This easy homemade alfredo sauce is the only recipe for alfredo you’ll ever need! It’s so creamy, doesn’t separate, and is easy to pull together! You can also pair it with SO many different veggies or meats!

This alfredo sauce starts with a roux and I’ll explain why I go choose to use a roux in my recipe. It might not be “traditional” but it’s there for a reason.
Why use a roux in alfredo sauce:
- No heavy cream! This is already a rich sauce so it makes me feel a little better about myself to use milk instead of cream.
- The sauce will be so creamy and have the perfect thickness to it for coating the noodles and not being runny.
- The sauce won’t separate. We’ve all had the alfredo sauce that separates into a greasy mess and nobody likes it.
- You can store and re-heat this sauce. Traditional alfredo sauce breaks when reheated but this one makes great leftovers.

How to make easy homemade alfredo sauce:
Heat a pan over medium heat, melt your butter then add in the garlic.

Once you’ve warmed the garlic just until you start to smell it (about 1 minute), You can whisk in the flour. This is the “making the roux” part of this easy homemade alfredo sauce.

I actually love making sauces that start with a roux. I feel like it seems so fancy but it’s actually so easy and makes amazing sauces!
Once you’ve cooked the flour/butter for about 2 minutes, you can start adding in the warmed milk (see recipe below), 1/2 cup at a time.
Below shows you the stages that the roux/milk will go through after each addition. Be sure to whisk until smooth after each 1/2 cup.




Once you’ve slowly added in all of the milk, you can add the cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir everything together and you’re done!


How to reheat alfredo sauce:
- Place the alfredo sauce in a microwave safe dish
- Microwave for 30 second intervals stirring in between each 30 seconds
- If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, you can add a little bit more milk until it reaches your desired consistency
Since you can store and reheat this alfredo sauce, it makes for great weeknight meals. Our favorite things to top the alfredo pasta are this easy grilled shrimp and this marinated grilled chicken!
Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 large garlic cloves (minced)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk (warmed)
- 2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt, and pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- If you are making the alfredo sauce with pasta, you can go ahead and set your water to boil before you start. The sauce comes together quickly. (Don’t forget to salt the pasta water!)
Making the Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add in the minced garlic cloves and cook for just 1 minute.
- Once you’ve warmed the garlic, you can add in the flour. Use a whisk to combine the flour and the butter. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and just slightly darker than when you started.
- Next, warm the milk (you can do this while the flour is cooking). I just pour the milk into a microwave safe measuring cup and heat for 1 minute. It doesn’t need to be hot but just warmed.
- Add in 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk into the flour mixture until a dough forms. Keep adding milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth.
- Once you’ve added all of the milk, whisk continually until bubbly and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add in your parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Whisk together until smooth and serve over pasta immediately.
Notes
114 Comments
Colleen
January 6, 2019 at 9:52 pmI usually make alfredo in the traditional way, without milk or cream. But this one looks super creamy and I think kids would love this! Thanks for sharing.
Coco and Ash
January 7, 2019 at 9:29 amYes! The traditional way is always great too! I hope you get to give this one a try!
Caitlin
July 2, 2020 at 6:39 pmWow, I just made it! My parents & I absolutely loved it! The first time I tried it, I accidentally burnt the butter and the garlic, so be sure to keep checking! It was amazing! Thank!
Coco and Ash
July 2, 2020 at 8:42 pmGreat to hear! Thank you!
Emma
January 21, 2021 at 2:43 pmI don’t usually leave a review but for this I had to its was super quick and easy, cant forget its super yummy. Im actually having some right now!
Coco and Ash
January 21, 2021 at 4:23 pmThank you so much for the feedback! 🙂
Julia
December 6, 2022 at 8:54 amI just googled “Alfredo sauce with milk” since I had milk and no heavy cream on hand. This recipe popped up with amazing reviews, so I gave it a try! I cut all the ingredients in half since I live alone and don’t need 6 servings (lol). I added some shrimp that I wanted to use up, and a few dashes of red chili powder to give it a kick! Otherwise followed the directions to a T, and this recipe was foolproof!!! Sooo fricking yummy and surprisingly thick!! I’ll make this recipe again and again!! Thank you!)
