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Creamy, savory, and packed with flavor, this Healthy Alfredo Sauce is quick and easy to make with lighter ingredients! It’s so delicious, you’d never even guess that it’s a healthier recipe. Serve over pasta for a comforting dinner that the entire family will love.
Homemade sauces are the best. Check out my homemade tartar sauce or my homemade In-N-Out sauce.
Craving rich and cheesy fettuccine alfredo, but don’t want a heavy cream, high-calorie, high-fat meal that will make you feel too full and weighed down? I’ve got you covered. Enjoy this Healthy homemade Alfredo Sauce guilt-free! For an even healthier Alfredo sauce, check out my Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.
This is a light version of the classic Alfredo Sauce that is made without any butter or heavy cream. Instead, it’s a simple blend of parmesan cheese, vegetable stock, light cream cheese, and milk that turns into a luscious cream sauce with a fraction of the fat and calories as the original. Ready in just 20 minutes.
Recipe Overview
Before you get started
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese from a block of REAL Parmigiano Reggiano will yield the best results. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese because its anti-caking agents prevent it from melting as well as the real stuff. It also won’t be as flavorful.
- When serving the sauce with fettuccine, be sure to toss the hot pasta with the Alfredo sauce and some reserved pasta water. This is called emulsifying and it’s the best way to get a wonderfully smooth sauce that clings to the noodles instead of falling to the bottom of the pot!
Frequently asked questions
Traditional alfredo sauce is not considered to be healthy. It’s typically made with a lot of butter, heavy cream, and cheese. It’s usually high in calories and fat, but this version is much healthier!
In this recipe, we’re substituting the heavy cream for a mixture made with oil, flour, stock, and light cream cheese. The sauce turns out plenty rich but is much lower in calories and fat.
Marinara is tomato based and doesn’t include butter, cream, or flour, so it is healthier when compared to alfredo, which is cream based and higher in calories and fat.
Ingredients needed
This delicious creamy alfredo sauce has tons of wonderful flavors thanks to the combination of sautéed garlic, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and cream cheese. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Oil. Use olive oil or avocado oil to sauté the minced garlic.
- Garlic. Always a must for flavorful Italian food!
- Flour or cornstarch. To thicken the sauce, you’ll mix flour or cornstarch into the garlic and oil to make a roux.
- Seasoning. A simple mix of salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning will bring out all of the delicious flavors.
- Grated parmesan cheese. You can’t have alfredo sauce without a little bit of cheese. To keep things light, we’re just using 1/2 cup. A little bit goes a long way in this dish!
- Vegetable stock. Mixes with the milk and cream cheese to give this sauce the perfect consistency. Use chicken stock, if that’s what you have.
- Light cream cheese. Keeps this sauce thick and rich without the need for butter and heavy cream.
- Milk. Any milk works – 2%, almond milk, or cashew milk. To really keep this low in calories and dairy free, we recommend non-dairy milk.
How to make Alfredo Sauce
Even though this homemade Alfredo Sauce is lightened up, it’s plenty thick and creamy, packed with flavor, and is incredibly paired with fettuccine noodles. Here’s the simple method:
1️⃣ Cook the garlic
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and minced garlic. Let it simmer for a minute until fragrant. Next, add the flour with the garlic and mix to combine.
✏️ You can use avocado oil instead of olive oil. I recommend using fresh garlic and not garlic powder.
2️⃣ Add the milk and cream cheese
Add in the cream cheese and stir for another minute until the cream cheese melts or softens. Next, add in the milk and whisk it in with the cream cheese until completely dissolved.
✏️You can use full-fat or light cream cheese and milk.
3️⃣ Add the stock
Next, pour in the vegetable stock with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Whisk and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened and smooth.
4️⃣ Add Parmesan cheese, cook, and Serve
Pour the parmesan cheese over the thickened sauce. Whisk thoroughly until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Ways to serve
- Serve it over fettuccine noodles or any type of pasta. And feel free to throw in some Italian grilled chicken breast, Healthy shrimp scampi, or some oven-roasted veggies.
- Add over air fryer broccoli or whole roasted cauliflower.
- Make a white pizza using this as the sauce instead of marinara.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for fries, Baked potato wedges, or crispy baked asparagus.
Storage Tips
- Storing: This will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container or jar.
- Freezing: Milk can often separate when frozen, and cheese can become grainy. We recommend enjoying this fresh, or after being stored in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Rewarm the sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Homemade Healthy Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour of choice, or 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 4 ounces light cream cheese
- 1 cup milk of choice, (2%, almond or cashew milk)
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, and minced garlic. Let it simmer for a minute until fragrant.
- Next, add the 3 tablespoons flour of choice with the garlic and mix to combine. Add in the 4 ounces light cream cheese and stir for another minute until the cream cheese melts or softens.
- Add in the 1 cup milk of choice and whisk it in with the cream cheese until completely dissolved. Next, pour in the 1 cup vegetable stock with 1 Teaspoon salt, ¼ Teaspoon black pepper, and 1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning. Whisk and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened and smooth.
- Pour the ½ cup grated parmesan cheese over the thickened sauce and whisk thoroughly until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. This should take another minute. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Serve the sauce with your favorite pasta or store it in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Storing: This will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container or jar.
- Freezing: Milk can often separate when frozen, and cheese can become grainy. We recommend enjoying this fresh or after being stored in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Rewarm the sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Makes 2 Cups once simmered down. The serving size is 1/2 cup.
- If you use 1/4 cup as a serving size, the calories will be 115 calories per serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried to make it once and ever since then, I’ve been making it for my family and now today for my coworkers. It’s so good and easy to make. We love it!
So happy you all loved it. Yay
It’s so good. My boys loved it. I’ll be making it again
perfect. Glad they loved it.
Perhaps you could answer a question for me. The yield says 1 cup, with 1/4 cup per serving. However, there are about 2 1/2 cups of ingredients, giving 4 servings of 1 1/8 cups each. Does the nutrition reflect 1/4 cup or 1/4 of the recipe?
Hi, Jan. It does make 2 cups once simmered down. Maybe a bit more. Each serving will be about 1/2 cup. if you use 1/4 cup its 115 calories.
Came out perfect!
amazing! So glad
Love the flavors in this sauce! Going to remake tonight and making sure I use my milk frother to mix the cornstarch into the broth. Had issues with mushy cornstarch clumps in finished dish no matter how much I whisked together. So I recommend not adding the cornstarch directly to your big pot before mixing into another liquid thoroughly first.