Homemade Alfredo Sauce with milk is thick, rich and creamy. It is made with whole milk instead of heavy cream and only takes.
Compared to other homemade alfredo sauce recipes it is a thick and creamy and made without cream or cream cheese but you would never know it. It is one of my favorite Alfredo Sauce recipes.
This recipe was originally shared on October 23, 2011 and has been updated with more helpful information and new photos on February 13, 2022.
Yes, you can make an amazingly delicious homemade Alfredo sauce with milk instead of cream that is thick and creamy!
And you can make homemade fettuccine alfredo in 30 minutes or less.
Alfredo Sauce with Milk
Homemade Alfredo Sauce is very easy to with milk.
And it is the best Alfredo sauce recipe you can make without heavy cream cheese or cream. Once you taste this homemade milk version you will never buy jarred Alfredo sauce again!
How to make homemade Alfredo sauce with milk instead of cream
One day I was in the mood for some Fettuccine Alfredo but didn't have any Alfredo sauce on hand.
I decided to make my own alfredo sauce using a basic cream sauce and fresh parmesan cheese. It turned out so good I have never looked back.
This homemade alfredo sauce recipe made with milk is thick rich and creamy.
And by making it yourself you can season it to your own liking and it tastes so much better homemade.
Easy Alfredo sauce
This recipe will make enough Alfredo sauce to cover 1 pound of pasta.
You can divide it in half with no problem if you need to prepare a smaller amount.
Alfredo Sauce with milk ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients plus salt and pepper to make this homemade alfredo sauce recipe and 1 pound of cooked pasta.
- 1 lb. of fettuccine noodles or pasta of choice, cooked
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups of whole milk
- ½ to ¾ a cup of grated Parmesan cheese or a parmesan cheese blend
Recipe Prep
- Cook the pasta as directed on the box in the salted water before you start making the sauce. It takes about 10 minutes to cook fettucine noodles el dente.
- You need to have the pasta done at about the same time your sauce will be finished.
Directions to make the Alfredo sauce
- Step 1: Add the butter, salt, and pepper to a heavy bottomed, medium-sized pot or skillet. Heat over a medium heat.
- Step 2: Once the butter has melted add the flour and whisk until smooth, removing all lumps from the flour.
Whisk to combine the flour with the melted butter.
Whisk until the flour and butter are lump free.
- Step 3: Slowly pour the milk in and whisk until smooth again. Turn the heat up a bit to about medium-high.
- Step 4: Add ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, whisk until combined. Taste to see if the flavor of Parmesan is strong enough for you. If not, add the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Continue whisking until the sauce has thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
📌Pro Cooking Tip
The sauce will thicken even further as it cools. If the sauce cools and thickens too much before you mix it with the pasta you add a splash of milk to pasta water to thin it with the sauce.
- Step 5: Pour the Alfredo sauce over the pasta and mix until the pasta is evenly coated. If you have cooked it in a skillet you can add the pasta to the skillet and toss to cover the pasta with the sauce.
Serve immediately with a crusty french bread or a slice of homemade white bread.
This homemade alfredo sauce with milk recipe is very versatile and can be used to make so many different alfredo recipes.
Recipe FAQs
You can make a rich and creamy alfredo sauce using whole milk and flour instead of heavy cream.
The difference between fettuccine and linguine pasta noodles is the shape of the pasta and the ingredients used to make the. Fettuccine pasta noodles is made with egg and are wide flat noodles. While linguine noodles are made with out egg and are a thin, narrow flat noodle.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Pot size: Use at least a 2 quart size sauce pan or a wide skillet. You don't want to use too small of a pot because you will be whisking the sauce as it cooks and thickens. If the pot is too small the sauce could splash and drip over the side of the pot making a big mess.
- Using a skillet: If using a skillet the sauce will thicken even faster.
- Thickened sauce: Alfredo sauce will thicken as it cools. You can thin it by adding a small amount of milk or pasta water.
- What kind of Parmesan cheese to use: Please use real grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor.
- Leftovers: Leftover alfredo sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week.
- Freezing: Leftover Alfredo sauce can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw and thin with a little milk and reheat before using.
- Add ins: You can add cooked broccoli and cooked or grilled chicken if you like to make Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo. Add the heated extras when you mix the sauce with the pasta and serve.
- Spicy alfredo: Add a ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce to make spicy alfredo sauce.
Check out my Alfredo Sauce Recipe page for more delicious homemade Alfredo sauce recipes.
More alfredo recipes you'll love
Check out more delicious homemade alfredo recipes below.
Print the Alfredo Sauce with milk recipe below
Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Alfredo Sauce with milk
Ingredients
- 1 lb. box of fettuccine noodles (cooked)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup shredded real Parmesan cheese ((plus more for garnish))
Instructions
Prep
- Cook the pasta as directed on the box in the salted water. Start boiling the pasta water about 10 minutes before you start making your sauce. You want to have the pasta ready at about the same time your sauce will be finished.
How to make Alfredo Sauce with milk
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add the salt and pepper to the pan and whisk together.
- Add the flour and whisk until smooth, removing all lumps.
- Slowly pour the milk into the pan and whisk until smooth.
- Add the shredded Parmesan cheese to the pan and whisk until melted and combined with the milk. Taste and adjust the amount of Parmesan cheese if needed.