Coco and Ash
December 7, 2022 at 3:48 pmThank you!!
TillyEats
January 6, 2019 at 10:58 pmI want this sauce on everything!!
Coco and Ash
January 7, 2019 at 9:28 amhaha thank you!
Laurie Merian
April 14, 2020 at 6:54 pmThis was so easy to make and delicious!
Could I freeze this sauce?
Cristie | Little Big H
January 7, 2019 at 12:09 amI love how simple this is. I’ve never made alfredo at home. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Coco and Ash
January 7, 2019 at 9:28 amIt’s so easy and definitely worth a try!
Tobi
January 13, 2022 at 3:18 pmThis was great. I made a few changes like adding a little more milk, salt and pepper, and a little more flour for the roux, but this was delicious. It was really good with shrimp. Next time I’ll add a bit more parmesan cheese.
Valentina
January 7, 2019 at 1:54 amThis Alfredo sauce looks so rich and creamy — such developed flavors in such a short time. And it’s making me very hunger!
Coco and Ash
January 7, 2019 at 9:28 amThank you Valentina!
Brian Jones
January 7, 2019 at 2:15 amRoux based sauces are always genius, they are so robust, make em in advance and set em aside to come back later! Love the sound of this one, I must give it a try.
Coco and Ash
January 7, 2019 at 9:28 amI agree! Thanks so much!
Natalie
January 7, 2019 at 2:33 amI love alfredo sauce! It’s definitely one of my top favorite pasta sauces – creamy, delicious and comforting ♥
Coco and Ash
January 7, 2019 at 9:28 amThank you!! Same here!
Catalina
January 9, 2019 at 8:29 amMy son loves shrimp and Alfredo sauce over pasta. This recipe seems really good and easy to prepare. I think I’ll give it a try. Will this recipe work with half and half, and can this sauce be frozen? Thank you for the recipe.
Coco and Ash
January 9, 2019 at 9:46 amHi Catalina, I haven’t tried it with half and half but that would make a very thick sauce. And yes! You can freeze this for a month. Just thaw it in the fridge over night before you use it, then follow the re-heating instructions in the recipe. It will thin out as you heat it and you can add a little more milk or water to thin it out if needed. Hope you enjoy!
priyanka
January 16, 2019 at 11:06 pmWow.. nice tips
Thanks for sharing
Coco and Ash
January 23, 2019 at 12:28 pmThank YOU!
Ellen
April 1, 2019 at 4:49 pmI uae to be so afaid of making alfredo sauce you have explained the process so easily and I want to thank you.
Coco and Ash
April 2, 2019 at 7:59 pmYay!! Thanks for letting me know!
Carl
August 31, 2022 at 9:48 pmWow added a little extra milk it was really thick but wow
Carmen
May 9, 2019 at 6:37 pmOh My God first time making my own Alfredo, I always got store bought ones and Jesus it is amazing so creamy and tasty. It’s heaven 🙌🏻 Love it I I’ll be making it way more screw tomato sauce I am in for this Alfredo sauce . My toddler loves pasta and cheese so win win for me 🥰
Coco and Ash
May 9, 2019 at 9:04 pmYay!! I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂 I’m all about saving time but store-bought alfredo just doesn’t cut it!
Nora
September 15, 2019 at 7:21 pmReally good recipe! I love that it uses simple ingredients. I added bacon to half of the sauce for one child and shrimp to the other half for my other child and both were fantastic. Thank you for sharing!
Coco and Ash
September 17, 2019 at 9:23 amThank you Nora!!
Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake with Bacon - Coco and Ash
September 17, 2019 at 10:26 am[…] bought jarred Alfredo sauce also works fine, although this homemade Alfredo sauce is to die for, and probably a lot faster and easier to make than you […]
Coco and Ash
January 19, 2020 at 1:03 pmThank you!!
Coco and Ash
January 22, 2020 at 6:14 pmYay! Thank you!
Taylor
February 9, 2020 at 7:04 pmThis recipe is delicious and easy to make! Loved it! Thanks for sharing
Sas
February 21, 2020 at 4:02 pmCan you use 2% milk instead of whole? Thinking diabetic
Coco and Ash
February 21, 2020 at 5:24 pmYes totally!
Emily
March 22, 2020 at 1:47 pmVery very good! Never have made Alfredo sauce before.
Coco and Ash
March 26, 2020 at 10:26 amThank you!
Pranav Veenam
March 23, 2020 at 8:46 pmWonderful recipe. Yeilded a very delicious and finger licking Alfredo sauce.
Coco and Ash
March 26, 2020 at 10:25 amThank you!!
Sheetal
March 25, 2020 at 12:31 amHey there! I wanted to check which Parmesan cheese do you use? I have tried a few parmesan cheeses and the sauce separates immideately.
I am not sure if its the cheese or that I kept the heat on when stirring in the cheese. Please let me know the exact brand of cheese you use. Thanks
Coco and Ash
March 26, 2020 at 10:24 amHi there! It has to be a fresh ON THE BLOCK parmesan cheese. Not pre-grated or shredded.
Sarah
April 26, 2020 at 9:59 pmMy son loves Fettuccine Alfredo and I have tried so many recipes searching for the best tasting one AND one that does not separate! PRAISE THE LORD! This one checks both boxes in a big way!! The only thing I added was some nutmeg because I love the flavor it adds. Way to go Coco & Ash! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. My son thanks you too!
Coco and Ash
April 29, 2020 at 12:04 pmThank you Sarah!! So glad you and your son enjoyed this!
Kylee
June 13, 2020 at 11:20 amWow! Broke 20 year old engineering student here who can’t cook at all, I had all of these ingredients and was craving some Alfredo sauce. All I had was shredded pre bagged Parmesan and margarine and was nervous about substituting it but it turned out amazing! This is truly an amazing recipe. Total game changer:)
Rebacca
November 10, 2022 at 1:10 pmWill try this recipe for sure; I have been looking for ways to make Alfredo Sauce that do not separate. I usually make traditional Alfredo Sauce for kids’ school lunch in a Thermos. Kids always comments my traditional Alfredo pasta is oily (because of the separation) and all butter went to the bottom of the thermos.
Coco and Ash
November 10, 2022 at 1:11 pmThis will definitely not separate 🙂
Kimberly
May 13, 2020 at 4:28 pmI was wondering if it’s still the same with almond milk because that is all I have got.
Coco and Ash
May 13, 2020 at 7:20 pmI have never tried it with almond milk. I don’t think it would be the same. Sorry.
Kylee
June 13, 2020 at 11:21 amWow! Broke 20 year old engineering student here who can’t cook at all, I had all of these ingredients and was craving some Alfredo sauce. All I had was shredded pre bagged Parmesan and margarine and was nervous about substituting it but it turned out amazing! This is truly an amazing recipe. Total game changer:) I think it would be even better with the fresh Parmesan! Have to try that soon
Gilbert Pang
June 15, 2020 at 7:47 amI love Alfredo sauce. I’ve tried many – some store, and some with recipe. This one is the keeper. I will look no further. Obviously, if any of the others were the keeper, then i wouldn’t have been looking and found this one. The bonus here is I usually have all of the ingredients in the kitchen. I have to admit that I did use pre-grated Parmesan. It was still smooth, dreamy creamy, aromatic, and can’t put your fork down yummy. I’ll end with this… I didn’t have to worry reheating it.
Coco and Ash
June 16, 2020 at 2:30 pmI’m so glad you liked it Gilbert!!
