This healthier Alfredo sauce skips the heavy cream and is instead made with cream cheese and milk. It has half the calories of classic Alfredo but is just as easy, creamy and delicious.
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I’ve always loved homemade Chicken Alfredo. But after our second child was born, in an effort to budge some stubborn pounds, I started to calorie count.
I quickly discovered that traditional Alfredo sauce isn’t exactly going to be your best friend if you are counting calories!
I stumbled across the idea of making it without heavy cream and was intrigued!
After some experimentation, I finally came up with this healthier Alfredo sauce recipe that we love. It tastes so amazing that I don’t think you’ll even realize it’s not the classic full fat Alfredo!
It tastes so amazing that I don’t think you’ll even realize it’s not the classic full fat Alfredo!
What I Love About This Recipe
Healthier. Using 1% milk and low-fat cream cheese instead of cream makes a big difference in the amount of calories this Alfredo sauce has!
Simple Ingredients. It’s made using 8 basic ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.
Budget-friendly. A batch of this is way cheaper than store-bought and also less expensive than regular homemade Alfredo sauce.
Healthier Homemade Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
- Milk. If you aren’t concerned about calories, you can use whole milk instead of low fat.
- Neufchatel Cheese. This is typically found next to the regular cream cheese. It tastes exactly the same but just has less fat.
- Flour. I used all-purpose, but I don’t know why you couldn’t use gluten-free flour instead.
- Salt, Black Pepper, Italian Seasoning. Help add a bit of simple flavor.
- Butter. Salted or unsalted butter will work.
- Garlic Cloves. Store-bought minced garlic can be used or you can also use ¾ teaspoon granulated garlic as well.
- Parmesan Cheese. I keep it frugal and use the kind that is found in the grocery aisle and not the refrigerated section. But you can definitely use freshly grated too!
How to Make Alfredo Sauce Without Heavy Cream
STEP 1: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Skip this step if you are using garlic powder- just add it to the blender mixture.
STEP 2: To the blender, add the milk, Neufchatel cheese, flour, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and blend until smooth.
STEP 3: Transfer the milk mixture to the saucepan and constantly stir for 3-4 minutes or until it simmers.
STEP 4: Let the sauce cook a little longer until it thickens.
STEP 5: Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
STEP 6: Cover and let the sauce stand for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken a bit more. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.
Can you freeze Alfredo sauce?
You sure can! I freeze this homemade “healthy” Alfredo sauce all the time.
In fact, I often make a double recipe to save time and then just freeze the extra. The consistency changes ever so slightly, but it’s not enough to matter.
FAQ & Expert Tips
Storage. Keep the leftover Alfredo sauce for up to a week in the refrigerator or freeze it once it has cooled.
Reheating. The sauce will become quite thick once it’s refrigerated. As it heats, it will thin out again though. However, if you would like it to be a little thinner, add milk until the desired consistency is reached.
Full-Fat Ingredients. Full-fat milk or 2% can be used along with regular cream cheese. The alfredo sauce will just have more calories.
Avoid high heat. Be sure to keep the heat to a simmer as boiling can cause it to scorch.
How to Serve Alfredo Sauce
Fettuccine Alfredo. Cook 1 pound of pasta to go with one batch of this sauce. Add chicken, shrimp or vegetables as desired.
Vegetables. This creamy sauce is perfect for dipping roasted veggies in! Or mix a bit of sauce with things like cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli or asparagus.
Pizza. We love using Alfredo sauce on pizza as is evidenced by how often I mention homemade Chicken Alfredo Pizza in my frugal menu plans. So delicious!
Bread|Soft Pretzels. Use it as a dipping sauce either on it’s own or mixed with a bit of pasta sauce.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Homemade Cream Soup Mix
- Homemade Onion Soup Mix
- Homemade Real Whipped Cream (like Cool Whip!)
- Super Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Easy Healthier Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1% milk (see Notes below)
- 3 oz neufchatel cheese (see Notes below)
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. black pepper (1/4 if you don’t like it very peppery)
- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning optional
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 3 garlic cloves or 3/4 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1 C grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- (If using granulated garlic, you can skip this step and just add it and the melted butter to the blender mixture.) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn it!
- Place milk, neufchatel cheese, flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a blender; blend until smooth.
- Add milk mixture to the saucepan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just so simmers.
- Continue to stir and let it cook for a few more minutes until it thickens. It won't be super thick, but will not be as liquid as it had been.
- Once thickened, remove pan from heat. Add the Parmesan cheese, stir until melted.
- Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes before using- the sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. Add additional salt if needed.
Notes
- Yields: approximately 2 ¾ cups of sauce.
- Full-fat milk and regular cream cheese can be used instead, your Alfredo Sauce will just have more calories.
- When refrigerated, the Alfredo sauce will become almost solid. Once reheated though, it thins down again. If it still is thicker than you prefer, just add a bit of extra milk to get it to the desired consistency.
- This Alfredo Sauce also freezes well! I often make a double batch and freeze half of it.
Laurie
If you let the Alfredo sauce sit for 10 minutes to thicken it, won’t you have to heat it up again, so that it is hot when you’re putting it on your pasta?
Lydia Beiler
That’s a good question, Laurie. I haven’t ever noticed it being a problem though. It doesn’t seem to cool down that much and the pasta is hot so it seems to be okay.
Rosie Stewart
Hi I’m wondering if I could put this in a jar while hot and seal it to sit on shelf rather than in fridge freezer! Thanks
Lydia Beiler
I love to home-can food, Rosie! It’s so handy, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I don’t think this is a recipe that will work well for canning since it’s milk-based as milk-based food is not recommended for home canning due to safety issues.
Destiny
How long can you freeze it?
Lydia Beiler
I would say at least 3 months, but you probably could go a bit longer too without it being a problem.
Lauren Stapleton
How many servings does this make?
Lydia Beiler
So sorry for the slow reply, Lauren! This recipe makes about 2 3/4 c. total. Hope that helps!
Brandee
Do you use fresh grated Parmesan cheese in this sauce or the Parmesan in the green lidded can? Thanks
Lydia Beiler
I’ve always used the Parmesan in the green lidded can, but I don’t know why fresh grated wouldn’t work. The canned cheese is just typically cheaper so that’s what I have on hand.