Name: Easy Healthier Alfredo Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
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

Pin2.4K

Yum5

2.4K Shares

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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.

Healthy alfredo sauce in a glass jar with a spoon.

There are affiliate links in this post – please read my full disclosure policy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

Ingredients needed to make healthy alfredo sauce without heavy cream.

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

Cooking the butter and minced garlic in a large saucepan.

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.

Adding all of the homemade alfredo sauce ingredients to a blender, then pouring into a saucepan.

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.

Adding grated parmesan cheese to thickened alfredo sauce and stirring it in.

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.

A plate of fettuccine alfredo that is made with cream cheese and without heavy cream.

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

Fettuccine noodles tossed in healthy alfredo sauce on a blue plate.

Print Recipe

4.81 from 31 votes