This Healthy Alfredo Sauce is creamy, delicious, and full of flavor without all the extra fat and calories! This homemade healthier alfredo sauce is made with simple ingredients like almond milk and a freshly shredded blend of cheeses in place of heavy cream. It’s a great way to enjoy your favorite pasta dinner, just lighted up!
Guys…I am so pumped to finally share a Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe on the blog. It’s been on my list for what feels like forever, and it is finally happening!
Alfredo Sauce is one of the most calorie-laden ways to top your pasta…until now. This homemade alfredo sauce passed many tastes tests (thanks, Mom!) despite being a much healthier, lower calorie, 21 Day Fix approved version of Alfredo. I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
Use Cornstarch To make a cornstarch slurry, whisk together equal parts of cornstarch and water—about 2 tablespoons of each. From there, add 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time. Start by whisking just 2 teaspoons of the slurry into the sauce, let it come to a boil, which will activate the starch, and then add more if needed.
Ingredients for this Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
The best part of this Three Cheese (yes, THREE) Alfredo Sauce is the simple, real food ingredients used to make it!
- Garlic – fresh garlic is a must for this recipe! I love to buy the peeled fresh garlic from Costco to save me some time. In a pinch, you can sub garlic powder.
- Olive oil or olive oil spray – just enough to saute the garlic
- Butter, vegan butter, or ghee – you can replace this with more olive oil if you wish, but I love the flavor you get from using just over a tablespoon of butter in the sauce. A little goes a long way!
- Gluten free flour or whole wheat flour – traditional Alfredo sauce doesn’t use flour, but we are going to make a roux here to help thicken the sauce without using cream. Because we are gluten free, I use gluten free flour, but feel free to replace with whole wheat or whatever flour you have on hand.
- Original unsweetened almond or cashew milk – As I said before, I make this Alfredo sauce with milk instead of cream. Both almond milk and cashew milk are significantly lower in calories and fat than milk and cream, but they still add creaminess to this Alfredo sauce recipe. If you have a nut allergy, you can sub 1% milk or skim milk in this recipe.
- Freshly shredded white cheddar cheese, packed in tight – again, this deviates from the traditional Alfredo recipe, but using freshly shredded cheddar cheese helps to thicken this sauce without cream. Just be sure to pack it in tightly,
- Freshly shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese, packed in tight – Parmesan cheese is the typical cheese in Alfredo sauce – and a little goes a long way.
- Pecorino Romano cheese – this is optional, but I love the combination of three cheeses in this Alfredo sauce…and pecorino Romano gives a little extra zip of flavor.
- Fresh ground black pepper – enhances all the flavors – I add just a little bit. You can also use white pepper if you have it (I don’t!)
- Himalayan or Sea salt – you might need to increase the amount of salt depending on your cheese and butter selections, but start with a small amount and go from there.
- Garnish – pinch of nutmeg and fresh parsley – these are optional, but they add a little extra flavor and a pop of color to your sauce
It’s so easy to make Alfredo Sauce with just milk and cheese! Here’s how:
- The first step to this Alfredo recipe is to saute some garlic in a medium saucepan or skillet– I use 5 cloves of garlic because I am a garlic freak.
2. Next, like my other Cheese Sauce recipes, it’s time to make a roux. While a roux isn’t traditionally part of Alfredo sauce, it works well to add thickness to this healthier Alfredo.
Note: a roux is just a fancy word for equal parts fat and flour – in this case we are using butter and gluten-free flour to make a perfect cream sauce base.
3. After the roux is heated and begins to brown, add some almond or cashew milk and whisk until it begins to thicken. This will take a few minutes, so be patient.
Next it’s time to add the cheese! For extra creaminess and flavor, I use a three cheese blend: Parmesan, white cheddar, and pecorino Romano. I lower the heat and whisk away until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy perfection.
Finally, it’s time to season the sauce. Salt and pepper are a must, but you could also add a little nutmeg and fresh parsley to add some additional depth of flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
And that is it! A delicious and lower calorie Alfredo sauce ready in less than 20 minutes!
Healthy Alfredo Sauce for the 21 Day Fix and WW
This sauce, like my other cheese sauces, is totally ok and approved for the 21 Day Fix! In fact, 1/2 cup of this sauce will only count as 1/2 blue and 1 tsp. I purposely made this sauce 1/2 blue in case:
1. you want to have two helpings.
2. you want to top your sauce with extra Parmesan cheese (me!! this is me!!)
This Alfredo recipe is also a great choice for WW as it’s 5 points for all plans.
How to Make Fettuccine Sauce With Flour & Butter : Recipes for Home-Cooked Meals
FAQ
What is a good substitute for flour in white sauce?
How can I thicken white sauce without flour?
What to do if Alfredo sauce is too thick?
What can I substitute for Alfredo sauce?
To use this substitute, you can mix 1 cup of greek yogurt with ¼ cup of reduced-fat cream cheese to make a healthier alternative to Alfredo sauce. This healthier but still creamy Alfredo Sauce from cauliflower can also be made vegan by replacing the cheese with nutritional yeast.
What can be used instead of white flour?
Instead of white flour, you can use whole wheat flour, add oats to the flour, or add seeds. You have to take into account that some recipes need white flour.
What is a good substitute for heavy cream in Alfredo?
After that, use this mixture in the same ratio as is called the heavy cream in the Alfredo recipe. Light cream is also another great substitute for heavy cream for our Alfredo recipe. Just pay attention that the light cream usually has a fat content of around 20% while the heavy cream has at least 36%.
What can I use instead of milk to make Alfredo?
Alternative Milks: For this alfredo with milk, you can use any kind of milk you like such as unsweetened flax, cashew, coconut, or oat. Chicken Alfredo: If you are serving meat eaters, feel free to add in some shredded chicken breast to the pasta sauce without heavy cream!