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    Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

    Published: Apr 9, 2021 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional graphic for Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

    This thick and creamy tasting alfredo sauce is made with real cream cheese, giving us a great texture and richness in every bite.

    a white plate with penne pasta and homemade cream cheese sauce with fresh parsley for garnish

    I love making my own homemade alfredo sauce here and there, but my favorite version includes cream cheese. I always have a block or more in the fridge for baking purposes, so adding it to my sauce is easy.

    Making sauces from scratch is always fun because there are so many ways to make it unique and delicious. If you enjoy making sauces, don't forget to check out my Ragu Spaghetti Sauce recipe too!

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. It holds onto the noodles! This alfredo sauce recipe gives you a thick and luxuriously creamy alfredo sauce that clings to cooked noodles or works great in alfredo-baked casseroles and recipes as well.
    2. It's versatile. Use the homemade alfredo sauce with cream cheese to top your chicken, pizza, or lasagna with this sauce, and you will definitely be in for a good time!
    3. You can adapt the flavors to your own tastebuds! Add in a pinch of nutmeg, reduce the pepper, swap out seasonings or add in some Creole. There's no limit to your creativity.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    aerial view of half a plate of cream cheese alfredo pasta with fresh parmesan and parlsey on top

    🥘 Ingredients

    Butter- No sauce is really complete without a little butter. Add some richness to your dish by adding in some unsalted butter. If using salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe card.

    Garlic- Fresh minced garlic is preferred, but a jar of minced works in a pinch.

    Flour- This is the thickener and is a part of the roux sauce base that you create.

    Milk or heavy cream- I've used unsweetened plain almond milk, whole milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. All taste delicious, but the fattier milk options do produce a more velvety texture.

    Cream cheese- Using cream cheese will give us a thicker consistency with a pleasant tanginess in every bite. Make sure to soften and cube the cheese beforehand so it blends easier!

    Garlic powder- This helps to add in more flavor for a stronger Italian feel.

    Italian seasoning- I use Italian flavoring in just about everything, and it really works great in this sauce!

    Black pepper- For more flavor and depth, fresh black pepper is always welcomed.

    Parmesan cheese- I recommend freshly shredded parmesan cheese, not the grated stuff in a green jar. Note that I have tried the green jar cheese, and it will work in a pinch, but the consistency will be different.

    Salt- Add in some salt as needed to help naturally enhance the flavors in the dish.

    For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Whisk
    • Medium-sized pot

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make cream cheese alfredo sauce with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Melt your butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat.

    melted butter in a saucepan

    Whisk in the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

    Whisk in flour, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

    garlic, flour, and seasonings added to melted butter in a saucepan

    Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth.

    milk added to saucepan of garlic butter flour mixture

    Add in the cream cheese and occasionally stir until melted and the sauce begins to thicken.

    cubed cream cheese added to seasoned milk mixture in saucepan

    Add parmesan cheese and whisk until blended.

    a whisk in a saucepan of cream cheese alfredo and fresh parmesan added to it

    Once the sauce is smooth you can serve it as-is or you can add in up to ½ cup of reserved pasta water from your cooked pasta to help thin it down a little bit.

    a saucepan full of homemade cream cheese alfredo sauce

    Serve and use as desired.

    Enjoy!

    a jar of cream cheese alfredo next to fresh parsley

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    Everyone likes their alfredo sauce at a different consistency, some like runny and others like thick. I personally prefer thick which is why I enjoy this recipe as-is, but there's an easy way to thin it down and stretch it out into even more servings.

    How to Thin Alfredo Sauce

    If using this alfredo sauce with pasta, reserve water from the boiled noodles and whisk it into the prepared alfredo sauce ½ cup at a time until desired consistency has been reached. Or, you can use very warm water or milk to add to the sauce.

    How to Thicken Alfredo Sauce

    This sauce is already pretty thick, but you can make it even thicker by adding a cornstarch slurry at the end. Just whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until it makes a smooth slurry, and then stir it into the sauce. Repeat until the sauce is the thickness desired.

    Do Not Use Cold Cream Cheese

    Also, when making this easy alfredo sauce with cream cheese, you can use cold cream cheese, but remember that the texture will be different than softened cream cheese.

