Alfredo Sauce Recipe with Cream Cheese

This Alfredo sauce with cream cheese is rich, velvety, and honestly one of the easiest homemade Alfredo sauces you’ll ever make. The cream cheese gives you that smooth, creamy texture without the stress of the sauce splitting, so it’s basically foolproof. I love messing with nontraditional Alfredo recipes (if you’ve tried my Alfredo sauce without heavy cream, you already know), and this cream cheese Alfredo tastes like it belongs on a restaurant menu.

Why You'll Love This Alfredo Sauce Recipe With Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is a secret weapon when you're looking for something smooth and creamy with better flavor. It acts like a built-in stabilizer, so you get a silky, restaurant-style Alfredo sauce that stays smooth instead of breaking or separating. Butter and garlic build that classic flavor base, heavy cream brings the richness, chicken stock keeps it creamy but not too heavy, and Parmesan gives you that salty, nutty finish that makes Alfredo taste like Alfredo.

This Alfredo sauce recipe with cream cheese is also a true weeknight hero. You’re looking at about 10 minutes from start to finish, and it coats pasta like a dream. Plus, you’re not locked into fettuccine only. This sauce is ridiculously flexible; use it on any pasta, chicken, shrimp, veggies, lasagna, baked pasta, or even as a white pizza sauce. If you want the best cream cheese Alfredo sauce that turns out perfect every time, this is the one you’ll keep coming back to.

Ingredients You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 ounces cream cheese
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Optional but recommended for serving: pasta water (about ¼ cup), fresh parsley, black pepper.

Ingredient Notes That Make This Alfredo Sauce Work

• Cream cheese: The star of this recipe. It melts into the butter, creating a stable, creamy base that emulsifies the sauce, keeping it smooth and thick.
• Heavy cream: Adds richness and that signature Alfredo mouthfeel. A little goes a long way here because cream cheese is doing most of the thickening.
• Chicken stock: This lightens the sauce just enough so it doesn't feel too heavy and helps the Parmesan melt in smoothly. It also adds savory depth.
• Parmesan: Use freshly grated if possible. Pre-shredded Parmesan can contain anti-caking agents that make it melt poorly and can lead to a grainy texture.
• Garlic: One clove keeps the sauce flavorful without overpowering the Parmesan.

How to Make Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese

Step 1: Melt butter and bloom garlic

Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add butter and garlic. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.

Step 2: Melt the cream cheese

Add cream cheese and stir continuously until it melts into the butter, about 2 minutes. Keep the heat at medium or medium-low if needed. You want gentle heat so it melts smoothly.

Step 3: Add cream and stock slowly

Slowly pour in heavy cream, then chicken stock, stirring constantly to keep the sauce silky and lump-free.

Step 4: Whisk in Parmesan

Add grated Parmesan and whisk until creamy and fully combined, about 1 minute. The sauce should look glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Step 5: Toss with pasta (best method)

If serving with pasta, transfer cooked pasta straight into the sauce using tongs. Reserve some pasta water. Toss to coat, adding about ¼ cup pasta water as needed if the sauce thickens too much.

Step 6: Finish and serve

Garnish with fresh parsley and a little Parmesan on top, and serve warm.

Pro Tips for Creamy, Smooth Alfredo Every Time

• Keep the heat gentle. High heat is the fastest way to break a cream sauce. Medium or medium-low is perfect. If it starts bubbling aggressively, reduce the heat. You want a quiet simmer, not a rolling boil.
• Use room-temperature cream cheese if you can. It melts faster and blends more smoothly, which means fewer lumps and less whisking. If it’s cold, cut it into small cubes and add it gradually so it melts evenly.
• Whisk until the cream cheese is fully smooth before adding the Parmesan. This is the key step most people rush. Once your base is silky, everything else melts in cleanly, and you get that glossy Alfredo finish.
• Grate your own Parmesan. Pre-shredded Parmesan often contains anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting smoothly. Freshly grated Parmesan melts better, tastes nuttier, and gives you a more “real Alfredo” texture.
• Add the Parmesan off the boil. If the sauce is too hot, Parmesan can seize and turn clumpy or grainy. Take the pan off the heat for 30 seconds, then whisk it in slowly until smooth.
• Use pasta water like a pro. A splash or two of starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling to noodles and stay silky instead of thick and heavy. Start with 2 tablespoons, toss, then add more as needed until it coats perfectly.
• Taste before you add extra salt. Parmesan is salty, and chicken stock can be salty too. Season at the end so you don’t accidentally oversalt the sauce.
• If it gets too thick, loosen it the right way. Alfredo thickens as it cools. Warm it gently and whisk in a splash of pasta water, chicken stock, or cream until smooth again.

