Keto Alfredo Sauce
Velvety garlic-Parmesan cream sauce thickened the old-fashioned way — with reduced cream and real cheese, no flour or starch.
Nutrition per serving
¼ cup- Net carbs
- 2.1g
- Calories
- 272kcal
- Protein
- 6.3g
- Fat
- 27g
- Total carbs
- 2.2 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Pesto Alfredo: Basil pesto whisked into the finished sauce for a pale-green, herby cream sauce that’s great with chicken and zoodles.
- Take the finished sauce off the heat and whisk in the pesto, since cooking it dulls the color. Homemade pesto gives the brightest flavor.
Cauliflower Alfredo (lighter): Simmered, blended cauliflower replaces the heavy cream. The sauce is still silky and garlicky, with roughly half the calories.
- Simmer the florets in the broth, covered, for 10–12 minutes until very soft. Don’t drain them.
- Blend the cauliflower and broth with the garlic butter and cream cheese until completely smooth, then blend in the Parmesan. This version makes a little more sauce; loosen it with a splash of water if needed.
Gorgonzola cream: Creamy Gorgonzola in place of Parmesan makes a bold blue-cheese sauce for steak, chicken or roasted vegetables.
- Melt the Gorgonzola into the cream off the heat in place of the Parmesan, whisking until smooth. It’s saltier, so taste before adding any salt.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $5.97 for 6 servings ($0.99 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
-
Pour in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer — small bubbles around the edge, never a rolling boil. Simmer 4–5 minutes, stirring, until slightly reduced.
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Whisk in the cream cheese until completely smooth.
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Take the pan off the heat and add the Parmesan a handful at a time, whisking until each addition melts. Season with pepper, nutmeg (if using) and salt — taste first, as Parmesan is salty.
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Use right away. The sauce thickens as it stands; loosen it with a splash of warm water or cream.
Tips for success
-
Grate the Parmesan from a wedge — pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy. - Adding the cheese off the heat keeps it from clumping or turning oily.
- Jarred Alfredo is often bulked up with starch; this one isn’t. Toss with zoodles or shirataki noodles, or make chicken Alfredo.
Nice to have, not needed
- A rasp grater gives fluffy Parmesan that melts in seconds — the fine side of a box grater works too.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Warm over low heat with 1–2 tablespoons of cream, whisking constantly.
Prep tip: Store the sauce separately from the noodles or zoodles and toss them together only after reheating.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat over low heat with 1–2 tbsp cream, whisking constantly.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosPesto Alfredo
FlavorBasil pesto whisked into the finished sauce for a pale-green, herby cream sauce that’s great with chicken and zoodles.
- + ¼ cup basil pesto
2.6 g net · 315 kcal · 6.8 g protein · 31 g fat · ≈$1.26 per serving (+0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Cauliflower Alfredo (lighter)
SwapSimmered, blended cauliflower replaces the heavy cream. The sauce is still silky and garlicky, with roughly half the calories.
- heavy cream → cauliflower florets
- + ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
2.7 g net · 151 kcal · 6.2 g protein · 13 g fat · ≈$0.95 per serving (+0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Gorgonzola cream
FlavorCreamy Gorgonzola in place of Parmesan makes a bold blue-cheese sauce for steak, chicken or roasted vegetables.
- freshly grated Parmesan → Gorgonzola dolce or other mild blue
2 g net · 270 kcal · 4.6 g protein · 28 g fat · ≈$1.00 per serving (−0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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