarred alfredo sauce better!

What To Serve With Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo is the perfect easy meal for busy nights. It is easy to make and even easier to enjoy! Once it is ready to eat, what should you serve alongside it? Read on for 21 delicious ideas about what to serve with chicken alfredo!

Homemade Sauce Recipes

• This roundup of easy sauce recipes can be used now or frozen for another time.
• This spaghetti sauce is easy, meaty and hearty.
• Make your own taco sauce for tacos, burritos and taco salads!
• This enchilada sauce requires a handful of ingredients and just 15 minutes.
• You can make homemade buttermilk with two ingredients and 5 quick minutes.

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