Traditional Alfredo sauce is insanely delicious and sometimes considered a splurge with its indulgent amounts of butter, cream, and cheese. This version still gives you a creamy luxurious experience but lowers fat and calories significantly, and all comes together in 10 minutes, so it’s perfect for last minute meals. This isn’t a recipe whose purpose is copycat the original with different ingredients. This recipe still uses real cheese, and real butter, just way less of it and some clever additions to make up the difference. This healthy, low-fat Alfredo sauce is one of the most popular recipes on our site. Originally shared in August 2008, this recipe has been a family staple in millions of households all over!
Ingredients Needed
- low-fat milk – anything from nonfat to whole milk works, I really like 1-2%. If you’re not tracking your calories, go ahead and make it with whole milk. It’s still going to be waaay lighter than using cream, and it tastes extra delicious.
- low fat cream cheese – adds creaminess and also adds body to the sauce.
- all purpose flour
- salt
- butter
- garlic
- parmesan cheese – you can make this recipe with fresh grated parmesan or even the crumbled kind in the bottle. They turn out just a bit different in texture, but honestly either one works. I almost always have both on hand so I tend to do half and half. Just experiment and see what you like.
How to Make Guiltless Alfredo
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Blend milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt until smooth.
- Sauté garlic in butter over medium heat until fragrant.
- Stir in the milk mixture and cook until thickened and creamy.
- Reduce heat, add cheese, and stir until melted.
- Let stand a few minutes to thicken before serving. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Storage & Other Tips
- Thickening: this sauce thickens a lot as it cools, so don’t panic if it seems too thin when it’s done.
- Refrigerate: let cool slightly, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. It will thicken a lot when it cools, so you’ll definitely want to add a splash of milk to thin it back out.
- Freezing: probably possible, but will definitely affect texture. We’ve never tried it this way so we can’t guarantee results. If you try it, let us know how it goes in the comments!
- Ways to Use It: this recipe is so versatile! Of course this is fantastic on pasta, but it’s also really great as a sauce on pizza, or a dip for breadsticks, or even drizzled over vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 – 2% work well, and whole milk is also delicious! We did have a reader in the comments said she had good success using soy milk, so maybe give that a try if you are sensitive.
Blending these together helps make the mixture smooth and avoids lumps when cooking.
If it’s too thin, it might need a bit more time to simmer or cool. This sauce thickens a lot upon cooling, so give it a bit of patience and it should work out just fine!
Freshly grated does give a nice texture, but pre-grated works great too. Sometimes I like to do half fresh and half grated, and I’ve noticed that works out really well.
Reheat it gently, in a thick-bottomed sauce pan with a splash of milk while stirring. This is the best way to get that nice, smooth consistency back.
Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 3 ounces low fat cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, fresh grated
Instructions
- Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a non-stick sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds.
- Add the milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.
- When it's nice and thickened turn heat to low. Add the cheese, stir it up to melt and then remove pan from heat and cover.
- Let stand for 5-10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Season with additional salt if needed.
Questions & Reviews
Whoa….this sounds FABULOUS!!! Bookmarked, stumbled….and everything else I can think of! 😉
This is SOOOO delicious. I topped penne pasta with this sauce and the brushetta recipe from this website. I didn't have parmesan cheese so I used the low fat feta in my fridge and it worked so well and had a mediterranean feel. I just learned about this blog from a friend and I totally owe her!
I just found this recipe today, and made it for lunch for my son, who is home from school sick today. He loved it, and he's not even the alfredo-lover of the family!
I tweaked it a little–used seasoned salt instead of regular, added freshly ground black pepper, and tossed in a little of Tastefully Simple's Dried Tomato Pesto mix, just because I love the flavor it adds.
Also sauteed some mushrooms and red peppers while the sauce was simmering, and served it all over linguine, with sliced left-over grilled chicken. Mmmmm, good!
I have a question… Would marscapone cheese work in lieu of cream cheese?
I'm probably one of about 4 people on the planet who LOATHES cream cheese. I once used some cream cheese that was in the fridge (for a dip) in a white sauce and it was all I could smell and taste. I had to stop eating (and before anyone asks- yes, the cream cheese was fresh!).
Soo yeah. Marscapone or other soft cheese– What do you think?
Kendra–Don't chance it :). Just use 1% and low-fat cream cheese. You'll thank us, we promise. 🙂
I only had the fat free options in my fridge, so I used them. I thought it tasted delicious and it got rave reviews from my son and husband.
Wondering if you could use fat free cream cheese and fat free milk. Should I not chance it?
PS, just found your blog. I'm a recipe blogger too. So, i'll have to make it and blog about it. (:
http://www.blendra.com
Another fan! The last few tries I have had at making Alfredo have been bleh, blah, and belch. This is the first time I have had success and its light! How awesome is that. Thanks!
I just made this sauce and used Onion and Chive cream cheese – yum!
I was thoroughly impressed with this recipe. You're absolutely right–it does NOT taste "lite"! I ended up adding a bit more salt and a bit more cheese upon serving but still, the best homemade alfredo I have made… and I have tried dozens of recipes!
I just made this, and the sauce is beyond amazing. But I used it to make an "alfredo pot pie," which was heaven on a plate, and pretty simple. In a separate pan from the sauce, I cooked some boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with garlic powder and garlic salt, in olive oil. When done, I removed them to a plate, added a teeny bit of butter and then a package of sliced, fresh mushrooms and sauteed those. While they cooked, I diced up the chicken. Finally, I made the sauce. Once it was all ready, I put the chicken and mushrooms in a glass 9×13, poured the sauce over, and then put a layer of refrigerator crescent rolls over the top. Baked at 375 for 11 minutes, and VOILA. One of the best dinners I've ever made. And that sauce really brought the whole thing together – it was DIVINE.
BTW, I used skim milk, b/c it's all we ever buy, and it was still amazing and thickened up nicely.
Michelle