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    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese

    Published: Mar 6, 2010 · Modified: Sep 23, 2021 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    The finished bowl of pasta coated in Alfredo sauce has parsley sprinkled over the top.

    Why buy a jar from the store when making a homemade Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is this easy?? Just 5 ingredients from your pantry make the real thing taste so much better. You can use fat-free dairy products to help make a lighter Alfredo sauce for your family.

    A plate of spaghetti coated in homemade alfredo sauce sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

    I first started making this recipe out of a Friday night desperate pantry raid.

    We were trying to avoid meat because of Lent and I needed an easy dinner for the kids.

    I remembered my friend Michelle mentioning an awesome Alfredo sauce she made that involved cream cheese. That sounded like such a fantastic trick to making a thick rich Alfredo sauce, I had to try it too.

    My daughter and I literally devoured this dish.

    It is by far the absolute best homemade Alfredo sauce I have ever had. The cream cheese makes it a touch tangier than restaurant versions, but this is pure comfort food heaven.

    Since that first experiment so many years ago, this has become a dinnertime staple.

    I use it as the base for several alfredo recipes like chicken alfredo rice casserole, my pesto alfredo chicken pasta, and easy chicken spinach alfredo pizza.

    Jump to:
    • Why This is the Best Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Alfredo Sauce
    • Top Tip
    • Serving Suggestions
    • 1. Vegetarian Alfredo Pasta
    • 2. Chicken Alfredo Pasta
    • 3. Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
    • 4. Alfredo with Ham and Peas
    • Storage
    • More Alfredo Sauce Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why This is the Best Recipe

    This beats store-bought packaged sauce by miles and miles with just a fraction of the sodium and preservatives and only takes a few minutes to make.

    I toned down the fat content by using fat-free cream cheese and milk, so I honestly don't even feel very guilty about this dish overall, especially when compared to traditional Alfredo sauce made with heavy cream.

    For growing peanuts out there, especially ones who don't like to drink a lot of milk straight from a glass, it is a fantastic way to get extra calcium into them.

    Once picky eaters discover this, the alfredo sauce is perfect for coating green veggies like peas or chopped broccoli.

    Ingredients

    As long as you have fresh milk, most of the ingredients can be kept on hand for a quick dinner fix:

    The ingredients for the homemade alfredo sauce is on the counter.
    • Cream cheese
    • Grated parmesan
    • Milk
    • Butter
    • Garlic salt

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make Alfredo Sauce

    Set a large sauce pot over medium-high heat and add the butter to the pot to begin to melt.

    Meanwhile, prep the milk and cream cheese.

    The brick of cream cheese has been cut into smaller cubes for easy melting in the sauce.

    To help the cream cheese melt more smoothly, I cut the brick into smaller squares and set it by the stove for easy grabbing.

    Pour and measure the milk and set it by the stove, too.

    Step by step photos show how to melt the butter and add the cream cheese to make the alfredo sauce.

    Once the butter has completely melted, add the squares of cream cheese to the pot and gently stir with a whisk.

    As the cream cheese melts, the butter will make it look a bit curdled, don't panic. (See step 3 in the photo above.)

    Just keep mixing and whisking and the butter and cream cheese will come together. (Step 4.)

    Sprinkle in the garlic salt and pour in the milk. Whisk until smooth.

    Continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 5 - 7 minutes.

    The finished alfredo sauce has a whisk mixing in the grated parmesan cheese.

    Finally, add the grated parmesan and whisk until smooth. This will help to thicken the sauce quite a bit.

    Hint: If your alfredo sauce gets too thick, you can add a splash of milk to thin it out.

    Top Tip

    Freshly cooked pasta will soak up the sauce quickly. I like to toss the pasta with the sauce and let it sit for a brief minute and then spoon a little more sauce over the top just before serving.

    The finished bowl of pasta coated in Alfredo sauce has parsley sprinkled over the top.