- Continue whisking until the sauce has thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. The sauce will thicken even further as it cools. If it thickens too much before you can add it to your pasta thin it with a little pasta water or milk.
- Drain the cooked pasta and pour into a large serving bowl. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the pasta and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with the Alfredo sauce.
- Serve immediately with a crusty French bread.
- Makes enough sauce to cover one pound of Fettucine pasta noodles. Will make 6 to 8 serving.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- Pot size: Use at least a 2 quart size sauce pan or a wide skillet. You don't want to use too small of a pot because you will be whisking the sauce as it cooks and thickens. If the pot is too small the sauce could splash and drip over the side of the pot making a big mess.
- Using a skillet: If using a skillet the sauce will thicken even faster.
- Thickened sauce: Alfredo sauce will thicken as it cools. You can thin it by adding a small amount of milk or pasta water.
- What kind of Parmesan cheese to use: Please use real grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor.
- Leftovers: Leftover alfredo sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week.
- Freezing: Leftover Alfredo sauce can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw and thin with a little milk and reheat before using.
- Add ins: You can add cooked broccoli and cooked or grilled chicken if you like to make Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo. Add the heated extras when you mix the sauce with the pasta and serve.
- Spicy alfredo: Add a ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce to make spicy alfredo sauce.
Andrina G
I love alfredo. I wonder if your sauce would work in something like Olive Gardens five cheese ziti. I have been trying to figure out how to recreate it but healthier.
Flour On My Face
Andrina I am sure it would work very well.
Damalis
I have To say that this recipe was amazing and do simple. I really wanna thank you.
Flour On My Face
Damalis I am so happy to here that you enjoyed it!
Z Owl
Thank you! This is how myy mom makes it& couldn't remember the exact amounts & like others didnt have the wierd stuff like cream or cream cheese in the other recipes on hand. Thanks for saving the day!
Flour On My Face
You are very welcome! Enjoy!
Micah
didn't have cream either... i have some left over steak i'm gonna throw in it and some fresh garlic . trying to think of ways to use leftovers that usually get thrown away. thanks for this recipe definitely saving it 🙂
Olga
Thanks a bunch. I left my cookbook at home when I moved out and I always made it this way. I love this recipe. I looked up fettuccine alfredo but could only find ones with cream, but this way is much better. Thanks again...
Rochelle
Soooooooooooo easy & kid-friendly!!!! Going to throw in some garlic next time, cause that's a favorite around here <3
Elk Grove, CA
Alicia
Great Base Recipe! I knew Alfredo sauce didn't have a LOT of ingredients so when I ran out of the usual pre-made pasta kits (you know...the famous blue box) my family knew it was game on because we're not shopping again until EVERYTHING is out of the house! My daughter found 1/2 box of lasagna and thinkig we still had some of the jar alfredo sauce left suggested I just combine the two. After surveying the remaining contents of our fridge and doing a search for Alfredo sauce, I decided on a collard lasagna dish with your (modified) alfredo sauce recipe. The other recipes called for heavy cream so after another search I found you. The kids were like, "oh great...she's at it again...another concoction." It turned out GREAT! Everyone was pleasantly surprised (myself included) and requested to take the leftover to school this morning! Thanks so much.
Kristine Foley
THANK YOU for this! Stumbled on your recipe while searching online. We tried it and love it! Sharing with my readers! SO good! Thanks again I appreciate it!
Flour On My Face
Kristine
Thank you. I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Jenn
This Alfredo sauce came out absolutely perfect!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was so simple to make and everyone loved it! Could I double this recipe?
Flour On My Face
Jenn
Thank you I am so glad you liked the recipe. Yes you can double it with no problem.
Sherrie
Oh and since all I had was K**** paremesan cheese, I used Monterey Jack instead.
Sherrie
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. My oven is broken so I can only use the cooktop so I had to use leftovers for dinner this evening. I wanted to make pasta with alfredo sauce. I found your recipe first and thought I woukd try it. I sauteed mushrooms, red peppers and left over bbq chicken, mixed them with your sauce and poured it over penne noodles. It was amazing. I will definitely be making it again. It was a huge hit. Thanks!
Flour On My Face
Sherrie
Your recipe sounds so good! I'm so happy you enjoyed my alfredo recipe.
Caren
The easiest and yummiest sauce I have yet to find! Definitely saving this. Thank you!
Flour On My Face
Caren
You are welcome!
O's Mama
did a quick search for Alfredo sauce, came across this... didn't realize how simple it really is! thanks! of course I had condensed milk not regular milk so I used it, and I thought I had Parmesan, but found out too late that I'm out (insert gasp here) so I substituted mozzarella cheese which needed over a cup to make it work... It was good though and I can't wait to make it the right way, thanks again!
Flour On My Face
Yes isn't it amazing just how easy it is to make. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jill
I was wondering how to go about warming this up the next day. I want to make for lunch to take to work and only have a microwave to heat things up there.
Flour On My Face
Jill
I use the microwave to heat up the leftovers. I add a little milk to thin the alfredo sauce that tends to thicken once it cools.
justin
How many servings is this?
Flour On My Face
Justin
4 to 6 servings
Michelle
My son wanted Alfredo but had no sauce or cream. So found this recipe!! I love it!! I was so easy to make and tastes so much better!!! Thank you!
Flour On My Face
Michelle
You are very welcome! So glad you and your son enjoyed it!