Fatimah Docrat
July 3, 2020 at 12:22 pmHi! Exactly the recipe I was looking for! Can I substitute Parmesan with White Cheddar?
Coco and Ash
July 3, 2020 at 6:55 pmYou can try it! It’ll be thicker so you might need a little more milk but it would be a yummy cheese sauce 🙂
anna
August 5, 2020 at 4:32 pmcan you replace the whole milk with almond milk?
Coco and Ash
August 5, 2020 at 6:55 pmI haven’t tried that so I can’t say. Sorry!
gemi
August 21, 2020 at 2:11 pmI made this with lactose free milk, and it was super fantastic! Thanks so much!
Coco and Ash
August 21, 2020 at 2:31 pmSo happy you could make it work for you! Thank you!
Nathan
August 21, 2020 at 7:23 pmIn the past I have made alfredo sauce with cream and used the pre-grated cheese and it always came out smooth (though that was also with the heat on while whisking it in). When you say the pre-grated will not work, is that solely because you stir it in after heating or have you tried pre-shredded while heating?
Coco and Ash
August 22, 2020 at 11:03 amHi Nathan! A lot of the pre-grated cheeses contain anti-caking agents. (like a powder coating to help the shreds not stick to each other). They can throw off the texture of the sauce. If you find a great quality shred, you can definitely try it, I just try to avoid that 🙂
Jimmy
August 27, 2020 at 12:19 amMy kid love the taste from milk. So ideal for them!
larissa peynado
September 16, 2020 at 6:12 pmCan i use mozzarella instead of Parmigiano?
Coco and Ash
September 17, 2020 at 11:35 amI would not recommend that for alfredo. It would be a completely different taste and texture.
Chelsea
November 11, 2020 at 10:49 pmThat’s amazing information. I have to try it tonight for my family. Thanks for sharing and love your site
Coco and Ash
November 15, 2020 at 5:55 pmThank you!!
Kelly
November 17, 2020 at 5:21 amHow easy to follow! I did try it, So great I must say. Thank you much for sharing Coco!
Coco and Ash
November 17, 2020 at 8:41 amThank YOU!!
Min
November 22, 2020 at 7:04 amThe cream sauce is really tasty and it is so easy to make. My family are so impressed! Thank you so much!
Coco and Ash
November 23, 2020 at 12:03 amThank you!!
Karens
December 1, 2020 at 2:07 amI tried your Alfredo Sauce recipe. I didn’t have anything in the fridge for dinner last night. But I did have Cream, Cheese, and Cooked Chicken so I thought I would give this a try. I didn’t add salt but I did add some nutmeg. I added the cooked chicken during the last few minutes of cooking and served it over fusilli pasta. It was delicious! Thank you for such a nice recipe.
Rachel
December 1, 2020 at 2:09 amEasy and delicious. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone. Thank you for that!
Coco and Ash
December 1, 2020 at 8:39 amThank YOU!
Bailey
December 5, 2020 at 5:41 pmWe ended up adding more cheese than the recipe called for and it came out as more of a soup… A tasty soup! But a soup nonetheless.
Jess
December 5, 2020 at 8:35 pmWOW!!!!! That was fantastic. I blended the parmesan in my vita mix and it melted perfectly. Best recipe without cream. This will be my to go to for alfredo from now on.
Thank you Mindy!
Anu
January 3, 2021 at 10:13 amFabulous recipe – will be my go-to for Alfredo sauce. I also added a teaspoon of lemon and orange zest which brought a kick of fresh citrusy flavors.
Jacqueline Golden
January 9, 2021 at 5:43 pmThis was so good! Usually when I make Alfredo sauce, it turns out watery. This was sooo creamy! From now on this is my recipe I will always use.
Bekhzod Abdurazzakov
January 12, 2021 at 1:04 pmThe recipe looks so good! Do you happen to have any tips about how much pasta to add?