    Serving Suggestions

    My kids absolutely love when I serve this homemade alfredo pasta just as is, on its own. It's a classic family dinner, especially during the meatless Fridays in Lent.

    However, there are so many ways you could mix and match the ingredients you toss into alfredo pasta to create all new dishes from just one sauce.

    1. Vegetarian Alfredo Pasta

    Add in your favorite combination of any of these vegetables for a meatless, vegetarian-friendly pasta dish:

    • roasted broccoli and carrots (my primavera veggie mix is a top pick!)
    • roasted cherry tomatoes
    • roasted or steamed asparagus
    • roasted bell peppers
    • frozen green peas
    • A baking sheet is filled with roasted broccoli and carrots.
      Roasted Broccoli and Carrots {Primavera Veggies}
    • The roasted cherry tomatoes have been cooked on a large baking sheet.
      Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

    2. Chicken Alfredo Pasta

    Italian Herb Chicken Alfredo - Broil chicken tenderloins or bake chicken breasts that have been tossed with olive oil and your favorite Italian herb blend.

    Cajun Chicken Alfredo - Season your chicken with a simple Cajun or homemade blackening seasoning blend. Toss in roasted bell peppers an onions with the pasta and alfredo sauce.

    This would work with my Cajun blackened chicken thighs or broiled chicken tenderloins, too.

    • The white plate has two baked chicken thighs that have been seasoned with blackening spice.
      Cajun Blackened Chicken Thighs {Air Fryer or Oven}
    • An airfryer basket has 7 seasoned chicken tenderloins golden brown and cooked.
      Healthy Chicken Tenderloins in the Air Fryer
    • A baking pan lined with foil has finished baked chicken breasts on top.
      12 Easy Baked Chicken Breast Recipes

    3. Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

    • Spicy Shrimp Alfredo - Season your shrimp with your favorite herb blend or this simple seasoning mix and add your favorite veggies.
    • Cajun Shrimp Alfredo - Use a homemade blackening seasoning blend and cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer with red peppers and onions.
    • A blue plate with roasted shrimp next to lime wedges. Fresh parsley is sprinkled over the top. A blue napkin is under the plate.
      How to Cook Frozen Shrimp
    • A platter of cooked shrimp next to a dipping cup of sauce for dunking.
      Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer: Cooking Tips

    4. Alfredo with Ham and Peas

    Use leftover ham from a holiday roast like my Crockpot spiral ham, dice it up, and add it to alfredo pasta with peas.

    My kids love my creamy alfredo with ham and peas so much, I've even bought deli ham sliced extra thick to use in the recipe!

    • The spiral ham is on a roasting rack so it can be broiled to make the brown sugar glaze crispy.
      Crockpot Spiral Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
    • A white bowl filled with farfalle pasta, cubed ham, and peas to show the ham and peas alfredo recipe.
      Creamy Alfredo with Ham and Peas

    Storage

    Store any leftover sauce in the fridge for 3 - 4 days in an airtight container.

    These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing and could easily separate and be unappealing once frozen.

    More Alfredo Sauce Recipes

    This easy recipe makes a very generous portion of Alfredo sauce but uses the entire brick of cream cheese.

    Even if you don't think you need all the sauce for one meal, go ahead and make the full recipe.

    You can use leftover alfredo sauce in:

    • A blue baking dish filled with alfredo pesto pasta and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. A slotted spoon has scooped out a serving.
      Creamy Pesto Chicken Casserole
    • A homemade chicken spinach alfredo pizza has been sliced and the pieces pulled apart.
      Chicken Spinach Alfredo Pizza
    • A white bowl filled with farfalle pasta, cubed ham, and peas to show the ham and peas alfredo recipe.
      Creamy Alfredo with Ham and Peas
    • A blue plate has a serving of chicken rice alfredo casserole. You can see the red peppers and peas popping up through out the serving.
      Chicken Alfredo Rice Casserole