What to Serve with Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

This cream cheese Alfredo is made for pasta nights. It’s perfect with fettuccine (classic), but it’s also great with linguine, penne, rigatoni, tortellini, or my favorite, bow tie, since the sauce is thick and creamy and clings to everything. Here are more easy ways to use it:

• Chicken and broccoli Alfredo: Toss it with pasta, add cooked chicken, and fold in steamed or roasted broccoli for an instant full meal.
• Breadstick dip: Serve warm in a bowl and dip breadsticks, garlic bread, or pizza crusts in it. 
• White pizza sauce: Spread a thin layer on pizza dough, then top with mozzarella, chicken, spinach, mushrooms, or bacon. You can also use it as the sauce for this chicken Alfredo garlic bread.
• Creamy base for baked pasta: Stir it into cooked pasta, add cheese on top, and bake until bubbly for an easy comfort-food dinner.
• Roasted veggie upgrade: Drizzle it over roasted broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or asparagus, and suddenly veggies feel like the main event.
• Easy complete meal idea: Cream cheese Alfredo pasta with roasted broccoli and an iceberg lettuce salad is a guaranteed win. 

Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce FAQS

Can I make Alfredo sauce with cream cheese without heavy cream?

Yes. You can swap the heavy cream for more chicken stock plus a little milk, but it won’t be quite as rich and the sauce may be slightly thinner. If you can, keeping at least a small amount of cream gives you the best texture.

Why is my Alfredo sauce grainy?

Graininess usually happens when the cheese doesn’t melt smoothly. Use freshly grated Parmesan, keep the heat gentle, and whisk it in slowly off the boil. If the sauce is too hot, the cheese can seize and turn gritty.

How do I thicken Alfredo sauce with cream cheese?

It thickens naturally as it simmers and also as it cools. If it’s too thin, let it simmer on low for 1 to 2 minutes while stirring. If it gets too thick, loosen it with pasta water, chicken stock, milk, or cream until it’s silky again.

Can I use pre-shredded Parmesan?

You can, but it’s more likely to clump or turn grainy because of anti-caking agents. Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoother and tastes better, so it’s the best move if you want restaurant-style Alfredo.

What pasta is best for Alfredo?

Fettuccine is the classic because the wide noodles hold onto the sauce, but penne and rigatoni are great for trapping it in the ridges and tubes. Tortellini is also amazing if you want something extra cozy and filling.

Storage and Reheating Tips (So It Stays Creamy)

• Refrigerator: Store leftover cream cheese Alfredo sauce (or Alfredo pasta) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it chills; that’s totally normal.
• Freezing: Cream sauces can change texture after freezing, but this one freezes better than most because the cream cheese helps stabilize it. Freeze in small containers for up to 2 months for the best quality. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Stovetop: Reheat over low heat, stirring or whisking often. Add a splash of milk, cream, chicken stock, or pasta water a little at a time until it’s smooth and silky again.
• Microwave: Reheat in short bursts (20 to 30 seconds), stirring between each round. Add a small splash of liquid before you start, then adjust as needed. Gentle heat is the whole game here.

More Sauce Recipes to Try Next

• Cream sauce base
• Cajun Alfredo sauce
• Saffron cream sauce
• Cajun cream sauce
• Brown butter sauce
• White wine sauce