Coco and Ash
January 12, 2021 at 3:04 pmI use 16 ounces 🙂 thanks!
Patricia
February 1, 2021 at 7:43 pmCan you tell me how much sauce this makes? A cup? A cup and a half? Thank you so much.
Laurel A Schoenrank
November 21, 2021 at 7:49 pmWell, it has 3 cups of milk and two cups of cheese. Admittedly, the cheese is mostly air. But it’s going to make at least three cups of sauce.
Andrea Spurlock
February 13, 2021 at 1:21 pmThis was different than any other alfredo sauce I have ever made but when I tasted it at the end, it was like Heaven in your mouth! I will definitely keep this in my recipes for future dishes! I added Rao’s italian linguine noodles and chucks of roasted chicken in with fresh italian parsley on top! It turned out So amazing! Thank you for this divine encounter!!
Coco and Ash
February 13, 2021 at 2:28 pmSo glad you enjoyed it!
Anna
February 22, 2021 at 2:27 pmHi,
I was wondering if I could use another type of cheese because I dont have parmesan. I have provolone instead?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try it!
Coco and Ash
February 22, 2021 at 2:48 pmHi Anna, it definitely won’t taste like Alfredo. It will just be a provolone cheese sauce. And you’ll have to adjust the salt as well. I’ve never tried it so I can’t say how it will turn out. Best of luck!
Michele L Johnson
March 2, 2021 at 8:25 pmAmazing and amazingly easy, thank you!
Dani
March 12, 2021 at 9:11 pmI made this with the ingredients I had on hand (2% milk and pre-shredded parmesan) and it turned out perfectly! It’s going straight into my recipe box!
HomeCook29
April 3, 2021 at 4:37 pmSame with me.
Coco and Ash
April 3, 2021 at 4:57 pmAwesome!! You can always stir in a little extra milk at the end to thin it out if you’d like.
Cheyanne
April 19, 2021 at 1:23 amI tried this tonight with half the amount of corn starch instead of flour, and it turned out so creamy and savory. It was so much lighter than the simple heavy cream, butter and parmesan recipe, and was so easy to manipulate the thickness. Definitely boyfriend approved, without the greasy alfredo stomachache afterwards!
Cheyanne
April 19, 2021 at 1:28 amI tried this tonight with half the amount of corn starch instead of flour, and substituted one third of the milk with heavy cream, and it turned out so creamy and savory. I did adjust a little salt, and added red pepper flakes, as I would usually do with my own recipe. It was so much lighter than the simple heavy cream, butter and parmesan recipe, and was so easy to manipulate the thickness. Definitely boyfriend approved, without the greasy alfredo stomachache afterwards!
Coco and Ash
July 30, 2021 at 1:08 pmYou can always add just a touch more milk and stir it in 🙂 thank you!
D. Davidson
September 5, 2021 at 10:46 pmThank you! Thanks to this easy recipe I can flex (just a little) when someone mentions store bought Alfredo sauce (What? I’ve never thought to do that…I just make it myself…)
And you’re right, making a roux feels so fancy. I like to pretend that I am Cordon Bleu trained as I’m whisking. Thank you for sharing!
Coco and Ash
September 9, 2021 at 12:28 pmhaha! So glad you enjoyed!
Sierra
November 15, 2021 at 6:41 pmThis was my first ever time making alfredo sauce, and it turned out amazing! Your alfredo tastes brilliant thank you 🙏
Coco and Ash
November 15, 2021 at 7:38 pmThank you!!
Sydbey
September 24, 2021 at 6:43 pmOh my goodness thank you. I was mortified when I went to the pantry and didn’t have a jar of bertolli white sauce, was planning on quick and simple dinner. You saved me for sure with this recipe and I will never by a jar of that stuff again!! I love, love, love you for this recipe and so does my family of 5!