    📖 Recipe

    A plate of spaghetti coated in homemade alfredo sauce sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

    Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce

    5 from 2 votes
    This homemade Alfredo sauce is quick and easy to make on a busy weeknight. So much tastier and healthier than the jarred variety, it uses real ingredients you likely already have on hand!
    TOTAL TIME 15 minutes minutes
    PREP TIME 5 minutes minutes
    COOK TIME 10 minutes minutes
    YIELD 3 cups
    PIN RECIPE FOR LATER PRINT RECIPE NOW

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter
    • 1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese (I used fat-free)
    • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 cups milk I used fat-free
    • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • Sprinkle of ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Melt the butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
    • Add the cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring them together with a wire whisk until smooth.
    • Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out any large lumps.
    • Cook, whisking occasionally until the mixture slightly thickens, about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
    • Be careful: the sauce will thicken rapidly, if necessary you can thin it with a splash more milk if it has cooked too long and gotten too thick.
    • Stir in the grated parmesan and pepper and whisk until smooth.
    • Toss with hot pasta to serve.

    Recipe Notes

    This makes a generous portion of sauce. Leftovers can keep in the fridge for 3 - 5 days and used in other recipes. Freezing is not recommended since the dairy will separate when it thaws.
    COURSEPasta
    CUISINEItalian-American
    AUTHORTiffany Dahle

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    Quick and Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese

    More Pasta Recipes

    • A white bowl is filled with farfalle pasta and fresh vegetables.
      Creamy Farfalle Primavera
    • A white bowl is filled with classic macaroni salad that has onions, red pepper, and celery peeking out of the dressing.
      Southern Macaroni Salad
    • A white bowl filled with couscous salad. Oranges and bell peppers are peeking out of the mix.
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    • A white bowl filled with creamy spiral noodles with baby spinach leaves mixed in.
      Goat Cheese Pasta with Baby Spinach

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Catherine

      February 27, 2022 at 5:02 pm

      Just made this now for the first time, it's absolutely delicious! First recipe I've tried from your recipe. I usually don't like alfredo sauce but this is delicious- I cut the recipe in half and it still made a lot of sauce. Looking forward to having this on Fridays during Lent , and also when serving with chicken and peas. Thank you very much!

      Reply
    2. Jennifer

      April 13, 2013 at 5:46 pm

      We LOVE this recipe to make Alfredo sauce. I take a noodle of some sort (like rotini or bow tie) and mix it with the sauce and some chopped chicken, put it is a 9X13 pan and put mozzarella cheese on top for a new spin on a pasta bake. Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
    3. Molly

      March 06, 2010 at 10:11 am

      Sounds yummy! I'll have to whip this up. 🙂

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Chicken Spinach Alfredo Pizza - Peanut Blossom says:
      May 27, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      […] daughter is simply obsessed with our quick and easy homemade Alfredo sauce. It makes a batch too big for one single pasta dinner so we usually have a cup leftover in the […]

      Reply
    2. Easy pasta recipes using pantry ingredients you have on hand says:
      August 24, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      […] Get the Alfredo recipe here. […]

      Reply
    3. Ham and peas pasta alfredo is the coziest comfort food ever says:
      February 4, 2020 at 5:42 pm

      […] pantry and saw that box of farfalle pasta and immediately knew I’d be making the kids’ favorite homemade Alfredo sauce to go with the leftover […]

      Reply
    4. 30 Days of Veggies: helping picky eaters eat better says:
      October 20, 2015 at 8:48 am

      […] Homemade alfredo sauce: perfect for hiding […]

      Reply
    5. Stock your pantry: Chicken Alfredo Rice Casserole » Peanut Blossom says:
      February 15, 2013 at 4:40 pm

      [...] 10-oz. container refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauce or half of this recipe 1/2 cup milk (skip if you are using the recipe for homemade alfredo) 2-1/2 cups cooked white rice [...]

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for women.

    More about me →

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