How to make alfredo sauce from scratch without heavy cream

Delicious homemade alfredo sauce recipe without heavy cream! This sauce is everything Alfredo sauce should be: rich, creamy, super cheesy, full of flavor and a cinch to make!

How to make alfredo sauce from scratch without heavy cream

Making alfredo sauce at home is so easy. Once you try this, you’ll never buy the jarred stuff again! And the best part, you don’t need to use heavy cream to make a luscious, creamy alfredo. Why add the extra calories when it’s just as good without, right? Right. So let’s make it!

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

Ingredients for homemade alfredo sauce without heavy cream

  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Garlic
  • Milk (affiliate link)
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Romano cheese (affiliate link)
  • Dried Basil
  • Dried Oregano (affiliate link)
  • Salt and Pepper

As you can see, the ingredients for making alfredo are pretty basic. Instead of the typical heavy cream laden alfredo sauce recipes you are likely to find, I just use regular milk in mine and I do not miss the cream one bit. It’s still very creamy and rich tasting, but I like knowing I saved a few grams of fat. These are all ingredients you can get in any large chain grocery store which I also love about this recipe. And not only are the ingredients very simple, the process is also very very simple.

How to make alfredo sauce from scratch without heavy cream

How to make alfredo sauce

Make the roux

As with most cream sauces, we start this alfredo by making a roux with flour and butter. What is a roux? Its equal parts flour and melted fat that is used as a base to thicken sauces and soups. This, along with parmesan and romano cheese will help thicken the sauce yielding a drool-worthy alfredo sauce.

The butter gets melted first, then add the garlic and let that cook for just a minute. Then add the flour and cook again for another minute but whisk frequently. We let the flour cook like this for a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. It’s a thing, I promise.

Add the milk

Pour in the milk slowly, whisking continuously to get rid of any lumps. Now the sauce needs to simmer over medium-low heat until it’s gently bubbling.

Add the parmesan, romano, basil, oregano, salt and pepper

Once the milk mixture is bubbling, it should start to thicken. Turn off the heat and whisk in the dried herbs, cheese, salt and pepper. You’re homemade alfredo is ready! Can you believe how easy that was?

Do I really need to use parmesan and romano cheese you ask? While you certainly don’t have to. If all you have is parmesan cheese and you can’t get to the store, you can just use double the amount of parmesan in place of the romano. However, I highly recommend using both cheeses. Romano adds a pungent cheesiness that really makes this sauce mouthwatering.

Where to use alfredo sauce

There is of course the classic– alfredo over some fettuccini pasta or linguini. I topped mine with some fresh basil, extra parmesan and a little crushed red pepper flake. Man was that good. But there’s lots of other places to use alfredo!

One of my favorites is on this pizza. Creamy alfredo, provolone, roasted eggplant and green olives make an amazing flavor combination you will not forget.

I also use this alfredo recipe in my butternut squash lasagna that I make everything Thanksgiving.

Tried this recipe?

If you’re looking for a recipe for alfredo sauce made without heavy cream, I hope you give this recipe a try! It’s so delicious and easy to make. I’d love to hear from you if you try it, leave a comment below or find me on instagram @thefigjar 🙂 Enjoy!

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How to make alfredo sauce from scratch without heavy cream

How to make alfredo sauce from scratch without heavy cream

The only Alfredo sauce recipe you will ever need. Rich, creamy, so easy to make and it's made with just milk instead of heavy cream.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Sauce, Condiment

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: alfredo sauce

Servings: 2 cups sauce

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups 2 % milk
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/3 cup Romano cheese grated
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

  • In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Once melted, add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Then add the flour and whisk constantly and cook about 1 more minute.

  • Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Once all the liquid is added, increase heat just a touch and whisk occaiosnally while allowing to cook until gently simmering and bubbling around the edges of the pan.

  • Once bubbling and thickened, turn off the heat, add the herbs, salt, pepper and both cheese. Whisk to combine.

  • Enjoy!

What can I substitute for heavy cream in alfredo sauce?

The two best substitutes for heavy cream in alfredo sauce are: Milk + Flour + Butter: Whisk together 1 cup of whole milk (make sure it's COLD), 2 tablespoons of flour, and 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter (cooled). Whisk until smooth. Once you heat this mixture it will begin to thicken like heavy cream.

How can I thicken Alfredo without heavy cream?

Mix together a little cornstarch in a small bowl with some cold water (or other liquid) until the mixture is smooth to form a slurry. Slowly, whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Whisk the slurry slowly into the hot sauce until you get the desired thickness.

What can I use instead of heavy cream for fettuccine?

The 10 Best Substitutes for Heavy Cream.
Milk and butter. Combining milk and butter is an easy, foolproof substitution for heavy cream that'll work for most recipes. ... .
Soy milk and olive oil. ... .
Milk and cornstarch. ... .
Half-and-half and butter. ... .
Silken tofu and soy milk. ... .
Greek yogurt and milk. ... .
Evaporated milk. ... .
Cottage cheese and milk..

Can you substitute whipping cream for heavy cream in alfredo sauce?

Yes! Since they are the same product, you can use heavy whipping cream and heavy cream interchangeably. Both are a versatile, all-purpose product for adding thick, creamy elements to sauces to soups to desserts, so it's worth keeping one on hand in your fridge.