Sydney
September 24, 2021 at 6:44 pmOh my goodness thank you. I was mortified when I went to the pantry and didn’t have a jar of bertolli white sauce, was planning on quick and simple dinner. You saved me for sure with this recipe and I will never by a jar of that stuff again!! I love, love, love you for this recipe and so does my family of 5!
sydney Clayborn
September 24, 2021 at 6:46 pmFirst time I didn’t have enough parm so I added a little Asiago, nearly died laughing when hubs asked if the cheese has gone bad, lol. Second go had plenty of parm to shred off the block and errrr my gerrrrrr was still sooooo good!
Coco and Ash
September 25, 2021 at 1:56 pmThat makes me so happy to hear! 🙂
Shawnna Clement
January 13, 2022 at 7:00 pmLove your recipe! As I say, “Roux the day!” because once you start a cream sauce with roux, you’ll never go back. Yes, I’ve made traditional Alfredo, but this sauce stays together when dinner time is extended because of busy schedules.
In addition to your directions, I would like to suggest adding about 1 tsp of sugar, if the sauce is too bitter. I also like serving with broccoli and a few dashes of paprika to represent the Italian flag.
Lizzie
January 20, 2022 at 7:34 amAbsolutely fabulous!
Creamy and delicious and was perfect over raviolis. Approved by all at my house.
My attempt last week with a cream and heavy butter recipe was a congealed mess so thanks for helping me redeem myself at the dinner table 🙃
Coco and Ash
January 21, 2022 at 5:41 pmThank you!!
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February 11, 2022 at 11:01 am[…] have a recipe for how to doctor up a jar of sauce and it’s amazing! And if you’d like a homemade alfredo, you can do that too. I just like to keep this recipe super easy for a busy weeknight […]
KY
May 25, 2022 at 4:36 amBEST EVER! I am totally new to cooking and this turned out so so well. Loved it. It was a tad too thick for me, so I added in more milk and it was perfect. Thank you so much!
Coco and Ash
May 26, 2022 at 7:31 pmThank you so much!
Carl
August 31, 2022 at 10:26 pmI’m trying to give it 10 stars will never even try to make a different Alfredo sauce recipe and am so glad it uses what I always have on hand ( many not always parmesan cheese) but I will now have it on hand will be part of my regular meals. Am looking forward to what it is like as leftovers. Am happy to stop looking for a good premade Alfredo,this is so easy and blows away any thing you can get in a jar.
John
December 9, 2022 at 5:27 amThis recipe was great. My family enjoyed it and it was quick and easy.
Kris
January 18, 2023 at 6:26 pmThis was fool proof and delicious!! I love that this recipe calls for milk instead of cream which I don’t generally have on hand. Thank you so much for upping my sauce game!
Coco and Ash
January 18, 2023 at 6:27 pmAwesome!! 😃😃
Crystal Lynn
February 25, 2023 at 7:20 pmI don’t recall that I’ve ever rated a recipe, but I had to leave a short review on this. I tried making alfredo from scratch with cream & butter, and it was just way too rich for me. This recipe is PERFECT. I’ve been making it weekly for months now. I always have everything on hand anyway, so it’s the perfect last minute dinner. Fantastic flavorful alternative to canned sauce. I add Peas and broccoli for veggies & parsley & chives for flavor. If your reading this- don’t hesitate to make it! Excellent recipe!
Emberlea
May 26, 2023 at 4:29 pmThank you for the recipe. I am making dinner for my fam. And wanted to make Alfredo sauce. And all the recipes said heavy cream till i came upon this. Im so excited to make this. Im 13 btw 😊
Emberlea
May 26, 2023 at 4:29 pmThank you for the recipe. I am making dinner for my fam. And wanted to make Alfredo sauce. And all the recipes said heavy cream till i came upon this. Im so excited to make this. Im 13 btw 😊
Emberlea
May 26, 2023 at 4:30 pmThank you for the recipe. I am making pasta and garlic knots tonight. So i decided to make this. So yummy 😋. Tysm. Im 13 btw