    When cream cheese is cold, it doesn't fully incorporate into sauces and leaves behind very tiny white ball-looking pieces. Visually, they are noticeable. Texturally, they are not.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

    You can keep any leftover alfredo sauce stored in a closed container in the fridge for up to one week. For the best tasting results, enjoy using it within 3 or 4 days.

    Note that this sauce should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours at a time for food safety purposes.

    Freezing

    I do not recommend freezing this alfredo sauce unless you plan on using it for a baked recipe later. For example, a meal prepped with lasagna, casserole, or smothered baked chicken breasts would be okay examples, whereas a jar of leftover sauce is not.

    The difference is that when frozen the mixture will separate and not come back together in the same texture and appearance as it was before being frozen. When baked it's much less noticeable because it blends in better than if it sat on top of a pile of noodles.

    💭 FAQs

    Can alfredo sauce be made with half and half?

    Yes! You can choose to use regular milk, heavy cream, or even half and half to give this sauce the liquid needed for that flavorful creamy end result.

    How can I reduce some fat in this alfredo sauce?

    Try making the sauce using Light Cream Cheese and Skim Milk for a reduced fat content. The sauce should still taste incredible!

    How much does this alfredo sauce recipe make?

    This sauce yields about 3 ½ cups of homemade sauce when finished. This should be plenty for a family pasta night, a few pizzas, a casserole, or whatever plans you may have in store for it!

    fresh parsley on a plate of cream cheese penne pasta

    More great pasta recipes to try

    • 3 Ingredient Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese
    • Creamy Roasted Garlic and Tomato Pasta
    • Pineapple Teriyaki Yakisoba Noodles
    • Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake
    • Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
    • Cream Cheese Bacon Pasta Bake

    📖 Recipe

    penne pasta with alfredo sauce and fresh parsley
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

    This thick and creamy tasting alfredo sauce is made with real cream cheese, giving us a great texture and richness in every bite.
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Servings: 12 servings (¼ cup each)
    Calories: 98kcal
    Cost Recipe $2.86 / Serving $0.24
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Whisk
    • Medium-sized pot

    Ingredients

    • 3 Tablespoons butter ($0.24)
    • ½ teaspoons minced garlic ($0.03)
    • 2 Tablespoons flour ($0.01)
    • 2 cups whole milk ($0.38)
    • 4 oz cream cheese softened & cubed ($0.99)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.10)
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ($0.10)
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper ($0.02)
    • 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded ($0.99)
    • salt to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a medium sized pot over medium heat on the stove, melt your butter.
    • Whisk in the minced garlic and stir about 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in the flour, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder, until well mixed.
    • Slowly add in the milk, while whisking until smooth. Add in cream cheese and stir occasionally until melted into the mixture and it begins to thicken.
    • Whisk in the parmesan cheese until blended.
    • Serve the sauce as desired or whisk in hot reserved pasta water ½ cup at a time to thin down the sauce if desired.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips

    You can choose to use regular milk, heavy cream, or even half and half to give this sauce the liquid needed for that flavorful creamy end result.
    If using this alfredo sauce with pasta, reserve water from the boiled noodles and whisk it into the prepared alfredo sauce ½ cup at a time until desired consistency has been reached.
    Or, you can use very warm water or milk to add to the sauce. Also, when making this easy alfredo sauce with cream cheese, you can use cold cream cheese, but keep in mind that the texture will be different than if using softened cream cheese.
    When cream cheese is cold it doesn't fully incorporate into sauces and leaves behind very tiny white ball-looking pieces. Visually, they are noticeable, texturally, they are not.

    Storage

    I do not recommend freezing this alfredo sauce unless you plan on using it for a baked recipe later. For example, a meal prepped with lasagna, casserole, or smothered baked chicken breasts would be okay examples whereas a jar of leftover sauce is not.
    The difference is that when frozen the mixture will separate and not come back together in the same texture and appearance as it was before being frozen. When baked it's much less noticeable because it blends in better than if it sat on top of a pile of noodles.
    This alfredo sauce using cream cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 335mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Other, sauce
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

    More Pasta Recipes

    • Southern Baked Spaghetti
    • Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta
    • Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
    • Ragu Spaghetti Sauce

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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